| Q. |
When should I apply for financial aid? |
| A. |
The financial aid process can take up to four months to complete so you should complete the FAFSA as early as possible. In order to have financial aid processed and available to use at the time of registration and fee payment you should follow the deadlines below:
| If you are applying for financial aid for: |
| Summer semester |
File must be complete by March 1 |
| Fall semester |
File must be complete by June 1 |
| Spring semester |
File must be complete by October 1 |
A complete financial aid file contains:
- Student Aid Report or electronic record received from the Department of Education
- Student Data Form
- Loan Application
- Loan Counseling completed for first-time borrowers
- Verification completed if required
|
| Q. |
How do I apply for financial aid? |
| A. |
To apply for financial aid students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This FAFSA is available in any college Financial Aid Office, most libraries and many high school counselors' office. The application should be completed and mailed in the envelope provided with the application. Students with access to the internet can choose to complete and file the application electronically. The web site for filing your FAFSA electronically is www.fafsa.ed.gov.
It takes approximately 3 to 6 weeks to receive the result of the FAFSA, which is a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR is used to determine your eligibility for financial aid. To expedite processing, submit your SAR to the Financial Aid Office when you receive it because there will be other forms the Financial Aid Office will need you to complete. |
| Q. |
How will I know what I qualify for? |
| A. |
Once you receive the results of your FAFSA, the SAR, you should submit this form to the Financial Aid Office where you will be given any other papers you need to complete the processing of your financial aid. A Financial Aid Counselor can normally give you an estimate of what type of aid you would be eligible for based on information obtained from your SAR. Once your financial aid has been processed we will mail you an award letter that states what type of aid you will be receiving as well as the amount that you would qualify for per semester. Please be aware this process can take up to eight weeks depending on the time of year the application is received. |
