FAFSA

To be eligible to receive federal student aid you need to:

• Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen (see below)
• Be registered for Selective Service (male students ages 18-25)
• Have a high school diploma or GED Diploma
• Be working towards a degree or certificate
• Not be in default on any federal educational loans or owe a refund on a federal grant
• Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Not have been convicted of a drug offense while receiving financial aid

You are considered a citizen or eligible noncitizen if you fit into one of the following categories:

• You are a U.S. citizen.
• You are a U.S. national (includes natives of America, Samoa, or Swain's Island).
• You are a U.S. permanent resident with an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151,I-551, or I-551C).
• You are not a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, but have an I-94 or I-94A with one of the following designations: refugee, asylum granted, indefinite parole, humanitarian parole, Cuban-Haitian entrant, status pending, conditional entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)

The information below will help with completing your FAFSA application.

Create an FSA ID

Creating an FSA ID allows you to sign your FAFSA form electronically. A paper signature page must be downloaded, signed and mailed for students or parents who don’t have a FSA-ID. NOTE: If you’re a dependent student, one of your parents whose information is reported on the FAFSA form will also need an FSA ID so that they can sign your application electronically.

Gather Information

• Social Security number
• Alien registration number
• Federal tax information or tax returns
• Records of untaxed income
• Cash, savings and checking account Balances
• Investments

School Code

The FAFSA should be submitted using our School Code of 030709 as soon after Oct. 1st as possible for the Financial Aid Office to determine eligibility for the various financial aid programs.

Review Your Student Aid Report (SAR)

The SAR is a summary of the FAFSA data you submitted. You (the student) will receive your SAR within three days to three weeks after you submit your FAFSA form. Look over your SAR carefully, make sure you didn’t make a mistake on your FAFSA form, and correct your FAFSA data if necessary.

If a financial aid application has been filed, but SoutheastHEALTH College of Nursing & Health Sciences was not listed as a school choice, the student must update their FAFSA to include SoutheastHEALTH College of Nursing & Health Sciences Federal School Code: 030709.

When a student receives a correct SAR, they should retain it. The College of Nursing & Health Sciences Financial Aid Office receives SAR information electronically, so it is not necessary for a paper SAR to be submitted to the office. If students need assistance with making FAFSA changes, the Financial Aid Office can help.

What Is Verification?

Often, FAFSA records are selected to be verified by the U.S. Department of Education and the College. This process requires that the College collect various tax documents to verify data submitted on the FAFSA. A financial aid record is not considered complete and eligible for aid disbursement until verification has been completed. Because the College participates in federal student aid programs, by law we are required to verify designated files.

Why Was I Selected?

Most files are chosen by the Central Processing System (CPS) at the U.S. Department of Education. Although most files are chosen at random, some files may be chosen based on areas commonly completed with mistakes. Just remember we are here to help—most errors found result in additional aid eligibility for the student.

Selecting Students

The College will request verification information from all students who are selected for verification. Required verification items often consist of:

• Household size as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Number in college
• Adjusted gross income as supplied by the IRS
• U.S. taxes paid
• Certain types of untaxed income and benefits (examples not all inclusive: child care, IRA/Keogh deductions, interest on tax-free bonds)
• All other untaxed income included on the U.S. income tax return (excluding schedules).

The College is also required to verify any application information that appears to be incorrect or contains discrepancies.

How Will I be Notified?

Students who are selected for verification will be notified through their school email address. Please be sure to provide all requested documentation in a timely manner. Remember, financial aid cannot be awarded until this process has been completed.

When does the Process Have to be Completed?

Students must complete all required paperwork at least two weeks prior to the end of each semester to be eligible to receive aid for that semester. Paperwork submitted after this deadline will be processed at the discretion of the College.

Once the FAFSA® has been submitted, the student will be evaluated for the need-based programs. The U.S. Department of Education determines eligibility for need-based financial aid using submitted FAFSA application information in a standard need analysis formula.

Financial need—can be defined as the Cost of Attendance (COA) minus the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Cost of Attendance - Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need

Cost of Attendance (COA)—is a calculation of expected expenses during the time you are enrolled. COA includes allowances for tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other personal expenses. Although some of these costs will be paid directly to the College (tuition and fees) most are considered indirect costs and the responsibility of the student.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)—is calculated from the information you report on the FAFSA. EFC is a measure of a student's and their family's financial strength and resources and is used to determine amounts and types of aid available.

Once financial need is determined, federal, state, private grant and scholarships are awarded, followed by Federal Direct Stafford Loans. Following determination of need-based aid, non-need based aid, such as Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans or Parent PLUS loans, is awarded. Students who do not have need-based aid can still receive non-need-based aid.

Once your FAFSA results and all requested information have been received and processed, you will be notified via email that you have an Award Notification. The Award Notification will reflect all federal and state offers of aid including scholarship, need-based grants, and loans. The Award Notification provides a summary of your financial aid. All or part of the award offered can be accepted. Please contact the Financial Aid Office if you need assistance.

The Award Notification will contain the Cost of Attendance and Expected Family Contribution, as well as information on the awards you have been offered and/or are receiving. Students will need to follow the instructions in the Award Letter to accept their aid.

You must submit a FAFSA form for each school year in which you want to be considered for federal student aid. When you log in to renew your FAFSA form, it's prefilled with certain information from the prior academic year. You'll need to provide new income and tax information and update any information that may have changed.

Renew FAFSA

Federal Direct Loans, grants and scholarships are directly applied to the student's account. Any remaining balance due is the responsibility of the student, and the student is required to make payment arrangements with the Billing Office. Students who have a credit balance will receive a refund check. For more information on refund disbursements, please see below.

When is Financial Aid Disbursed?

Financial Aid disbursements are tentatively scheduled for the second full-week of full semester classes for the fall and spring semesters and the second week in July for the summer semester. However, disbursements could be delayed due to specific program requirements or corresponding documents that have not been received, reviewed and/or processed by the Financial Aid Office. Contact the office to determine your disbursement date.

How is Financial Aid Disbursed?

The award notification will indicate what type of grants, scholarships and/or loans a student is eligible to have disbursed each semester. See the Award Notification tab for further information.

When are Refunds Disbursed?

If a credit balance exists after all financial aid has been disbursed and all charges have been applied, a student is entitled to a refund. Typically, this refund will be processed within 14 days of the date the funds were applied to the student's account. The Billing Office will email the student when the refund check is available for pickup.

Case-by-case, the Financial Aid Office may review family changes after the FAFSA has been submitted with the previous year's information. If a major change occurs in your financial situation, you may submit an appeal for our office to review your situation.

Special Circumstances are used in cases where there has been a significant reduction in household income.

Examples include:

• Parent(s) or student recently unemployed
• Parent(s) or student is receiving less pay
• Parents or student has become separated or divorced
• Death of parent or student's spouse
• Medical and dental expenses not covered by insurance
• Private elementary or secondary school expenses
• Unemployment benefits or untaxed income no longer received
• IRA and 401(k) withdrawals
• Other changes to a student's status or to a student's or family's income or assets

To receive an appeal form, please contact the Financial Aid Office. Appeals are reviewed and handled case-by-case.

A financial aid administrator may issue dependency overrides on a case-by-case basis for students with unusual circumstances indicating that they should not be considered as dependents of their parents for Federal Student Aid purposes.

Some situations that qualify as unusual circumstances that merit a dependency override include the following:

• abandonment by parents,
• an abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety, or
• the student being unable to locate the student’s parents.

Situations that do not qualify as unusual circumstances and do not alone merit a dependency override include:

• parents’ refusal to contribute to the student’s education,
• parents’ unwillingness to provide information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or for verification,
• parents’ failure to claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes, or
• the student is able to demonstrate total self-sufficiency.

(However, these situations do not preclude a dependency override, particularly where other factors come into play.)

Please contact the Financial Aid office for more information.

Budgets are modified on a case by case basis. Students must submit a letter of review. The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for approval of all appeal letters. Appeals are approved based on a clearly defined and justifiable situation. Such situations could include childcare, additional living expenses, moving expenses, purchasing computers for academics, etc. Other situations may apply but approval is subject to the discretion of the Director. All denials are considered final. Students are notified of approval or denial outcome by e-mail. Documentation of the outcome of appeals is maintained in the student file.