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Detailed Steps

Summary

1. Apply for admission to our university
2. Select your academic start date
3. Submit the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Intent form, once you have been accepted as a student
4. Access “My Financial Aid Office” to
   
   
   • Complete the Personal Data Sheet, Entrance Interview, and other information used to determine your FSA award
   • Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
   • Review your estimated award (allow 2-3 days for receipt of your Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a summary of your FAFSA)   
       
5. Sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN) (Loan recipients only)
6. Register for classes. Select Federal Student Aid as your method of payment
7. Take action on any requests received from your Financial Aid Representative. Some students may be selected for a process called Verification
8. Review your confirmed award letter within "My Financial Aid Office"

Details by Steps

1. Apply for admission to our university
   
   
   • You must be an enrolled student in a university to obtain Federal Student Aid
   • Complete our on-line application for admission, orientation and, if applicable, get started on transferring your credits by filling out your Transfer Credit Evaluation application
     
2. Select your academic start date
   
   
   • Students receiving Federal Student Aid (FSA) must follow an academic calendar, which consists of an ‘Academic Year’ and two ‘Academic Semesters.’
   • Our online courses begin monthly, so choose your classes so that they fit within the start and end dates of the ‘academic semesters.’ For regulatory purposes, classes cannot overlap into or out of a semester
   • Each academic year consists of 32 weeks, excluding breaks
   • See a breakdown of start dates and academic year timing
     
3. Submit the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Intent form
   
   
   • You must fill out an FSA Intent Form to select your academic start date and year. Once you are a student, you may access this form within "My Financial Aid Office" in myCampus
   • Complete this form within 5-6 weeks of your intended start date to ensure your financial aid is in place prior to the start of your first class.
   • We can NOT begin your Federal Student Aid application process without your FSA Intent Form
     
4. Complete the Personal Data Sheet, Entrance Interview, and other information used to determine your FSA award
   
   
   • Within 24hours of submitting the FSA Intent form, an additional set of forms will be ready for you to complete within “My Financial Aid Office.”
   • These forms are required for us to process your financial aid request
   • These forms are located within myCampus home page and clicking on “My Financial Aid Office” on the left hand navigation bar
     
5. Submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
   
   
   • Access the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through “My Financial Aid Office” or through the FAFSA link
   •  Items to have ready before you begin
     
     
     • Selected Academic Year and Start Date (from your FSA Intent form)
     • Driver’s license
     • Social security number
     • Prior year income tax returns or W-2’s
     • Your parents prior year income tax returns (if you are a dependent student)
     • Current bank statements
     • Current investment records - statements (business and personal)
     • If not a US citizen; your alien registration or permanent resident card
       
       
   • This application will take about an hour to complete
   • Apply for a Personal Identification Number (PIN) during this process. It will be used as your electronic signature going forward. You can apply prior to or after completing the forms
   • If you already have a PIN from a prior Federal Aid application, regardless of the school, use it. If you’ve lost it, go the Federal Student Aid PIN Web site
   • When prompted, choose the FAFSA application year that represents the academic year you have selected on you FSA Intent form
     
6. Receive your Student Aid Report and Review Estimated Award
   
   
   • Once your FAFSA has been submitted, a Student Aid Report (SAR) will be returned to you. The university will receive the Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) at the same time
   • This report will give you the following information
     
     
     • Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) - The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength. It is calculated according to a formula established by law and is the number used to calculate the amount of federal student aid you are eligible to receive. Grants and/or Loans for which you qualify
       
       
   • This report will come via email if you supplied an email address on your FAFSA. If not, it will come via regular mail 2-3 weeks after your FAFSA is submitted
   • Note: if more information is needed to calculate the EFC, the EFC will not appear on your Student Aid Report (SAR)
   • At this time your estimated award will be available for review in “My Financial Aid Office"
     
7. Sign the Master Promissory Note (loan recipients only)
   
   
   • As part of your “My Financial Aid Office” steps, you will be directed to sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN)
   • The MPN is a legal document confirming that you, the student, understand that you must repay the amount borrowed plus any interest that may accrue
   • The Master Promissory Note is valid for up to 10 years
   • You will find your (MPN) by clicking on “My Financial Aid Office” on the left hand navigation in myCampus
   • The PIN you obtained when completing your FAFSA will be required for your signature
     
8. Register for Classes
   
   
   • You should register as early as possible
   • You won’t be asked to pay at time of registration, just select “Federal Student Aid” as your method of payment
   • Then make sure your financial aid is in place at least 1 week prior to your semester start date. Meaning, have your award letter confirmation in hand and all required documents signed (ie promissory note, if applicable)
   • Students are funded for only what they register for prior to the semester start date (at least 1 week prior.) Students adding courses to that semester after that deadline will lose some funding. So even if you are taking two, 8-week sessions, you must register for both sessions at least 1 week prior to the first session start date
     
9. Take action on any requests you receive
   
   
   • Often additional information is requested in order to process your application
   • Please respond quickly to prevent delays in the approval of your financial aid application or cancellation of your first class registrations
     
     
     • Some students are randomly chosen by the government for Verification
     • Within “Verification” we compare the information on your application with signed copies of your federal tax forms, W-2’s or other financial documents
     • We may ask you for additional documentation to complete the “Verification” process. The law requires that we ask you for this information before awarding federal aid
     • If there are differences between your application and your financial documents, we will make the corrections to your application
       
10. Review Your Award Letter
    
    
    • Once all requirements are met you will receive a confirmation that the classes you have registered for are funded and you may enter your classroom once opened
    •  If you are an undergraduate student, your books will be available within the classroom (if ebooks) or shipped (if textbooks) at this time (though no sooner than 30 days prior to your course start date)
      
11. Attend classes and maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Enrollment Status requirement
    
    
    • Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured by:
      
      
      • Cumulative grade point average
      • Credit hour completion
      • Program deadline
        
    • Enrollment Status Requirements  dictate the number of credits you must take per semester depending on your degree program
    • Review these requirements to understand what it takes to maintain good standing and continue to be eligible for Federal Aid
      
12. Financial Aid for Year 2 and Beyond
    
    
    • You will need to reapply for financial aid (complete a new FSA Intent form) every two semesters or every 8 months
    • You will need to re-apply FAFSA every year