Financial Aid Application Process, step-by-step

1. Complete Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. This is neither a loan, nor a loan application.  It is a federal requirement, the result of which will be used to determine your eligibility for Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan.  See “Helpful Hints” regarding obtaining a federal pin number.
2. To borrow a Federal Stafford Loan, you must:
3. Apply for your loan directly with your chosen lender.  For your convenience, we have provided links to some dependable student loan lenders.  The links are below the comparative chart showing the basic terms of these lenders.  You are not required to use any of the suggested lenders.
4. Complete the Student Loan Information Sheet (either the print-friendly version or the electronic version.) for Fall 09/Spring 10.  This provides us with information we need to process your Stafford Loan.
5. Complete the Entrance Interview.  This is a federal requirement that you must complete before we will process any federal loans for you.  The Interview is designed to assure that you are fully aware of your rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.
6. To borrow additional loan funds, please review the “Additional Student Loans” section to calculate how much you can borrow, and to become familiar with the difference between the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan and private educational loans.  Either of these types of loan can fill the gap between the Cost of Education and your scholarship and Federal Stafford Loan.
7. We will begin processing your financial aid application when you have paid your seat deposit AND we have received something indicating your intention to borrow student loans; such as, your FAFSA information, Entrance Interview, or Student Loan Information Sheet.
8. After we receive all of your information, we will calculate your award and send you an Award Notice.  If subsequent or revised information is received on your behalf, we may send a Revised Award Notice.
9. Scholarship funds and loan funds will be credited to your student account.  The excess beyond your tuition and books, if you charge your books to your financial aid, will be disbursed normally by the end of the second week of classes.