Applying for financial assistance

To apply for financial aid:

1. Apply for admission to the university
2. Fill out a FAFSA form (school code: 003785). Upon receipt of your FAFSA information and confirmation that you have been admitted into the university, the Financial Aid Office will generate a financial aid award. We will send you a paper copy of your aid offer, along with any documents necessary to complete your application.

Making sense of the process

The following outline explains the process of applying for financial aid.

1. Apply for admission to the university. Get your application in early; you will not be processed for financial aid until your admittance to the university can be confirmed.
2. Obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) at www.pin.ed.gov. This PIN will be used as your electronic signature when completing your FAFSA application.
3. File the FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov and enter school code 003785. Submit the FAFSA by January 31 to ensure optimal financial aid awarding. If your FAFSA does not accurately reflect your family's financial situation due to a recent job loss or reduction in earnings, you may communicate this change to us by completing the Special Circumstances Request Form.
4. Upon receiving your FAFSA results and verifying your acceptance to the university, the Financial Aid Office will send you a financial aid award and a guide for accepting your offer. Watch your mail for this statement and respond to any additional requests.
5. If offered, and accepting Stafford Loan(s), do an electronic loan application, and if necessary, an entrance interview.
6. If offered, and accepting federal work-study, complete I-9 and W-2 forms with Student Employment, locate a job and complete hiring process with on-campus employer.
7. If offered, and accepting state work-study, locate a job and complete hiring process with off-campus employer.
8. If accepting a nursing loan, complete the entrance interview process with the Student Loan Office (Student Services Center).
9. Register for class, which generates a bill for tuition and fees.