Do I Qualify For Financial Aid?

Do I Qualify For Financial Aid?

Paying For College, Submitting FAFSA | 0 comments

It’s normal to have questions about Financial aid, especially if you have never applied for it before. One of the most common questions is, “Do I qualify for financial aid?” There are many myths and misconceptions about who is eligible to receive financial aid, so it’s important to have all the facts when going through this process.Financial aid illustration

Why This Matters

In this context, financial aid refers to money for college provided by the federal government in the form of federal student loans, grants, and work-study jobs. Other types of financial aid include scholarships from your college or outside sources, and private student loans from banks or other institutions. These types of funding have their own eligibility requirements, which may or may not be connected to your eligibility for federal student aid.

The only way to know exactly what type of financial aid you qualify for is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). When you (or your parent, if you are a dependent) complete the FAFSA, you will enter personal financial information that is used to calculate an Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your school’s financial aid office will use this number, along with the cost of attendance at the college or university, to determine what types of aid and how much money you are eligible to receive.

Even if you or your parents think that you are not eligible for any federal financial aid, it is important to complete the FAFSA each year. Individual schools and states use this information to determine eligibility for scholarships, grants, and other types of non-federal student aid. Sometimes things change, and where you didn’t qualify for financial aid last year, you qualify this year. Thanks to the online application process, and the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, completing the FAFSA is simpler and faster than ever.

Financial Aid Illustration

Do I Qualify for Financial Aid?

To determine if you meet basic eligibility requirements for financial aid, ask yourself the following questions. Please note, these questions apply to the student, not the person completing the FAFSA, such as a parent or guardian.

Am I a U.S. citizen, or an eligible noncitizen?

You are considered an eligible noncitizen if you meet any of the following criteria:

  • U.S. national (including natives of American Samoa or Swains Island)
  • U.S. permanent resident with a Permanent Resident Card
  • An individual who has an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services showing one of the following designations:
    • Refugee
    • Asylum Granted
    • Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending)
    • Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued prior to April 1, 1980)
    • Victim of human trafficking
    • Parolee (must be paroled into the United States for at least one year and you must be able to provide evidence from the USCIS that you are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose and that you intend to become a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.)
  • “Battered immigrant-qualified alien” who is a victim of abuse by your citizen or permanent resident spouse, or you are the child of a person designated as such under the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).
  • A citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. If this is the case, you may be eligible for only certain types of federal student aid:

Do I demonstrate financial need?

In this case, “financial need” is defined as the difference between the cost of attendance at a school, and your Student Aid Index (SAI). Your SAI is calculated based on your FAFSA, and remains the same regardless of the cost of attendance at the school you choose.

The SAI is a measure of you or your family’s financial strength. It’s based on taxed and untaxed income, assets, and benefits such as unemployment or Social Security. Due to changes implemented as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act, the SAI will no longer include the number of students a family currently has in college as part of its calculations, as the EFC did.

Each individual school will calculate your aid eligibility by subtracting your SAI from the school’s cost of attendance (COA). This is why it’s important to send your completed FAFSA to all the schools you are considering attending, as your financial aid eligibility will vary from school to school.

Based on your demonstrated financial need, the school will create a financial aid package informing you of how much and what types of aid you can receive.

Am I enrolling in a degree or certificate program at an eligible school?

The institution and type of program in which you are enrolling also affects whether you qualify for financial aid.

In accordance with the Higher Education Act, which established federal financial aid programs, there are certain guidelines institutions must meet in order to receive financial aid benefits for students. Institutions must have accreditation from a nationally recognized accrediting agency, or approval from a recognized state approval agency, in the case of certain vocational schools. Schools must also be authorized by the state in which they are located, and receive approval from the U.S. Department of Education through a program participation agreement.

The individual program in which you are enrolling matters, too. Degree and certificate programs must be approved by the U.S. Department of Education, be longer than one year in length, and lead to gainful employment in order for students to receive financial aid to pay for those programs. During your college search process, you should confirm that the school and program you are interested in attending is eligible for financial aid.

Additional Qualifications for Financial AidFinancial Aid Illustration

In addition to the basic eligibility criteria, students must also meet the following qualifications:

  • Have a valid Social Security Number (if you are a U.S. citizen) – Students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, and the Republic of Palau are exempt from this requirement.
  • Demonstrated eligibility to obtain a college or career school education – This means students must have a high school diploma, or a recognized equivalent, such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or have completed high school in an approved homeschool setting. Students who were enrolled in college or career school prior to July 1, 2012, or are currently enrolled in an eligible career pathway program may show they’re qualified to obtain a higher education by passing an approved ability-to-benefit test (if you don’t have a diploma or GED, a college can administer a test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school) or completing six credit hours, 225 clock hours, or equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate.
  • Sign the certification statement on the FAFSA – This confirms that you are not currently in default on any federal student loans, that you do not currently owe money on a federal student grant, and that you will use your federal student aid for educational purposes only.
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress – Once you are enrolled in college or career school, you must remain in good academic standing and meet your school’s standards for satisfactory academic progress to continue receiving financial aid.
  • Submit a new FAFSA each year – Your financial aid eligibility, as determined by your FAFSA, is only valid for one academic year. Students or their parents must submit a new, updated FAFSA for each year that they want to receive financial aid. FAFSA deadlines vary by college and state, so it’s important to be aware of any FAFSA deadlines that apply to you.

Special Circumstances

Students in the following special circumstances may or may not qualify for financial aid, or may need to meet additional eligibility requirements:

Additional Resources

Resources provided by: 

College Cost Calculator

College Cost Calculator

After You Submit Your Application, Paying For College | 0 comments

What is the uAspire College Cost Calculator? 

uAspire’s College Cost Calculator is a free online tool that helps you compare multiple financial aid offers and calculate the total cost of attending different colleges. With the Calculator, you learn about the financial aid process, build self-advocacy skills, and increase financial literacy. 

Why did we create the Cost Calculator?

Financial aid offers, also called award letters or financial aid packages, can be very difficult to decipher. There’s no industry or government standard for colleges to communicate costs consistently or transparently to students. Different colleges use different formatting and jargon for the same types of aid or loans and the information they include varies. Some don’t clearly label student loans and often omit details about the total cost, making it a challenge for students to figure out how much they will have to pay. As a result, it is exceedingly difficult for students and families to make an informed financial decision.

We believe students deserve to be able to better navigate the process of financing college, especially when leveraging their futures with loans to pay for a college degree. College-goers should be able to make apples-to-apples comparisons between schools easily, instead of having to decipher the information from a hodgepodge of offers. This is why we developed the uAspire College Cost Calculator and are providing students direct, free access to a decoding device for better decision-making about college. 

Who can use the Calculator?

ANYONE. uAspire’s College Cost Calculator is available for general use, for free. The mobile version is easy to use, like the desktop version, making it accessible for those without reliable internet access. 

The calculator is also intended as a free resource for school counselors and financial aid officers to share with their students. High schools and colleges can begin sharing the Calculator with their students immediately.

What are the benefits of using uAspire’s Calculator?

The Calculator empowers students to know and compare the full costs of attending multiple colleges in order to make more informed decisions about where to go to college and how to pay for it while minimizing student debt. The Calculator was developed to:

  • Help text, images guide students to find and enter info
  • Data validation reduces entry mistakes 
  • Summary report compares aid, estimated bill, loan projection for each school
  • Student accounts can be accessed, updated, shared anytime from any device
  • Financial terms dictionary, tips, next steps, and links to resources

Why do we ask you to create an account?

By creating an account, save and share a one-page summary that compares the aid offer, estimated bill for the upcoming year, and a 4-year loan projection for each school. The report can be downloaded to a PDF and translated to Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese.

You can also save your information, come back to it at a later date, and add more schools to compare as you receive additional financial aid offers. 

Check out their college cost calculator here.

5 Tips To Making Applying to Scholarships Like a Second Job

5 Tips To Making Applying to Scholarships Like a Second Job

College Success | 0 comments

Throughout our whole education journey, we constantly hear about scholarships and how
wonderful it is to be awarded one, but we almost never see how to really apply for one.
Depending on the sort of scholarship you are seeking for, the application might be extremely
complex or quite simple. There are many different scholarships available, and the greatest thing
about them is that anybody may apply for one. Some scholarships are only available to members
of particular groups, while others are available to all applicants. Everyone is able to receive one
no matter what, if you put in the work and work hard you will be able to receive one. Let’s go
through a few ways you can look for a scholarship!

1. Research the Types of Scholarships:

● Be knowledgeable about the scholarships you’ll apply to. Do research
if you need to!
● Apply to scholarships that connect with you
– Such as those that speak to your interests, background, and
desires.

● Look into scholarships that list your unique traits to help you stand out
from other candidates.

2. Complete All Requirements/Criterias:

● Make sure to read all of the scholarship details.
● Read carefully (don’t miss deadlines or requirements).
● It is essential to complete every part.

3. Exceed:

● If possible, turn in ahead of time, to prevent missing deadlines.
● Go above and beyond in your responses.

● Apply to as many scholarships as possible, don’t rely on just one!
● List unique traits about yourself! Don’t be afraid to be your own
supporter!!

4. Have Documents at Hand & Ready to Use:
● Letters of Recommendation
● Resume (updated and polished!)
● Get advice on your writing piece
– Have a few people revise your work.

5. Check in On the Scholarships:

● Follow up with any requirements that may be needed or missing.
● Check your emails regularly.
● Get in contact if necessary.

Last Note:

Make sure you’re authentic to yourself and just apply, you don’t lose anything!

Basic Needs: Student Navigator Network

Basic Needs: Student Navigator Network

Basic Needs Support, Paying For College | 0 comments

Basic Needs: Student Navigator Network 

The Student Navigator Network (SNN) was a system designed amidst the COVID-19 pandemic that aimed to assist students with resources to pursue higher education. The Student Navigator program is largely run by Rise, a non-profit that addresses the challenges students face at college. Rise helps students apply for emergency financial assistance, find community support systems, learn their public health benefits and receive updates on policies, programs, and resources. The Student Navigator Network largely serves college students in higher education either at trade school or at community colleges in Los Angeles County. However, the LA cohort-based out of USC is willing to connect all California’s college students to resources. Resources include financial, academic, and personal assistance. This aims to help bridge the gap between students and the higher education system by offering resources needed to assist these institutions.  

The Student Navigator Network has served over 7,000 students. They helped students receive at least $897,875 in financial assistance. The Student Navigator Network works on a three-tier strategy at a micro, mezzo, and macro level. The micro-level aims to work with individual students in the form of outreach and advocacy. Partners aim to provide students with emotional support, encouragement and help students create a timeline to accomplish their goals. The mezzo scale aims to have practitioners work with institutions and communities to make a difference in students’ lives like identifying and improving campus resources and collaborating with community and government programs. The marco level has practitioners work on large-scale advocacy programs on all government levels to address the inequity in public education institutions. 

For more information regarding the SNN and to help you find emergency financial aid, apply for public benefits, and connect with local resources visit this link: Our Student Navigator Network. 

If you are a student seeking to start your own Student Navigator Network on your campus submit this interest form: Student Navigator Network Form. 

The Student Navigator Network is an excellent opportunity for students who are looking for resources to guide them throughout their college experience. The Student Navigator Network is met to aid and assist students throughout their college journey. The hope is that this program can help diminish the stigma students feel when asking for help and bridge the gap of inequity in the higher education system.