Financial Aid - Frequently Asked Questions

1. I probably don't qualify for aid. Should I apply for aid anyway?
2. How do I apply for Federal Financial Aid?
3. How do I apply for a Pell Grant and other types of need-based aid?
4. What is a Student Aid Report?
5. When and how will I receive my financial aid?
6. What expenses can I expect financial aid to cover?
7. Do I have to reapply every year?
8. How do I compare awards from several schools?
9. How is my "financial need" determined?
10. What is a "Student Budget," or "Average Cost of Attendance?"
11. Will our savings be considered when our financial need is being determined?
12. How do I become an Independent Student for Federal Aid purposes?
13. If I'm planning to marry, can I fill out my FAFSA as "married"?
14. If my parents are divorced or separated, whose financial data should be used for my FAFSA?
15. Can I get aid for summer semester?
16. How do I apply for aid for summer semester?
17. Can audit courses be used to receive financial aid?

Additional FAQs: Applying for Aid  |  How Aid Works at Pima

1. I probably don't qualify for aid. Should I apply for aid anyway?

Yes. Many families fail to apply because they mistakenly think they don't qualify for aid. Also, some aid, such as Unsubsidized Stafford and PLUS loans,  is available regardless of need. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov and easy to fill out. There is no excuse for not applying.  Remember, filling out a FAFSA is FREE. If you are asked for payment, you are not on a legitimate FAFSA website.

2. How do I apply for Federal Financial Aid?
If you are a senior in high school, or have already completed high school or your GED, and it is after January 1, fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit it to the colleges you are considering attending. This begins the financial aid process.  You may still qualify if you have not obtained a high school diploma or GED, and are over the age of compulsory attendance.  Please see a campus financial aid office for assistance. 

You will be contacted about how to continue the process after your college receives your FAFSA from the Department of Education.

3. How do I apply for a Pell Grant and other types of need-based aid?
Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Complete the FAFSA as soon after January 1 as possible for Pell grants, other Federal and State grants, student employment, and student loans.  Most schools have priority application deadlines.  Students who complete their FAFSAs before these deadlines receive the most aid. 

4. What is a Student Aid Report?
The U. S. Department of Education will process your electronic FAFSA in approximately one week and email a Student Aid Report (SAR) to you. The SAR will reflect the information from your application and, if there are no questions or problems, your SAR will provide your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This number is used in determining your eligibility for federal student aid. Be sure to list the school code of the college you plan to attend on your FAFSA, so that the school will electronically receive your SAR.

5. When and how will I receive my financial aid?
Financial aid awards are normally released to your student account 10 days prior to the start of each semester. Your financial aid award funds will first be used to pay your tuition and fees. After all your tuition and fees are paid for the semester, the Office of Student Accounts (206-4574) will issue a check to you for the balance of your financial aid money.

6. What expenses can I expect financial aid to cover?
Financial aid is awarded based on an average Cost of Attendance (COA) that includes appropriate tuition/fees for your educational program, books/supplies, and other educational expenses. Other educational expenses consist of living, transportation, personal and miscellaneous expenses during the academic year. Your financial aid won't cover ALL costs incurred while attending college.  Your Cost of Attendance is reflected as a Student Budget Group and is calculated based upon the number of credits that you enroll in.

7. Do I have to reapply every year?
Yes. You must apply for financial aid every academic year. After your first year, you will receive a "Renewal Application" from the federal processor (by email). The renewal application contains prefilled information from the previous year's FAFSA. Your eligibility for financial aid may change significantly, especially if you have a different number of family members in college or a significant financial change. Renewal of your financial aid package also depends on you making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, such as earning a minimum number of credits and achieving a minimum GPA.

8. How do I compare awards from several schools?
Evaluate financial aid packages based on quantity and quality. To measure the quantity of your aid package, figure out how much financial aid money you will have left after paying your tuition and fees instead of simply considering the total amount. A financial aid package is considered high quality if it allows a reasonable level of self-help awards (loans and work-study) compared to the total cost of education at the school, and is consistent from year to year.

9. How is my "financial need" determined?
The Federal processor determines your individual family's ability to contribute to the cost of education ("Expected Family Contribution") by using the information you provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and a formula called "Federal methodology." The formula considers your parents' and your income and assets, your family size, and the number of family members enrolled in college. If you meet the qualifications to be an independent student, your parents’ information will not be necessary. The EFC will be the same at any college you attend. After receiving your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) amount from the federal processor, the Office of Financial Aid then subtracts your EFC from the standard student budget (average cost of attendance). In formula form: Cost of Attendance - EFC = Student Financial Need.

10. What is a "Student Budget," or "Average Cost of Attendance?"
The Student Budget is the amount the College estimates it will cost to attend college for the academic year. Costs include: tuition and fees, books and supplies, housing, meals, transportation, and personal expenses. Budgets are calculated differently for students who are independent and dependent, or who are enrolled in certain programs with costs that differ from the standard credit-hour programs or are enrolled in less than full-time hours.

11. Will our savings be considered when our financial need is being determined?
Family assets, such as stocks and bonds, net business worth, and savings are taken into account in determining the student's expected family contribution toward his/her education. The government rules for eligibility for Federal financial aid provide, among other things, allowances for retirement needs in computing this contribution.

12. How do I become an Independent Student for Federal Aid purposes?
You may be considered independent if you meet at least one of the following requirements:

• were born before January 1, 1986 (2009-2010)
• are a veteran of the US Armed Forces,
• are married,
• are a ward of the court, or were a ward of the court until age 18, or  meet one of the conditions listed at www.fafsa.ed.gov
• have a legal dependent for whom you provide more than half of his/her support

Please visit a campus financial aid representative if you feel you have special circumstances that should be considered for determining you dependency status.

13. If I am planning to marry, can I fill out my FAFSA as "married""?
No. You must indicate your marital status as of the date you are completing the FAFSA. You cannot change that status for the academic year that you have applied for financial aid.

14. If my parents are divorced or separated, whose financial data should be used for my FAFSA?
Use the natural parent with whom you lived the most in the past 12 months. If you lived with neither parent, or lived with each parent an equal number of days, use the parent that provided the most financial support to you over the past 12 months. If that parent has remarried, you must also include the step parent's financial information on the application, and parent and step parent should report themselves as married on the FAFSA.

Example: You have been living with your mother and stepfather for the past 12 months. You would use your mother's income and stepfather's income, and you would report on the FAFSA as the number in family: yourself, your mother, your stepfather, and any other children they support.

15. Can I get aid for summer semester?
It depends. We consider summer semester sessions to be "add ons" to the regular academic year. If you have not already used up your full eligibility in the student loan program or Pell grant program, you may use either (or both) for summer school. Many scholarships are not available during the summer.

16. How do I apply for aid for summer semester?
If you are requesting Federal aid (student loans, college work-study, or Pell grant) for the summer term, you must have a valid, verified Student Aid Report on file in the Office of Financial Aid. If you have not completed a FAFSA for the current year, contact our office as soon as possible.  You must fill out a Student Response form if you had a spring loan with us and would like any remaining funds to be applied to your summer enrollment.

17. Can audit courses be used to receive financial aid?
No. Audit course hours cannot be used to fulfill your hour requirement for financial aid and cannot be paid for with financial aid.

Additional FAQs: Applying for Aid  |   How Aid Works at Pima