Financial aid processes students need to know
By: Dalila Kahvedzic
Editor-in-Chief
Financial Aid has withstood changes effective for Fall 2015. The goals of the Financial Aid Office is to provide guidance, but according to Lead Financial Aid Counselor Nicole Moore, they realize the process is frustrating for students.
“We just want to serve the students, we’re here to help, we want to help them get through this process. It is a process but we really want to help any way we can,” Moore said.
The primary change to the process is that students are required to obtain an FSA ID when completing the Free Application for Student Financial Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is forwarded to the Financial Aid Office and helps determine if students qualify for grants, loans and scholarships.
The FSA ID, unlike the pin number, requires students to have two separate e-mail accounts if they are dependents. The FSA ID has replaced the Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid Pin used in previous years.
Making an FSA ID can take up to 24 hours since the process has to be validated against the social security administrative office records, Moore said.
For international students who are recently becoming U.S. citizens, this process can take up to three days, “so we encourage students to start that FAFSA process in March so they have time to get things done and get it to us by April,” Moore said.
Students must be connected and look through their Banner Self Service account and student email for notifications from financial aid to complete the process for enrollment, Moore said.
Filing the FAFSA by April can also speed up the process of determining financial aid awards for students.
Some students may be eligible for exceptions.
“What some other students may not know too is that, especially if they are Pell Grant recipients, you don’t necessarily have to take 12 hours,” Moore said. “They should come talk to some of us and check it out.”
Students using the A+ Program for funding, though, must be enrolled in at least 12 hours.
“Come see us; we like students,” Moore said.
The Financial Aid office is located on the first floor of Clark Hall in AD102. It is open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
