FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE AND CHECKLIST for Indiana University

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FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE AND CHECKLIST

APPLY

Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online or on paper as soon after January 1 as possible.
Be sure to list IU Bloomington's school code (001809).
The IU Bloomington priority deadline for the 2009-2010 academic year is March 1, 2009; submit your FAFSA by this date to be considered for the most possible aid.
The Indiana SSACI (State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana) deadline is March 10, 2009; your FAFSA must be received by the federal processor by this date to be eligible for state grants, such as the O'Bannon Grant or 21st Century Scholars.

MAKE CORRECTIONS

Review your SAR (Student Aid Report), which will be sent to you by the FAFSA federal processor as an online link or on paper by mail.
Make any necessary changes online or on paper, returning the changes to the FAFSA federal processor.
Changes should be made as soon as possible; in order to be eligible for Indiana state grants for the 2009-2010 academic year, changes must be submitted and rejects must be cleared by May 15, 2009. Also, even if your original FAFSA transmission was on-time, if you wait too long to make changes, the funding for on-time priority awards may by exhausted, making you ineligible.

REVIEW YOUR FINANCIAL AID AWARD NOTIFICATION

Check your mail (for prospective freshmen) or your e-mail (for all upperclass undergraduate and graduate students) for your Financial Aid Award Notification.
Prospective freshmen are packaged with aid starting in late March or early April; upperclass undergraduate and graduate students are packaged with aid in late May or early June.
If you don't receive a Financial Aid Award Notification, you may not be meeting all financial aid eligibility factors, and may have some necessary paperwork to complete.

COMPLETE NECESSARY PAPERWORK

Check your OneStart Financial Aid "To-Do List" to view any necessary paperwork such as Verification, or an Academic Progress appeal.
Return this paperwork as soon as possible; your aid will be on hold until these forms are returned and processed.

ACCEPT FEDERAL WORK-STUDY

If you are a freshman and were awarded Federal Work-Study, you will need to accept the award through the Self-Service tab on your OneStart account.
If you don't accept the award, it will be cancelled in late summer.
Upperclass students don't need to accept Federal Work-Study through OneStart; it is already accepted on your behalf, as are all other awards.

SIGN PROMISSORY NOTES

If you are borrowing a Federal Stafford loan for the first time at IU Bloomington, you will need to e-sign a master promissory note. You will receive an email from our office, with instructions on signing the Stafford master promissory note in June or July.
If you are borrowing a Federal Perkins loan, you will need to e-sign a new promissory note each academic year. You will receive an email from the Student Loan Administration with instructions on signing the Perkins promissory note in June or July.
You will be sent email(s) in June or July regarding these promissory notes, if you are eligible for the loans.
If you don't sign the promissory note within 60 days, we may cancel the loan.

SEEK OUT ADDITIONAL FUNDING

If you need additional loan funding, parents and graduate students may apply for Federal PLUS Loans.
Students may also apply for private alternative loans.

PAY YOUR BILL, OR LOOK FOR YOUR REFUND

Aid will begin to credit to the Office of the Bursar up to 10 days before classes start, as long as you have sufficient enrollment and meet the necessary financial aid eligibility requirements.
If your financial aid exceeds your bill, you should receive a refund by direct deposit or check (through the mail).
If your aid doesn't fully pay your bill, you will need to pay the difference to the Office of the Bursar.

FIND A JOB

Find a Federal Work-Study job, if you are eligible, or a non work-study job if you are ineligible for Federal Work-Study and are still in need of additional funds.
There will be a Jobs Fair in late August, with both Federal Work-Study and non-work-study employers in attendance. You can also search for both types of jobs through the IU Bloomington Career Development Center website.
If you don't find a job early in the fall semester, the Federal Work-Study award will be cancelled.