The University of Utah; Applying for financial aid

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Applying:

Apply for admission to the University of Utah as soon as possible. To be eligible for financial aid, you must be admitted and matriculated in a degree-granting program. Applications for undergraduate, graduate, and international student admission are available from the Admissions Office, 250 Student Services Building.

The University of Utah Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will use Social Security Numbers to verify your identity and match data. You are not required to provide your Social Security Number when completing your application for admission to the University, however it is a critical data element used in our processes. Our ability to determine your eligibility for both Financial Aid and Scholarships will be severely restricted if your Social Security number is not provided in the Application for Admission. Omission of your Social Security Number may eliminate you from consideration for funding

Need-Based Financial Aid:
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or The Renewal FAFSA. The FAFSA may be available from your high school counselor. The FAFSA and Renewal FAFSA can also be filed electronically on the web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov . Students are encouraged to first complete a FAFSA on the Web Worksheet, before entering the information online

By filing the FAFSA, or Renewal FAFSA, students apply for all need-based federal, state, and institutional grants, loans, and work-study for which they may be eligible. To be eligible for need-based financial aid, students must complete the online request for supplemental information, Financial Aid Institutional Application (UFORM). The UFORM is located under Applications and Forms and in the sidebar of the Financial Aid homepage.


Application Deadlines and Dates:
The priority filing deadline for need-based financial aid is March 15 of the calendar year prior to the academic year for which you want aid. (Example: For aid during the 2008-2009 academic year, apply by March 15, 2008.)

Complete the UFORM and electronic FAFSA or mail the paper FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA by the priority filing deadline for earliest consideration for available funds. Late applications are accepted and considered, depending on adequate funding and processing time. Most aid programs have limited funding; applicants who file by the priority filing deadline are considered first for such aid.

The deadline by which the University of Utah must receive the results of your FAFSA is the last day of your period of enrollment. Funding opportunities at this point would be limited. Allow four to six weeks for the University of Utah to receive the results after you submit your FAFSA to the Federal Processor.

Some forms of financial aid are available year-round. If you do not apply for need-based aid before the priority filing deadline, you may still do so at any time during the academic year, as long as the information from the federal processor reaches the University of Utah before the last day of class for the semester that you are requesting aid. However, paper applications can take approximately 120 days to process, and tuition and fees must be paid on time. (Filing an electronic application can shorten the processing time.) This means that if you want to receive aid for a certain semester and you file a paper application, the application must be sent to the federal processor at least 120 days before the beginning of that semester. If the 120 day requirement is not met, financial aid may not be processed in time for tuition deadlines.

If you have been awarded a Federal Stafford or PLUS loan, all eligibility requirements must be met, and your loan must be certified no later than the last day of your enrollment period.


Eligibility:
Eligibility for most financial aid is based on need. A student's financial need equals the difference between what the University of Utah estimates it will cost to attend this institution and the amount the student and the family will be expected to provide, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Example:

Estimated Cost to attend the University of Utah
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
Student's Financial Need

A student must be admitted and matriculated to admit or be admitted into a group, especially a college or university; enroll in a degree-granting program to be considered for financial aid. A student is not eligible until his/her financial aid file is complete.

A student must be making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree in order to be eligible for financial aid . Students are expected to maintain a minimum GPA, as defined in the University's General Catalog, and complete a four-year degree within the equivalent of six (6) years of study. Students are also expected to complete at least 67 percent of credits attempted during their career at the University of Utah, and to complete at least one class during any semester in which financial aid is received.


Verification:
Certain applicants are requested to provide documents to verify information reported on the FAFSA. Although a comment on your Student Aid report may indicate that you have been selected for verification, only those applicants who receive a request from the U of U need to submit verification documents.

Verification Documents:
- University of Utah Institutional Verification Form (IVF).

- Tax Forms. Please submit a signed copy of your federal income tax return including schedules. If you are married but filed separately, submit a signed copy of your spouse’s return even if you were not married in the tax year. If you are a dependent student, submit a copy of your parents’ federal income tax return. If you do not have a copy of these forms, you may submit a signed federal tax return transcript, which you request from the IRS.

- If you and/ or your parents (if you are considered dependent) did not and will not file taxes, please submit the appropriate Non-Filer Statement form found on our web site.

- W-2 forms. Submit a copy of all w-2 forms corresponding to the requested tax returns, as well as explained above.

Failure to submit requested information in a timely manner may have a negative affect on your aid eligibility. Staff in the Financial Aid Office will review the documents you submit. We will notify you of any changes affecting your eligibility, or if we need additional information.

In the case that a student is selected for verification after aid has been disbursed, the aid may be canceled until the verification process is complete.

If a student has questions about, or difficulty completing the verification process it is their responsibility to contact the Financial Aid and Scholarships Officefor assistance.


Enrollment Status/ Minimum Hours:
On the electronic Institutional Financial Aid Application UFORM, students are asked to indicate their projected enrollment status for the academic year.

Notification Process:
Once you have finished the application process and your file is complete, you will be notified of your eligibility to receive aid. Qualified applicants receive a Conditional Financial Aid Notification (Award Letter) with information about the amount and kinds of financial aid offered, as well as procedures for accepting the aid. You may view the Award Letter through the Campus Information System.


Students are Responsible for the Timely Payment of Their Own Tuition and Fees:
If you have not received your Conditional Financial Aid Notification and completed your file by the tuition payment deadline, you should have identified an alternative source of funds. Under such circumstances, you may wish to apply for a Deferral Loan through the Income Accounting Office. The initial tuition billing statement is not mailed to you. To view your billing statement, and make payments online using a credit card or e-check, log into the Campus Information System at http://cis.utah.edu and select Tuition Bill/Pay Tuition. If you do not wish to pay online, then please print a copy of your bill to accompany your check payment.