Qualifying for Aid
STEP 2: Qualifying for Aid
-
Your Aid may be Delayed if you do not verify your information on your FAFSA!!
After your FAFSA is processed, you will be sent a Student Aid Report (SAR) listing the data you entered on the FAFSA. If you provided a valid email address on the FAFSA, you will be sent an email providing a link to your electronic SAR. If you did not provide a valid email address on the FAFSA, you will be sent a paper SAR. If anything is incorrect on the SAR, make corrections online or on your paper SAR. Return your paper SAR with any corrections to the Department of Education.
Please Note: You will also be notified via OneStart "Self-Service" if your FAFSA needs attention, so your information can be immediately reviewed at OneStart!
Common mistakes:
- Social Security Number, Birthdate and Full Name do not match (Your name must match what the Social Security Office has at the time of FAFSA submittal.)
- Your tax paid is greater than or equal to your Adjusted Gross Income
-
Verification
Each year, the U.S. Department of Education randomly selects approximately 30% of student financial aid applicants nationwide for review. The verification process requires that student applicants submit additional documents to verify the information provided on their FAFSA is correct. Loans will not be disbursed and financial aid cannot be credited to the student's account until the verification process is complete. Students will be notified by mail if they are selected for verification, please watch carefully for your missing information letter. If selected, students are required to provide the following information:
- Completed verification form from the Office of Financial Aid or download the PDF file. Only use this form if you have been selected. If you have not been selected and you use this form then you will automatically be selected.
- Note: These files are in PDF format. You must have Acrobat Reader to view them. Download the Verification Worksheet on the Forms page.
- Note: These files are in PDF format. You must have Acrobat Reader to view them. Download the Verification Worksheet on the Forms page.
- A signed copy of the student's (and spouse's, if married) prior year Federal income tax return
- A signed copy of the student's parents' prior year Federal income tax return (for students who were required to provide parent financial information on the FAFSA)
- A copy of all W-2 forms associated with the tax returns above
Other Eligibility Requirements:
In addition to documenting financial need for most programs, you must meet the following criteria:
You must be a U.S. citizen, or eligible non-citizen.
You must be regularly admitted to, or enrolled in, either a degree-granting program or the Academic Success Center.
Federal regulations require that Indiana University Southeast establish a policy to monitor the academic progress of students who apply for and/or receive federal, state, and institutional financial assistance, therefore,
You must be enrolled full time to be eligible for many types of scholarship and financial aid programs.
You must meet "Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy" standards. More information...
The law suspends aid eligibility for students who have been convicted under federal or state law of the sale or possession of drugs while receiving Federal Title IV Student Financial Aid.
- Completed verification form from the Office of Financial Aid or download the PDF file. Only use this form if you have been selected. If you have not been selected and you use this form then you will automatically be selected.
-
Determination of Need
The information you submit on the FAFSA will be used in a federally mandated calculation that determines what portion of your "cost of attendance" can be met through the student's (and in the case of dependent students, the parents') resources. This figure is then subtracted from the cost of attendance for the student during the appropriate period of enrollment. "Cost of attendance" is based on average costs for tuition and fees, room and board (even for commuter students), books and supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous personal expenses. This figure minus the expected family contribution equals the documented limit for need-based financial aid.
Once the documented limit is determined, awards are made by the Financial Aid Office based on:
- the student's request on the FAFSA for certain types of aid,
- the amount of funds available, and
- the student's eligibility for such aid.
An eligible student is first considered for scholarships and grants, then for the Federal WorkStudy Program and/or student loans. Indicating an interest on your FAFSA for WorkStudy or loans will not affect the amount of scholarships or grants awarded to any student. In some cases, students and/or parents may be required to submit copies of tax returns or other documents that verify the information submitted on the FAFSA.
