You
must reapply for financial aid each year by submitting a FAFSA
or Renewal FAFSA to continue receiving federal, state, and/or
institutional aid. The Renewal FAFSA, has fewer questions
to answer. Most of the information on the form will be pre-filled
with the information you provided the previous year. You will
only have to add new information and update any information
that has changed since the previous year. As your financial
situation changes (i.e. income, assets, marital status, medical
expenses, etc.), your financial aid package is adjusted accordingly.
Eligibility for financial aid based on financial need will
be based on your current financial status each year. You
must continue to demonstrate financial need and satisfactory
academic progress to remain eligible for financial aid.
It is very important that you read your school’s Financial
Aid Guide to learn about the school’s policies such
as Financial Aid Probation and Suspension, Reinstatement,
Appeal Process, Fee Deferments, Disbursements, Refund and
Repayments on Financial Aid, etc.
Renewal FAFSA must be received before March 1 at the central
processing office to be considered for priority funding.
If you filed the FAFSA online in prior years, you should
have received a Personal Identification Number (PIN) in
the mail with renewal instructions. If you do not have a
PIN, visit the FAFSA
web site and follow the instructions for receiving a
PIN. You may use your PIN to apply for aid online after
January 1 for the following academic year.
In order to sign the FAFSA form electronically, both you
and your parent must have your own PIN. If you have any
questions about the Renewal FAFSA, contact your school’s
financial aid office or the Federal Student Aid Information
Center at 800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243) or 800-730-8913 (TTY)
for the hearing impaired.
Private Scholarships
If you receive a renewable scholarship, you must adhere
to the scholarship provider’s standards of satisfactory
academic progress in order to remain eligible for their
award. If you fail to maintain the organization’s
standards of satisfactory academic progress, you are jeopardizing
your scholarship and eligibility to continue to receive
the award.
However, if you encountered unusual circumstances (such
as serious illness, death of a family member, additional
course work required resulting from change in academic program
or transfer from another institution, etc.), contact the
organization to discuss your circumstances.
General renewal requirements may include, and are not limited
to:
•
Maintaining a minimum GPA
•
Completion of general education requirements or the degree
within a designated time frame.
•
Full-time status - If you enroll as a part-time student
or fail to enroll for the next semester/quarter, you may
lose the award.
•
Study within a designated field of study.
•
Attending a particular school
•
Sending copies of your current transcript or semester progress
reports.
