Financial Aid

Overview of the College Financial Aid Process

Financial Aid Process Timeline:

Fall (October – December) of student’s senior year:

• Contact colleges financial aid offices or check their websites for deadlines and required forms, e.g. the CSS Profile or institutional forms.

Creating an FSA ID

·         Students, parents, and borrowers are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing your financial aid information (FAFSA)and electronically signing your federal student aid documents (FAFSA). An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) at fafsa.gov.

·         You, and your parent if you're a dependent student, can apply for an FSA ID at any time. If you don't have one by the time you fill out your FAFSA, you will be prompted to apply for one. However, if you think the Social Security Administration (SSA) might have the wrong name or date of birth for you in its records, go to www.ssa.gov now to find out how to correct any errors. Your information must be correct with the SSA before your FAFSA or FSA ID can be processed.

·         You can create an FSA ID when logging into certain ED websites, including this one. Create an FSA ID now https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

After October 1 of student’s senior year:

·         Before you begin your FAFSA, please take some time to view the following Utube video.

·         7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA - Financial Aid Office (ctrl + click to follow link)

• Immediately begin on your FAFSA by going to www.fafsa.gov.  NEW for this year is that you will be able to use your 2015 income tax form. This new process will allow you to submit your FAFSA earlier than usual as well as use completed 2015 income tax information which is already on file with the IRS. Using the IRS Data Transfer Tool will speed up the processing of FAFSA’s and reduce the usual errors that can delay your financial aid.
• The annual version of the FAFSA required is based on the school year in which you will be a first-year college student. If you are starting in the summer, then you will need to do the 2016-2017 FAFSA, which is available right now. If you are then continuing on in the fall, then you will also do the 2017-2018 FAFSA, which becomes available Saturday, October 1st. File the online FAFSA as soon as possible, using the FSA ID you already acquired. Be very mindful of your college’s financial aid priority deadline date. With all said, it is still to your benefit to complete your FAFSA as soon as possible. Along with a college acceptance, you will receive your financial aid award letter much earlier – which will allow you to make your final decision earlier.

After you complete the FAFSA:

• You will receive a copy of your Student Aid Report (SAR) usually by email about 3 days after you submit your FAFSA. You MUST read the written comments found at the beginning of the SAR. Take note of any errors mentioned in this section and take IMMEDIATE action if mistakes have been found. If you have questions about these SAR errors please contact the financial aid office at your college for instructions. Any delays in correcting SAR errors will delay you receiving your financial aid award letter.  This may seriously impact on the amount of financial aid that you will receive.

Sometime between December and late April:

• You will receive financial aid award letters from each college you have been accepted to and also listed on your FAFSA. 
• Don’t compare the total awards from each institution. Compare the remaining costs.
• Furthermore, scrutinize how much and what types of loans you have been given. Some aid packages may meet all demonstrated need with loan only, while others will include grants, which you do not need to repay.

After you receive your award letter, you will have the option to accept all or part of the financial aid offered. Carefully evaluate your final cost to attend your college by knowing:

·         The college total cost of attendance. (tuition + room / board + books & supplies +personal expenses + transportation expenses)

·         (minus) your EFC (Expected Family Contribution)

·         (minus) All financial aid and scholarships received

·         This will equal your unmet need. This is additional monies that you will need to attend your college. 

Sign and return the letter to the college. This is often considered (along with your admission deposit) your commitment to attend that college. However please inform them ASAP if you decide not to attend so that they are able to distribute those funds to someone else.  

Key Financial Aid Terms: 

• Aid package - A combination of scholarship, grant, loan and/or work-study determined by a college financial aid office.
• Grants - Awards based on financial need that do not require repayment. Grants are available through the federal government, state agencies and educational institutions.
• Scholarships - Awards to students based on merit or merit plus need that do not have to be repaid.
• Expected Family Contribution (EFC) - An amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education. It is used in determining eligibility for federal student aid.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - The application required for students to be considered for federal student financial aid. The FAFSA is processed free of charge and is used by most state agencies and colleges.
• Student Aid Report (SAR) - The report you will receive after your FAFSA has been processed that will list your EFC.

  FAFSA4caster

The FAFSA4caster, made available by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid, uses self-reported tax information to arrive at an estimate of the student's federal financial aid. Estimates are provided for Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work-Study and maximum Direct Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized) eligibility. The FAFSA4caster can also estimate the student's expected family contribution (EFC).

Information on Yale

Change is in the air at Yale, and not just in the shorter days and cooler nights. As my staff and I gaze out the windows of the admissions office, we see hundreds of workers constructing the spectacular gothic buildings that will become Yale's two new residential colleges next fall. We also have an early view of the Yale Class of 2021, which will be the first to enroll 1,550 students - a 15% increase over previous classes. This is one of many exciting changes that will touch our work this year. We have put together some updates to assist you and your students throughout the upcoming application process. You will also find more information on our website and in our fall counselor newsletter.   

Three Ways to Apply to Yale 

Freshman applicants now have three application platforms to choose from when applying to Yale. Beginning this year, we will accept the Common Application, the new Coalition Application, and the QuestBridge National College Match Application without preference for one over another. Students should submit one - and only one - application per admissions cycle. We encourage students to select the option that's right for them. More information about the Coalition Application and exciting updates to our QuestBridge application process are available below. 

Simplified Process for QuestBridge Finalists

We are happy to announce that students who are named finalists in the upcoming QuestBridge National College Match process may share their QuestBridge Application with Yale and will not need to submit a Common Application or any additional recommendations, essays, or transcripts to complete their applications. QuestBridge Finalists will only need to submit official standardized test results and the required financial aid materials. QuestBridge Finalists may use their QuestBridge Application to apply to Yale through the National College Match, Yale's Single-Choice Early Action program, or the Regular Decision process. Detailed instructions are available on our website. 

The New Coalition Application

After many months of development and much valuable feedback from counselors like you, the Coalition Application went live last month. In addition to more intuitive and mobile-friendly technology, the Coalition Application has two significant differences from the Common Application that will be relevant to your students: 

• A streamlined process for requesting fee waivers that are valid at multiple schools, including Yale. 
• A different Yale-specific essay prompt, detailed below.

Students using the Coalition Application will be prompted to upload a document, image, audio file, or video they have created in the last four years that holds special meaning for them. They will be asked to reflect (in 250 words or fewer) on why they chose to share this piece of work and its relationship to one of two topics: A community to which you belong and the footprint you have left OR A time in the last few years when you felt genuine excitement learning about something.

As you may know, the Coalition provides a private online space called the Locker, where students can collect and organize digital material. College admissions officers will not see what a student stores in the Locker and will not have access to any materials in a Locker other than those a student includes with his/her college application. Prospective students should not invite Yale admissions staff to collaborate on any items uploaded to the Locker, or invite them as a contact via the Coalition platform. Demonstrated interest is not a factor in Yale’s decision-making process.

New Questions on the Common Application

Students applying to Yale using the Common Application will respond to a series of Yale-specific questions, including two short essays. Applicants will choose two of the following topics and respond to each in 200 words or fewer:

• What is a community to which you belong? Reflect on the footprint that you have left.
• Reflect on a time in the last few years when you felt genuine excitement learning about something.
• Write about something that you love to do.

All of the Yale-specific questions in both of these applications are available at admissions.yale.edu/essay-topics. We hope that the updated topics and application options will help to shed new light on applicants’ distinctive strengths and identities. The new questions also echo the vision for Yale College articulated by Dean of Yale College Jonathan Holloway.

Standardized Testing Policies and Timeline

For the second year, Yale will not require SAT Subject Tests. Students who have completed any Subject Tests may share or withhold scores as they like. The SAT or the ACT with Writing is required of all applicants. For students submitting only results from the redesigned SAT (taken in March 2016 or later) the additional essay is required. Students applying for freshman admission this cycle and next may submit either the old or the new SAT; we will not prefer one test over another. Please note Yale's policy that applicants should report all scores received on whichever required test (SAT or ACT) they submit. For our complete testing policies, visit admissions.yale.edu/standardized-testing.

SATs and SAT Subject Tests taken in November may arrive in time for consideration in Yale’s Single Choice Early Action program, but we advise applicants to complete and submit required standardized testing from previous test dates. For Single-Choice Early Action applicants who plan to take November SATs or SAT Subject Tests, admissions officers will begin the evaluation process with the official scores already on file.

New Yale Award for Juniors

Yale's new Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration (RITM) is sponsoring an award for high school juniors: The Yale Bassett Award for Community Engagement. The award will be given to students who demonstrate a record of creative leadership and public service, academic distinction, interdisciplinary problem solving, and experience addressing societal issues that might include, but need not be limited to, race and racism. To be considered for the Yale Bassett Award, interested high school students in the class of 2018 should submit an application, which will include the name of a teacher, mentor, coach, religious leader, community-based non-profit leader, or community member who will provide a letter of recommendation. The application deadline is February 1, 2017. Faculty affiliated with the RITM center will select and notify winners this spring. The Admissions Office does not administer the award, and applying for the award will not affect a student’s chances of being admitted to Yale.

Multicultural Open House on October 15

The Admissions Office will host Yale's annual Multicultural Open House on Saturday October 15. All prospective students and their families are welcome to join for all or part of the day. The program features a faculty panel, student life forum, performances by student groups, opportunities to visit Yale's four cultural centers, and brunch in the residential college dining halls. Yale's new Center for the Study of Race, Indigeneity, and Transnational Migration will also be featured. Registration is open now. Unfortunately, we cannot provide travel assistance or overnight hosting for participants.  

As always, thank you for the important and valuable work you do as educators, and thank you for continuing to encourage your strongest students from all backgrounds to consider Yale.

update information from University of Florida

Greetings from the UF Office of Admissions!

We are pleased to announce the launch of our newly designed admissions website! Visit us at www.admissions.ufl.edu<http://www.admissions.ufl.edu>. The site's homepage features vibrant colors and a streamlined design to easily access information about applying to UF's many programs.

At the top of the homepage, you will find that our site is divided into six main sections: Apply, Learn, Live, Visit, Afford, and Enroll. Through these six sections, students may discover why UF may be a good fit for their educational pursuits and how they may take the steps necessary to apply and enroll at UF. In the Apply section, students will learn about admission requirements, application details, and deadlines for the various levels of application. In the Learn section, students may discover the many academic opportunities available at UF. In the Live section, students will learn about UF's energetic community. We encourage student growth not only in the classroom, but outside of the classroom as well. In order for students to see UF first-hand, we encourage them to visit us. The Visit section provides details about how students may take a tour of campus and hear from an admission officer about admission requirements. As one of the country's best values in higher education, students will learn how they may pay for their great education in the Afford section. Lastly, admitted students will learn about next steps in the Enroll section.

As you scroll down the admissions homepage page, you will find much of the same information found in the six sections above is easily accessible from the homepage.

Our communications team has worked diligently throughout the summer to redesign our website. We hope you find the site is easier to navigate and is more user-friendly. We encourage you to visit www.admissions.ufl.edu<http://www.admissions.ufl.edu>, and become familiar with the new design. We're excited about our new site and the opportunity it provides us in sharing more information to future Gators.

Shannon Murphy

criteria to get admission to a State of Florida school

Do you have what it takes?

Institutional Matrix

SUS Admissions Tour as of September, 2016

FAMU

FAU

FGCU

FIU

FLPOLY

FSU

NCF

UCF

UF

UNF

USF

UWF

Summer 2016 GPA

3.00 – 3.50

3.42 – 3.90

3.38 – 4.12

3.70 Avg.

N/A

3.50 – 4.10

No Summer

3.60 – 4.00

4.20 – 4.50

3.00 – 3.60

3.38 – 3.85

3.50 Avg.

Fall 2016 GPA

3.00 - 3.50

3.73 - 4.37

3.42 - 4.22

4.00 Avg.

3.50 Avg.

3.90 - 4.40

3.71 - 4.31

3.70 - 4.30

4.20 - 4.50

3.60 – 4.40

3.83 - 4.39

3.60 Avg.

Is the GPA the "best of" courses or all work? How is grade forgiveness considered?

Best of Academic Courses

All Academic Courses

Best grade of identical academic courses

All attempted course work used

Best of academic courses

All academic work attempted.

Grade forgiveness for repeated academic courses

All academic courses. Best grade of the exact same course

All academic work attempted

Best grade of academic courses

All academic work attempted

Best of academic courses

Does the recalculated GPA utilize only SUS "core"  or "core" and "elective" coursework; or all courses taken?

Core and approved academic electives

Core and academic electives

Core and Elective

Core & Academic Elective

Core and Elective

All attempted academic core and AICE/AP/DE/IB coursework

Core and most academic electives

Only SUS core admission coursework

SUS Core

Core and Academic  2 Elective courses "

Core and Academic Elective courses

Core and Elective

How can you improve your chances of success?

State Universities will recalculate your grades based on the following 18 Academic credits:  4 English, 3 Math (Algebra & above), 3 Social Sciences, 3 Natural Sciences, 2 Foreign languages; plus additional courses in the above subject areas.

·         Focus your study efforts on your core academic classes

• Challenge yourself with Honors and AP classes
• Seek grade forgiveness in those classes that you earn a “D” or “F” in.
• Know your recalculated GPA by going to https://www.floridashines.org/CCRE/hs_accessbf.jsp?portalId=6_0T9IOL510OO860AKP4P1543041  > “high school students” > “Check Bright Futures Scholarship Eligibility”

The Importance of Test Scores

Institutional Matrix

SUS Admissions Tour as of September, 2016

FAMU (Avg.)

FAU

FGCU

FIU

FLPOLY (Avg.)

FSU

NCF

UCF (Avg.)

UF

UNF

USF (Avg.)

UWF (Avg.)

(NEW) SAT Mid-Range

RW 501-600 M 501-600

RW 550-540 M 530-610

RW 560-530 M 510-590

RW 590 M 590

NA

RW 640-710 M 600-690

NA

RW 620-700 M 610-700

RW 640-730 M 620-730

NA

RW 550-620 M 590-690

RW 560 M 547

ACT w/writing Summer Midrange

Comp NA E/W 17-21

Comp 20-24 E/W 20-24

Comp 20-24 E/W 20-25

Comp 21 E/W 20

NA

Comp 24-28 E/W 21-26

NA

Comp 23-26

Comp 27-32

Comp 20-23 E/W 20-24

Comp 23-26 E/W 21-24

Comp 22 E/W 21

ACT w/writing Fall Midrange

Comp   E/W 17-24

Comp  21-25 E/W 21-27

Comp 22-26 E/W 21-26

Comp  23 E/W 22

Comp  E/W 26

Comp  26-31 E/W 23-29

Comp  26-31 E/W 25-30

Comp 25-29  E/W

Comp 27-32 E/W

Comp  24-29 E/W 24-30

Comp  26-30 E/W 24-28

Comp  24 E/W: 22

Are SAT Scores  Super scored

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Are ACT Scores  Super scored

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Accept SAT essay in place of adms. essay?

No

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

No

No

No

No

Yes, but not required

NA

N/A

Prefer SAT or ACT?

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either

Either