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Financial Aid

How to Apply for Financial Aid – II

Parental information is required.

Follow these instructions if you wish to be considered for Institutional funds or Title VII funds administered by the Schools on behalf of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in addition to the Federal Stafford Loans.

Your eligibility for the Federal Stafford Loan Programs is based on information provided on the FAFSA and the UConn Application by you (and your spouse) only. Your eligibility for School of Medicine or School of Dental Medicine and Title VII funds is determined using information provided by you (and your spouse, if married) and your parents on both the FAFSA and the UConn Application.

The funds administered by the Schools are a component of the financial aid package awarded to students with documented need. Need is the difference between the standard school budget and the expected family contribution (EFC). For Institutional and Title VII aid, the EFC is derived from information provided on the FAFSA and the UConn Application by the student (and spouse, if married) and the parents. The Federal Stafford Unsubsidized Loan can be used to replace the EFC.

Checklist

__ FAFSA FORM

FAFSA forms are available in the Financial Aid Office. You may also fill out a FAFSA on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You must provide parental information and answer all questions in Step 4 on the FAFSA to be considered for Institutional and Title VII aid. Fill out this form based on your and your parents' completed 2006 tax returns.

Be sure the School's name and institution code are correctly entered in Step 6 of the FAFSA: For the Medical School, G09867 University of Connecticut School of Medicine; for the Dental School, G11215 University of Connecticut School of Dental Medicine. This entry must be correct to be sure your information is received by the appropriate school. Send the FAFSA to Federal Student Aid Programs in the envelope provided, or file it electronically. There is no fee.

__ UCONN APPLICATION

Complete Part I (PDF) and Part II (PDF) of the UConn Application and return them to the Financial Aid Office if you are applying for institutional and/or Title VII funds. Use the guidelines at the end of this document to determine whose financial information must be included.

__ TAX RETURN

Submit a signed copy of all pages, including schedules, of the 2007 Federal Income Tax Return, and a copy of all W-2 forms, for yourself, your spouse AND your parents, to the Financial Aid Office. There must be original taxpayer signatures on the photocopied tax returns. A photocopy of a signature is not acceptable. If you or your parents will not file a 2007 return, fill out a Non-Filer Form (PDF) from the Financial Aid Office.

__ VERIFICATION

If your file is selected for verification by the Department of Education, you will be sent a Verification Worksheet to complete and return to the Financial Aid Office.

__ STUDENT AID REPORT (SAR)

You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Federal processor as acknowledgment of their receipt and processing of your Renewal FAFSA or FAFSA. Read it to be sure it is accurate. Follow directions to make corrections, if necessary.

__ ENTRANCE COUNSELING

Entering students and first-time borrowers who are continuing students are required to have a loan counseling session. A web site for entrance counseling will be provided in your award letter. If you have additional questions about financial aid, you may make an appointment with the financial aid office at your convenience.

__ AWARD LETTER – MASTER PROMISSORY NOTE

You will receive an award letter stating your eligibility for the Stafford Loans and any other financial aid. Sign, date, indicate your acceptance or declination of each part of the award and return the form to the Financial Aid Office. Entering students must also fill out and sign a Master Promissory Note online through Sallie Mae’s OpenNet. Instructions will be provided in your award packet. No aid will be disbursed until these forms have been returned.

__ DISBURSEMENT

Aid is disbursed in two installments – September and January (first and second year students) or July and January (third and fourth year students). Aid is not disbursed to students with incomplete financial aid files. Most lenders send funds by EFT. These funds go directly into your student account to pay your tuition/fees. Once tuition is met, the balance is refunded by check to the student.

__ APPEALS

You may appeal your financial aid award. All requests for review must be in writing and accompanied by appropriate documentation. (See the Director).

__ EMERGENCIES

Students encountering financial difficulties and/or emergencies are encouraged to talk to the Director.

Note: The School will not certify your Stafford Loan until the Financial Aid Office has received all required information and completed forms. If you are using these loans to pay your fee bill, and you are a continuing student, you must meet these important financial aid deadlines to avoid late fees:

April 15, 2008: Renewal FAFSA or FAFSA must be submitted to Federal Student Aid Programs.

May 15, 2008: File must be complete – All other forms submitted to the Financial Aid Office.
The above deadlines do not apply to entering students. They should apply upon notification of their acceptance by the School and receipt of financial aid application materials. No late fees will be imposed if forms are filed within a reasonable amount of time after notification of acceptance.

Guidelines for Determining Whose Financial Information to Report

• If you are married, you must include your spouse's financial information.
• If you are applying for Institutional and/or Title VII funds (see the Scholarship and Loan Information page for a list of programs), you must provide parental financial information as well as your own and your spouse's.
• If your parents are divorced or separated, provide information from both parents. Divorced or separated parents may submit their information on separate financial aid forms. Submit the custodial parent's FAFSA form to Federal Student Aid Programs for processing. Submit the non-custodial parent's FAFSA and UConn Application forms for each parent directly to the Financial Aid Office. A signed copy of each parent's 2007 Federal Income Tax Return and all W-2 forms must also be submitted.