Division of Enrollment & Student Engagement

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

 

Financial Assistance

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There's more to aid than student loans

Did you know there also are scholarships, grants, a federal work-study program? You might even be eligible for certain waivers and exemptions. Each option has it's own advantages, so it's important to explore them thoroughly.

Type of AidScholarshipsStudent LoansGrantsWork-Study
FAFSA Required?NoYesYesYes
Separate Application?YesNoNoYes
Repayment Required?NoYesNoNo

Am I eligible to receive student loans, grants or work-study funds?

To receive federal, state, or institutional funds you must:

  • demonstrate financial need (with the exception of some loans)
  • have a high school diploma or its equivalent
  • be enrolled in at least six credit hours of an eligible degree-seeking program
  • be in good academic standing and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward completion of a degree
  • be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
  • have a valid social security number
  • if male, be registered with selective service or be exempt
  • not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on a federal educational loan
  • and submit a completed FAFSA.

Non-degree seeking students: Students who aren't officially admitted to SFA but are taking SFA classes are ineligible.

International students: If you are not a citizen of the U.S. or an eligible non-citizen, you are not eligible for federal student aid. Contact the Office of International Programs.

When should I apply for aid?

Apply as early as possible!

There are many options when it comes to applying for aid and you'll want to apply for financial assistance as early as possible! You do not need to wait until you’ve been officially accepted to SFA.

We accept applications for financial aid throughout the school year, however we recommend completing the process early to make sure you don’t miss out on available aid.

If the process is a new experience, consider exploring a few external resources designed to offer guidance and tips as you make your financial decisions:

Is aid offered in the summer?

For the purpose of offering financial aid, summer school is considered to be the end of the school year.  Therefore, your eligibility for student aid funds for summer school is based upon your remaining annual limits for grants and loans.

Learn more about summer aid.

Complete your FAFSA

Completing your FAFSA is an annual process to continue receiving financial assistance. It takes about 30 minutes to complete the FAFSA, but you can save your progress along the way. Don't rush! 

Before starting your FAFSA

Before you begin, have the following documents available:

  • Your social security number
  • Proof of residency card (if applicable)
  • Your tax record (more information on tax records below)
  • Your most recent W-2 forms or records of money earned

Important things to note:

  • There is no charge for completing the FAFSA. Do not pay anyone to complete your FAFSA.
  • Include SFA’s Title IV School Code: 003624
  • Your FAFSA-defined dependency status determines whose information you must report.
  • You and all contributors must provide consent for the IRS to transfer tax return information.
  • Answer the "High School Information" section. Don't skip it!
  • Verify your answers and check for accuracy — errors will delay the process.

Start or access your FAFSA

Additional documentation

Only if specifically requested, you may need to submit additional documents to complete your financial aid package review. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will notify affected students through their mySFA email address, so be sure to monitor your account frequently.

Financial aid package offer

It typically takes six weeks to receive your financial aid package offer from SFA:

  1. U.S. Department of Education processes completed FAFSA submissions.
  2. Summary becomes available on your studentaid.gov account, including estimated federal aid eligibility and student aid index.
  3. SFA's financial aid office receives a copy of your application.
  4. Requests for additional documentation, if applicable, are emailed to your mySFA account.
  5. Financial aid package offer is created.
  6. You'll log in to mySFA to review each offer in the package and indicate your intent to accept or decline before the deadline.

Accepting Aid Offers

Revise Your Aid Package

Scholarships

Financial assistance with no repayment requirement! 

SFA offers a general scholarship application that will match your responses with eligibility criteria among hundreds of university-endowed scholarships.

Opportunities for scholarships don't stop there. SFA also offers specialized scholarships at the university-level and departmental-level. Scholarships don't require a completed FAFSA, but application processes and requirements vary by program.

Apply for Scholarships

Student Loans

When you take out a student loan, you’re borrowing money that you'll need to repay with interest.

Not all student loans are the same; interest rates and payment timeline varies. Private, Parent PLUS and Graduate PLUS loans require a credit check, while most Federal Direct loans do not. No matter which loans you're considering, carefully review all fees, terms and conditions. It's important to understand exactly what you're committing to and for how long. If you have questions, you can come to us for help.

Interest rates on federal loans are fixed for one year, tend to be lower than other loan options and usually offer flexible repayment options.

Federal Direct Loan Info

Grants

Grants are, essentially, need-based gifts. You don't have to pay a grant back as long as you follow the grant's guidelines.

There is no separate application for grants. Your eligibility will automatically be considered for several grants at the federal, state and institutional levels when you submit your FAFSA.

Grant eligibility requirements

Federal Work-Study Program

Part-time jobs on campus that allow you to earn money for education expenses. 

SFA has student employee positions specifically set aside for the work-study program. These are paid at an hourly-wage with paychecks usually received twice a month.

What is work-study?

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships