BYU | Financial Aid - Frequently Asked Questions

Federal Aid

1. Eligibility for Federal Financial Aid

The U.S. Department of Education calculates your expected family contribution (EFC), which is an estimate of how much you (and/or your family) should be able to contribute to your cost of education. The EFC calculation focuses primarily on household size, number in college, taxed and untaxed income, taxes paid, assets, etc.

2. BYU Financial Aid Requirements and FAFSA

Free Application for Federal Student Aid
We are sometimes required to verify information you reported on the FAFSA . We ask you to provide us with your tax figures and we compare them with what you put on the FAFSA; hence what seems a duplication of figures you provide. If everything is correct, verification is completed and we notify you of the results. If corrections need to be made, we make them and then notify you.

3. Parental information and FAFSA

Your independent/dependency status is not determined by whether or not your parents claim you on their federal tax return or whether they actually contribute to your cost of education. You have to include parent information if you cannot answer yes to at least one of the following questions:

2006-2007 FAFSA

Were you born either before January 1, 1983?
Will you be working on a degree beyond a bachelor's degree in the year for which you are applying?
As of the day you completed the FAFSA, are you married? (Answer yes if you are separated but not divorced)
Are you an orphan, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you, now and through either June 30, 2005?

2007-2008 FAFSA

Were you born either before January 1, 1984?
Will you be working on a degree beyond a bachelor's degree in the year for which you are applying?
As of the day you completed the FAFSA, are you married? (Answer yes if you are separated but not divorced)
Are you an orphan, or are you or were you (until age 18) a ward/dependent of the court?
Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you?
Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2006 (for 2005-2006 FAFSA)?

4. Changed Circumstances and FAFSA

If you or your family has unusual circumstances (such as loss of employment or major medical expenses) that might effect your need for student financial aid, check with your financial aid counselor. You may also submit a petition with any appropriate documentation.

5. Financial Aid without the FAFSA

You may apply for a BYU Short-Term Loan and most scholarships without filling out the FAFSA. If you are a dependent student, your parent may also request a PLUS Loan . You will need to complete the FAFSA if you are applying for either a Federal Pell Grant or Federal Stafford Loan .

6. Eligibility-Subsidized Stafford Loan

Subsidized Stafford Loans are based on need. Eligibility for a subsidized Stafford Loan is determined after verification is complete and the expected family contribution (EFC) determined according to the following formula:

For Example:	Amount

Cost of Education (for the loan period requested)	$7,000 (fall semester)
- EFC	-- 4,000 (4-month EFC)
- Pell, if eligible	-- 1,000 (fall's Pell amount)
- Scholarships	-- 2,000
- Any other financial aid	-- 1,500 (VA benefit)

= Need	= $0 Need

If your costs of education are being met, as in the example above, you are not eligible for a subsidized Stafford Loan. You would then have only unsubsidized Stafford Loan eligibility.

7. Warning, Probation, and Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Federal regulations require schools to establish, publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether students receiving financial aid are maintaining satisfactory academic progress (SAP) in their courses of study. In keeping with these regulations, Brigham Young University has implemented three separate methods of measuring satisfactory academic progress: one is based on academic grades (Academic Standing); another is based on the rate of progress toward a degree or certificate, determined by examining the percentage of course work completed to graduate in a timely fashion (Rate of Progress) and the third deals with the total number of attempted credit hours (Credit Hour). We have attempted in the paragraphs below to summarize our SAP policy at BYU. The complete document can be viewed by clicking here (it is a .pdf document which requires Adobe Acrobat to be viewed).

Evaluation Measures

Newly admitted students (including entering freshmen or transfer students) are eligible for financial aid during their first semester at BYU. At the end of that enrollment, as are all applicants for financial aid, they will be evaluated to determine if they are making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate. Evaluation measurements for Academic Standing and for total Credit Hours are taken at the end of each enrollment. Measurement for Rate of Progress is taken just once each academic year, in August. Failure to meet any of the three standards may mean that you become ineligible for financial aid, even though it may have been awarded.

Academic Standing

If you are on academic probation, as defined by BYU, at the end of any enrollment, you will not be eligible for financial aid for the following semester or term. Academic probation normally occurs when a student has two consecutive enrollments below a 2.00 GPA or when a student's cumulative BYU GPA falls below 2.00. Please contact Academic Support, 2502 WSC, Provo , UT 84602-7906 , telephone (801) 422-2723, e-mail : academic_support@byu.edu if you have questions regarding your academic standing. Academic standing is evaluated at the end of each enrollment. Appropriate e-mail notifications are sent out each enrollment to advise you of possible consequences.

Rate of Progress

If you fail to successfully complete 70 percent of the credits for which you register each academic year, you will not be eligible for financial aid for the following academic year. For purposes of this policy the following are counted as nonprogress grades: E, I, IE, NS, UW, W, and WE. Courses that are repeated within the same academic year are also counted as nonprogress courses.

Completion percentages will be evaluated in mid-August at the end of summer term (whether or not you are enrolled). If your rate of progress is less than 70 percent for the regular academic year, you will not be eligible for aid. Rate of progess is evaluated at the end of the academic year, in August. Appropriate e-mail notifications are sent out each enrollment to advise you of possible consequences should your percentage of completion be of concern.

Credit-Hour Policy

If you are an undergraduate student with 150 credit hours or more at the end of winter semester 2004, you must submit a copy of your graduation plan to your academic advisement center. Periodic review of these approved graduation plans may be conducted by the Financial Aid office to assure that you continue to meet the terms of the plan. Explanations for deviations from the graduation plan may be required. This should be submitted by petition to the Financial Aid office.

Undergraduate students who exceed 180 total attempted (including retakes, failed classes UW's, etc.) credit hours are generally ineligible for financial aid. Art education, music education, nursing, engineering and like majors are allowed 150 percent of the credit hours required for the degree. Total credit hours is evaluated at the end of each enrollment. Appropriate e-mail notifications are sent out each enrollment to advise you of possible consequences should your total attempted hours be of concern.

Appeals and Requalifying for Aid

If you are found to be ineligible for financial aid, you may appeal to receive aid when there were unusual, extenuating circumstances that prevented you from making satisfactory academic progress. Possible reasons for an appeal might be an injury or a medical or family emergency. You must initiate the petition to be reinstated for financial aid. You begin the process of petitioning through the Financial aid (VIP) system , under "Messages-Petitions."

If you wish to request an override of the 180 credit-hour limit, you generally must file a copy of your approved graduation plan from your department along with your petition. Other documentations may be suggested or required, depending on the nature of your request (i.e. medical condition, pay stubs, etc.).

Timing can be very important when submitting a petition. In order to be eligible for the semester or term you are currently enrolled in, you must file the petition before the enrollment ends. For example, if you were found to be on Academic probation after summer term (and therefore ineligible for financial aid fall semester) you would need to file a petition during fall in order to receive aid for fall. If you waited until January or February, for example, you could never be paid for that fall semester.

Scholarships

8. Scholarships at BYU

Follow this link to the Scholarship office: http://saas.byu.edu/depts/scholarships/

Timeline

9. Application Deadlines-Financial Aid and Scholarships

Financial aid priority processing deadlines reflect the dates by which all applicable forms must be completed and submitted to the Financial Aid office to assure that eligible disbursements are made in time to meet tuition payment deadlines. Applications will still continue to be processed after these priority dates, but disbursements may not be made by tuition payment deadlines. If you have missed the BYU scholarship deadlines, it is too late to apply for a BYU scholarship. If you have missed the priority processing dates for federal financial aid, you most likely will not have aid in time to meet the tuition payment deadline. Nevertheless, we will continue processing your aid, and you may be reimbursed, after the fact, for some of the costs you have incurred. See the Web links below:

Scholarship Deadlines http://saas.byu.edu/depts/scholarships/
Financial Aid Priority Processing Dates

10. Processing Time for Federal Financial Aid

The time it takes to process depends a lot on you. It can take from six to eight weeks or from six to eight months depending on how long it takes you to respond to our requests for information or documentation. Complete and accurate information will shorten your processing time. Here are some tips to speed up the process:

Submit the FAFSA over the Web, using your federal PIN. If you do not have a PIN, you can obtain a PIN at this Web site: www.pin.ed.gov
Don't estimate the figures on the FAFSA (pop up = Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Use actual income figures from your tax return or we may have to make corrections later, which slows processing. If you have questions, wait until you have found the answers before you continue.
When you are ready to submit your FAFSA, access Financial Aid VIP and click Apply.
Respond promptly to our requests for information and/or documentation using the Financial Aid VIP system .
Make sure we have your current street and e-mail addresses. Access Update Personal Information via Route Y or contact the Registration office, B-150 ASB, (801) 422-2824. We will use the e-mail address you give us through VIP to update you regarding your file or processing.

13. Money-Getting Your Check

When you receive your award notice through VIP, financial aid award disbursement dates and locations will be provided. Generally speaking, financial aid is disbursed at the beginning of the semester/term in room 3222 Wilkinson Student Center (WSC). After that, financial aid checks are mailed to the mailing address we have on record. However, we strongly encourage students to authorize direct deposit of their financial aid funds. Click here to authorize direct deposit.

Missionaries

14. Missionary Income and FAFSA

FAFSA Worksheet B (line 41) asks returned missionaries to report the amount of money they received from the mission home (to pay for food and other cash purchase items) in the year for which the FAFSA requests income information. For example, if you returned from your mission August, you would report the amount of cash support you received from the mission home from January to August.

Miscellaneous

15. BYU Title IV School Code

BYU's school code is 003670. It is used on the FAFSA line 86 to indicate that you want FAFSA information sent to BYU.

16. FAFSA Web Site Address

To access the FAFSA go to: www.fafsa.ed.gov . Submitting the FAFSA online substantially decreases processing time and reduces chances for input errors.

17. Aid for Study Abroad Programs or Salt Lake Center

The same rules apply to Study Abroad (http://kennedy.byu.edu/isp/index.html) and the Salt Lake Center (http://ce.byu.edu/sl/index.dhtm ), as for the campus in Provo . If you have been admitted as a degree-seeking student, have applied for aid and have been found eligible, you can use the money for both. If you are using scholarships at the Salt Lake Center , please contact us for more information.

18. BYU Short-Term Loan

To apply for a BYU Short-Term Loan, access VIP through Route Y . A short-term loan is for tuition only and must be repaid during the same semester/term it is borrowed. Only part- or full-time students admitted to a degree-seeking program are eligible. Evening Classes, Independent Study, bachelor of general studies (BGS), or executive MBA or MPA students are not. If you are eligible for the loan, we will send you a promissory note that you should sign and return to Student Financial Services, D-155 ASB. Application deadlines (to ensure you receive the note in time to meet the tuition deadline) and repayment deadlines are as follows:

Semester

Application

Repayment

Fall 2006

August 1

November 15

Winter 2007

December 1

March 15

Spring 2007

April 1

June 1

Summer 2007

June 1

August 1

You repay your loan to Student Financial Services, D-155 ASB, Provo , UT 84602 .

If you fail to repay your short-term loan by the due date, collection efforts will begin, and future eligibility will be in jeopardy.

19. Marital Status and the FAFSA

For financial aid purposes, your marital status cannot be changed for that academic year once you have submitted the FAFSA . Therefore, consult with your financial aid counselor to determine your best option before filling it out. If you have filed the FAFSA as a single student, you cannot refile for aid as a married student during the same academic year.

20. Household Size and an Unborn Child

You can include an unborn child in the household size if:

The baby will be born on or before June 30th of the academic year.
You will provide more than half of the child's support through the end of the academic year.

21. Dropped Classes and Financial Aid

Because dropping a class may affect your financial aid eligibility, you are advised to contact a financial aid counselor before doing so.

22. Federal Tax Return, Copy of

To request information from your last year's tax return, you have the following options:

1. Call 1-800-829-0922 (Monday-Friday 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. PST )

A. Request a transcript (tax return) by fax: The student must make the request personally (by phone) and will be asked questions to establish positive ID. The student must be standing by the fax machine receiving the fax, will be put on hold while the fax is sent, and will be asked if he or she has received it. This is called a "high-risk disclosure" but is doable.

B. Request a transcript (tax return) by mail: If the originally submitted tax form was incorrect and has been changed, the student will receive a 1722 letter. Both the tax form and the letter are sent without charge and will take seven to ten days to arrive.

2. Write to the IRS using Form 4506 downloaded at www.irs.gov and request a free transcript, which will arrive in about 30 days. (Hint: When you get to Part 8 on the form, choose A).

3. Request an actual copy of your submitted tax form by calling 1-800-829-0922 or by downloading the form from their Web site and mailing it in. It will cost about $39 and will arrive in about 60 days.

Make sure you have signed and dated the tax return you bring to us.

23. Processing Steps-Where to Start

1. FAFSA

Request a PIN from www.pin.ed.gov.
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
List BYU as a school of choice (code 003670).
Submit by mail or Internet. For speed and accuracy we recommend the Internet.
If you are an independent student, using the PIN obtained from the Department of Education will eliminate the need to send in a signature page. If you are dependent, both you and your parents can obtain a PIN, also eliminating any need to mail in a signature page.
If you choose to submit the FAFSA via the Internet, and not use a PIN, don't forget to mail the signature page as soon as possible (within two or three days) or you have to resubmit the FAFSA.
If you are applying for a PLUS Loan only, you do not need to complete the FAFSA.

2. Financial Aid VIP (Virtual Immediate Processing)

Click Apply
Indicate the appropriate year and financial aid program(s) for which you would like to be considered.

3. Student Aid Report (SAR)

From three to four weeks after mailing the FAFSA , or two to three weeks after submitting FAFSA via the Internet, the federal processor will mail you a Student Aid Report (SAR) and send an electronic copy to us.
Look over the SAR to make sure the information is correct. If it is, do nothing. If it is not, correct it, sign it, and mail it to us-not the federal processor.
Sometimes the federal processor will reject a FAFSA, usually because of insufficient information. Again, if it is not, correct it, sign it, and mail it to us-not the federal processor. We will order the changes electronically, which will save time.
Whether your FAFSA is processed and complete or it has been rejected, you will hear from us within two weeks of our receiving the electronic SAR.

4. Verification

Once we have a valid SAR, we might ask you to verify the information. Accuracy is an important part of the financial aid process and we are sometimes required to verify the information you provided on the FAFSA.
Within VIP click What to Do Next.
We will post "paragraphs" of information to read and "sections" of data for you to complete.
After you submit your data, we will print and mail you a summary to sign.
As a result of verification, one of two things should happen:

Your processing is completed and we make an award. The award amounts and disbursement information are posted in VIP under Awards. Or,
We order corrections to your SAR because of discrepancies found during verification. These would be discrepancies between the original FAFSA you filed and the verification information you have provided to us. Corrections to the SAR generally take an additional three to five business days. When the correction process is completed, we post it under Awards.

5. Financial Aid Award Information

Pell Grant: The amount of your annual award will be posted under Awards, along with the Pell Payment Information Sheet. Review this sheet carefully because it provides important information about your Pell award.
Stafford Loan: If you are using a Utah lender, the guarantee agency (UHEAA) will mail you a Master Stafford Loan Promissory Note. Complete, sign, and return the promissory note to UHEAA. If however, you are using an out-of-state lender, we will mail you a Certification Statement which you then mail to your lender. In return, your lender will mail you the Master Stafford Loan Promissory Note. Complete and return it to your lender.
Be sure to read the Stafford Loan Information Sheet contained in the promissory note packet so you understand how you receive your loan proceeds. Once an award has been made, this information is also available on VIP under Awards.
PLUS Loan: The same information regarding the Stafford Loan applies to the PLUS Loan, except that your parent will need to complete the parent borrower section on the promissory note.

6. Disbursement of Funds

Pell Grant monies will be deposited into your BYU student account a semester at a time and will go toward your tuition payment. If you have excess money, you will receive that in a check as explained on the Pell Payment Information Sheet.
Stafford Loan proceeds will be deposited into your BYU student account and will go toward your tuition payment. You will receive any excess money in a check as explained on the Stafford Loan Information Sheet. If however, a problem has prevented your Stafford monies from being deposited into your account (i.e., you haven't attended entrance counseling, you have insufficient hours or an overaward, etc.), you have three days to resolve the situation before BYU is required to return the monies to your lender. The three-day time frame can generally be extended, however, if you contact Student Financial Services, (801) 422-4701 or D-155 ASB, within those three days.
PLUS Loan funds will be mailed by BYU Financial Services to the parent borrower.