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[ Financial Aid ]
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I apply for financial aid at Elmhurst College?
Can I get an early estimate of financial aid?
Will I qualify for financial aid?
If my parents are divorced or separated, whose information should I use on the FAFSA?
When will I receive an award notice?
I received an award notice. What do I do next?
Contact us
Next steps for subsidized or unsubsidized loans
What is a Federal Work Study award?
How do I find a job on campus?
Is Federal Work Study required for all on campus jobs?
Next steps for Perkins loans
What to do if selected for verification
Why did I receive another award notice?
Why can't I have more loan money?
Can my family pay for tuition over time?
Will the College send bills for tuition and fees?
Do I have to get good grade to keep my financial aid?
What if my family's financial situation changes?
Can I transfer my aid to another school?
What will happen to my aid if I drop a class?
What will happen to my aid if I drop out of school?
What will happen to my aid if I drop of out school without proper notification?
Will I start loan repayment if I transfer to another school?
How do I apply for financial aid at Elmhurst College?
All students applying for federal, state and institutional need based aid must complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).This can be done after January 1 for the following academic year. Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students must apply every year for financial aid. Elmhurst College’s Federal School Code is 001676. For the 2009-10 academic year, students can obtain a paper FAFSA by calling 1-800-433-3243. The online FAFSA is highly recommended as the schools recieve the results much more quickly.
Can I get an early estimate of financial aid from Elmhurst College ?
Yes, since you can't fill out the FAFSA until after January 1 of your senior year in high school, Elmhurst College offers an early estimate service from October 1 until February 1. After completing the form and sending or faxing it to the Office of Financial Aid, you will receive a written estimate of financial aid. Remember that this is an estimate, and the official award notice will be based on the information submitted on the FAFSA.
Will I qualify for financial aid?
The only way we can assess whether you qualify for financial aid is if you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)at www.fafsa.ed.gov Once we have received your information from the federal government, we can then determine if you are eligible. We will send you a Financial Aid Award Notice stating the maximum amounts of aid you will be eligible to receive. Don’t take someone else's word that you won’t qualify. Every family's financial situation is different. We can guarantee you one thing—if you don’t apply you will definitely not receive financial aid.
If my parents are divorced or separated whose information should be used on the FAFSA?
In the event of a divorce or separation, you should answer the FAFSA questions based on the parent you lived with the most during the last twelve months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, you should answer the FAFSA questions based on the parent who provided the most financial support during the last twelve months. If the parent you lived with more is remarried, you must provide information on the FAFSA about that parent and the person who your parent married.
When will I receive an Award Notice?
After we have received the results of the FAFSA and the student is admitted to Elmhurst College, we begin sending out award notices to new students in mid –February and to continuing students starting April 1. Continuing students will receive their award notice online on BlueNet. Students may accept or reject their awards by going to the BlueNet link "Financial Aid Award View"
I received a financial aid award notice. What do I do next?
Read over the award notice as well as all the enclosed information. Check the awards you wish to accept, sign, date and return one copy of the award notice to the Office of Financial Aid. Awards may also be accepted or rejected online at BlueNet using your sign on and password. Any grants and scholarships will be credited to your student account. Please see the following questions and answers about other types of financial aid on your award notice.
How do I contact the Office of Financial Aid at Elmhurst College?
You can send an email message to finaid@elmhurst.edu. You can also call the office at (630) 617-3075 during business hours. The Office of Financial Aid is located in Goebel Hall. Office hours are Monday - Thursday 8 a.m-6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m- 4 p.m. The office fax number is (630)617-5188.
I was awarded a subsidized and/or unsubsidized loan. What are my next steps?
If you accepted subsidized or unsubsidized loans and are a new borrower your award packet will include directions to complete a Master Promissory Note online at www.dlenote.ed.gov and entrance counseling at www.dl.ed.gov This information and links to these websites are also contained on the online award view on BlueNet. Once these steps are completed, your subsidized and unsubsidized loans will be credited to your student account. Elmhurst College is a Direct Loan school, and all subsidized and unsubsidized loans are processed directly with the U.S. Department of Education. Master Promissory Notes are good for ten years at any Direct Loan school.
My award notice includes Federal Work Study. What does that mean?
If you were awarded Federal Work Study, you must work at a job on campus to earn your award. Federal Work Study funds are paid to students in check form every two weeks for hours worked. The Federal Work Study award is not subtracted from the student account balance due.
How do I find a job on campus?
There are two ways to find a job on campus.
1) Search online at www.elmhurst.edu/finaid “student job opportunities” Contact the supervisor of the job you are interested in to set up an interview. You may also print an Application for Student Employment and bring it to your interview. Fall job openings are posted after July 1.
2) Attend the On Campus Student Employment Job Fair. The 2009 Job Fair will be held Friday August 28 from 11:30 a.m - 1:30 p.m. Meet with different campus employers and explore your on campus employment opportunities.
Do I have to be awarded Federal Work Study to work on campus?
No, a Federal Work Study award is not required for some on campus positions. Job listings on the website will indicate if Federal Work Study is required. Approximately 60% of on campus student jobs are held by Federal Work Study students.
I was awarded a Perkins loan. What do I need to do next?
After returning the award notice indicating that you accept the Perkins Loan, you will be notified through your Elmhurst College email address to go online to complete your Perkins Loan Entrance Interview and your Perkins Loan Master Promissory Note. Once all of the required paperwork has been completed, your Perkins Loan will be credited to your student account.
I received a notice stating I was selected for verification. What does that mean?
The federal government selects about 35% of the FAFSA applications for verification. This means that the Office of Financial Aid must collect tax documents and other information to verify the information you submitted. If necessary, the Office of Financial Aid makes corrections to the data. If you are selected for verification, the Office of Financial Aid must receive all requested documents before the financial aid can be credited to the student’s account.
Why did I get another award notice?
If you received an additional award notice, we have received additional information that affected the financial aid you are eligible to receive. Compare your award letters to understand the differences. The letter with the latest date is correct.
Awards on Bluenet are updated as soon as any changes to the award are made.
Why can’t I have more loan money?
Stafford Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized) eligibility is based on the number of credits the student has earned in college: Freshman (less than 8.00 credits)-$3500 Sophomore (8.00 – 15.99 credits)-$4500 Junior/Senior (16.00 credits and over)- $5500. These are the limits for each academic year. For loans disbursed after July 1, 2008, an additional $2000 in unsubsidized loans will be available to most dependent undergraduate students.
Additional unsubsidized loans are available for independent undergraduate students. The additional unsubsidized amounts are as follows: freshman or sophomore: $6000, junior or senior $7000.
If the student needs additional loans, the parents of a dependent student can borrow a PLUS loan or the student can borrow an alternative educational loan through a bank. See www.elmhurst.edu/finaid “Loans” for more information.
Can my family pay tuition over time?
The Elmhurst College Payment Plan is designed for that purpose. To participate, students make an initial payment of 20% of the total charges (minus any scholarships, grants and loans which have been awarded and accepted). For the fall term the first payment is due by August 15, with the remaining balance due in four installments on the 15th of September, October, November and December. For the spring term, the first payment is due by January 15, with the remaining balance due in four installments on the 15th of February, March, April and May. A 1% service charge will be added each month on any remaining balance. Call the Office of Student Accounts at (630)617-3015 for more information.
Will the College send bills for tuition and fees?
Yes. The Office of Student Accounts sends invoices on a monthly basis. The invoices include the minimum amount due, the payment due date, and the amount that would represent payment in full. Charges are itemized (e.g., for advance tuition deposit, meal plan, etc.), and financial aid is itemized. You can pay your bill with cash, check, money order, or credit card (Visa, MasterCard, or Discover). For more information call the Office of Student Accounts at (630)617-3015.
Do I have to get good grades to keep my financial aid?
Students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in order to continue to receive their aid. The Satisfactory Academic Progress policy is explained fully on the Terms and Conditions link of the Elmhurst College Financial Aid website.
If there's a change in my financial situation, how do I let Elmhurst know?
Either complete a Special Circumstances form (available from the Office of Financial Aid or online under Financial Aid "Important Forms")or write a letter to the Director of Financial Aid describing what happened and its impact on your financial situation. For example: "My father was laid off from July 1, 2008, through September 12, 2008. During that time he lost $7,250 in earnings but received unemployment benefits of $3,100.” You will be asked to submit additional documentation. The Director of Financial Aid will review your current financial aid award and you will be contacted in writing with the results.
How do I transfer my aid to another school?
Financial aid does not transfer from one school to another. If you have left a school and are coming to Elmhurst you will need to add our school code (001676) to your FAFSA and complete our application process to determine if you have eligibility remaining to be used here. If you are currently an Elmhurst student and transferring out, you will need to add your new school’s school code to your FAFSA and then comply with whatever application policy the new school may have. All schools are fundamentally the same, but each has their own individual process regarding financial aid.
What will happen to my financial aid if I drop a class?
If you are being charged comprehensive fee and remain full time, no adjustment will be made. If you drop below full time during the drop/add period (first five weeks of class), your financial aid will be adjusted based on charges. If you drop to part time after the Office of Student Accounts no longer adjusts charges, no changes will be made to your financial aid.
What will happen to my financial aid if I drop out of school with proper notification?
If you officially withdraw from Elmhurst College completely during a term several issues are considered:
1)Elmhurst College aid is adjusted at the same percentage rate as the tuition and fees withdrawal schedule used by the Office of Student Accounts.
2)If you have completed 10 days of attendance, your State of Illinois aid will remain the same.
3)All Federal Title IV aid (Pell, SEOG, Perkins, ACG, SMART,Subsidized, Unsubsidized, PLUS loans) will be adjusted based on the number of days you have been enrolled. Once you have been enrolled for 60% of the term, no more adjustments are made.
What happens to my financial aid if I drop out of Elmhurst College without proper notification?
A student who has earned all F's for a semester but has not officially withdrawn from classes is considered to have unoffically withdrawn. If an instructor indicates in writing to the Office of Financial Aid that the student has actually earned the F, the student will be considered to have completed the semester, and all aid will be retained for the semester. For students who have unofficially withdrawn, the midpoint of the semester will be used as the withdrawal date and financial aid will be adjusted according to U.S. Department of Education regulations.
Will I have to start repayment of loans if I transfer to another school?
After withdrawing from college, you have a six month grace period before beginning repayment on your Direct Loans. There is a nine month grace period for Perkins loans. It is your responsiblity to secure an in-school deferment application in order to reinstate your loans to an in-school status. For Direct Loan deferments go to www.dl.ed.gov or call 1-800-848-0979 and for Perkins loan deferments call University Accounting Service at 1-800-999-6227.
If you have borrowed student loans, you are required to complete Exit Counseling for all types of loans. For Direct Loans, go to www.dl.ed.gov; for Perkins loans, go to www.uasexit.com
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