Contents 1 Financial Aid FAQ 1.1 What are the types of financial aid that are available to me? 1.2 How do I apply for financial aid? 1.3 When do I send in my FAFSA? 1.4 How is financial need determined? Does all financial aid require financial need? 1.5 Do I apply for scholarships by submitting the FAFSA? 1.6 Do I need to provide my parents' financial information on the FAFSA? 1.7 Do I need to be enrolled full time in school to obtain financial aid? 1.8 What if I have special circumstances that are not addressed on the FAFSA? 1.9 What is DigiPen's Federal School Code?

Financial Aid FAQ

What are the types of financial aid that are available to me?

The two main types of aid are grants and loans. For example, a federal Pell Grant is free assistance that does not need to be repaid. Loans, such as the Federal Stafford Loan, are low interest and need to be paid back after you leave school or drop below half-time status.

How do I apply for financial aid?

You must apply by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year you wish to be considered for financial aid. The FAFSA may be filed on the Internet or by completing & mailing in the paper application. We strongly encourage students to file on the Internet if possible for faster and more accurate results. When filed, the completed FAFSA is sent to the federal processing center. The results are forwarded to the colleges you have indicated on the form. Application is free, and you may choose up to six colleges to receive your FAFSA results.

When do I send in my FAFSA?

You can mail in your FAFSA as early as January 2 for the school year that begins that fall; your FAFSA can also be submitted online after January 1. The priority processing date for DigiPen is April 15th. However, students who miss the April 15th date are encouraged to file a FAFSA at the earliest possible date after April 15th.

How is financial need determined? Does all financial aid require financial need?

Taking the estimated Cost of Attendance and subtracting the Expected Family Contribution - this comes from the processed FAFSA - determines a student's financial need (the difference is your financial need). Based on this formula, families with the highest financial need will be expected to contribute less to the Cost of Attendance and will be eligible for a greater percentage of grant assistance and other need-based financial aid. Families whose Expected Family Contribution exceeds Cost of Attendance or who have been considered for all need-based financial aid and still have not been fully funded for the entire Cost of Attendance will be eligible for non-need based loans like the unsubsidized Federal Stafford and/or PLUS Loans.

Do I apply for scholarships by submitting the FAFSA?

DigiPen does require that a FAFSA be submitted with several of our Institutional Scholarships. Please be sure and read the criteria for each specific scholarship for the requirements.

Do I need to provide my parents' financial information on the FAFSA?

Federal regulations dictate that if you were not born before January 1, 1984 (for 2007-2008 academic year) and January 1, 1985 (for 2008-2009 academic year), or you were not married, not a veteran, not a ward of the court, not a graduate or professional student, or do not have children or legal dependents other than a spouse, you are considered a dependent student and must provide parent information on the FAFSA.

Do I need to be enrolled full time in school to obtain financial aid?

In order to receive your full financial aid package, you must be enrolled on a full-time basis (9 credit hours per term for graduates, 12 credit hours per term for undergraduates). Part-time students may also receive aid, but your award amount will be adjusted based on the number of credits for which you enroll. If you enroll in a less-than full-time basis, you must notify our office of your expected enrollment before the beginning of each term. Most aid programs will not approve aid for less than half-time (< 6 credits per term for both undergraduates and graduates.) enrollment.

What if I have special circumstances that are not addressed on the FAFSA?

You should notify our office in writing of any circumstances not covered on the FAFSA. You may also notify our office of changes in circumstances that may have arisen, such as the loss of income or unforeseen medical expenses. All such letters should include the name and social security number of the student. We will contact you if we need additional information and when a decision has been reached. Be sure that your FAFSA is still completed by the priority processing date, which is March 1.

What is DigiPen's Federal School Code?

DigiPen's Federal School Code used in the processing of the FAFSA is 037243.