Welcome! Heidi Markey; Associate Director Erika Walters; Financial Aid Advisor University of Denver

Financial Aid Categories Merit Awarded as part of the admission process Students must meet specific eligibility criteria as determined by the institution Need- Based Calculated from the FAFSA/PROFILE data Sources are federal, state, institutional

Financial Aid Applications Federal aid- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Required by all schools; available online at Available January 1, 2016 Institutional Aid- CSS PROFILE Required by some schools; available online at Available now

Understanding the Expected Family Contribution Applications are used to establish an Expected Family Contribution (EFC) The amount of money a family is expected to contribute is based on the analysis of FAFSA and/or PROFILE data Not necessarily the amount of money a family can actually afford The family contribution may be the same regardless of which college the student attends- although… The aid offered can differ from college to college! Aid is based on a particular school’s packaging policies and the amount of money they have to spend

Types of Financial Aid Federal grants- Pell, SEOG Federal Direct student loans Freshman= $5,500 Sophomore= $6,500 Junior= $7,500 Senior= $7,500 Total= $27,000 Federal Direct Parent PLUS loans Federal Work Study State grants Private loans

The Cost of Attendance Should NOT be a Mystery Each school has a different cost of attendance Direct costs= Billed through the institution Tuition, fees, housing, food Indirect costs= Related educational expenses Books, supplies, personal expenses, transportation costs Net Price Calculators Required to be posted on each school’s admission and/or financial aid website

Private Scholarships Civic groups Non-profit organizations Religious affiliations Corporations Search results include an indication of the value of the scholarship, due dates and relevance as it relates to the student High school counseling office College or university financial aid office website

WUE- Western University Exchange Students in Western states may enroll in participating two-year and four-year public college programs at a reduced tuition level: up to 1.5 times of the institution’s regular resident tuition.

Know each college’s priority deadlines Financial aid is awarded on a first come- first served basis Read each school’s website for details about their specific process Required financial aid applications and documents Scholarship deadlines Admission decision deadlines Deadlines for supplemental documents- tax returns, W-2’s Meeting Deadlines is Essential

Thank You!