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Financial Aid FAQs

What is Financial Aid?

• Financial aid is money available to assist students with the costs of attending college.
• Financial aid comes from the federal government, state government, the College, and from private sources in the form of loans, grants and scholarships. Grants and scholarships are assistance you don't have to pay back. Loans are borrowed money that you must repay with interest. Only 5% of the JFKU students are eligible for the free money – grants and scholarships.

Who can receive financial aid?

Federal financial aid is available to anyone who meets the following criteria:

1. Have financial need as determined by your financial aid application, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) www.fafsa.ed.gov
2. Have a high-school diploma or a GED certificate.
3. Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible certificate, associate or transfer degree program.
4. Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (i.e. permanent resident, refugee, asylee, parolee).
5. Have a valid Social Security Number.
6. Meet minimum standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
7. Not be in default on an educational loan nor owe money back on a federal student grant. To track your federal student loans and grants, visit the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Student Access Web Site www.nslds.ed.gov.
8. Certify that all information you provide on Financial Aid application form is accurate and true, and that federal aid received will be used only for educational purposes.
9. Be registered, or formerly registered, with the Selective Service System, if you are a U.S. citizen or immigrant alien male aged 18 through 26. If you have not yet registered, you can do so with the Selective Service System http://www.sss.gov.

How will I know what types of aid I will be receiving?

• The JFKU Financial Aid Office will determine your eligibility for all funds available to you after they receive your 2007-08 FAFSA response and the 2007-08 JFKU Supplemental Financial Aid Application. They may need to contact you for additional information to help determine your financial aid award eligibility.
• You will receive an Award Letter from the Financial Aid Office. This will detail all aid for which you are eligible (grants, loans, scholarships) for the award year or which typically covers three terms.

How do I accept my award?

• You will accept and/or decline your aid on your Award Letter and then sign and return it to the JFKU Financial Aid Office. You can drop the form off at the FA Office in Pleasant Hill; mail it to us at:  JFKU, ATTN:  FA Office, 100 Ellinwood Way, Pleasant Hill, CA 94523;  or fax it to the JFKU FA Office at:  (925) 969-3390.

How can I be sure to be considered for maximum types and amounts of financial aid?

• Apply early - Meet the March 2nd annual priority filing date. Apply two to three months before you actually need your money.
• Return all requested verification and follow-up documentation within two weeks of request, fully completed and signed.
• Keep grades up - Meet minimum Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

Since financial aid may not cover my entire living and educational costs, what else can I do?

• Seek employment. Use savings. Consider living with relatives or friends to save on rent and utility costs. Apply for scholarships. Ask clubs, organizations, churches to which you belong if they have any scholarship funds. What kinds of aid can I expect to see on my Award Letter?
• The kind of financial aid you receive is based upon your level of need and your application's completion date.

What is the Cost of Attendance?

• Average annual costs (tuition, books, fees, room and board, transportation, etc.) determined to be necessary to attend JFKU. 
• The 2007-08 Nine-Month Student Expense Budgets are based on the California Student Aid Commission Student Expense and Resources Survey (SEARS) data and are updated for three years of inflation using the September 2006 Estimated California Consumer Price Index.
• These figures are subject to change.

How is my Expected Family Contribution (EFC) determined?

• Your (and your spouse's if married, parent's if dependent) income, assets, number in household, number in college, and your state of legal residence are used in determining the Expected Family Contribution. The EFC is the result of the FAFSA application.
• The EFC formula applied to your information is determined by the federal government.

What steps do you follow to determine my eligibility?

     The formula to determine eligibility is:
                              Cost of Attendance
                Less       Expected Family Contribution
                Less       Other Financial Aid
             Equals       Financial Need

Where can I find general information on the federal and state financial aid programs on the web?

• The U.S. Department of Education's web site for federal financial aid programs is: (http://www.ed.gov/studentaid/student.html).
• The State of California's web site for state financial aid is CSAC (http://www.csac.ca.gov/).

What is JFKU's federal school code?

• 004484

APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID

How do I apply for financial aid at JFKU?

• Complete the FAFSA or the renewal FAFSA, preferably via FAFSA on the Web (www.fafsa.ed.gov), or mail it to the processor as soon as possible after January 1 for the coming academic year AND
• Complete the 2007-08 JFKU Supplemental Financial Aid Application
• If you applied last year, you may receive a renewal FAFSA in the mail; complete that form (be sure to update any changes on the form) and then submit it electronically.to the federal processor
• Paper FAFSAs are available from campus financial aid offices. Read the application instructions carefully. When in doubt, call the JFKU Financial Aid Office at (925) 969-3385 or, email email or visit the Financial Aid Office in Pleasant Hill.

Do I need to keep copies?

• Yes! Keep copies of all forms completed and any materials used to prepare the forms, such as tax returns. It is a safety measure, should they be requested at a later time.

When do I apply for financial aid?

• As soon as possible after January 1 of the school year you plan to attend.

• If your application has been selected for a process called Verification, or audit, by the Department of Education or by the College, JFKU will notify you and request the additional documentation that is needed to complete your processing. You do not need to submit your SAR to our office if you have listed JFKU on your FAFSA. If you did not originally list JFKU, we will be able to request your record from the federal processor if you provide us with a duplicate/photo copy of your SAR. You also may contact the Central Processor (1-800-4FEDAID or 1-800-433-3243) and request that JFKU be added to your SAR. Our school code is 004484.  

Why can't you tell my spouse, parents, or outside agencies what kind of aid I have been awarded?

• The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (also known as the Buckley Amendment) limits access to educational records without expressed written consent.
• If you wish to have someone else speak to us on your behalf, you will need to submit a notarized authorization form.

Do I have to reapply for financial aid each year?

• Yes. However, once you have filed a FAFSA, you may be able to file a Renewal FAFSA the next year. It will not be nearly as complicated the second, third, or fourth time around.
• The Renewal FAFSA will be sent to the home address you used last year with about 75% of the information on the form preprinted and the same as the information you filed the year before.

What is an Entrance or Exit Interview?

An Entrance or Exit interview or loan counseling session is required before your federal loans are initially disbursed and after you cease being enrolled as a half-time student (undergraduate = 6 units; graduate = 4.5 units; law student = 3 units). 

What is Verification?

• Verification, or audit,  is a process, initiated by the U.S. Department of Education or by the Financial Aid Office, requiring you to verify the information that you provided on the FAFSA. You are required to submit signed copies of income tax returns and all other documents to the Financial Aid Office.
• If your application is selected for verification, you will not be eligible for federal aid until this process is completed.
• About 30% of all financial aid applicants at JFKU are selected at random each year for verification when their application is processed. Other students are selected due to discrepancies or missing information on their application, after file review by the Financial Aid Office, or after your request for consideration of special/unusual circumstances.
• The following items must be submitted if your application is selected: A signed copy of your (and your spouse's, if married) prior year federal income tax return, and schedules. A copy of all W-2s associated with your income tax form. A signed copy of your parent's prior year federal income tax return, W-2s, and schedules (for student's who were required to provide parent financial information on the FAFSA). A completed Verification Worksheet.
• Other supporting documents that may be requested :
• Child support
• AFDC/ADC/TANF
• Immigration
• Social Security
• Birth Certificate(s)
• Divorce/Separation
• Social Security Card (must have correct, current name)
• Veteran's benefits
• To avoid unnecessary delays, please submit all required documents promptly. Also, be sure you have filled out the Verification Worksheet completely, and that all documents are signed by the appropriate parties. Documents with blanks and missing signatures will be returned!

What happens next?

• When the Financial Aid Office receives your completed Verification Worksheet and tax returns, we compare the information on these documents to the information you provided on your original FAFSA. If information from the documents you submit to the FA Office conflicts with your FAFSA, we may require additional information to clear up the discrepancy. The Financial Aid Office will contact you by mail to request additional information. Responding quickly to any requests for additional information will help avoid further delays.
• In some cases, the changes made during verification require resubmission of FAFSA data to the U.S. Department of Education. If these changes affect your eligibility for assistance, you will receive a revised Award Notification.
• Note: After verification is completed, household size and number in college cannot be adjusted.