Applying for and Receiving Financial Aid

Step 1
Apply and be accepted to the Savannah College of Art and Design. You can apply online.

Step 2
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Please include SCAD as one of your school choices. The SCAD code is 015022. Be sure to use accurate tax information to answer all questions.

Step 3
If you receive a request for additional information from the SCAD financial aid office, please respond promptly.

Step 4
Within two to three weeks of filing your FAFSA you should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). Please review it for accuracy and submit any necessary corrections.

Step 5
An official financial award letter from SCAD will arrive via mail and e-mail soon thereafter. This letter will list all of your financial assistance including scholarships, grants and loans. The award notification is also posted in MySCAD for students who have paid their enrollment fee and have received their personal identification number.

Step 6
If your financial assistance package includes Direct Loan Stafford and/or PLUS loans that you wish to accept, carefully follow the instructions given to complete Entrance Loan Counseling and your electronic Master Promissory Note.

Complete all required promissory notes.
If you are a first-time student Direct Loan borrower, you must complete a Direct Loan Stafford Master Promissory Note. The easiest way to fulfill this requirement is online. After you successfully complete the Direct Loan Stafford MPN online, it remains on record with the loan servicer and links with all student loans submitted. If you are unable to complete a Direct Loan Stafford MPN online, you may request a paper version from SCAD.

Some parent or graduate-level student borrowers of Direct Loan PLUS loans may need to complete a Direct Loan PLUS MPN as well. They are:

• All first-time Direct Loan PLUS borrowers
• Borrowers who had a loan in a prior year but have not yet completed a Direct Loan PLUS MPN
• Prior-year borrowers who completed a Direct Loan PLUS MPN but required an endorser. Loans with endorsers require a promissory note for each loan.
  

The Direct Loan PLUS MPN is available online. However, parent and graduate-level student borrowers should wait until they receive notification from the loan servicer of a positive credit decision before completing this requirement. The Direct Loan PLUS MPN links only to loans with a positive credit decision. The parent borrower who completed the application for the PLUS loan must also be the one to complete the Direct Loan PLUS MPN. If the parent borrower is unable to complete the Direct Loan PLUS MPN online, he or she may request a paper version from SCAD.

Completing a Direct Loan E-MPN

• 1. Sign on to the Web site of the Direct Loan E-MPN.
• 2. Select the appropriate note to complete--Stafford MPN for students, Graduate PLUS MPN for graduate students or Parent PLUS MPN for parents.
• 3. Read carefully through all the information, because it discloses guidelines about borrowing money.
• 4. Complete all sections of the E-MPN and put in the confirmation number as instructed.
• 5. Print a copy of the completed E-MPN for your personal records.
• 6. Click the submit button to send the E-MPN to the Department of Education electronically. (Neither the Department of Education nor SCAD accept paper copies of the E-MPN.)
• 7. SCAD is notified that the borrower has a Direct Loan E-MPN on file electronically.

Entrance loan counseling for all first-time student loan borrowers
This requirement should be fulfilled online well in advance of the first anticipated disbursement of your student loan funds.

To fulfill the entrance loan counseling requirement online:

• 1. Sign onto the Direct Loan Servicing web site and proceed to the entrance loan counseling area.
• 2. Read carefully through all the information presented, remembering that the questions in the online quiz will thoroughly test your understanding of the subject matter.
• 3. Take the online quiz, scoring appropriately to receive credit.
• 4. Print out a copy of the Rights and Responsibilities Summary Checklist for your records.
• 5. SCAD is notified electronically of your successful completion of entrance loan counseling.

If you are unable to complete this requirement online or you want additional information on this subject, you may attend a session offered at the beginning of every term or visit the SCAD financial aid office after you have begun attending classes. It is important to the Department of Education, as well as SCAD, that students understand the terms of student loans to which they obligate themselves. Th entrance loan counseling requirement should be fulfilled online well in advance of the first anticipated disbursement of your student loan funds.  

How do I qualify for a SCAD scholarship?

Applicants are automatically considered for academic honors scholarships upon acceptance to SCAD. Preference is given to students with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 and SAT/ACT scores at or above the national average, based on the critical reading and math components of the test. Additionally, students are reviewed for artistic honors scholarships upon presentation of a portfolio, audition or writing submission. Scholarships are awarded based on academic merit and/or artistic merit, and it is possible for students to receive both. Other scholarships may be available to students based on financial need or other qualifiers.

View full listing of our scholarship opportunities or for detailed information about portfolio submissions.

When should I apply?

SCAD recommends the following timeline for students who intend to enroll beginning in fall quarter:

Jan. 1
FAFSA available on the Web for upcoming school year. Complete FAFSA as soon as possible after filing taxes to receive consideration for maximum funding.

Feb. 15
Materials due for all first-time freshman students for admission and scholarship consideration.

March 15
Financial aid award letters sent based upon completion of FAFSA.

April 15
Materials due for all transfer and graduate students for admission and scholarship consideration.

May 1
Enrollment fee due for all accepted students.

What is verification?

Each year, 30 percent of all FAFSAs are randomly selected for verification by the federal government. If your application is selected, you will be notified by the government on the front page of your Student Aid Report. Verification requires schools to document the accuracy of the information supplied on the FAFSA. This documentation includes, but is not limited to, a verification worksheet and tax returns (for the student and/or parent(s) or spouse, as applicable).

What are my direct costs to the college?

Tuition is a direct cost for all students. Room and board fees are direct costs for students living in residence halls. Students should also plan to fund indirect costs such as books, supplies, personal expenses and transportation. These costs are not paid directly to SCAD; however, federal regulations require them to be included in calculating a student’s eligibility to receive loans, grants, scholarships, etc.