Federal and State Aid

Eligibility
There are a number of federal aid programs available to U.S. or resident alien students and/or their parents. While not everyone qualifies for every program available through the federal government, most students do qualify for some. The basic criteria for program participation are as follows. The student must

1.	have a high school diploma or an equivalent; otherwise contact the SCAD admission office.
2.	apply and be accepted for admission as a degree-seeking or certificate student at SCAD. (Students do not have to be accepted to begin the aid application process, but must be accepted to receive an award notification.)
3.	have a valid Student Aid Report for the current aid year on file with the SCAD financial aid office as a result of completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) while enrolled.
4.	be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
5.	be registered with the U.S. Selective Service, if required. (Visit www.sss.gov for more information.)
6.	have met satisfactory academic progress standards as set by the university (available in the registrar's office).
7.	not be in default on a prior education loan and not have exceeded aggregate program maximums or owe repayment of a federal or state grant.
8.	be in accordance with federal guidelines regarding eligibility of students who have been convicted of certain drug-related crimes.
9.	for continuing students, adhere to the university's policy on satisfactory progress for eligibility to receive funds.

When do I apply for federal financial aid?
We recommend that you file your federal financial aid form, the FAFSA, at the same time you file you federal tax return. It benefits you to complete the federal financial aid process as early as possible. Aid applications are accepted and processed throughout the academic year, but students applying later in the year may expect processing delays due to increased volume. You may use estimated taxes to complete the FAFSA; however, we recommend that whenever possible you complete your taxes before completing the FAFSA, even if you wait until the April 15 deadline to submit your tax return.

Remember!
Application for financial aid is an annual process. For each summer or fall quarter that you plan to attend SCAD, you should begin the process between January and March of the same calendar year. You are the financial aid catalyst.

Eligibility for need-based aid
The "federal methodology" is the formula used to determine the Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). All colleges and universities use the EFC to determine federal aid eligibility. The federal government uses the information you supply on your FAFSA to determine your EFC. Various factors are taken into consideration, including household income, family size and the student's dependency status. The EFC is not intended to be a prediction of the cash a family has on hand. Rather, it is an estimate of the family's capacity over time to absorb some of the costs of education. Many families' actual contributions come from loans, grants, savings, current income, borrowing, scholarships or a combination of these methods.

How do I receive federal financial aid?
1. Complete the FAFSA.
2. Complete and submit all forms required by SCAD.
3. Respond to all requests for additional forms or information promptly.
4. Review the official Award Notification carefully.
5. Complete all required promissory notes.

Complete the FAFSA.

The most efficient way to accomplish this is by completing the . You may also complete a paper version, which is available from us or your high school counselor. For assistance or questions about completing your FAFSA, call the U.S. Department of Education at 800.433.3243.

Complete the application carefully. If you are selected for verification, inaccurate information will require corrections, delaying your award.

When you complete the form, be sure to use the Savannah College of Art and Design school code (015022) so we can access your information. If you have already submitted your form and did not include the SCAD school code, call the Department of Education (800.433.3243/TDD 800.730.8913) and ask to have the code added. You can also make this change by selecting the FAFSA Follow-up link. This allows you to access your completed FAFSA and add additional school codes.

If you are a student whose parents reside in separate households (your parents are divorced, remarried or separated), the FAFSA comes with detailed instructions to help you determine which household information you should use to complete the form. If you are unable to determine from the instructions which household to use, contact the Department of Education for assistance in completing the form.

If you have not received a response from the government within four weeks of mailing your FAFSA, contact the Department of Education to determine the status of your application.

Dependency
An important factor in aid determination is the student's dependency status. You can find out the federal regulations concerning this status at the Department of Education's online Student Guide.

Independent students do not necessarily qualify for "better" aid than dependent students. In fact, some aid options, such as parental loans, are not available to independent students. In some situations, students who may qualify for the Pell Grant or other need-based aid as dependents may not qualify as independent students because of the complex federal methodology.

Remember!
Make copies of everything you send. We recommend you maintain a separate financial aid file for future reference.

Complete and submit all forms required by SCAD.

Each year when SCAD receives your SAR information (which is the result of the FAFSA you file) electronically from the federal government, SCAD staff review it to determine what forms are required from you. These typically include

•	the SCAD financial aid application.
•	the SCAD application for Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (Parent PLUS).
•	the SCAD application for Federal Direct PLUS Loan for Graduate Students (Grad PLUS).

...but may also include

•	Verification worksheet(s).
•	Requests for other documentation, such as a copy of your Social Security card, birth certificate, DD214, etc.
•	Previous college transcripts.

As an applicant, you receive a minimum of three reminders by regular mail and e-mail about documents and/or information needed to complete the aid process. If you are a continuing student, you receive one e-mail via your SCAD student e-mail account when you begin the process; this message instructs you to use MySCAD as your source of information about the status of your aid. Remember, as you provide information, it may result in additional documents or information being required.

Read all of the forms and the forms help section carefully to ensure that you properly complete all documents. Your name and SCAD ID number should appear on all documents and correspondence submitted to the office of financial aid.

Verification
Each year, 33 percent of all FAFSAs are randomly selected for verification by the federal government. If your application is selected, you are notified by the government on the front page of your SAR. 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, tax returns (for the student and/or parent[s] or spouse, as applicable) and W2s. Detailed instructions on completing the verification process are included on the verification fact sheet.

Verification can add up to four weeks to your processing time because 70-80 percent of records selected require corrections to the original information. You cannot begin the verification process in the middle of your final term and expect the process to be completed in time.

Important!
When you fill out your FAFSA, use tax returns, W2s, Schedule(s) A, B, etc. If you are selected for verification by the federal government, you are required to submit these documents as part of the verification process. You should keep the worksheet and copies of all documents you used to complete the FAFSA. For a copy of your federal tax return, RTFTP or Form 4868,

Respond to all requests for additional forms or information promptly.

When we receive your completed forms, we review them for completeness and accuracy. During peak processing times (April through September), the initial review of your documentation may take up to a week. If any forms are incomplete or inaccurate, we return them to you for clarification or additional information. At times, changes in your SAR or application to SCAD may necessitate additional forms, information, etc. You are notified of these additional requirements as soon as we know them. It is important that you respond promptly to these requests to avoid delays in the processing and disbursement of your aid.

You can check the current status of your requirements via MySCAD. You need your SCAD student ID and personal PIN (issued to applicants in the matriculation packet) to do this.

Enrollment can affect your eligibility for aid.
Changes in enrollment before, during and after the processing and disbursement of your financial aid can have consequences. It is important that you notify your admission counselor or financial aid counselor if you decide to change the term(s) you plan to attend. Also, ceasing to be enrolled at least half-time (10 quarter hours) could result in total loss of eligibility. Be sure to read the "Withdrawal and Refund Policies for Financial Aid Recipients" section.

Review the official Award Notification carefully.

After we have received all the required documents and information from you, we have confirmed that everything is complete and accurate, and any additional processing (e.g. verification) has been completed, your official financial aid award is determined. For applicants, this may or may not be the same as the amount listed on your Applicant Early Award Letter. Depending on the time of year, it may be two to three weeks before this process takes place and an Award Notification, based on this official award, is sent to you.

When you receive your Award Notification via regular mail or e-mail, review it carefully. All awards are based on full-time (15 quarter hours) attendance and are reduced where applicable at the time of disbursement. Direct Loan Parent or Grad PLUS loans shown on the Award Notification are not guaranteed. Approval or denial of this loan is based solely on credit, and this decision is sent directly from the loan servicer.

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
To complete the Direct Loan E-MPN,

1.	Sign on to the Web site of the Direct Loan E-MPN at http://dlenote.ed.gov.
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.