Introduction to the Financial Aid Award Year

If you are applying for federal aid, be sure to include SCADs' Title IV school code (015022) on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)form. This ensures that the college will receive the information from the government electronically around the same time you receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. If you have already submitted the FAFSA and did not include SCADs' school code, do not fill out another form. Contact the Federal Information Center at 800.433.3243 and ask them to add SCADs' school code, or make the change online at using the FAFSA follow-up link.

Remember, it is important to start this process early. The processing of the FAFSA form by the federal government can take three to five weeks. Once SCAD receives your Student Aid Report (SAR), it can take an additional four to six weeks to process and award any aid. Students should not submit the FAFSA form to the federal government at the beginning of their final term and expect the process to be completed in time.

Establish your PIN with the U.S. Department of Education as soon as possible. For students and parents of dependent students, the PIN serves as a personal identifier to let applicants access personal information in various Department of Education systems. The PIN allows for the completion and signing of the FAFSA and Direct Loan master promissory note, making changes to the SAR, completing entrance and exit loan counseling, as well as many other online services. For more information on the benefits of a PIN to communicate electronically, visit the Department of Education .

Applications for scholarships or fellowships at SCAD should be submitted according to guidelines established by the appropriate department. Applicants to the college must apply before they begin classes. Submitting your portfolio or other materials for early review will ensure that any scholarship or fellowship funds for which you qualify will be in place when classes begin. For more information, details and deadlines on scholarships or fellowships for applicants, contact an admission counselor. For more information on what scholarships and fellowships are available for continuing students contact Institutional Advancement.

To be awarded any federal or state aid, an applicant has to be accepted to the college. To apply to SCAD or check on admission status, contact the admission office.

First-time student loan borrowers, regardless of academic level, must fulfill the federal entrance loan counseling requirement before utilizing Federal Stafford loan funds. This requirement should be fulfilled online at well in advance of the first anticipated disbursement of funds. Waiting to do loan counseling after the beginning of the first quarter may result in a significant delay in the availability of funds. Maintain a separate financial aid folder for each application to a specific college or university.

In the event of a change in contact information, notify the appropriate office as soon as possible. Applicant students who have yet to begin classes should do this by contacting their admission counselor. Continuing students or applicants who have begun classes update contact information via MySCAD.

In order to receive the appropriate assistance when applying for financial aid, the admission counselors will assist applicants who have never attended SCAD and have not begun classes. Once a student begins classes, financial aid counselors will assist with this process.

The registrar's office verifies enrollment for deferment of any prior student loans, auto and health insurance, etc. For more information, contact the registrar's office.

Once you have been officially accepted to the college, had any SCAD institutional scholarship or fellowship application processed and the financial aid office has received an official Student Aid Report (SAR), the results of you filing a FAFSA, electronically with the government, you will receive an Early Applicant Award letter. This letter will detail aid that you may be eligible for based on the information you provided to the college and on your SAR, and is subject change based on verification of this information. An Award Notification with your official awards will be provided once all documentation required is received, any changes and/or corrections needed have been made to your SAR, and a final review of your eligibility has been completed. Disbursement of federal and state aid will not occur until you have received an Award Notification showing your official awards, all other requirements for disbursement of the funds have been completed, and the disbursement date for the term the funds are intended has been reached.

To be eligible to receive financial aid, applicants must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Students who are joint enrolled (receiving college credit at SCAD while completing high school) are not eligible for any type of aid. Early admission applicants (opting out of last year of high school) should contact an admission counselor for assistance.

Applicants who believe they will be eligible for the Academic Competiveness Grant (ACG) must provide a final high school transcript to the admission office for review as early as possible.

The amount of federal student loan funds available is computed according to a student's academic class level at SCAD. This class level is affected by the number of accepted transfer hours, so it is important to have an official copy of a final academic transcript from every prior postsecondary institution attended (and/or portfolio, as required) sent to the admission office for evaluation as early as possible.

Eligibility for the Academic Competiveness Grant (ACG) is determined by evaluation of final high school transcripts and final academic transcripts from every postsecondary institution previously attended. These transcripts should be submitted to the admission office for review as early as possible.

Legal residents of the state of Georgia who are applying for the HOPE Scholarship must also submit a copy of a final academic transcript from every postsecondary institution previously attended. These transcripts must be generated by the postsecondary institution within the last six months and submitted directly to the financial aid office.

The amount of aid students receive at SCAD may be affected if a student is currently attending another college and receiving financial aid from that institution. Federal regulations require that SCAD monitor the use of financial aid funds at students' current institution prior to enrollment at the college. A final review will be done 30 days after students begin classes at SCAD, and their financial aid award may be adjusted at that time based on the review of aid used.

Graduate students beginning at SCAD should make sure that their Student Aid Reports(SARs) reflect the correct grade level, degree, etc. This is particularly important for students who are changing from undergraduate level to graduate level mid-year. Contact a financial aid counselor for assistance in making these changes.

Funds that are not available to graduate students include the Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant and all state of Georgia funds.

Students participating only in a certificate program at SCAD may qualify for federal and alternative loan assistance based on their grade level.

Students must complete a FAFSA for every aid year. The FAFSA for the coming aid year are available beginning Jan. 1 of each year. Students who filed a FAFSA last year should receive renewal information from the Department of Education during the months of October or November. The fastest way to complete a new FAFSA or renewal FAFSA is online at . Remember to include SCADs' school code (015022) so that SCAD will receive the results electronically around the same time the students receive their paper Student Aid Report (SAR).

Most annual forms required of all SCAD students participating in aid programs are available for download close to Feb. 1. If students received aid last year, they may need to complete all of the same forms again this year to receive the same types of aid. To find out what forms to complete, check the requirements at MySCAD, or contact a financial aid counselor.

Do not wait until summer to submit the required SCAD forms. All required information should be received by the financial aid office before summer break to prevent unavoidable delays in the processing of aid and class enrollment.

To receive an Award Notification, the college must have on file an official Student Aid Report (SAR) for each student, and students must complete and submit all required documents and meet all eligibility requirements for the funds they are seeking. Beginning June 1 of the year, all students who meet this criteria will be processed for aid and the financial aid office will generate an official Award Notification for the student. Priority will be given to students enrolled for the summer quarter.

Continuing students who were previously approved by SCAD as financially independent should contact their financial aid counselors for instructions on how to continue this status for the new award year before filing a FAFSA. This status is determined anew each year.

Remember: Applying for an alternative loan is the last action you should take, not the first! Alternative loan certification requests will not be processed until the you have completed the federal aid process and all other aid eligibility has been determined. International students unable to participate in federal aid programs are the only exception. Refer to the alternative loan section before applying for an alternative loan application loan.