Financial Aid

(apply online • look up jobs • scholarship searches)

SFA’s Student Resource Center in S-107 Criser Hall provides resources for students to research and apply for financial aid, including scholarships and part-time jobs. Resource Center staff are available to help with the computers, as well as to help students with processes such as completing the federal Master Promissory Note and Direct Loan Confirmation. Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The Financial Aid Early Estimator is a planning tool for admitted University of Florida freshmen to help in predicting the cost of attending the University of Florida and the types and amounts of student aid they may be eligible to receive. The Early Estimator is available each year during the months of September through December.

If you wish to be considered for financial aid, for the upcoming academic year, we encourage you to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid as soon as possible. An actual award of aid to you will depend upon your financial need and availability of funds at the time you apply. Awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis, so apply early to get the best possible award package.

To use the 2010-2011 Financial Aid Early Estimator, you must have submitted an application for admission to the University of Florida as a beginning freshman for Summer 2010, Fall 2010, or Spring 2011.

You will need your GatorLink username and password to sign-on.

Students should check their Fall “Aid Status” on ISIS under “Financial Aid” to be sure they have completed all steps to ensure proper disbursement of aid, including loans. On ISIS under “Financial Aid,” select “Aid Status” or “Awards and Disbursements.”

From August 17 to September 4, office hours will be 8:15 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. Switchboard hours will be 8:00 A.M. to 4:45 P.M. The office will be closed September 7 for Labor Day.

UF’s “on-time” 2009-10 financial aid application deadline was March 15, 2009. Students applying at this time are considered for aid that remains when their application file is complete. SFA encourages students to apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

For assistance, come to our Student Resource Center in S-107 Criser Hall. FAFSAs can also be obtained directly from the federal government by calling the following toll-free number: 1-800-433-3243.

If you have been awarded financial aid and qualify for a fee deferment, University Financial Services automatically defers your fees until the deferred fee payment deadline. The Fall Semester deferred fee payment deadline is November 20, 2009 at 3:30 p.m.

SFA sends important financial aid business emails directly to your GatorLink email address. Check your email often. Make sure your GatorLink email address is correctly configured to receive UF business correspondence. To check your GatorLink configurations, visit the gatorlink site.

Financial aid is disbursed beginning the first two weeks of classes. Students generally receive their financial aid by direct deposit or mail from University Financial Services in S-108 Criser Hall. University Financial Services applies students’ financial aid to their university financial obligations (fees, tuition, and other money owed to the university) and issues the balance to the student. If students have signed up for direct deposit, their financial aid funds are deposited directly into their bank account. Students can sign up for DIRECT DEPOSIT on ISIS. Under “Financial Services,” select “EFT Sign-Up.”

If you are awarded a Federal Direct Stafford or PLUS Loan, you must complete up to three steps to receive it.

• you must complete a federal Master Promissory Note, using the Federal Direct Loan MPN site.
• you must “accept” your loan under “Financial Aid” under “Awards and Disbursements.”
• students borrowing for the first time must complete Loan Entrance Counseling by going to the Federal Direct Loan website. Federal Perkins Loan borrowers must complete a Disclosure/Confirmation before their loan can be disbursed. On ISIS under “Financial Aid,” select “Aid Status” and “Awards and Disbursements” and follow the prompts. First-time institutional loan borrowers are mailed Entrance Interview materials by University Financial Services.

If student employment is part of your financial aid, check GatorJobs at jobs.ufl.edu . GatorJobs lists on-campus Federal Work-Study and OPS positions.

Short-term Loans for emergency educational expenses are available from our service counter to qualified students with a valid repayment source, for either the amount of in-state tuition or up to $1,000. Processing normally takes about 48 hours. University Financial Services direct deposits or mails short-term loan checks to students’ local addresses, depending on disbursement arrangements made by the student. The Fall Short-Term Loan Repayment Deadline is December 1st.

You are responsible for keeping your mailing addresses and phone numbers current in the UF Directory at all times. Important UF business correspondence is normally mailed to local mailing addresses. Most financial aid awards can be completed using Direct Deposit, but some awards must be mailed through the US Postal System, requiring a valid local address. To be sure that your addresses are correct in the UF Directory, go to my.ufl.edu and sign in with your GatorLink ID and password, choose “My Account,” then “Update My Directory Profile.”

Do you want quick, no-nonsense financial aid information delivered right to your .mp3 player or computer? Then the SFA podcast series is for you.

The SFA podcast series will bring you up-to-date tips, news, and updates especially for Gators. Each episode will cover a topic of interest to students receiving financial aid at the University of Florida.

You have three options to hear the audio presentations:

• listen to the stream directly using the embedded audio player

• subscribe to the podcast using iTunes or a similar program

• subscribe to the RSS feed using a feed aggregator (many web browsers do this automatically)

Once you’ve subscribed using iTunes or your favorite RSS aggregator, new episodes will download automatically, ready when you are.

SFA podcast is here. More info about podcasts here. More info about RSS here.

The 2009 Legislative Session resulted in several changes to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program for the 2009-10 academic year. Additional information regarding the changes summarized below will be available at http://www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/SSFAD/bf.

• Bright Futures recipients will now receive a fixed cost per credit hour award based on several factors:

1. Award Level (FAS, ATS, FMS, GSV)

2. Institution type (4-year, 2-year, vocational/technical)

3. Credit type (semester, quarter, or clock hour)

•  Florida Academic Scholars (FAS) Expense Allowance is no longer available.

• Students will be required to repay the cost of any course dropped or withdrawn unless an exception is recommended by the financial aid office at their home postsecondary institution. An exception will be based on a verifiable illness or emergency beyond the student’s control.

• Repayment for the cost of dropped or withdrawn courses is required to renew a Bright Futures award for a subsequent academic year.

• The Legislature removed the provision which allowed GSV recipients to renew as Florida Medallion Scholars. GSV students may receive funding for up to 90 semester hours.

• As of the 2009-10 academic year, Bright Futures recipients are required to meet new minimum credit hour requirements to renew their award each year.  The Florida Legislature now requires full-time students to earn at least 24 semester hours, or the equivalent in quarter or clock hours, in order to renew their award (prorated for part-time students) at the end of the spring term.

• Bright Futures recipients who do not meet the new credit hour renewal requirements will have the opportunity to restore their award in a subsequent academic year.  This applies to students who were funded and did not meet the minimum credit hour renewal requirements at the end of the 2009-10 academic year and thereafter.

If you have any questions regarding these changes, please contact the Bright Futures Program office toll-free at 1-888-827-2004.  Please visit http://www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org/SSFAD/bf after July 1 for additional information regarding recent changes to the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program.

 As a result of the ending of the “Experimental Site” program, UF must now obtain the permission of students to allow federal aid pay non-institutional charges. These charges may include books, meal plans, laser prints, health care services, parking decals, parking tickets and the like. UFS has determined that the granting of permission will  be required with aid being disbursed starting Fall of 2009.

As of June 23, 2009, a new page has been added under “Financial Services” in ISIS. It’s called “Student Permissions.”  This is where students should go to authorize payment of all UF charges. From there, you will be directed to my.UFL, where  you should choose “Access Permission Forms.”

To help in obtaining students’ permission, SFA will post the following alert to SFA ISIS pages, appearing if any student tries to access any SFA page having not completed the authorization:

ALERT
Important Notice to Students awarded Financial Aid

Federal regulations require the university to obtain your permission to use your Federal Title IV financial aid (grants and loans) to pay charges other than tuition and housing that appear on your account. These charges may include books, meal plans, laser prints, health care services and parking decals or tickets.

When your financial aid is disbursed, these charges will be paid and any balance remaining will be direct-deposited into your checking account or mailed to you. Your permission will expedite payment of these charges and disbursement of your aid.

To grant permission to have your financial aid pay all UF charges, please select the “Student Permission” button below. To skip this permission step select “Continue” below.

Once we receive information from UFS that the student has completed the authorization, the alert will no longer show on your SFA ISIS pages.

Authorization is not mandatory. If you elect not to allow UF to pay non-institutional charges, when you are disbursed federal financial aid, only tuition and housing will be deducted. It will be your responsibility to pay any other charges due the university once you have received your aid.

For the beginning of Summer B, June 26-July 2, office hours for Student Financial Affairs will be as follows:

• Lobby: 8:15 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. weekdays
• Switchboard: 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. weekdays

We will be closed July 3rd in observance of Independence Day.

Regular Hours,

• Lobby 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays
• Switchboard 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. weekdays

will return July 6th.

The Office for Student Financial Affairs is pleased to notify you of the availability of the Summer 2009 issue of NEWS: Financial Aid for Gators, a publication produced once a semester to keep you informed of important issues concerning financial aid.

Featured in this issue are: Student Loan Amounts—Good Advice; Credit CARD Act Helps Students; Financial Aid in the News; Changes at UFS; Verification Tips; and other timely financial aid information.

To view the Summer 2009 issue of NEWS: Financial Aid for Gators, go here.

The 2009-10 Gator Aid Handbook contains in-depth information about all facets of financial aid and is an invaluable resource to new, returning, and graduate students.

Gator Aid provides basic information about expenses you can expect while attending UF, summarizes the kinds of financial assistance available, and explains how to apply for aid, how your eligibility to receive each type of aid is determined, and what your obligations will be when you accept aid.

Download it from our publications page, or pick one up from SFA’s lobby, S-107 Criser.

Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Survey

The University of Florida Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) survey is an online survey of all enrolled UF undergraduates. 2009 is the first year it will be administered at the University of Florida. Students will access the survey through the UF ISIS system.

The SERU survey was developed for the University of California System by the UC Berkeley Center for Studies in Higher Education to broaden understanding of the undergraduate experience on the UC campuses and facilitate improvements on campus. The survey was tailored to research universities and has been administered regularly since 2004 to the UC campuses.

The SERU survey is available to UF undergraduates starting March 16, 2009 via the UF ISIS system. Results of the survey will be published in Fall 2009.

The SERU survey results will be made available at the end of the summer 2009, with a data distribution report available in Fall 2009. Results of the survey will be reviewed by UF Administration and a strategic plan established to address student concerns.

Survey Eligibility

Information on eligibility requirements to take the survey and details on eligibility for the UF football ticket lottery.

SERU Incentives:

Every student completing the survey will be eligible for $3,000 in rewards, including $50 coupons from the UF Bookstore; various items from the bookstore; meal gift cards from Gator dining, and sessions with a personal trainer at the Student Recreation & Fitness Center.

Students who finish the survey will also get a buy-one, get-one-free offer of admission to the fabulous Florida Museum of Natural History Butterfly Rainforest.

For more information about SERU click here!

Gator Aid Application Guides for the 2009-10 academic year are available atStudent Financial Affairs (SFA) in S-107 Criser Hall. The 2009-10 Guide is also available for download from SFA’s website. Click here to download.

The Gator Aid Guide provides a great overview of Financial Aid at UF, including:

• Aid programs at UF
• How to apply for aid
• How to follow up on your application
• What to do after aid is awarded
• How to reapply for aid

and much more!

Check your financial aid status online on ISIS. Find out: if your aid file is complete, whether your aid has been disbursed, if you have been selected for verification!

If your file is incomplete, the “Aid Status” screen will explain the steps you still need to do to complete it. If you need to complete verification, you will be prompted through the requirements.

ISIS gives the following selections under “Financial Aid”:

• Aid Status
• Awards and Disbursements
• Additional Aid Reporting (2008-2009)
• Perkins Loans Disclosure and Confirmation
• Direct Loan Confirmation

For more information, read Check Your Aid Status.

Students are cautioned to be especially careful about unsolicited direct mail or email loan offers from banks. Students should also take care not to borrow excessively. It is especially important to check terms and conditions of loans offered. Many private loans are expensive and could negatively impact eligibility for federal and/or state aid programs. For more information go to http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/?cat=5

In a recent incident the parents of an FSU student were contacted by phone by a company claiming to be connected to a University. The company, American Standard Financial, said the student had been awarded a grant in the amount of $5,000-$10,000. After asking a series of questions, as well as for the parent’s bank account number, the company said the parent just needed to send them a $350.00 processing fee. At this point the parent’s realized something was not right.

Be wary of any free money offered you by telephone, or any other way, as well as any other possible financial aid scams. Processing fees are never charged for any Title IV grants. Students should never provide bank account or credit card information over the phone unless they initiate the call themselves and trust the company they are calling.

If you are a victim of this or a similar scam:
1. Report the fraud to ED’s Office of Inspector General hotline at 1-800-MIS-USED (1-800-647-8733) or HHSTips@oig.hhs.gov.
2. Report the fraud to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC has an online complaint form at www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams and a hotline at 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357; teletype for the hearing impaired: 1-866-653-4261).
3. Notify local police about the incident. Impersonating a federal officer is
a crime.

The UF financial aid office uses e-mail to send official correspondence to financial aid applicants and recipients.

SFA sends important financial aid mail, including financial aid award notices, follow-up letters, verification notifications, newsletters, and requests for additional documentation directly to students’ GatorLink e-mail addresses.

Students should verify that their GatorLink e-mail address is correctly configured to receive UF business correspondence. Students who do not check GatorLink e-mail daily may not get important financial aid correspondence. To check GatorLink configurations, go to: www.gatorlink.ufl.edu.

New to UF? Forgotten the basics? Financial Aid 101 will answer your questions about getting your aid, your loans, your prepaid, and Bright Futures.

Financial aid applications and Gator Aid Application Guides for the 2008-09 academic year are available at SFA in our lobby and at most Florida high school guidance offices and community college financial aid offices. March 15, 2008, was UF’s on-time 2008-09 Financial Aid Application Deadline. Students applying now will be considered for aid that is still available.

SFA strongly encourages students to apply online using FAFSA on the Web. Applying online is usually faster, and the application has built-in edits that helps prevent application errors. This online application, with complete instructions, is available at: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.

Your federal PIN is your identifier for various U.S. Department of Education (USDOE) systems. You can request a PIN, request a replacement PIN, or update your PIN mailing address at the USDOE’s PIN Site at: www.pin.ed.gov/ Use your PIN:

• to gain access to FAFSA/ Renewal FAFSA on the Web;
• as an electronic signature to sign the FAFSA or obtain a copy of your FAFSA
• to make online corrections to your FAFSA; and/or
• review your online grant and loan history on the National Student Loan Data System.

Because your PIN serves as your electronic signature, you should not give it to anyone.

Students are responsible for keeping their mailing addresses and phone numbers current in the UF Directory at all times. We cannot stress this enough. Important UF and SFA business correspondence is normally mailed to the local mailing address. Although most financial aid awards can be transacted using Direct Deposit, some awards must be mailed in their original paper form, requiring a valid local address. Please check your Directory profile to ensure that your addresses are correct and current. Go to my.ufl.edu and sign in with your GatorLink ID and password, choose “My Account,” then “Update My Directory Profile.” For assistance with address problems, contact the UF Computing Help Desk: (352) 392-HELP (392-4357).

Students who plan to work through Federal Work-Study or the Other Personnel Services program must go to SFA’s Student Employment counter in S-107 Criser Hall to obtain a work permit, or call 392-0296 to request one, before they may begin working. To find a job, check the online job lists at:

http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/job.html.

Start Early

Jobs are available throughout the year, but the best time to find one is at the beginning of semesters.

Check for Jobs

• On the UF Job Lists. Jobs at http://jobs.ufl.edu include all on-campus Federal Work-Study and OPS positions.
• At Gator CareerLink. The Career Resource Center offers local employers the opportunity to post part-time employment for the University of Florida students. Students can check the listings by using their Gator Career Link Account.
• At Specific Departments. Check for open positions in your department or other areas that interest you.

Get a UF Work Permit to take to all interviews.

Students are required to have a UF Work Permit to work on campus. For FWS students, the work permit indicates the number of hours they are authorized to work for the academic year. Students awarded FWS for fall are mailed a UF Work Permit about two weeks before the term begins. If you don’t get a work permit by mail, you must get one from Student Employment (bring a picture ID). You can also request a work permit by calling (352) 392-0296 (you must provide your department’s Post Office Box).

Federal law requires the federal government to report student loan information and subsequent monthly payment information to credit bureaus (currently all three major credit bureaus). As a student borrower, it is in your interest to understand what credit bureaus legally can do with information in your credit record. You have the right to prohibit a credit bureau from using information in your credit record in connection with any credit or insurance transaction not initiated by you. As a borrower, you may exercise this right by calling 888/567-8688 and selecting Option 2. In the future, the Direct Loan Servicing Center will include information to this effect in their welcome letter to new borrowers. If you have additional questions, please contact Direct Loan Borrower Services at 1-800/848-0979.