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Parents

Parents have a unique set of concerns when it comes to their student’s financial aid situation. Perhaps the best thing parents can do in preparation for their children’s secondary education is to educate themselves about the financial aid resources available to them.

• Parents may want to view the University of Florida Admissions page for parents.
• For general information regarding financial aid at the university of Florida, parents may wish to read our FAQ section.
• As a convenient way to estimate the cost of attending the University of Florida, parents may wish to use the Net Price Calculator.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (also known as FERPA) affords students certain rights concerning their student educational records. When a student reaches the age of 18 or begins attending a post-secondary institution regardless of age, FERPA transfers the rights to the student. This limits the student educational record information that may be released to third parties (including parents and guardians) without the student’s permission unless it is considered “directory information.” The University of Florida fully complies with FERPA.

For more information about FERPA, please visit the U.S. Department of Education website.

Info for Parents

SFA considers part of its mission to accurately communicate pertinent financial aid information to interested students and parents. Towards this end, we use a variety of electronic media:

• Parents may wish to ‘like’ our page on Facebook.
• Follow us on Twitter.
• We publish a newsletter each semester, available for download on our publications page.
• Parents who prefer to receive financial aid updates and information in an audio format might prefer to subscribe to our Podcast.

Financial Aid at the University of Florida

A Quick Guide for Parents

STEP 1: Get a Financial Aid Information Packet

For every college where your student applies, make sure you request a financial aid information packet from the financial aid office of that institution. Pay close attention to the packet information, for it lists the deadlines for when a student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be processed to comply with the “on-time” deadline for that institution.

The University of Florida (UF) Office for Student Financial Affairs’ (SFA) “on-time” deadline is March 15, so you will want to complete and send your FAFSA two-to-four weeks before the deadline.

STEP 2: File a FAFSA

To be considered for financial aid at UF, students must apply by completing the FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid—meeting all deadlines, and complying with any requests from our office for additional information. The federal processor will analyze your data and send the results to UF. Students can file their FAFSA after January 1 each year.

Applying early and following up on your application is the best way to make sure you receive the assistance for which you qualify in time to begin school. Students should respond right away to requests from SFA and other processing agencies.

While it is still possible to file a paper FAFSA by mail, SFA strongly encourages parents and students to file their FAFSA using FAFSA on the Web. Filing a FAFSA electronically allows you to save your work and make changes later. Applying online also tends to be faster and more error free because of the built-in edits used by the FAFSA site.

NOTE: To complete an online FAFSA, you will need a parental PIN (personal identification number) and a student PIN. Request a PIN at Federal PIN Site. Getting a PIN can take two-to-five days, so do this as soon as possible after January 1.

To complete the FAFSA, parents must use a copy of their previous year’s tax return with all W-2s and schedules. Be sure you write in Institutional School Codes for all schools where you apply. The UF School Code is 001535.

After submitting the online application, processing can take two to four weeks.
If you choose to file a paper FAFSA, you must sign it and submit it through the mail. Processing can take up to six weeks.

Once your FAFSA has been processed, you will receive a SAR (Student Aid Report) summarizing the information you listed on the FAFSA and the resulting EFC (Expected Family Contribution). The EFC is used by each college and university to determine your financial aid package. Make sure your SAR indicates that you have listed the correct UF School Code (001535). If not, UF will not be able to award you a financial aid package. For questions or a copy of your SAR, call 1-800-433-3243.

STEP 3: Follow Up on Your Application

Call and check with your school’s financial aid office to make sure we have received your FAFSA information. You should do this two weeks before the “on-time” deadline (March 15th).

STEP 4: Review Your Student’s Financial Aid Award

Once a student is awarded financial aid at UF, he or she will receive an award notification via an email and a paper document through the mail to the student’s permanent address. The award letter will indicate the amount of aid awarded to the student, the type of aid, and how it will be paid. Student awards are determined based on financial need (not merit) as indicated on their EFCs. Award packages consist of gift aid (grants and need-based scholarships) and self help (loans and work-study). UF packages students on a first-come, first-served basis, so any delay in your application being sent to UF may result in less aid. Once awarded, students can review their award on UF’s ISIS system at ISIS.ufl.edu.

NOTE: When you receive your student’s award letter, if your family has experienced any unforeseen circumstances (loss of job, medical expenses, loss of social security, loss of child support, etc.) contact UF’s Student Financial Affairs Office and ask to speak to your student’s financial aid adviser. The adviser will explain steps you may take to solve your situation. Your file will then be reviewed to re-determine eligibility.

If you need more information about financial aid and what we offer, we welcome you to visit us at UF’s Office for Student Financial Affairs. Our office is open Monday to Friday, from 8am – 5 pm.