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.

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 http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.htmlU.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:

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 view financial aid information from the financial aid office of that institution. Most information is available on the institution’s website.

Although you must be accepted for enrollment at UF before you receive financial aid, you should apply for aid before being admitted. Complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsahttps://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsastudentaid.gov. You can file a 2023-24 FAFSA as early as October 1, 2022.

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.

Although you must be accepted for enrollment at UF before you are considered for financial aid, you should apply for aid before being admitted. Complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsahttps://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsastudentaid.gov. You can file a 2023-24 FAFSA as early as October 1, 2022.

In order for us to consider you for a financial aid package, you must be a degree-seeking admitted student.

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. You can also file a FAFSA though the MyStudentAid app.

NOTE: To complete an online FAFSA, you will need to create an FSA ID at Federal Student Aid’s http://fsaid.ed.gov/FSA ID site. Follow the instructions on the site. An FSA ID gives you access to Federal Student Aid’s online systems and can serve as your legal signature. Create an FSA ID as soon as possible. The FSA ID replaced the Federal Student Aid PIN on May 10, 2015. If you haven’t logged in to a Federal Student Aid site (such as.https://studentaid.govstudentaid.gov) since May 10, 2015, you will need to create an FSA ID before you can log on in the future.

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.

STEP 4: Review Your Student’s Financial Aid Award

Once a student is awarded financial aid at UF, he or she will receive a financial aid offer notification via email. The award offer will indicate the amount of aid offered 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. Aid packages consist of gift aid (grants and need-based scholarships) and self help (loans and work-study). Students can review their financial aid on UF’s student information system at https://one.uf.eduONE.UF.

NOTE: When you receive your student’s financial aid offer, 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 http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/contact-sfa/http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/contact-sfa/Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Office and ask to speak to a 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 call 352-392-2244 or use the OneStop. Our http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/contact-sfa/http://www.sfa.ufl.edu/contact-sfa/office is open Monday to Friday, from 9 am – 4:30 pm (excluding holidays).