2020 Financial Aid Webinar FAQs

Florida Prepaid

  1. How is Florida Prepaid applied to students’ accounts? Is there a difference between Florida Prepaid amounts and Bright Futures amounts?

Florida Prepaid is applied to your UF charges first, then financial aid (which includes Bright Futures scholarships). Financial aid funds are applied after the term’s drop/add period has concluded. If any funds are left over after your Florida Prepaid and financial aid are applied toward your charges, those funds will be sent to the student directly. All students are strongly encouraged to set up direct deposit for receipt of refunds.

Since there are different Florida Prepaid plans, you are encouraged to check your individual plan for the exact amounts that your plan will pay. For specific Florida Prepaid questions, please contact the https://www.fa.ufl.edu/directives/florida-prepaid-billing-and-invoicing/https://www.fa.ufl.edu/directives/florida-prepaid-billing-and-invoicing/University Bursar.

https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/bright-futures/https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/bright-futures/Bright Futures scholarship amounts are posted on the UF Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarships https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/bright-futures/https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/bright-futures/website.

  1. Will students receive Florida Prepaid funds directly to their bank accounts?

Florida Prepaid funds are not directly deposited to the student’s banking account. Instead, Florida Prepaid is billed by the University Bursar for the appropriate amount depending on your plan. You may monitor billing of Florida Prepaid via your https://one.uf.edu/https://one.uf.edu/https://one.uf.edu/ONE.UF student portal.

  1. Can Florida Bright Futures be used for graduate school?

Florida Bright Futures may be used for graduate school for one semester if you have funds remaining after earning your undergraduate degree and meet other criteria.

  1. If a student has Florida Prepaid and Bright Futures, should they plan to use only one source of funding?

All students are encouraged to use all financial resources available to them. If you have Florida Prepaid and Bright Futures, you are able to use both resources. Any funds left over after UF charges are paid will be provided directly to the student as a refund.

Please note – If you do choose to opt out of using your Florida Prepaid plan for a semester, you will need to follow the procedures outlined on the https://www.fa.ufl.edu/directives/opting-out-of-florida-prepaid/University Bursar website.

Private Loans

  1. Can I take out a private loan for my educational expenses?

Our office will certify private educational loans for degree-seeking students, as well as students in certain certificate programs. Students are encouraged to utilize all available resources, including federal loans, before applying for a private loan. This is because federal repayment plans are generally more generous than those for private loans.

Due to federal regulations, our office cannot provide a preferred lender list or make any endorsements/recommendations of private lenders. Students are encouraged to thoroughly and carefully research their options when choosing a lender. Our office provides an https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/types-of-aid/loans/alternative-loans/Alternative Loans Resources page on our website to assist students with this important decision.

Federal Work Study (FWS)

  1. How do students receive their work study funds?

Unlike most other forms of financial aid, you will not receive a single lump sum disbursement of work study funds. You will receive a biweekly paycheck just as you would in any job. As you are paid throughout the semester, the “disbursed” amount of your FWS award on will update. You may monitor your awards via your https://one.uf.edu/https://one.uf.edu/https://one.uf.edu/ONE.UF student portal.

  1. Can I apply for and/or be employed in multiple work study positions?

Yes, you may apply for as many FWS positions as you would like. It is also permissible to be employed in more than one position. However, please keep in mind that wages earned from all FWS jobs count toward the amount of FWS that you were awarded. When working multiple jobs, you are likely to be paid the entire FWS amount that you were awarded earlier in the semester than you would when working one job.

  1. What work study opportunities are available?

Please visit the https://jobs.ufl.edu/https://jobs.ufl.edu/https://jobs.ufl.edu/UF HR jobs website for available work study positions. Postings change constantly, so you are encouraged to continue checking the website regularly for updates.

COVID-19 (Changes, Tuition, Additional Aid)

  1. Are there any changes to Bright Futures due to COVID 19?

Not at this time. Should changes occur, our office will notify students and update our website.

  1. Will classes that were supposed to be in-person classes cost the same as regular online classes, if they are 100% online? If they will not be the same price, why are they not?

Our office does not determine tuition rates. Please contact the https://www.fa.ufl.edu/departments/bursar/https://www.fa.ufl.edu/departments/bursar/University Bursar for more information on tuition.

  1. Will there be Federal Work Study jobs available? If not, or if there are considerably fewer options than in the past, what options/resolutions are there?

Please continue to monitor the https://jobs.ufl.edu/https://jobs.ufl.edu/https://jobs.ufl.edu/UF HR jobs website for additional work study job opportunities. If you are unable to find a work study job, please contact our office to discuss your available options. Generally, if a work study award is declined/canceled and the student has already been awarded the maximum scholarship/grant aid for which they are eligible, we will offer a federal loan to the student to replace the work study award.

  1. Due to some people deciding to stay home and skip the semester or year, is there any additional financial aid money not available that was originally allocated to these students?  If so, are any moniesavailable to disburse to students who are still attending?

Our office awards students the best financial aid packages that we can offer based on available funding and student eligibility. Should additional funds come available during the academic year, we will make additional awards to eligible students as appropriate.

  1. What COVID-related funding opportunities are available? Will more opportunities be made available? What other options do students and families have? Are you able to adjust financial aid based on recent change to parent income due to COVID-19?

Our office is no longer accepting applications for CARES Act funding nor for Aid-a-Gator funding. We also do not have any information on additional funding opportunities at this time. Should additional funding options become available, our office will notify students and post an update on our website.

Any student who has suffered a loss of income or other extenuating circumstance due to the COVID-19 emergency may submit a 2020-21 Financial Aid Revision Petition to request a re-evaluation of their financial situation. The petition form is available on our https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/forms/https://www.sfa.ufl.edu/forms/SFA forms webpage. Students are strongly encouraged to read the instructions on the petition form thoroughly and submit all requested supporting documentation.

 

Resources

Financial Aid Programs

Cost of Attendance

Financial Aid Process

Financial Aid Webinar

View video on YouTube “2020 Financial Aid Webinar”.