How To Apply For Financial Aid

To determine if you are eligible for Need Based aid, you must:

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or Renewal Application and mail it to the processing center as early as possible. Note that Windows users can download the software to do this yourself and send it by modem to the Dept. of Education from home! You may also apply via the Web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Your application (file) must be complete by March 30 for maximum consideration of gift and student employment assistance. Applications completed after March 30 will be awarded from remaining funds. Student loan applications are accepted throughout the academic year. However, early application is encouraged.
Complete a Webster University Financial Aid Application.
Approximately 4-6 weeks after you mail (or modem) the application you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). This is your copy for your records. Review it carefully; if there are any corrections to be made, please note the corrections, sign it, and send it to the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis.
If additional information is required to process your file, you will receive a follow-up letter from the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis.
Once all information is received by the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis, you will receive an award letter in the mail. This will include the types and amounts of aid you are offered and instructions for applying for the Stafford Loan and PLUS Loan programs.

Citizen/Eligible Noncitizen

You must be one of the following to receive federal student aid:

U.S. citizen
U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island)
U.S. permanent resident who has an I-151, I-551, or I-551C (Alien Registration Receipt Card)

If you're not in one of these categories, you must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) showing one of the following designations in order to be eligible:

"Refugee"
"Asylum Granted"
"Indefinite Parole" and/or "Humanitarian Parole"
"Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Status Pending"
"Conditional Entrant (valid only if issued before April 1, 1980)

If you have only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464), you aren't eligible for federal student aid.

If you're in the United States on an F1 or F2 student visa only, or on a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa only, you can't get federal student aid. Also, persons with G series visas (pertaining to international organizations) are not eligible for federal student aid.

Other Tips to Remember

You must apply for aid every year; deadline for priority consideration is March 30.
Missing the on-time deadline will limit the amount of aid for which you are considered.
You can complete the tax form information using estimate figures. If need be, do this rather than miss the deadline.
Quickly respond to all requests for information.
Put your name and social security number on all documents turned in to the campus.
Keep a copy of all documents related to your financial aid.
Keep a record of all previous loans, including promissory notes and disclosure statements.
Ask questions if you do not understand!

Non-Need Based aid is available through the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and PLUS Loan programs. We require that a FAFSA be filed before applying for these loans.

In order to assist as many students as possible, we are unable to award 100 percent of a student's demonstrated need. Financial aid is designed to supplement a family's contribution; therefore a student should be prepared to finance a portion of his/her cost of education.

Which programs are students applying for by completing the FAFSA?

Undergraduate (no previous bachelor's degree) students are applying for:

Federal Pell Grant
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
Federal Perkins Loan
Federal Family Educational Loan Programs (Stafford and PLUS)
Federal Work Study
Webster University Grant
Webster University Student Employment
Missouri Student Grant
State aid programs

Graduate/professional students, as well as undergraduates with a prior bachelor's degree, are applying for:

Federal Family Educational Loan Programs (Stafford and PLUS)
Federal Perkins Loan
Federal Work Study

What is Need?

Federal and state financial aid is awarded on the basis of need. Need is the difference between the cost of education (tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies, and other educational expenses) and the amount the student and his/her family can afford to pay, known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is determined by the federal processor after evaluating the information you provided on the FAFSA. The federal processing agency considers factors such as income, assets, family size, and number of students in college at least half-time when determining a family's ability to contribute to the cost of attendance. If you feel that your family has unusual expenses or circumstances that may affect your ability to meet your EFC, you should send a letter explaining these circumstances to the Financial Aid Office.

Common Errors Made When Applying for Financial Aid

Most mistakes are made because students and/or parents either don't follow or don't understand the application instructions. While few errors will cause you to have to start all over, most errors will significantly delay the processing of either your FAFSA at the federal level, your award at the college level, or both. Please read the instructions that accompany the application. Then, if you are not clear on a question, take the time to call either your school or the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED AID (1-800-433-3243). The few extra minutes it takes could save you weeks of delays!

Common Application Errors

About Yourself

Be sure your Social Security number is accurate and written clearly on the form. The processing center and Webster University use this number to drive the application process; an error here can cause serious delays.
If you have not completed your first bachelor's degree by July 1 then this question on the FAFSA should be answered with a "no." Read this carefully.

Your Plans

Check the terms that you will be enrolled and the type of enrollment. Full-time equals at least 12 credit hours in a semester or at least six credit hours in an eight-week term (at least nine credit hours in a semester or at least five credit hours in a nine-week term for graduate and professional students); three-quarters time equals at least nine to 11 credit hours in a semester; half-time equals at least six credit hours in a semester or at least three credit hours in an eight-week term (at least five credit hours in a semester or at least three credit hours in a nine-week term for graduate and professional students).
You should enter any Veterans educational benefits that you will receive during the academic year. This includes reservists, national guardsmen, previous active duty, and dependents of Veterans. This information can affect your aid eligibility if not reported correctly.

Household Information

If you are a dependent student list the marital status of the parent that you live with. This means if your biological parents are divorced and you live with your mother who has remarried then her status is "married." Given this same scenario, when completing the income information both the mother's income and her husband's must be listed on the application.
The number of people that you list as being part of your household should be people who are being supported by that household.

Income

All income information needs to be completed. If the income is not applicable to you please place a zero in the appropriate space. A blank may cause a delay in peocessing.

Asset information

Again, do not leave any of these questions blank. A zero indicates none or not applicable. A blank indicates you skipped the question to check a figure and didn't come back to it. Many people who think they do not have to complete this section cause their aid to be delayed when we have to request it. If you complete the section but were not required to, the information will not be used in the calculation.
We base your cost of attendance on your housing code. If you do not complete this question, we may assume a cost less than what you may be eligible to receive.

Releases and Signatures:

Webster University's Title IV Code is 002521. For the processing center this is as important as your social security number. We will receive your information if the code is correct. If you do not list Webster University's code to receive your FAFSA information, we cannot process any financial aid for you.
If you wish your financial aid counselor to be able to discuss your financial aid with your parent or spouse, then we must have a written release to that effect signed by you for that financial aid year, which is included on the Webster University Financial Aid Application. There are no exceptions.
Last, but certainly not least, an unsigned form is the same as no form at all. If you are a dependent student, or if your parents' information was required on the form, then at least one parent must also sign the form.

The Financial Aid Appeal Process

Often a student or parent will find that the information required on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) does not realistically reflect their circumstances or their ability to provide the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). When this happens, a student may choose to submit an appeal to the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis requesting that their situation be reviewed.

Appeals may be one of two types. The first and most common type of appeal requests a reconsideration of the amount of aid that has been offered or provides additional information that will assist the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis in determining the student's eligibility for financial aid. The office should be notified in writing of changes in financial circumstances resulting from one or more of the following conditions:

Divorce or separation.
Retirement.
Death of a family member.
Loss of employment or significant reduction in income or benefits.
Unusually high medical expenses NOT covered by insurance.
Other unusual expenses or circumstances.

The preferred method of submitting this type of appeal is on a Webster University Special Condition Form, which may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis or any extended campus location.

The second type of appeal is called a dependency appeal. This appeal is for a student who feels that they should be considered independent from their parent(s) for financial aid purposes, even though they do not meet any of the automatic independent criteria as outlined in section E of the FAFSA. Dependency appeals may be submitted only if you are in danger of abuse, either physical or mental, from your parent(s), or you have been abandoned by them (supporting documentation is required).

A variety of documentation is required for a dependency appeal. Please contact you financial aid counselor for clarification on required documentation. Approval of a dependency appeal does NOT guarantee that status in future years. Dependency appeals must be recertified EVERY YEAR. You should submit a complete dependency appeal with a completed FAFSA or Renewal Application directly to the Financial Aid Office in St. Louis. Your appeal may be reviewed by a committee of financial aid administrators. Additional documentation may be required to substantiate your appeal. You will be notified in writing as to the decision made on your appeal. If approved, we will sign the form authorizing the dependency override and submit it to the Federal Processor on your behalf.

As you can see, there are various situations that might call for an appeal of either your Expected Family Contribution or dependency status. Our mission is to provide funds to the best of our ability to students who truly need financial aid. Often we cannot do that unless we are fully aware of unusual circumstances that may exist. If you have any questions about whether a particular situation might qualify, you should discuss it with a financial aid counselor.

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