Fisher College
After You Apply for Aid
Once all of your information has been submitted and reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid, a financial aid award letter will be created for you.
If you are a first-year applicant, you must first be accepted as a degree seeking candidate before an offer can be created for you. The financial aid award letter will outline the aid that you are eligible to receive for the specified academic year.
Please pay close attention to the language contained in the offer of assistance. Depending on the type of aid you receive, the award letter will provide important information about the paperwork and processes that are necessary to obtain federal loans, student employment positions, or other sources of financial aid.
You do not need to submit additional information, such as tax transcripts, to the Office of Financial Aid unless we specifically request this information. Should we need to request additional documents from you, we will indicate this to you in writing.
If you intend to use financial aid to pay the tuition, it is recommended that students complete the FAFSA and submit any required documentation in order to determine aid eligibility no later than two weeks prior to starting classes.
Financial Aid Awarding Timelines
First-year and transfer students that have met the priority filing dates can expect to receive their awards between the beginning of February and June. Students that have been selected for verification will receive a tentative award that will be finalized once the verification process is complete.
Returning students who have submitted the FAFSA by the April 1 priority filing date can expect to receive award letters between April and July. Students that have been selected for verification will not receive award letters until the process is complete.
Your Award
Fisher College does not require that you officially accept your offer of assistance in writing. We will assume that you accept the entire aid package unless you specifically notify us in writing that you wish to decline all or part of the award. Additional documentation, such as Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN), is required for Federal Direct Loans.
Entrance Counseling
Entrance Counseling is a federal requirement for all students who are borrowing a Federal Direct Loan (either Subsidized or Unsubsidized) for the first time at Fisher College. Before the loan proceeds can be credited to a student's tuition account, students must complete Stafford Loan Entrance Counseling online.
Master Promissory Note (MPN)
The MPN is a legal agreement to repay a loan. Before proceeds can be credited to a student's tuition account, students are required to complete the Federal Direct Stafford Loan MPN online.
Declining You Award
Should you decide to decline any part of your award, we ask you indicate in writing which type(s) of assistance you are declining. Please sign, date, and return the letter to our office; you may wish to make a copy of it for your files. Please send written notification to Financial Aid.
Reducing Your Award
Should you decide to reduce any part of your award, we ask you indicate in writing which type(s) of assistance you are reducing. Please sign, date, and return the letter to our office; you may wish to make a copy of it for your files. Please send written notification to Financial Aid.
Disbursement of Aid
Disbursements of financial aid are directly made to the student account after the add/drop period of each semester once enrollment, residency, grade level and program status have been confirmed and all necessary requirements have been met (i.e. loan Entrance Counseling and/or Promissory Notes, etc.). All Financial Aid funds, including alternative loan funds, are disbursed directly to the student account.
Verification and Forms
Approximately one-third of all financial aid applicants are selected by either the U.S. Department of Education or the Fisher College Financial Aid Office to verify the accuracy of information provided on the FAFSA. If you have been selected for verification, your offer of assistance is tentative, pending the completion of the verification process. If you are a returning student, you will not receive a financial aid award letter until the verification process is complete.
You will be required to complete the verification worksheet and provide a tax transcript for yourself and your parents. Upon receipt of the required materials, we will finalize the review of your application for financial aid.
Fall Enrolled Students
All required documentation for a student's financial aid file must be received no later than October 1st. Financial Aid files that remain incomplete are subject to cancelation. Cancellation of Financial Aid funds may result in a balance owed to the college.
Spring Enrolled Students
All required documentation for a student's financial aid file must be received no later than February 1st. Financial Aid files that remain incomplete are subject to cancelation. Cancellation of Financial Aid funds may result in a balance owed to the college.
If a student does not submit the necessary documentation to complete their file, after a total of 5 requests (via mail, email or phone), the college reserves the right to cancel any pending financial aid and close the student's file.
Should the verified financial information differ significantly from the original information provided on the FAFSA, your aid may have to be adjusted. Please be sure to respond to requests for follow-up documentation in a timely manner to avoid delays in applying your financial aid as a credit to your student account. Any student failing to complete their Financial Aid File during their period of enrollment will be ineligible for all-need based funds for that Academic Year.
Discrepant Data
The Financial Office is required by the Federal government to resolve all discrepant data presented on the FAFSA. If it is determined that there is discrepant data on your financial aid applications, additional documents may be requested to resolve the discrepancy. If necessary, we will review your aid eligibility using the correct data. In some cases revisions to original offers will be made and a revised Offer of Financial Assistance will be sent to you.