b'Q : applying for admissions at multiple institutions as well asWe view the Financial AidHOW DO WE KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE INFORMATION? forfinancial aid offer When applying for financial aid/outside scholarships, it can be easyletter as the things to slip through the cracks. As you begin your senior year of highbeginning of a ITS NOT AS SCARY AS YOU THINK school, it would be helpful to create a detailed and exact timeline of im- conversation of portant dates and deadlines. One of the most difficult conversations to have during the financial aid process is in regard to a missed deadline.how to make it Understanding a few of the basic concepts will helpfinancially work as your family plots the college search course. Q : WHAT IF THE RESULTS OF MY FAFSA DO NOTat our institution. DESCRIBE OUR FINANCIAL SITUATION?Talking about money is hard. Period. Be assured the conversations you $15,330 Q : WHERE DOES THE MONEY COME FROM? have with financial aid representatives are confidentialwe under- $234.6 billionstand it can be difficult and we commit to being respectful and kind. The FAFSA application requires previous years taxes and can be com-In 2021-22, undergraduatepleted beginning in December. The federal government has provided We will start with one simple phrasethe discount rate. Thea provision for institutions so they can adjust for special financial cir- The total amount of grant students received andiscount rate represents the portion of total tuition and fee revenuecumstances or unusual circumstances that are not accounted for onaid received by undergradu-average of $15,330 in aidchanneled back to students as grant-based financial aid. The institu- the FAFSA. These adjustments range from job loss, income reduction, per full-time equivalentpension distribution or medical expenses. You can begin the adjust- ate and graduate students in (FTE) student, includingtional funds are then divided into two main categories for establishingment process by first filing the FAFSA and then contacting a financial2021-22. Between 2011-12 grants from all sources,awarding criteria. The first category of merit or earned aid, is mostaid representative at the institution.and 2021-22, institutional commonly classified as academic, athletics, art and music scholarships. federal loans, and aThese scholarships are based on performance criteria and do notQ : CAN WE APPEAL FOR ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL AID? grant aid for undergraduate combination of tax creditsdepend on the results of the FAFSA. The second category of need- students increased by 53% and Federal Work-Study.based aid is awarded dependent on the FAFSA (Free Application forand accounted for about half (College Board,Federal Student Aid) and includes general need-based scholarshipsYes. We view the financial aid offer letter as the beginning of a con- of all grant aid for undergradu-trends.collegeboard.org) and institutional work-study.versation of how to make it financially work at our institution. While ate and graduate students in WE WONT QUALIFY FOR ANYTHING,our intent is to provide the best offer up front, we understand the com- 2021-22. Aid from states has As you begin yourQ :SO WHY SHOULD WE FILE THE FAFSA? plexity of putting every family in the same situation. We encouragebeen increasing over the past and look forward to the opportunity to discuss the intricate details of the financial aid offer with your family. If the provided financial aidnine years. senior year, it wouldWhile there is a possibility that your family might not qualify for federaloffer does not work for your family, contact your admissions recruiter(College Board, or financial aid representative to inquire about more funding for you to be helpful to creategrants, submitting the FAFSA gives financial aid administrators theattend that institution. It is not helpful to compare the financial aid offerstrends.collegeboard.org)a detailed timelineopportunitytoexhaustallavailableresources.Institutionsdeter- of multiple institutions. Comparing offer letters between institutions of important datesmine financial need based on a simple equation:is like comparing an apple to a fruit cake. It simply does not work. and deadlines. Cost of Attendance (COA) - Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial NeedFinancial aid professionals are paid to be experts in the field to provideHELPFUL WEBSITESSubmitting the FAFSA gives financial aid administrators the infor- you with the most resources possible. Dont hesitate to call if you have mation they need to ask good questions and make the best determi- questions. We are always here to help. nation for the student.Federal Student Aid55% David Burney studentaid.govChief StudentPercentage of 2020Finance Officercollege graduates whoJohn BrownFinAidhad student loan debt,University finaid.orgwith an average of $28,400 per borrower.(ticas.org/posd/home)124 For more financial aid information go to FindYourChristianCollege.com/resources/financial-aid 125'