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Applying for Undergraduate Aid

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All students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens and are enrolled in a degree program are encouraged to apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

 

The only application form we require for students to be evaluated for need-based aid is the FAFSA. 

Go to the FAFSA application. 

Aid Process

To apply for federal; state; and institutional, need-based financial aid, complete the following process.

  • Submit the FAFSA online at studentaid.gov.

  • Include UArts’ Federal School Code on the form: 003350.

  • Parents/guardians and students must utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing a FAFSA.

  • For spring entry, we recommend you file the FAFSA by Nov. 1.

  • For fall entry, you can file the FAFSA anytime after Dec. 31.

  • For fall entry, we recommend you file the FAFSA by March 15.

We encourage students to complete the FAFSA by March 15, if possible.

Many students and families have encountered technical challenges while trying to complete the FAFSA this year. If this is the case for you, continue to utilize the FAFSA support resources until your issue is resolved. UArts will ensure that all admitted students who file the FAFSA are eligible for the same institutional funding to support your costs.

Processing

Based on the data you provide on the FAFSA, the U.S. Department of Education will determine the Student Aid Index for you. That information will then be shared with each school you listed on the FAFSA.

Student Financial Services at UArts will use that information to determine how much federal student aid and institutional need-based aid you may receive at UArts. The results of the FAFSA are also shared with your state's higher education agency, to determine what aid you might be eligible to receive from them.

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Notification

Admissions decision letters for fall entry will begin being issued as early as Nov. 1. 

Universities expect to receive student FAFSA data in mid-March, and we currently expect to begin sending financial aid offer letters by April 1. Your financial aid offer letter will show your expected cost of attendance, and all eligible financial aid—which may include your merit scholarship, institutional grants, federal grants, and/or federal loans.

  • If you have not submitted the FAFSA and receive an offer of admission, you will be issued a need-based financial aid package within two weeks of filing the FAFSA.

Financial aid packages will list any federal, state, and UArts need-based awards (grants, loans, and work study) for which you are eligible and also include any merit-based scholarship you may have previously been awarded.

Verification

Approximately 30% of students who complete a FAFSA are randomly selected to complete a process called verification. In this process, additional forms and documents are required in order to verify the information supplied on the FAFSA. If you are selected for verification, you will be notified via your award package and additional forms will be mailed to you. A student can view what items are needed on the Financial Aid page of Student Self-Service, under Required Documents.

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Confirming Your Award

You can view tasks that must be completed to confirm your financial aid and to reject any unwanted aid, including loans, through Student Self-Service. Once on the page, click Financial Aid, which will take you to a page where you can view your checklist and review and adjust your awards.

Billing & Gap Funding

  • Fall semester: Bills will be issued in late May. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by July 5.

  • Spring semester: Bills will be issued in late October. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by Dec. 5.

The balance due on your semester bill is the difference between your total semester charges and your total financial aid awarded for that semester. The majority of UArts students fund that gap through one or more of the following options: payment plans, Federal Direct Parent Plus loans, and private loans.  

Payment plans allow you to split your cost for the semester into four or five monthly payments. Interest-free payment plans are available through Nelnet Campus Commerce with an enrollment fee of $50. Fall payment plans begin in June or July, and spring payment plans begin in November and December.

To enroll in a payment plan through Nelnet Campus Commerce, log in to Student Self Service.

Learn more about billing and payment.

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