Is it necessary to wait until the income tax forms have been completed before submitting the FAFSA?
Submit the FAFSA as soon as you are able. It is better to have your taxes completed before doing your FAFSA, but it is not required. When you do file your taxes you will have to go back to your FAFSA and make corrections before funds can be disbursed. If your taxes are not finished, you may put close estimates of your income and other figures on the FAFSA. However, you must complete your FAFSA corrections soon so that there is enough processing time for your student loan disbursement to be received before your tuition is due. Use our
financial aid checklist to get started.
When will I receive my loan money?
All loans are disbursed at the beginning of each trimester. Most Federal Stafford loans are disbursed in three equal disbursements. Your loan will be applied to your student account and any excess funds will be refunded to you in the form of a check. Most excess funds are mailed out during the first three weeks of the trimester.
Should I wait to be accepted before applying for student loans?
No. Please apply for financial aid right after your have applied for admission to Fielding. Waiting to apply for financial aid until you have been accepted will delay your financial aid unnecessarily and could cause timing problems with the receipt of your aid. Submitting an application for financial aid does not obligate you to receive financial aid. Use our
financial aid checklist to to get started.
On my SAR there is an "*" after the EFC figure under the date. What does that mean?
It means your FAFSA has been selected for verification. The verification process is used to make sure the information that is reported on your FAFSA is accurate. Verification prevents ineligible students from receiving aid and ensures that eligible students receive all the aid for which you qualify. Financial Aid Office will ask you for specific documents needed to conduct the required verification process. See the
financial aid checklist to for more information.
I received my award letter and now think I borrowed too much money. Can I reduce my award?
Log into
WebAdvisor, Fielding’s online service center, to reduce or cancel the loans listed on your award letter. If you have already accepted your loans, call the
Financial Aid Office as soon as possible and return the signed award letter noting which student loan awards you wish to reduce or cancel. If you have already received your loan check from Fielding, you may return the money back to Fielding (Attn: Student Accounts), instead of accepting the funds. Include a note that you need your loans refunded. Fielding will send the money back to your lender and will cancel the loan.
Does the loan disbursement money come to me directly?
No. The U.S. Department of Education mandates that the loan disbursements are sent from the lender to the school. Fielding credits the funds to your student account after the Financial Aid Office verifies your enrollment status and academic standing. Any excess funds will be refunded to you in the form of a check. Most excess funds are mailed out during the first three weeks of the trimester.
What scholarship opportunities are available to me?
Fielding offers several scholarships to continuing students; some are specific to programs in which the student is enrolled, and others are available to all students. Our
Scholarships page contains links to both detailed information on those scholarships and links to external scholarship database resources that we recommend.