Santa Clara University

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for financial aid you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non citizen enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree or certificate program of study at least half time
• Make satisfactory academic progress
• Not be in default on a federal student loan
• Not owe a refund on any federal financial aid grant
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Be registered with Selective Service (if required)

Determining Your Need

Santa Clara University admits and enrolls students without regard to their financial circumstances and is committed to providing financial aid to eligible students through a combination of aid programs that include scholarships, grants, student employment and loans from federal, state, institutional and private resources. A student’s eligibility for aid programs is based on the difference between the estimated costs associated with attending Santa Clara University and his or her expected family contribution (EFC). Estimated costs include amounts a student will require for tuition, fees, room & board, books & supplies, transportation and personal expenses. A student’s expected family contribution is the amount s/he and his or her parents (if dependent) can reasonably be expected to contribute towards meeting those costs. The specific combination of federal, state and Santa Clara University-sponsored financial aid programs on the student’s award letter is based on his or her financial need and the availability of funds.

Cost of Attendance minus Expected Family Contribution equals Financial Need

Student Aid Report (SAR)

If you apply electronically, your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be processed in about a week. You will receive a SAR Information Acknowledgment via e-mail. If corrections are necessary, you will need to visit FAFSA on the Web to “Make Corrections to a Processed FAFSA.” If you mail your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) four to six weeks after you send it. This report summarizes all the information from your FAFSA and tells you the expected family contribution. The report may also contain important messages from the U.S. Department of Education. Review this information carefully. If corrections are needed, resubmit the SAR to the processor with the necessary corrections and signatures.

Verification

The U.S. Department of Education randomly selects students to complete verification documents. If selected, the student will receive notice from the Santa Clara University Financial Aid Office to complete the Verification Worksheet. Complete the form as instructed. Attach signed copies of federal tax returns for yourself, your spouse (if applicable) and your parents. Please remember to retain copies of all financial aid documents for your records. If you are unable to comply with this requirement, you must send a written detailed explanation to the Santa Clara University Financial Aid Office. Extensions may be granted on a case-by-case basis. After review of these documents, the amount of your award offer may be revised if there are discrepancies between the estimated FAFSA data and the actual IRS data. It is important to note that this process is a result of federal law and not institutional policy. No federal aid can be disbursed to a student’s account until the verification process has been completed. Approximately 30 percent of students applying for financial aid will be selected for this process.

Your Award Notification

Once the evaluation is complete, the Santa Clara Financial Aid Office will send you an e-mail to your GroupWise account if you are a current undergraduate and/graduate student.  Incoming undergraduate students, incoming graduate students and/or transfer students will be notified both by mail as well as by an electronic notice. The email will provide you with instructions to review and accept/decline your award offer. Your award notification will inform you of your estimated cost of attendance and the types and amounts of aid being offered to you from Santa Clara University, as well as federal and state sources.

Please review the award offer carefully. If you have any questions regarding your award offer, contact the Santa Clara University Financial Aid Office. We encourage you to pay particular attention to the response date by which you need to accept or decline your award offer to the Santa Clara University Financial Aid Office. Your awards may be canceled if you do not indicate your acceptance of the aid by the date indicated, and nothing is final until your signed acceptance of award has been returned to the Santa Clara University Financial Aid Office.

Awards Coordination

Please notify the Santa Clara University Financial Aid Office of the dollar amount and source of any awards you receive after we have prepared a financial aid award offer for you. Santa Clara University encourages you to seek assistance from private scholarship and grant sources. To the extent permissible by state, federal or other University regulations, we will try to coordinate your receipt of private awards so that no adjustment is necessary to the Santa Clara University aid offered to you. If it becomes necessary to adjust your award, we will first eliminate Federal Work Study, then loans and finally any aid awarded from Santa Clara University. You should know that aid awarded from Santa Clara University’s own resources, when combined, will not generally exceed the value of tuition. This means that if you are awarded aid from Santa Clara University sources, for example a department, athletic or other program-based award, after your initial award offer has been prepared, some adjustment to the initial Santa Clara amount might be necessary.

Renewal FAFSA

You must reapply each academic year to be considered for financial aid. Your awards will not be automatically renewed, and it is your responsibility to submit a complete FAFSA renewal form each year. NOTE: Students re-applying for aid at Santa Clara University do not need to fill out the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE form. There are two options to reapply for financial aid each year. First, you can reapply online at FAFSA on the Web and select “Fill Out a Renewal FAFSA.” You will need your Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN) and a PIN for your parent(s) to complete the process. We encourage all students to apply online, if possible, for faster service and greater accuracy. If you questions regarding the renewal FAFSA or the FAFSA in general, you may consider contacting the FAFSA HelpLine at 1-800-4-FED-AID.