Financial Aid Basics

Ensure you meet the criteria before applying for financial aid.

• Eligibility
• Determining Financial Need
• Calculating Financial Need
• Calculating cost of attendance
• Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Ensure you understand the guidelines to borrowing money and the disbursement dates before signing off on a loan.

• Loan Counseling
• Master Promissory Note
• Disbursement Dates

To be eligible to receive federal, state or Santa Clara University financial aid you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.

• Acceptable documentation for U.S Citizens, U.S Permanent Residents, and other Non-Citizens
• International Students
• Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)

Review your Student Aid Report (SAR) for any message(s) indicating what information may be required to complete and correct your FAFSA. Examples include:

• Missing parent and/or student signatures
• SSN/DOB/Name mismatch for parent(s) and/or student
• Missing citizenship status
• Income/Asset missing information

Students enrolled at Santa Clara University can recieve funding depending on their enrollment status.

• Degree status
• Summer Enrollment
• Study Abroad
• Less than Full-Time Enrollment
• Less than Half-Time Enrollment

Learn more about the requirements to recieve service benefits with the U.S Deparment of Justice or U.S Deparment of Veterans Affairs.

• Veterans Benefits
• Federal Financial Aid
• Servicemember Civil Relief Act (SCRA)

Once you have received your financial aid, you must continue to progress in your studies in order to maintain those offers.

• Qualitative Standard (gpa)
• Quantitative Standard (hours completed)
• Maximum Attempted Units Allowed
• Unit Requirements
• Course Incompletes, Withdrawal, Failures, and/or Repetitions
• Appeal Process
• Loss of Eligibility
• Regaining Eligibility

Once you have received your financial aid, you must continue to progress in your studies in order to maintain those offers.

• Qualitative Standard (gpa)
• Quantitative Standard (hours completed)
• Maximum Attempted Units Allowed
• Unit Requirements
• Course Incompletes, Withdrawal, Failures, and/or Repetitions
• Appeal Process
• Loss of Eligibility
• Regaining Eligibility

Verification is the process established by the U.S. Department of Education to check the accuracy of aid applications.

• IRS Data Retrieval Tool
• IRS Tax Return Transcript
• Non-Tax Filers
• Verification Worksheet

Student loans require careful planning, and knowing the terms and responsibilities can help build a strong financial future.

• Repayment Options
• Repayment Calculator
• National Student Loan Data Systems
• Loans Servicers
• FSA Ombudsman