Financial Aid FAQ's

• How is ELIGIBILITY for financial aid determined?
• What does the AWARDING PROCESS look like?
• How is FINANCIAL AID and the AMOUNT DETERMINED?
• What is DBU's FINANCIAL AID REFUND POLICY and WHEN will I know if I am getting one?
• How do I APPLY FOR FINANCIAL AID and what is the PROCESS?
• Does the amount of HOURS I AM ENROLLED IN affect my aid?
• Are there PRIORITY DATES OR OTHER IMPORTANT DEADLINES I must know about?
• Can I LOSE MY FINANCIAL AID if I have WITHDRAWALS OR FAIL some classes?
• As a returning student what do I need to do to RENEW MY FINANCIAL AID for this year?
• What additional IMPORTANT FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION do I need to know?

Priority Dates and Deadlines

PRIORITY DATES exist because some aid programs have limited funds available and are awarded on a first come, first served basis.  However, the Office of Financial Aid makes every effort to provide funds to students as long as funds are available.

FILE COMPLETE DEADLINES are critical dates to keep as they ensure financial aid is in place before the semester begins. They are often the last day of a current term to submit paperwork to ensure funding for that term.

Priority Dates

Fall and Spring Semesters

• March 15 is the priority date for a student to have his or her financial aid file completed in order to receive maximum consideration for Federal or State financial aid for the Fall and Spring semester of the upcoming year.  If the priority date is not met, the student's application will still be processed. However, because some funds are limited, a student may not receive the maximum amount that could be available to students who have completed financial aid files by this date.

• March 15 is the priority date for continuing students to complete scholarship applications for anticipated enrollment in the upcoming Fall semester.

Summer Semesters

• March 15 is also the priority date for students wishing to be awarded for the Summer award period. To be considered for Summer assistance, a DBU Summer Supplemental Application must be submitted by this date.  Most aid requires students to be enrolled at least halftime. To be considered enrolled halftime, the student must register for and attend at least six (6) hours during the Summer terms. Because Summer is separate from the standard academic year, eligible enrollment must fit into attendance patterns that include at least one-half of the Summer. New students beginning with DBU in a Summer term must also have a FAFSA completed and submitted to DBU.

All financial aid applications should be completed at least thirty (30) days prior to registration for the academic award period in which aid is desired. Applications completed after this time cannot be guaranteed to be awarded by registration.

 

File Completion Deadlines

• April 15 - is the file completion deadline to submit documents to ensure student financial aid files are ready for reviewing and awarding of Spring aid before the end of that current Spring term.  Funding may not be available if documents are submitted after this date.

• June 1 - is the file completion deadline to have student financial aid files complete to ensure funds are awarded in time for advanced Fall registration.

• November 1 - is the file completion deadline to have student financial aid files complete to ensure funds are awarded in time for advanced Spring registration.

• November 15 - is the file completion deadline to submit documents to ensure student financial aid files are ready for reviewing and awarding of Fall aid before the end of that current Fall term.  Funding may not be available if documents are submitted after this date.

Deadlines

The FAFSA deadline is midnight of June 30 for the preceding years (i.e., June 30, 2012 for the 2011-2012 awarding year).  Corrections for that same academic year must be made by midnight of September 15.