Financial Aid : IUPUI

Frequently Asked Questions

The Offices of Student Financial Aid Services is more than happy to assist you in every possible way. Here, we have compiled a list of the questions we hear most often. If you do not find the answer you are looking for, please feel free to visit our office or Ask an Advisor your question.

Applying for Financial Aid - FAFSA, Dependency Status, Quality Improvement/Verification

How do I apply for financial aid?

The key application for federal, State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI) and IUPUI financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA must be complete for each aid year and the FAFSA Priority Application Receipt Date is March 10 of each year. Additionally, you must be admitted to IUPUI. For more information, visit the Applying for Aid, Eligibility, FAFSA, and Application Tips sections.
What are some tips for applying for financial aid?

The key tip is to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the Priority Application Receipt Deadline of March 10 for the next aid year. For additional tips, visit Financial Aid Tips.
What if I need to make corrections to what I originally submitted on my FAFSA?

If you need to revise or correct any information originally reported on FAFSA, you may visit FAFSA on the web to make the corrections.
How do I apply for a loan?

For most loans, your eligibility will be determined and you will receive a Financial Aid Notification listing any awards for a Federal Stafford Loan and/or Federal Perkins loan.

For other loans, a separate application is required. This includes a federal PLUS Loan or a Private/Alternative Loan. For additional information, visit Loans.
How do I appeal to be considered as an Independent Student for financial aid?

A student who does not meet the federal criteria for independent status on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may submit a Request for a Dependency Status Override. The Higher Education Act allows a financial aid administrator to make dependency overrides on a case-by-case basis for students with unusual circumstances. Please note that none of the following qualify to make a dependency override: (1) Parents refuse to contribute to your education, (2) Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for Quality Improvement, (3) Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for federal income tax purposes, or (4) Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency.
My Student Aid Report (SAR) says I was selected for "Verification." What does this mean?

For financial aid at IUPUI, you do not need to take any action if you were selected for verification. Based on criteria established by federal and internal guidelines, some IUPUI students are selected and notified to complete Quality Improvement (QI). For more information, visit Quality Improvement.

Financial Aid Awards, Financial Aid Notification, and Additional Resources

How are financial aid awards determined?

Most financial aid (grants, loans, work-study) awards are based on "financial need" which is defined as the difference between your Cost of Attendance (COA) and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). By meeting the March 10 FAFSA Application Receipt Deadline for the next aid year, you will maximize your consideration for financial aid awards. The amount of each award may also be determined by the funds available to award, eligibility criteria for each type of award, and your enrollment status. For additional information, visit How Financial Aid is Awarded.
What if I need additional financial resources to attend IUPUI?

If you need additional financial resources, please contact our office. We will review your financial aid award status, help you explore options (e.g. federal PLUS loan or Alternative/Private Loan), and determine whether you may want to submit a Special Circumstance Form due to unusual circumstances related to your Cost of Attendance or Expected Family Contribution. Special circumstances include: (1) Elementary or secondary school tuition, (2) Uninsured medical or dental expenses, (3) Child care cost, (4) Recent unemployment of a family member, (5) Parent enrolled half-time or more at a college or university, (6) Purchase of a personal computer (one time adjustment) or (7) Other changes in the family’s income or assets due to death, divorce or separation.
When will I receive a Financial Aid Notification (FAN)?

Beginning students who meet the FAFSA Priority Application Receipt Deadline of March 10 are typically sent a Financial Aid Notification (FAN) by April 1st; Continuing students are notified by June 15th. For later submission of the FAFSA, your FAN is typically sent two to three weeks after the IUPUI receipt of your FAFSA.

Please regularly monitor (at least weekly) your IUPUI email account for any requests for missing information, selection to complete Quality Improvement, or notification that you do not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.

For student that are entering or returning for a Spring semester, the FAN process typically begins in early November. For the Summer semester, the FAN process typically begins in early April.

For more information, visit Financial Aid Notification.
What is a federal Stafford loan? What is the difference between a federal Stafford Subsidized and a Stafford Unsubsidized loan?

A Federal Stafford Loan is a low interest rate loan for students that can be used to help pay for your college education.

If you meet certain financial need criteria (based upon information supplied on your FAFSA), the federal government will pay the interest on your Subsidized Federal Stafford loan while you attend school at least half time or during times when you qualify for an authorized deferment.

If you do not meet the financial need criteria (based upon information supplied on your FAFSA) to qualify for a Subsidized loan, you still can receive an Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loan. You are responsible for paying the interest while you are in school. If you do not want to make the interest payments, the interest can be added to your principal balance through a process called capitalization.

With either the Subsidized or Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans, repayment on the principal begins six months after graduation, leaving school, or dropping below half-time status.
What if I receive other assistance from my department or an outside donor?

All financial assistance you receive must be reported to the Office of Student Financial Services and may reduce your eligibility for financial aid. Please contact us if you will be receiving any additional assistance.
How can I check my financial aid awards if they have changed?

You can visit OneStart > Services > Self-Service > Bursar & Financial Aid to view the up-to-date status of your student financial aid awards. If your award changes after your initial Financial Aid Notification, an e-mail notification to check your OneStart account is sent to your IUPUI (or IUPUC) account.
How can I check my State Student Assistance Commission of Indiana (SSACI) eligibility?

Visit the SSACI web site for general information and eStudent to check your eligibility as well as reviewing your Financial Aid Award Summary via OneStart.

Financial Aid Eligibility - SAP, Enrollment

How many credits must I take to be eligible for financial aid?

To be eligible for most State Students Assistance Commission of Indiana awards, an undergraduate student must be enrolled full-time student (12 credit hours). To be eligible for federal student loans and work-study, you must be enrolled at least half-time (undergraduate = 6 credit hours; graduate students = 4 semester hours).
What is SAP?
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is a federally required evaluation of a student's progress towards completion of their degree. The evaluation includes the following three components:
1. Cumulative IU GPA of 2.0 for undergraduates and 3.0 for graduates.
2. Successful completion of at least 75% of attempted coursework. Completion rate is calculated by counting all hours successfully completed and dividing that by the total of all hours attempted. Successful completion includes grades of A, B, C, D, P, R, and S. Unsuccessful completion includes grades of W, F, X, and I.
3. Completion of a degree within 150% of the published timeframe. For example, if a baccalaureate degree requires 124 semester hours, the maximum timeframe allowed would be 186 hours.
How do I know if I have been selected for not meeting the SAP standards?
A notification will be sent to your IUPUI (or IUPUC) email account if you have been selected as not meeting the minimum SAP standards. Please use this information in conjunction with a copy of your unofficial IU transcript to determine why you have been selected as not meeting SAP.

You may also visit OneStart and view your To-Do list for the specific reasons as to why you have been selected. These will appear as:
- SAP Low Cumulative GPA AY
- SAP Inadequate Completion AY
- SAP Too Many Hrs Acad Yrs AY
How often will I be evaluated for SAP?

Students are evaluated annually to determine whether or not they meet the SAP standards. The timing of this evaluation is dependent upon the date in which we receive your completed FAFSA information. Evaluation begins in May of each year once grades have been posted to transcripts for the spring semester and continues weekly for the remainder of the upcoming academic year. If you have already filed a FAFSA, then you will go through SAP in May. For those who file later, evaluation for SAP will occur within 7 days of receipt of your FAFSA information, and you will be notified if you do not meet the minimum standards. Once you have gone through the initial evaluation, you will not be reviewed again. Should you feel that your progress now brings you above the minimum standards, please request a reevaluation from our office. If you are in fact now above the standards, no further action is required and we can clear your account.
If selected as not meeting the SAP standards, what action(s) do I need to take?

The next step is to complete an appeal form and submit it to our office. Please make sure that you are using the form(s) for the aid year in which you were selected and including all necessary information. An incomplete appeal can delay review and subsequently delay the availability of financial aid awards.
What are the components of a complete SAP appeal?
A complete SAP appeal includes the following components:
1. Appeal form/academic plan. Most students will need to set up an appointment to meet with their academic advisor. The advisor will be asked to provide certain information which will be used in the appeal decision. Students who were selected only for inadequate completion and no other reason are not required to meet with an academic advisor.
2. 2. A typed statement explaining the circumstances that contributed to your unsatisfactory academic progress during ALL periods of enrollment, regardless of whether or not you received financial aid for those terms, and any supporting documentation.
3. Supporting documentation includes:
4. A copy of your unofficial transcript – available through OneStart
How will I know if my appeal is received?

An email will be sent to your IUPUI/IUPUC email address notifying you of the receipt of your SAP appeal. Please allow 15 business days once you have turned in a complete appeal in order to receive a decision.
How will I know what the decision was on my appeal?

Once review of an appeal is complete, you will be notified of the decision at your IUPUI (or IUPUC) email account.
What do I need to do after receiving an approved decision?

If your appeal is approved, please check your OneStart account to ensure that there are no other Financial Aid to-do items listed. If nothing else is needed, you can expect to receive notification of your financial aid package within the next 7 days. It is very important that you monitor your progress throughout the year to ensure that you are meeting any conditions set forth in your approval email. Failure to do so will impact your financial aid eligibility for the following academic year.
What do I need to do after receiving a denied decision?

If your appeal is denied, you are ineligible for financial aid for the upcoming academic year. You may reinstate your financial aid eligibility by successfully completing coursework that improves your IU cumulative GPA and/or completion rate so that you meet the SAP standards. This means enrolling in courses during the following academic year without the benefit of financial aid in an attempt to bring your GPA and/or completion rate up to the required standards. As noted earlier, students are evaluated on an annual basis. However, you may request a SAP review at the end of any semester of enrollment if you feel you meet the SAP standards.
What happens if I do not appeal?

For those that do not wish to submit an appeal, financial aid will not be awarded until eligibility has been reestablished. The only way to do this without submitting an appeal is to bring your GPA and/or completion rate above the minimum standards of a 2.0 IUGPA as an undergraduate or 3.0 as a graduate and at least a 75% completion rate.
What are the appeal deadlines?

Appeals should be submitted by August 1, 2011 for Fall Semester 2011, by December 19, 2011 for Spring Semester 2012, and by April 18, 2012 for Summer 2012. Appeals received and approved after these deadlines may result in limited eligibility for financial aid.
What do I need to do if I receive a SAP warning email notification?

At the end of every Fall semester, we will evaluate your progress and notify you if you are close to not meeting SAP. This notification is a reminder only and is simply to ask that you carefully review the SAP standards and your coursework for the Spring semester to determine what plan of action may be needed to improve your GPA, course completion rate, or to graduate within the 150% standard. It is important to note that this warning does NOT affect your current aid.

Financial Aid Disbursement, Bursar Refunds, Dropping Classes, Withdrawal for Semester

How will I receive my financial aid awards?

Financial aid awards will credit by semester to your bursar account once you are enrolled in the required number of credit hours and meet all other eligibility requirements. Federal student aid will disburse no earlier than 10 days prior to the first day of the semester. If you have funds available after the tuition, fees and other IUPUI charges have been paid, you will receive a refund check by mail or electronic transfer of funds by direct deposit from the Office of the Bursar. Visit your OneStart account > Services > Self-Service > Bursar & Financial Aid for additional financial aid award and bursar and bill information. From OneStart, you can select the option for direct deposit that provides for a quicker delivery of your funds.
What if my financial aid is not processed when my tuition is due?

If you have a FASFA and all other required 'ToDo' items for the appropriate aid year on file for more than two weeks and are enrolled at least half-time but no financial aid is listed on your OneStart account, you need to contact our office via Ask an Advisor or calling us at (317) 274-4162.
When will I receive my refund from the Office of the Bursar?
If your student financial aid exceeds your university charges for the semester, the Office of the Student Account Services will send a refund to the student or parent (in the case where the refund is created by a PLUS loan borrowed by the parent). The funds are sent to the student by direct deposit if authorized by the student via OneStart or by check through the U.S. Postal Service. To receive any type of refund, it is important for you to maintain current address information via OneStart. Parent PLUS loan refund checks are mailed directly to the parent. Refund payments are sent within fourteen days after:
- the first day of class for the semester if the positive credit balance occurred on or before the first day of class for the semester, or
- the date the positive credit balance occurred on the student’s account, if the balance occurred after the first day of classes for the semester.
You may allow the university to pay charges beyond tuition, fees, and on-campus room and board or minor prior year charges by signing a Title IV Authorization Form . The student may cancel or modify the authorization at any time through formal notification.
What happens if I must withdraw from IUPUI?

If you drop classes, withdraw from all classes, or stops attending classes, you may be required to repay all or a portion of the financial aid received or used to pay tuition and fees. The amount you are required to repay is based on the date the student withdraws or stops attending classes. You should discuss any enrollment changes with a financial aid advisor before dropping classes.