How to Apply for Financial Aid

The 2007-2008 FAFSA must be used to apply for aid in the 2007-2008 academic year. ULV's academic year begins at the start of Fall 2007 and runs through Summer 2008.

  1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) starting January 1. The fastest and most efficient way to complete the FAFSA is online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Completing a paper FAFSA delays the financial aid application and awarding process.
    Electronic FAFSA and Electronic Renewal FAFSA. A new FAFSA may be completed on the web. If a student does not have a Personal Identification Number (PIN) issued by the federal student aid programs, a signature page must be printed, signed, and mailed to the federal processor for the application to be valid. A PIN may be requested online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. A student can renew his or her FAFSA online by using his or her PIN.
    Paper FAFSA. A limited number of paper FAFSA are available at the Office of Financial Aid.
    Financial Aid Renewal for Returning Students. Although some financial aid funds are renewable, all students must reapply for financial aid annually. Renewable financial aid is conditionally based on a student's ability to maintain academic and financial aid eligibility. Students who filed an electronic FAFSA the previous year and have a PIN will find their Renewal FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov starting January 1. Students who filed a paper FAFSA the previous year may receive a PIN in the mail from the US Department of Education to access their Renewal FAFSA online. Students do not receive a Renewal FAFSA by January 15 should complete a new FAFSA, either online or on paper.
    FAFSA Results. After the Federal processor has processed a student's FAFSA, he or she will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). This summarizes the information on the student's FAFSA and indicates the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the amount the family is expected to contribute towards the student's educational expenses for the academic year. The Office of Financial Aid will download the FAFSA results as long as the student has listed ULV on the FAFSA or SAR and has been officially admitted into a degree or certificate program at ULV.
  2. Submit the Grade Point Average Verification Form. (Non-California residents may skip this step.) ULV strongly encourages all California residents to apply for a Cal Grant. To apply, a student must submit a GPA Verification to the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) by March 2. "California resident" is defined at www.calgrants.org. The following grades are included in the GPA calculations for Cal Grants:
    High School Seniors. All grades from sophomore and junior years, including summer school grades earned following sophomore and junior years, with a few exceptions listed at www.calgrants. org.
    High School Graduates. All grades from sophomore, junior and senior years of high school, including summer sessions. PE, ROTC, and remedial courses are excluded.
    Transfer Students. For a student who is not enrolled in high school and who has completed fewer than 24 college semester units, 36 quarter units, or the equivalent, all grades from sophomore, junior and senior years of high school, except for PE, ROTC, and remedial courses. If such a student has taken at least 16 semester units the California Community College GPA will be used, but only for the Cal Grant B Competitive award. For transfer students who are not enrolled in high school and who have completed at least 24 college semester units, 36 quarter units or the equivalent, all college grades received by the date the college certifies the student's GPA will be used.
    Continuing ULV Students. The Registrar automatically submits GPA information to CSAC for continuing ULV students. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the GPA verification information is submitted to CSAC by March 2.
  3. Submit any Document Requested to ULV's Office of Financial Aid. Failure to turn all requested documents into the Office of Financial Aid by the deadline specified in the request may result in the loss of financial aid for which the student may otherwise have been eligible.
    A student may be selected for "verification." This means the student has been selected by the Federal processor to provide specific documents verifying income information or other supporting documents. If so, the student will be notified on the Student Aid Report (SAR), and the Office of Financial Aid will send the student a written request to submit a completed Verification Worksheet (downloadable at www.ulv.edu/financial_ aid), copies of the first and second pages of signed and dated Federal Tax Returns, W2s, and other necessary documents. Additional documentation (such as selective service or citizenship documents) may be requested to complete a student's file. The student's file is not complete until all required documents, properly filled out, have been received by the Office of Financial Aid.
  4. Obtain official admission to ULV. An applicant may complete the FAFSA and GPA Verification before he or she is officially admitted to ULV. However, financial aid will not be awarded until the student is officially admitted.