Financial Aid - FAQ's
General questions to help you complete the financial aid
application process:
Have I filed my Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA)?
It is recommended that you do this by late January/ early February to
meet SHU’s priority application date of March 1. You can complete the
FAFSA using estimated tax information if you or your parents’ taxes have
not been filed. Complete the FAFSA on either of the Web sites listed
above. (If you plan to apply for aid for the summer term, also complete
the FAFSA for the current year.) Our school code is 002632.
Did I receive the Student Aid Report (SAR) as a result of filing the
FAFSA?
It will be sent to you via email if you completed the FAFSA online. If
not, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED AID
(1-800-433-3243).
If there were problems with the FAFSA, did I resolve them quickly by
making any necessary corrections?
To check the status of your application call the Federal Student Aid
Information Center at 1-800-4-FED AID (1-800-433-3243).
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is monetary assistance to help a student cover the cost of
a college education. It is intended to supplement the family
contribution and includes gift aid, (scholarships and grants),
low-interest loans and part-time employment.
What is the purpose of financial aid?
The primary purpose of financial aid is to provide assistance to
students who otherwise would be unable to pursue their education. The
basic premise of financial aid programs is that the primary
responsibility for meeting college costs lies with the student and
parents. Financial Aid Office provides aid when the family is unable to
meet the cost of attendance.
Who is Eligible for Financial Aid?
In order to receive financial aid an undergraduate student must meet
each of the following conditions:
The applicant must be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen;
U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain’s Island);
U.S. Permanent resident who has an I-151, I-155 or I-155C (Alien
Registration Card)
The applicant must be accepted for admission to Seton Hall University in
an eligible degree granting program or eligible certificate program.
The applicant must have demonstrated financial need according to the
needs analysis procedures, for some loan programs.
Have been registered with the Selective Service. If you are a male 18 to
25 years of age and have not yet registered with Selective Service, you
must do so.
What is financial need?
To determine a student's eligibility for financial aid, we calculate a
student's demonstrated financial NEED. Need is the difference between
the cost of education and what the parents and student might reasonably
be expected to contribute to meet college costs. These contributions are
determined by using the Federal Methodology as administered by the U.S.
Department of Education.
Where does the information that is used to calculate need come from?
The expected parental and student contributions are calculated based on
the financial information provided by the parents and student on the
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Aid) and a Federal Income Tax
Return. The analysis system attempts to judge how much a family can
realistically afford to contribute, not how much they will pay. The
system is concerned with objective facts of a family's financial
position and not with the family's financial practices. The analysis
procedure is used to determine an expected family contribution based not
only upon income, but upon a variety of other variables as well: family
size, number of family members attending college, taxes paid,
investments, and so forth.
What is the timetable for awarding financial aid?
For incoming students who apply on or before the priority deadline of
March 1st our anticipated goal is to begin sending award notifications
during the first week of March.
For continuing students who apply on or before the priority deadline of
March 1st our anticipated goal is to have award notifications sent by
the first week in March.
Is there any special consideration given to families that have more
than 1 child attending Seton Hall?
If a family has 2 or more children enrolled at Seton Hall, in degree
seeking programs, the family is eligible for a sibling discount. Each
sibling will have there tuition discounted by 10% for each semester in
which 2 or more siblings are enrolled. The sibling discount application
needs to be completed each year. Complete the sibling discount form.
Am I eligible for financial aid, if I have defaulted on a student
loan?
Students who are in default on long-term loans (Federal Perkins Loan or
Federal Family Educational Loans or Direct loans) received from any
postsecondary institution will not be considered for federal financial
aid at Seton Hall University until their default status is cleared.
What happens if I don't want to accept all the financial aid offered
to me?
The financial aid award that is offered by SHU is the total financial
aid offer. You may choose to accept all the financial aid offered or you
may choose to accept only certain individual financial aid components,
such as loans, work, or grants. If one component is declined no
additional aid will be offered to make up for that declined aid.
Are scholarships available through Seton Hall?
Seton Hall University, offers numerous academic and need-based
scholarships to qualified students. The scholarship committees in
accordance with individual scholarship criteria determine these awards.
Merit-based scholarships are competitive. They are awarded to students
with special talents or accomplishments. Examples of Merit-based
scholarships are academic scholarships, band scholarships, and athletic
grants-in-aid.
Academic scholarships are generally awarded on the basis of academic
achievement in high school, ACT or SAT scores and leadership qualities.
Students will automatically be considered for many of these scholarships
during the review of your admission application, including ACT or SAT
scores.
Some merit-based scholarships are awarded for full tuition and fees.
These scholarships are only payable up to 18 credit hours per semester;
awarded for 8 semesters of enrollment and/or up to 130 credit hours.
Students must maintain a various cumulative GPA, refer to scholarship
letter from the Office of Admission.
How do I renew my scholarship each year?
Different scholarships have different eligibility requirements. For
example, an Academic Scholarship requires a minimum GPA of 3.0 while a
Chancellor's Scholarship requires a 3.2. Any student who has met the
eligibility requirements for their particular award will have the
scholarship are automatically renewed for the next year. A financial aid
award letter will be sent to the student listing the type and amount of
the award that they are receiving. Students who have not met the
eligibility requirements for renewal of their scholarship will receive a
letter from Enrollment Services. This letter will inform the student
that the scholarship will not be renewed for the following year. This
letter will also include information on how the student may appeal the
decision to not renew the scholarship.
Have I submitted all the items requested on my “To Do List”?
These would include items such as: the Verification forms, or tax forms,
which are needed if the federal processor selected your file for
verification, etc. (The “To Do List” will begin to show financial aid
items needed after your FAFSA has been received at SHU.)
If I want a loan, but I want to change my lender?
You will need to complete a Loan Adjustment form. This form can be found
and down loaded from our website or by logging onto myweb@shu.edu under
Financial Aid and Forms.
What lender do I choose?
Seton Hall University currently does not maintain a preferred lender
list, and we will process a loan application from any lender. If you
already have a lender and would like to request a change, complete a
Loan Adjustment form.
Have I updated my e-mail address to make sure I will receive all
important SHU communications?
E-mail is our primary method of communication for all continuing
students.
Have I reviewed the financial aid awards that have been offered to
me?
For incoming students you will receive a paper Financial Aid
Notification via mail. All continuing students can review your aid at
the end of March for students who have completed the FAFSA.
Have I reviewed the Program Eligibility Chart, found on the SFA Web
site, under Receiving Aid, to ensure my eligibility to receive my
awards?
This includes number of credit hours required to receive aid programs.
Do I understand that my success in classes directly affects my
eligibility for financial aid?
Detailed information can be found on the FAO Web site, under Receiving
Aid, Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
Don’t forget to check your “To Do List” again and often!