Ten Ways to Avoid Financial Aid Delays

1. Apply early. Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and appropriate loan application paperwork ideally by February and no later than April 15. Many grant programs are first come, first served with limited funding. The earlier you complete your application, the more likely that you will not miss out on opportunities for aid. 
2. Make sure that you have selected an appropriate academic major that is offered by the KCTCS College you are attending. If the college is not authorized to offer your chosen academic program, financial aid cannot be used to pay for your classes.
3. Make sure that you have added Somerset Community College as a school of choice on your FAFSA. If you are transferring to SCC, make the change as early as possible to allow for processing time. SCC financial aid representatives cannot view your financial aid information until approximately three working days after you have made the school choice change on your FAFSA.
4. Make sure that the "student signature" and "parent signature" sections of your FAFSA are completed. Missing signatures will cause delays.
5. Do not make changes to your FAFSA unless absolutely necessary. Corrections made in the middle of the application process add processing time.
6. Read your FAFSA Student Aid Report (SAR) thoroughly and monitor your "To Do List" in your Student Self Service account at the college. If you are selected for verification or need to make any corrections, you will be notified via these two methods. Approximately 30 percent of all FAFSA applicants are randomly selected for a process called verification. If you are selected, you will be required to provide additional documentation supporting the information you originally submitted as part of your FAFSA. The earlier you are aware of any additional requirements necessary to complete your financial aid package, the more time you will allow yourself to gather the necessary paperwork.
7. Sign your Financial Aid Release Form (FAR) and make sure it is on file with the college's financial aid office. By signing the FAR, you are authorizing the college to charge your textbooks to your financial aid award which will make purchasing your textbooks go more smoothly.
8. Make sure your expected graduation date on file with the admissions office is accurate. If your expected graduation date has expired, your financial aid cannot be awarded.
9. Perform well academically to maintain your financial aid eligibility. The federal government requires that students receiving financial aid must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). You must maintain a 2.0 GPA and successfully complete 67% of the courses you attempt – failing grades (Es) and withdrawals (Ws) count against your success percentage. If you do not meet SAP guidelines, you have an opportunity to submit a SAP Appeal to a review committee which could delay your financial aid award or even lead to your aid being denied.
10. Avoid changing majors frequently without completing a credential. If you exceed the Maximum Timeframe for financial aid by earning too many hours without earning a credential, you will be required to complete a degree audit. Only required courses are approved once a degree audit is necessary.