Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions About the Office of Student Financial Aid

When is the Financial Aid Office open?

A: We are open from 9-5 P.M. Monday through Friday with the exception of some Tuesdays at the beginning of the term when we are open from 9-8 P.M.

Why is it when I try calling your office I can never get through?

A: Our office handles thousands of phone calls per week during peak times. We have 6 incoming phone lines that stay constantly busy. A good strategy if you are in the area is to stop by in person. You may also try other means, such as fax or try accessing the information you are looking for through PatriotWeb. You might also try contacting your financial aid counselor via e-mail.

How can I get information about scholarships?

A: The Office of Student Financial Aid has a limited number of applications for private scholarships. If you are an incoming freshman, you may wish to contact the Admissions Department regarding Deans, University, and Academic Scholarships. If you are an athlete, you may wish to contact the Athletic Department regarding availability of athletic scholarships. Scholarship information is also available from the department in which you are majoring, in Fenwick Library at the research desk, in public libraries in the reference section, from your or your parents employers, from civic organizations, churches, or through various scholarship search services. We have also provided FREE on-line private scholarship search tools through the Web.

Where do I go if I have a complaint?

A: The OSFA welcomes feedback from the students and parents. Please direct all concerns to your counselor first for resolution. If the need is not satisfied at this level, a letter can be directed to Jevita de Freitas, Director of Student Financial Aid, George Mason University, Mail Stop 3B5, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444.

General Questions About Applying for Financial Aid

How do I apply for financial aid at GMU?

A: The first step to apply for financial at George Mason is to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Certain types of aid, usually loans, do require additional paperwork AFTER you have been awarded, but the FAFSA is the only application required to determine your eligibility. Additional information regarding the financial aid application process is available.

Do I have to apply for financial aid every year?

A: YES! You must reapply for financial aid each year by completing the Renewal Application for Federal Student Aid or by completing the next year's Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

What and when is the priority filing date?

A: The priority filing date is the date set by each university by which the federal processor must receive your financial aid application for priority consideration for financial aid. At George Mason University, the priority filing date is March 1st of the year for which you are applying for financial aid. That is, if you are applying for financial aid for the 2006-2007 school year, your FAFSA should reach the federal processor by March 1, 2006 to be considered for the greatest amount of available financial aid.

General Questions About Financial Aid Eligibility

What determines whether or not I will qualify to receive financial aid?

A: The primary factor is financial need. Financial need is computed by determining the educational costs (tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and a personal allowance as set by the university) less expected family contribution (as determined by the federal government). The difference between these is financial need. Whether or not a school is able to meet this financial need is determined by the timing of your financial aid application, availability of funds, and eligibility requirements for the individual financial aid programs.

Does my GPA affect my eligibility for federal or state financial aid?

A: While federal and state financial aid is "need based", students must maintain certain satisfactory academic progress requirements to retain financial aid eligibility. Specific satisfactory academic progress requirements have been established the GMU Office of Student Financial Aid in accordance with federal and state guidelines.

Does the size of a family or the number of students in college at the same time affect the amount of financial aid eligibility?

A: When there is more than one child in college (undergraduate) at the same time, your family contribution is generally prorated among the college students. So, if there were two children in college one year and only one the following year, the expected family contribution for the one child in college would be expected to be different that second year.

Why does my financial aid award seem to vary from year to year?

A: At George Mason University, eligibility for financial aid is based on Federal estimates of your family's ability to contribute to your cost of education. As this contribution calculation varies from year so does your eligibility for financial aid.

Keep in mind that your award is likely to change each year for one or more of the following reasons:

• The cost of education may increase.
• Your family's income may change.
• Your student loan eligibility may increase as you continue through school.
• The number of children in college may change.
• If you forget to reapply for financial aid and miss the priority filing date.
• The amount of available funding changes.

What if the FAFSA does not truly reflect my present situation?

A: There is a Financial Aid Review Request form that can be completed to request a reconsideration of your financial aid eligibility determination based on changes in certain circumstances. Additional information regarding the financial aid review process is available.

My parents did not claim me on their tax returns this year. Can I file my FAFSA as an Independent student?

A: Probably not. To determine dependency status, first see if you meet any of the 6 automatic criteria on the FAFSA. If you do not meet any of those, but feel that you should be considered an independent student, you should discuss the dependency appeal guidelines with your financial aid counselor.

Can I get financial aid for study during the Summer?

A: Because of the impact that summer financial aid has on aid eligibility for the following academic year, summer financial aid eligibility is limited to students that have remaining financial aid eligibility for loans, Pell grant, or work study from the prior academic year. The Mason Summer Aid Application will be available in the Office of Student Financial Aid or may be downloaded from the web site starting April 2, 2007.

What happens to my financial aid eligibility if I withdraw from the semester?

A: The Financial Aid Office is required by federal statute to determine how much financial aid was earned by students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a payment period or term.

For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, there are no unearned funds. However, a school must still complete a Return calculation in order to determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.

The calculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV funds formula:

Percentage of payment period or term completed = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. (Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of earned aid.

Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:

Aid to be returned = (100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period or term.

If a student earned less aid than was disbursed, the institution would be required to return a portion of the funds and the student would be required to return a portion of the funds. Keep in mind that when Title IV funds are returned, the student borrower may owe a debit balance to the institution.

If a student earned more aid than was disbursed to him/her, the institution would owe the student a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student's withdrawal.

The institution must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible no later than 45 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student's withdrawal.

Refunds are allocated in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans
• Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loans (other than PLUS loans)
• Subsidized Direct Stafford Loans
• Federal Perkins Loans
• Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans
• Direct PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grants for which a Return of funds is required
• Academic Competitiveness Grant for which a Return of funds is required
• National SMART Grant for which a Return of funds is required
• Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grants for which a Return of funds is required

General Questions About Financial Aid Documents

My Student Aid Report says I was selected for a process called "verification", should I send in my tax forms and other paperwork before you ask for it?

A: No, George Mason is a Department of Education Quality Assurance institution and does not participate in the regular federal verification process. You should not submit tax forms unless we specifically ask for them. Paperwork that is not required causes us to take time away from tracking information that WAS requested.

How do I know my application was processed by the federal processor? How can I verify that George Mason University will receive the results?

A: After completing the FAFSA, you should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR); this is verification that you filed the FAFSA and that it has been processed. Check to make sure George Mason University is one of the schools listed in Step Six. Questions about FAFSA processing can be directed to the Federal Student Aid Information Center (1-800-4-FED-AID). You can also determine the status of your FAFSA application through the Department of Education's FAFSA on the Web web site.

Q: My SAR isn't accurate. Do I need to correct it?

A: Since corrections to your financial aid application data may affect your eligibility, you should contact the Office of Student Financial Aid to find out whether or not the corrections are necessary and whether or not the OSFA can make those corrections electronically. You may also be able to correct your information through the Department of Education's FAFSA on the Web web site.

George Mason isn't listed on my SAR, but I called the processors and they said you could request my record if I gave you the Data Release Number (DRN)?

A: George Mason can do this if you provide the OSFA with certain information from your Student Aid Report including the DRN. You can also call the federal processor at 1-319-337-5665 and have GMU added by phone. You will need to provide the federal processor with some information from your Student Aid Report and the Title IV School Code Number for GMU which is : 003749.

I'm not sure which university I'll be attending. What should I do with my SAR if it's correct?

A: At George Mason, you do not need to submit your Student Aid Report since we will receive your FAFSA data electronically so long as GMU was listed on your FAFSA initially or has been added.

I turned my SAR into another school, but I'll be coming to George Mason. What should I do?

A: If GMU was listed as one of the schools on the FAFSA, then you don't need to do anything because we will receive your FAFSA information electronically. If GMU was not listed, you will need to add GMU (refer to the question above).

Your "Rights" Related to Financial Aid

Student Rights
You have the right to know:

• The cost of attendance
• The refund policy for students who withdraw
• What financial assistance is available from federal, state, and institutional sources
• Procedures and deadlines for submitting applications for financial aid
• How financial aid recipients are selected
• How your eligibility was determined, including all resources the aid office considered available to you
• How and when funds will be disbursed to you
• An explanation of each type of award you receive
• For any student loan you receive: the interest rate, total amount you must repay, when your repayment begins, the length of your repayment, and the cancellation and deferment provisions applicable to your loan
• For any Federal Work Study job: a description of the job, the hours you must work, the rate of pay, and how and when you will be paid
• The criteria used to determine satisfactory academic progress for financial aid purposes
• How to request a review of a decision by the Office of Student Financial Aid concerning your aid package

Your "Responsibilities" Related to Financial Aid

Student Responsibilities
It is your responsibility to:

• Read directions thoroughly, complete all application forms accurately, and to comply with any deadlines
• Provide any supplemental information or documentation required by the Office of Student Financial Aid or other agency as applicable
• Read, understand, and keep copies of any forms you are required to sign
• Repay any student loans you may receive
• Attend an entrance interview and an exit interview if you receive federal student loan while in attendance at GMU
• Notify the Office of Student Financial Aid of any change in your enrollment, housing, or financial aid status (including any scholarships or grants received from outside sources). Changes of address and enrollment status must also be reported to your lender if you have a loan
• Satisfactorily perform the work agreed upon in a Federal Work Study job
• Know and comply with all requirements for continuation of financial aid, including satisfactory academic progress requirements