Applying for aid

To apply for Federal and University financial aid at the University of New Hampshire for 2008-2009, you must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You should be able to obtain a 'FAFSA on the Web' worksheet from your high school guidance office or by contacting the UNH Financial Aid Office.

The University of New Hampshire only requires the FAFSA in order to apply for financial aid. We DO NOT require the Profile. GRADUATE STUDENTS: For graduate students, the Financial Aid Office is responsible only for loans and the Federal Work-Study Program. You must complete a Graduate Aid and Credit Verification Form as well as the FAFSA. Questions concerning other types of graduate financial aid should be addressed to the Graduate School (862-3000).

In completing the FAFSA, you must indicate the UNH Federal School Code (also called the Title IV Code): 002589.

The FAFSA does NOT contain space for you to indicate any special or unusual circumstances that you feel may affect your or your family's ability to contribute to your educational costs. Therefore, you may submit such information in writing directly to the UNH Financial Aid Office, or contact our office to request a Special Circumstances Form. In order to be correctly matched with your application, any correspondence must contain the applicant's full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security Number.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

The 2008-2009 Financial Aid Application Deadline for aid awarded by UNH is March 1, 2008. This is the date by which your fully completed FAFSA/Renewal Application must be received by the Federal processor.

The importance of meeting this deadline cannot be overstated. While there are some types of aid (e.g., Pell Grants and Stafford Loans) for which you may apply after this deadline, it is likely that you will receive substantially less total aid if your application is late. For the past several years, applicants applying after the deadline did not receive any aid awarded by UNH.

It is the University's position that the student applicant is accountable for the accurate and timely submission of the FAFSA Application. We make the application deadline known and available to all students in many different ways and through a variety of communication methods. A complete list of notifications is available here. We realize that in most cases a student's parent(s) also participates in completing the form. However, we invest in the student the ultimate responsibility for monitoring the application process.

NOTE: There is a reference on the FAFSA to "State Aid Deadlines." Do not be misled by these dates. These dates are when the FAFSA must be filed to be considered for aid from your home state. It is NOT the financial aid application deadline at UNH or most other colleges.

NOTE: In order to be reviewed for Federal Financial Aid, UNH must have your correct, complete FAFSA by your last day of enrollment for the academic year.

ON-LINE SUBMISSION OR MAILING OF THE FAFSA

When your FAFSA is received by the federal processor, the "date of receipt" is recorded in the federal system. It is this date that will normally determine whether your application is considered as on-time or late.

File your FAFSA on-line, print a copy of each page as you complete it and print the confirmation page you receive after the completed application is submitted. Keep these copies in your financial aid folder. In this way, if there is a problem with the electronic submission, you have proof of on-time filing.

Please understand the risk you are taking with UNH and other colleges if you decide to submit your FAFSA using some other method that does not provide you with documentation as described above. In such a situation, the "date of receipt" recorded by the federal processor will be the only determining factor as to whether your application is considered on-time, regardless of when you may have actually mailed it.