Financial Aid Application Process
Step 1: Apply for a federal username and password at https://fsaid.ed.gov. Both the student and a parent must apply for separate usernames and passwords.
Step 2: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at studentaid.gov. The FAFSA can be completed as early as October 1st. The Federal Government has implemented prior-prior year filing. This means, you will use your tax information from two years prior to the FAFSA filing year. For example, for the 2020-2021 FAFSA, you will use your 2018 tax information.
Step 3: Once the FAFSA is complete, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Federal Government. The SAR will contain a number known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC figure is determined by the Federal Government on the following submissions: income (parent and student), assets, tax liabilities, family size and number of members of the household enrolled in college. The EFC is used to determine federal and state eligibility for need-based financial aid.
Step 4: The Office of Financial Aid will send you a Financial Aid Award Package once you are fully accepted to Saint Francis and the office has received your FAFSA.
Please note: May 1st is the FAFSA deadline for Pennsylvania State Grant consideration (PHEAA). To check state grant status, check pheaa.org.
Eligibility
In order to receive Saint Francis University Institutional Aid (Institutional merit aid, University grants, Endowed University scholarships, etc.) full-time dependent (as determined by Federal guidelines) undergraduate students are required to do one of the following:
- Live in University owned or operated housing includes Residence Halls, University owned apartments/houses/townhouses, and University operated rentals.
- Commute from primary home of parent or legal guardian as long as the home is within a 40 mile radius of the campus.
- Be registered with the university as a dependent of a current Saint Francis University employee and receiving tuition remission benefits.
In order to receive athletic aid, an undergraduate or graduate student, regardless of dependency status, must reside in University housing unless approved by the Department of Athletics.
To be eligible for institutional aid, students who commute from the home of a parent or legal guardian or are dependents of a SFU employee and receiving tuition remission benefits must be registered with the Office of Residence Life and approved as a commuter. If a student chooses to live off-campus (private residence, apartment, etc.) they do so with the understanding that they will forfeit Saint Francis University institutional aid. If a student fraudulently reports that they are commuting from home to the Office of Residence Life and are found to be living off-campus, the University reserves the right to revoke institutional aid and disciplinary action may be taken. A Saint Francis University student housing contract is for two semesters. The on-campus housing policy applies to Fall and Spring semesters (Summer is excluded with the exception of Athletic contracts which are subject to their terms and conditions).