Applying for Financial Aid

Saint Leo University’s Financial Aid Office encourages all students to electronically file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine their eligibility for student aid assistance from federal, state, and private sources.

Saint Leo University

Federal School Code #: 001526

Here are the steps:

Filing the FAFSA

1- Apply for a PIN
  a. Student’s PIN
  b. Parent’s PIN
  c. Processing time to receive PIN
2- File a FAFSA
  a. How to apply
  b. Processing time acknowledgement of FAFSA filing
3- Receive SAR Acknowledgement
4- Receive award notification or request for additional documentation
5- Complete Direct Loan application process

Renewal of Financial Aid
Priority Filing Date
Transferring to Saint Leo University and Financial Aid

Filing the FAFSA

 

  1. Student: Apply for Federal Student Aid PIN
    The first step is to obtain a Federal Student Aid PIN. The PIN is used to electronically apply for federal student aid and to access your federal student aid record online.

    Student’s PIN
    Parent’s PIN

    Maintain your privacy and security; do not share your PIN with anyone. You will use the PIN to access other federal databases and sign other federal documents, i.e., Direct Loan Master Promissory Note.

    Processing time
    Allow 1-3 business days to get a PIN, if you have a current e-mail address. If not, your PIN will be sent via U.S. mail in 7-10 business days.

 

  1. File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
    • File the FAFSA annually after January 1 each year. Federal and state aid is not automatically renewed.
      • Note: University Campus undergraduate students have a March 1 priority deadline.
    • Preferably, file an electronic FAFSA online. However, a paper formis available upon request, but you must allow 4-6 weeks for processing.
    • List Saint Leo University as a school choice. Our school code is 001526.
    • After completing the application, “sign” the document electronically using your Federal Student Aid PIN. If you are a dependent student, your parents must also sign the FAFSA.

    Processing time
    It usually takes about an hour to complete the FAFSA. When the FAFSA is submitted electronically [with signature(s) signed using PIN(s)], it takes about a week (7 calendar days) for Saint Leo University (SLU) to receive it. Allow up to two weeks to review and process the award, and more time if you are federally selected for verification. The SLU Financial Aid Office will contact you via your Saint Leo Student Email Account.

 

  1. Student: Receives a Student Aid Report (SAR) acknowledgement
    Within 3-5 days of filing the FAFSA online, you will receive a SAR acknowledgement from the U.S. Department of Education. It will be emailed, if you listed an email address on the FAFSA. If you did not include an e-mail address, it will be mailed to your permanent address in about 7-10 days. Read the comments to determine whether corrections are required or the financial aid office is required to collect additional documents for verification or to determine aid eligibility. The SLU Financial Aid Administrator will notify you of the next steps.
  2. Saint Leo University: Receives an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR)
    The SLU financial aid office will receive from the U.S. Department of Education’s Central Processing System (CPS) a processed FAFSA, which is an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), in about a week (7 calendar days).

 

  1. Saint Leo University: Send Award Notification or Request for Additional Information
    The application will be reviewed and the student will receive one of the above notifications
    • An official award notification with instructions for accepting the award(s).
      or
    • An official letter of notification that you are not eligible for financial aid.
      or
    • An official notification that your application was federally selected for verification and/or additional information needed to determine your financial aid eligibility. The notification will include instructions on the documents that are requested. A complete and signed set of requested documents should be submitted as quickly as possible to avoid delay in the review of your application. Allow additional time to review the materials, make corrections (if needed), and notify you of your aid eligibility.

 

  1. Student: Complete the Direct Loan application process, if borrowing
    If the award notification includes a Direct Loan (subsidized and/or unsubsidized), the student must affirm the amount(s) to be borrowed. In addition, if the student is a new borrower at SLU, the student must complete the Entrance Loan Counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN).

 

Renewal of Financial Aid
The following criteria are used to determine renewed financial aid eligibility and maintaining financial aid funding:

  1. Fill out your FAFSA renewal each year after January 1st to reapply for financial aid funding.
  2. Some funding sources are limited and awarded on a first applied, first awarded basis. Please remember to apply early.
  3. Make Satisfactory Academic Progress toward a degree.

 

Priority Filing Date
A new University Campus undergraduate student should file a FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1, but no later than March 1 to meet state programs’ and institutional priority filing dates.

All students should file as early as possible, and allow sufficient time to receive your award notification and make payment arrangements.

 

Transferring to Saint Leo University and Financial Aid
A transfer student should add Saint Leo University’s school code 001526 to her/his college choice on the FAFSA. If a student filed online and has a PIN (and if a dependent student, a parent has a PIN), the addition can be made easily. Go to http://www.FAFSA.ed.gov/ click on "Add or Delete School Code." Otherwise, notify the U.S. Department of Education by phoning 1-800-433-3243 and ask the customer service representative to add Saint Leo University #001526. You will have to provide your name, social security number, birth date, and the Data Release Number (DRN) from your Student Aid Report to perform this operation over the phone. Go back to #3 - #6 for the remainder of the process.