BEST PRACTICES What Forms Should a Student’s Financial Aid File Contain?
New Student Enrollment Info (spell out the name of the career major, don’t just use acronyms or abbreviations) Original Start Date and expected completion date If giving prior credit, SAP from previous school ISIR
New Student (Cont.) Verification forms (if selected for verification) Results of verification (Accurate, Within Tolerance) Documentation if using Professional Judgment Calculation of Pell amount (comparison of hours and weeks) COA Student Budget
New Student (Cont.) Award Letter SAP (grades, pace of progress) at end of each Pell payment period Copies of SAP Warning Letter or Probation Letter to student (depending on your policy) Attendance (for disbursement purposes: to prove student has completed all hours in previous payment period)
New Student (Cont.) Written authorization from student if you allow student to charge books, supplies, tools, uniforms, etc. to their Title IV aid. Proof that you notified student of date and place to pick up Title IV refund (i.e. Federal Pell Grant check) or notification of date it was deposited into student’s account Notification of Funds received from outside sources (agencies, tribes, etc.)
New Student (Cont.) Copies of completed forms sent to agencies or tribes Student Loan Deferment Forms sent to lenders Copy of Financial Aid Shopping Sheet (if student receives VA educational benefits) Copies of approved Leave of Absence requests (if policy allows for LOA) Return of Title IV Funds calculation if student withdrew.
Returning Student In addition to above: Previous hours in same career major Original start date, start date for current academic year, and expected completion date SAP if previously in career major (even if it was in high school)
Optional Calendar for that career major Copies (signed by student) of Pell check, date-stamped so we know when they picked up Pell check (this is really the responsibility of the bursar, but I keep a copy in the student’s file in case I need to know when a student received a check). Origination and Disbursement Record (printed from EDExpress)