Financial Aid Offer Guide

We Are Here to Help

We’re excited that you have selected Hawkeye as the next step in your education. We are here to assist you with any questions you have about the financial aid process, paying for college, and connect federal, state, and institutional aid opportunities to your financial needs. We also provide guidance on budgeting resources, loan management, scholarship searches and applications, financial literacy, financial aid and private loan counseling, and FAFSA assistance.

Bridging the Gap

Financial aid programs are designed to assist students with bridging the gap between the cost of attendance and expected family contributions as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Our goal is to make it financially possible for all qualified students to attend Hawkeye. See Types of Aid for more information on the various types of financial aid that can help you pay for your education.

About Your Offer

Many factors go into planning how to finance your education. Your offer is based on the results of your FAFSA and your current enrollment (if enrolled) or estimated full-time enrollment.

Your financial aid offer and cost of attendance breakdown are not set in stone and do not constitute your official bill. They are designed as budgetary guidelines, intended to inform you of what to expect and help you shape your financial plans for college.

Your offer may also include funds from other sources, such as scholarships or outside agencies.

The Business Office will notify the Financial Aid office as outside funds are received. These funds will become part of your offer and may affect current awards.

If you feel you need additional funds beyond what your offer provides, please review alternative funding options. You can also call our office to speak with an advisor.

Offer Notification

• Prospective Students: Official notifications related to your financial aid, including changes to your offer letter, will be sent to the email address used to complete your FAFSA.

• Accepted Students: Official notifications related to your financial aid will be sent to your Hawkeye email address, with some information posted directly to your My Hawkeye account under WebAdvisor for Students > Financial Aid Services.

Accepting Your Offer

You must complete the “Next Steps” listed on your offer for financial aid to be applied to your account.

After you complete those steps, your “anticipated aid” will be displayed on your My Hawkeye Billing and Payment Account Summary after you have registered for classes.

You are responsible for paying any difference between your bill and the anticipated aid.

Loan Checklist

Any outstanding loan requirements will be listed on your Self Service Checklist in My Hawkeye. If you decline loans, there will be no further items to complete on that list.

You must be enrolled in at least six credit hours and attending at the time of disbursement to receive loan funds.

Eligibility Requirements

Official Transcripts

In order to be eligible for federal and state financial aid, you must have a high school diploma or a High School Equivalency Diploma (HSED), and Hawkeye must have an official final transcript on file.

Tentative eligibility may be determined prior to the receipt of your official final transcript, but no financial aid funds may be applied to your student account until this information is received.

If you are currently a high school student, have your high school send an official copy of your transcript after you graduate.

Enrolled Credit Hours

You will need to be enrolled in at least six credit hours and attending at the time of disbursement to receive the loan funds.

If your loans are cancelled or denied due to being registered for less than six credits, and you wish to receive your Federal Direct Loans, you must complete a Loan Change Request Form in the Financial Aid office to reinstate your loans after you have registered for six or more credits.

If you plan to enroll part-time (less than 12 credit hours), your grants will be prorated accordingly.

Financial Aid Lock Date

The financial aid lock date is 14 days into each term (7 days in summer term). After this, financial aid is locked and grants will not increase even if classes are added. See Financial Aid Award Disbursement for more information.

State Grants and Scholarships

Eligibility for state grants and scholarships, including the Last-Dollar Scholarship, may be determined separately.

If eligibility changes due to enrollment level, program change or state legislature, you may receive a separate notification regarding these funds.

In the event that available state funds are insufficient to pay the full amount of each approved state grant, the Iowa College Student Aid Commission has the authority to administratively reduce the award.

See State of Iowa Grants and Scholarships for more information.

Last-Dollar Scholarship

Last-Dollar Scholarship recipients must remain enrolled in specific career or technical programs and meet criteria set forth by the Iowa College Student Aid Commission.

Students must be enrolled in and complete a minimum number of credits each term (12 credits/term for direct from high school students, and 6 credits/term for adult students).

Students are also encouraged to participate in a volunteer mentor program.

Eligibility will be monitored and adjusted throughout each term.

See Future Ready Iowa Last-Dollar Scholarship for more information.

Attendance

Your financial aid offer will be applied to your account only after your attendance has been reported. Instructors typically start reporting attendance one week after the class starts. You will be notified by email if, after attendance is reported, your awards are adjusted. If you enroll in a late-start class, your award will be applied approximately 2–3 weeks after attendance has been reported.

First-year students borrowing for the first time must establish 30 days of attendance before financial aid is applied to their bills and any excess funds are disbursed.

Summer Term

Summer financial aid is awarded separately as its own term. If all of your eligibility is used between fall and spring term, you may not have any remaining funds available for the summer term. You will need to make sure you budget accordingly. If you want to use (save) financial aid for your summer coursework, contact the Financial Aid office as soon as possible.

Costs

Cost of Attendance

Tuition will likely make up the bulk of your college expenses; however, other costs are part of your “Cost of Attendance.” This includes an estimate of other expenses you may incur during a year of college, like housing and food, books, personal expenses, etc. This estimate will give you a more accurate picture of the financial impact from attending college. See Paying for College, Estimated Cost of Attending for a breakdown of Hawkeye’s estimated cost of attendance.

Direct Costs

Direct costs are charges that appear on your official college bill, including tuition and required fees. Books, library and parking fines, and other charges may be added to your account later in the term, if applicable. Your bill can be viewed in My Hawkeye under the Self-Service Menu > WebAdvisor for Students > Billing and Payment.

Indirect Costs

Indirect costs are the additional expenses you encounter as a student that do not show up on your college bill. Indirect costs include athletic fees, housing, transportation, food, books not charged to the Hawkeye bookstore, and personal expenses. You are expected to pay these out of pocket, rather than through the college.

Your Student Account / Paying Your Bill

Viewing Your Bill or Credit Balance

To view your bill or the amount of your credit balance, go to My Hawkeye > WebAdvisor for Students > Billing and Payment > View Account and Make Payments. Hover over Student Finance and select Account Activity.

Paying Your Bill

You are expected to pay your bill in full every term. You are responsible for paying any remaining balance after financial aid is applied. You can pay this by one lump sum, or set up monthly installments.

Payments can be made by phone, mail, or in person at the Business Office in Hawkeye Center or online via My Hawkeye. Students can also set up payment plans with eCashier.

See Paying for College > Paying Your Bill for more information.

Consent to Pay

Each academic year, prior to the disbursement of Title IV (financial aid) funds, you will be asked to provide electronic consent for the Business Office to use your financial aid funds to pay all of your institutional charges. Institutional charges include, but are not limited to, tuition and fees, textbooks, and institutional fines. Also included are developmental courses, repeated coursework, and courses that you may choose to enroll in that do not pertain to your program of study and for which financial aid funds were not awarded.

Loan Disbursement

All federal student loans are required to have two disbursements. One term loans are split in two equal installments during the one term. The second disbursement will occur no earlier than the midpoint of the term and after you have been reported as still attending. For short classes that occur at the beginning of the term, the second disbursement may occur after classes are over.

Credit Balances

Credit balances will be sent to you after your Hawkeye bill is paid. If your financial aid is $4,500, but your bill is $2,000, you will receive the credit balance of $2,500.

Direct Deposit

Direct deposit is strongly encouraged to ensure you receive your credit balance quickly and securely. If no direct deposit information is entered, a check will be placed in the mail. To set up direct deposit with the Business Office, go to My Hawkeye > WebAdvisor for Students > Billing and Payment > Direct Deposit Student Refunds.

Additional Information

Online Account Access: My Hawkeye

My Hawkeye is your one-stop shop for financial aid information, including your offer status, additional steps you may need to take, and important financial aid forms. Hawkeye is an electronic campus and you will be prompted to accept this the first time you log in to My Hawkeye. If you do not accept, please see the Financial Aid office immediately.

You can find your financial aid information under WebAdvisor for Students > Financial Aid Services. This section includes:

• Financial aid awards
• Pending information needed
• Accept/Reject Federal Loans
• Financial aid status by term
• Links to financial aid forms, important websites, and the FERPA consent form
• Satisfactory Academic Progress status and information
• Loan history and Pell lifetime eligibility
• College Financing Plan

Communication from Financial Aid

Check your Hawkeye email regularly for:

• Requests for missing information/documents needed
• Financial aid offer notifications
• Changes to your award
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) results
• Consortium arrangements

Financial Aid Handbook

Additional information about financial aid at Hawkeye can be found in the Financial Aid Handbook.

Financial Aid Dates and Deadlines

See Financial Aid Dates and Deadlines for a list of important dates and deadlines related to your financial aid.