The first step in the financial aid process is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA is used to determine a student’s eligibility for institutional, state, and federal student aid. Without completing a FAFSA, Upper Iowa University has no way of determining your eligibility for financial aid. When completing your FAFSA be sure to enter our school code 001893.
Financial Aid is given on an annual basis. Students must complete the FAFSA each academic year.
When you initially begin the online application process, you will need to request a 4-digit PIN (personal identification number) at www.pin.ed.gov. The PIN will be used to electronically sign your FAFSA. You will need to keep track of your PIN as it will be used throughout the financial aid process when electronically signing information.
It is also recommended that parents of dependent students request a PIN number of their own. The parent’s PIN will be used to electronically sign information for the dependent student.
Do I need to include my parent’s information on the FAFSA?
In order to apply as independent, you would have to comply with any one of the dependency standards set by the U.S. Department of Education:
- be at least 24 years old
- be working on a master's or doctorate program (such as MA, MBA, MD, JD, or Ph.D., etc.) during the school year that you are applying for
- veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
- have children who receive more than half of their support from you
- have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30 of the school year that you are applying for
- orphan or ward of the court or you were a ward of the court until age 18
- married
This is a Federal regulation that must be followed in order to determine your eligibility for Financial Aid. If a dependent student does not enter parental information on the FAFSA, the FAFSA will be considered incomplete and will not be fully processed. This will result in delays.
Upper Iowa University Acceptance
At the same time that you complete the FAFSA, if not before, you will want to contact the Upper Iowa University location that you plan to attend to begin the enrollment application process. Without an official acceptance as an Upper Iowa University student, you will not receive an award letter. An official acceptance is necessary to assist the Financial Aid Office in determining your grade level, cost of attendance, and other information.
