Financial aid is monetary assistance to help a student cover the cost of a college education. It is intended to supplement the family contribution and includes gift aid (scholarships and grants), low-interest loans and part-time employment.

The primary purpose of financial aid is to provide assistance to students who otherwise would be unable to pursue their education. The basic premise of financial aid programs is that the primary responsibility for meeting college costs lies with the student and parents. The Financial Aid Office provides aid when the family is unable to meet the cost of attendance.

In order to apply for aid at JFK Muhlenberg Snyder Schools you only need to submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can do this at www.studentaid.gov. Our school code is 006421.

In order to receive financial aid an undergraduate student must meet each of the following conditions:

• The applicant must be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • U.S. national (includes natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island)
  • U.S. Permanent resident who has an I-151, I-155 or I-155C (Alien Registration Card)
• The applicant must be accepted for admission to JFK Muhlenberg Snyder Schools in an eligible program.
• The applicant must have demonstrated financial need according to the needs analysis procedures, for some loan programs.
• The applicant must be registered with the Selective Service if you are a male 18 to 25 years of age.

To determine a student's eligibility for financial aid, we calculate a student's demonstrated financial need. Need is the difference between the cost of education and what the students and parents might reasonably be expected to contribute to meet college costs. These contributions are determined by using the Federal Methodology as administered by the U.S. Department of Education.

Refer to www.studentaid.gov for more information.

The expected parental and student contributions are calculated based on the financial information provided by the parents and student on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Aid) and a Federal Income Tax Return. The analysis system attempts to judge how much a family can realistically afford to contribute, not how much they will pay. The system is concerned with objective facts of a family's financial position and not with the family's financial practices. The analysis procedure is used to determine an expected family contribution based not only upon income, but upon a variety of other variables as well: family size, number of family members attending college, taxes paid, investments, and so forth.

Students who are in default on long-term loans (Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Family Educational Loans or Direct loans) received from any postsecondary institution will not be considered for federal financial aid at JFK Muhlenberg Snyder Schools until their default status is cleared.

In December 2011, President Obama signed into law the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2012 (Public Law 112-74). This law has significantly impacted the Pell Grant Program. Beginning in Fall 2012, students are now limited to 12 semesters (or 600%) of Pell Grant eligibility during their lifetime. This change affects all students regardless of when or where they received their first Pell Grant.

Whether you have used all of your Pell Grant eligibility or only half, please be conscious about the lifetime limit of the Pell Grant scheduling classes.

You may view your percentage of Pell Grant used by logging into nsldsfap.ed.gov/login. Your 'Lifetime Eligibility Used' percentage will be displayed in the 'Grants' section.

The financial aid award that is offered by JFK Muhlenberg Snyder Schools is the total financial aid offer. You may choose to accept all the financial aid offered or you may choose to accept only certain individual financial aid components, such as loans or grants.

JFK Muhlenberg Snyder Schools annually receive scholarship monies from private donors. Scholarships are gift monies and do not have to be paid back. Usually the scholarships are need-based, however, students who demonstrate academic excellence are highly considered. Documented need is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

You will need to send a written request to increase or decrease your loan amount(s). This can be done electronically via email.

E-mail is our primary method of communication for all students.

Students must meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) guidelines. Detailed information can be found in our Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

If you receive financial aid and are thinking about withdrawing from school completely, you need to be aware that there may be consequences including academic and financial consequences. (See: Treatment of Federal Financial Aid Funds and Consequences of Withdrawing from Classes)

To check the status of your application, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED AID (1-800-433-3243).

The federal government has changed regulations concerning the type of forms that are acceptable for Federal verification. Schools can no longer accept copies of the 1040 to complete this process. There are 2 ways to confirm income tax data:

1. Transfer tax information by using the Data Retrieval process on the FAFSA. This will link you to the IRS and allow you to transfer income information into the FAFSA.
2. Request a IRS Tax transcript from the IRS. Go to www.irs.gov and click on the "Order a Return or Account Transcript" link, or call 1-800-908-9946. Make sure to request the "IRS tax return transcript" and not the "IRS tax account transcript." You will need your Social Security Number, date of birth and the address on file with the IRS. Once you receive the transcript, attach the verification worksheet and submit it to the office for processing.