The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Renewal FAFSA can be completed online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
We also ask that you complete the Lawrence University Named Scholarship Form.
STEP - Processing Your ApplicationOnce the LU Office of Financial Aid has received the electronic results of your FAFSA application, your file will be reviewed and a financial aid package determined.
Please Note: If the Department of Education has selected your application for verification (as can be seen by an asterisk* next to your EFC on the front page of your Student Aid Report), the LU Office of Financial Aid will request certain tax documents. This will include signed copies of both your and your parent(s) 2007 federal tax returns and W-2 forms as well as a signed and completed Dependent Verification Worksheet.
Independent students selected for verification will need to submit signed copies of their 2007 federal tax returns (and spouse, if applicable) as well as a signed and completed Independent Verification Worksheet.
Once all necessary documents have been received and verified, a financial aid package for you will be determined.
STEP 3 - Receiving Your Financial Aid Award Package
The Office of Financial Aid will send students an email when their financial aid award is ready to view on Voyager. Paper award letters will not be sent. Students are responsible for reading and understanding all Terms and Conditions of the awards.
Some types of aid (i.e., loans and work) must be accepted (in full or part) or declined. This can also be done through Voyager.
If you have not previously borrowed a Federal Direct Stafford Loan, you must electronically sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) at http://dlenote.ed.gov/ using the PIN number you received from the Department of Education. If you do not have your pin number, you can request a new or duplicate one at http://www.pin.ed.gov. First time Stafford Loan borrowers must also complete Direct Loan entrance counseling at http://lo-online.ed.gov/entrance_counseling/.
First time Perkins Loan borrowers will be required to sign a paper promissory note when they return to campus in the fall. Perkins Promissory Notes are signed in the LU Business Office.
In addition, a parent may borrow a Federal PLUS Loan on behalf of a dependent student for the student's educational expenses. For information or to apply, please visit our financing options page.
Avoid the most frequent obstacles that can hold up financial aid processing.
File the FAFSA by the priority deadline. For the 2008-09 academic year, the LU priority deadline is April 1, 2008. If you have not completed your FAFSA by this date, you may not receive all of the aid for which you are eligible.
Use the Personal Identification Number (PIN) to electronically sign your FAFSA on the Web. If you do not use a PIN, after completing the FAFSA online you must print and mail your completed signature page to the federal processor.
You and a parent should obtain a PIN to expedite the filing process.
Enter the correct school code (003856) and name for Lawrence University on the FAFSA. This allows the federal aid processor to send your FAFSA results to LU.
Check your Voyager account on a regular basis to stay apprised of your financial aid status. You will be able to view document requirements and link to missing documents through the Financial Aid menu.
Resolve any financial aid holds or requests for information. Not responding to the Office of Financial Aid's request for additional documentation or information can delay the processing of your financial aid award package. If you have not received notice of a financial aid award by mid June and you filed your FAFSA by the April 1st deadline, you should check with the Office of Financial Aid to find out whether or not you may have missed a request for additional information.
Our main form of communication will be email! This means that you can expect to receive financial aid information and notices via email from our office. Most importantly, all emails will be sent to your Lawrence University email account. If your LU email address is NOT your main email account, please be sure to forward your LU address to your preferred email address. This can be done online at the LU Computer Services web page. Remember, it is your responsibility to make sure that you check your email regularly.
Register for full time credit hours each term. Full time is at least 15 units per term. If you know you will have less than a full time course load for a term, alert the Office of Financial Aid so that you will know how much aid you can retain as a part-time student.