Letter from Director of Student Financial Services Sandra Turnquist
March 5, 2018Below is a letter from Director of Student Financial Services Sandra Turnquist to parents and families of students. It was sent in the March Parents and Family E-mail newsletter. To subscribe visit the Parents & Family page.
Greetings Finlandia Family Members,
I hope your winter is going wonderful wherever it is you call home. We’ve had a wonderful start to our spring semester as we’re enjoying another beautiful winter. Hopefully your student is enjoying this peaceful week off for Spring Break.
I want to let you know that it’s an important time for you to make sure you cross your t’s and dot your i’s with the FAFSA! For those of you interested in utilizing federal financial aid, this needs to be completed each and every year. The form is available now to be filled out. Make sure you take care of this at your earliest convenience, as it will make things easier as you and your student begin to plan for the next academic year.
Below is some general information about the FAFSA. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or someone else in my office if you have any questions about the FAFSA or Financial Aid as a whole. You can also find more information on our FAFSA Guide.
WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE FAFSA?
Students seeking financial aid must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA application is available from high school guidance offices, the Finlandia University Office of Financial Aid or the FAFSA application can be completed on-line at fafsa.gov. Federal and state financial aid programs also use information provided by the FAFSA.
HOW OFTEN DO I FILE THE FAFSA?
The FAFSA must be completed yearly and should be submitted as soon after October 1 as possible for the next academic year.
DO I NEED TO NOTE FINLANDIA UNIVERSITY ON MY APPLICATION?
If you or your student plans to attend FinnU, Finlandia University must be listed on the FAFSA using Federal School Code 002322. To be considered for state aid, Finlandia University must be listed first on the FAFSA. Audit students and dual-enrolled students are not eligible for federal or state financial aid.
NEED ANALYSIS
With a formula established by the United States Congress, FAFSA information is used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) toward the student’s education. A Student Aid Report (SAR) is mailed to the student and the schools listed on the FAFSA. The EFC is used by the university to calculate the student’s financial need to cover cost of attendance (tuition, housing, meals, books).
CALCULATION AND NOTIFICATION OF FINANCIAL AID AWARDS
After the student’s financial need is determined, the financial award is calculated. The Office of Financial Aid notifies the student of the types and amounts of financial aid the student is eligible to receive. Students must review this information carefully. In both the state and federal programs there are numerous differences among scholarships, grants, employment, and loans.
As always, if you have any questions about the FAFSA, Financial Aid, Billing or anything else, do not hesitate to reach out to me. I’m more than happy to help you in whatever way I possible can.
Sandra Turnquist
Director of Student Financial Services
sandra.turnquist@finlandia.edu
(906) 487-7240