Home > Prospective Students > Financial Aid > Applying For Aid

In order to apply for financial aid at UNH Manchester students must complete the 2008-2009 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must reapply for financial aid each academic year by completing a new FAFSA. You can request a paper copy of the FAFSA from the UNH Manchester Financial Aid Office or you can apply on-line. If you have completed a FAFSA in prior academic years, you may receive a Paper Renewal FAFSA from the Federal Processor or an email reminder including your PIN number to file.

The FAFSA asks for information regarding the student and the student's parents' financial situation, if the student is considered dependent as established by the FAFSA. In order to be considered an independent student for financial aid purposes, at least one of the following must be true for the student:

• Born before January 1, 1985
• Married
• Enrolled in a Master's or doctorate program during the 2008-2009 academic year
• A parent providing more than half of their children's support
• Have dependents (other than children or spouse) who live with the student and receive more than half their support from the student now and through June 30, 2009
• An orphan or ward of the court (or were a ward of the court until the age of 18)
• A Veteran of the US Armed Forces

If none of the above apply, however, you feel you have extenuating circumstances, you may file a Dependency Exception Request form with the UNH Manchester Financial Aid Office.

In order to complete the FAFSA, you need to have a copy of your 2007 tax return(s) and your parents' if applicable. While it is better to have completed your taxes prior to completing the FAFSA, you can file estimated information and then correct the FAFSA once you have filed our tax return. Also, it is recommended that you keep a copy of your tax return for your records in the event that the school requests additional documentation in order to award financial aid.

If you file your FAFSA online electronically, you will be notified via email when your SAR is available for viewing at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The link to your SAR is only available for a short time; therefore, it is recommended that you print a copy of your SAR for your records. The SAR contains all the information you provided to the Federal Processor. It is important to review your SAR for accuracy. If you notice an error, a correction can be filed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Your SAR will indicate your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC is determined by a formula established by the US Congress. Your EFC represents the amount of money that the government fees that you (and your parents, if applicable) can contribute towards your education. **IMPORTANT - This is not the amount of money that you will be required to contribute towards your education, but rather a means for the Financial Aid Office to determine your family's level of financial need.

In order to determine financial need, the Financial Aid Office will subtract your EFC from the UNH Manchester Cost of Attendance (COA). The COA is a predetermined amount that includes expenses such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board, transportation and miscellaneous expenses.

Financial Need Calculation

Cost of Attendance - EFC = Financial Need

Once financial need is determined by the Financial Aid Office will assist the student in filling that financial need with various types of financial aid.

If the student has no financial need, they may still qualify for a low interest unsubsidized Stafford loan.

Students who are selected for a random process called "verification" by the Federal Processor must submit copies of tax returns which were used to complete the FAFSA as well as, depending on your dependency status, either the Independent Federal Verification Form or the Dependent Federal Verification Form to the UNH Manchester Financial Aid Office before we can determine your financial aid eligibility.

Students will receive an award letter from UNH Manchester indicating the types of aid that they qualify for as soon as they have completed the financial aid process and have been accepted in to a degree program. The student may accept all, none or a portion of the aid that is awarded to them.

If you believe you have unusual family circumstance that is not reflected on the FAFSA, you may complete and submit the Special Circumstance Form to the UNH Manchester Financial Aid Office.

If you have questions about the financial aid application and award process or about your award, please contact the Financial Aid Office.