Financial Aid Eligibility
The U.S. Department of Education drives eligibility for the majority of financial aid programs in the United States. To receive Federal Financial Aid, you must:
- be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident. Students studying in the U.S. on a visa are typically not eligible for financial assistance.
- be admitted to a Southern New Hampshire University degree or approved certificate program, effective the term in which you receive aid;
- comply with Selective Service registration requirements. If you are a male student at least 18 years old born after December 31, 1959, you must have selective service registration;
- have not convicted of a drug offense that occurred while you were receiving federal student ad (eligibility is suspended for a time period)
- if requested by the department of education on SNHU, comply with the Federal Verification program
- not be in default on any Federal student loan or owe a refund on a Federal student grant
- provide information to resolve any conflicts and discrepancies identified by the Department of Education through their communication with the Social Security Administration, Homeland Security, or the National Student Loan Database, commonly known as a "C-Flag".
- meet financial aid satisfactory academic progress
Appeal of Financial Aid award
The Office of Financial Aid awards its ‘best offer’ based on the information received from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students and parents may request an appeal of the student’s financial aid award if there has been extenuating circumstances resulting in a significant change (10% or more) to the total family income since the previous year’s income as reported on the FAFSA. Students/families must meet one of the criteria for extenuating circumstances as outlined below in order to be considered for a review. Home repairs, car repairs, credit card debt, weddings, and/or other life expenses will not be considered as unusual expenses for an appeal.
- Unusual medical or dental expenses, not covered by insurance. (Prescription and doctor’s office co-pays, routine eye and dental exams will not be considered as unusual expenses for appeals).
- A parent, student or student’s spouse has had a significant loss of income in 2008 or 2009 due to a period of unemployment, change of jobs, death in the family, non-reoccurring income (i.e., loss of IRA or other pension distributions), divorce or separation, or going from full-time to part-time employment).
Our Financial Aid counselors are very sympathetic to the challenges of paying for college. The Office of Financial Aid at Southern New Hampshire University takes pride in partnering with families to identify the best resources available to invest in your student’s education. There are loan options such as the federal PLUS (parent) loan as well as alternative loans available to assist with any additional funding. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to discuss these options with one of the counselors.