College is expensive Paying for it can be tough

We get it And we in the ETSU Office of Financial Aid want to help Over 89 percent of East Tennessee State University students use some form of financial aid from federal state or private sources to help with the costs associated with tuition fees housing books and other college expenses Our counselors are available to assist you in navigating the FAFSA process to secure financial aid funds for which you qualify

ldquoCollege can be an exciting experience but it can also be one of questions and confusion Thankfully the Office of Financial Aid with its flexible hours and availability of walk-in counselors has been able to assist me throughout my years at ETSU and made my time here that much more enjoyablerdquo

- Anthony Johnson

Apply now for the lottery scholarship program by completing the FAFSA Deadlines to have FAFSA processed for lottery

bull September 1 for Fall term

bull February 1 for Spring and Summer terms

bull June 30 ETSU deadline for lottery payments to be processedfor current aid year

Office of Financial Aid

wwwetsuedufinaid

finaidetsuedu | 423-439-4300 Burgin Dossett Hall Room 105 PO Box 70722 Johnson City TN 37614

Additional Resources

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) wwwfafsagov | 1-800-433-3243

Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation wwwtngovcollegepays | 1-800-342-1663

bull Lotterybull Scholarshipsbull Grantsbull TN ReConnectbull Loan Forgivenessbull Student Portalbull Financial Literacy

Direct Loan Program wwwstudentaidgov | 1-800-557-7394

National Student Loan Data System wwwnsldsedgov | 1-800-433-3243

ETSU Scholarship Office

PO Box 70557 Johnson City TN 37614-1707 wwwetsueduscholarships | 423-439-7094 scholarshipofficeetsuedu

East Tennessee State University does not discriminate against students employees or applicants for admission or employment on the basis of race color religion creed national origin sex sexual orientation gender identityexpression disability age status as a protected veteran genetic information or any other legally protected class with respect to all employment programs and activities sponsored by ETSU The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies Special Assistant to the President for Equity and Diversity Affirmative Action Director 206 Burgin Dossett Hall 423-439-4211 ETSUrsquos policy on non-discrimination can be found at httpwwwetsueduequitycomplianceaspx Designed by ETSU University Relations

FINANCIAL AID

-

STEPS TO FINANCIAL AID SUCCESS 1

2

3

4

APPLY Complete the FAFSA online (wwwfafsagov) as soon as possible after Oct 1 each year Use the IRS data retrieval tool if eligible to transfer income information to the FAFSA

VERIFY Read your Student Aid Report (SAR) sent to you by email from the US Department of Education Check your SAR for accuracy and read the ldquoCommentsrdquo section to see if your FAFSA was selected for verification

STATUS If your FAFSA was selected for verification (30-40 percent of all studentsrsquo FAFSAs are selected) log into your GoldLink account and click on the ldquoMy Financial Aidrdquo tab to view any Unsatisfied Requirements Contact our office or visit our website (wwwetsuedufinaid) for more information

AWARD Award notifications are sent to your ETSU email address Use the GoldLink Guide to Financial Aid (wwwetsuedufinaid goldlink_guidephp) to assist in completing the financial aid process Check your requirements regularly as new requirements may be added throughout the academic year

Listings of campus Federal Work Study (FWS) jobs and Academic Performance Scholarship (APS) service positions may be viewed online (httpsetsupwsetsueduFinAidJobs) Students enrolled in at least 6 credit hours who do not qualify for FWS or APS can look for Regular Student Work Program jobs on the same website NOTE FWS jobs are not guaranteed and are dependent upon funding

Loan Repayment Borrowing money for school can be intimidating because the bill always comes due But there are ways to make it a bit easier

bull Set and stick to a monthly budget (Eat in more eat out less)

bull Borrow only what you need for necessary educational expenses (No movie tickets or new video games)

5 NOTIFY THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID OF Any residency change (for tuition purposes) each school year (as determined by the Office of Admissions)

Any scholarships loans or assistance you expect to receive that are not listed on GoldLink

6 UPDATES Tennessee Residents Confirm that ETSU is your designated institution for any state grants or scholarships you expect to receive by logging into the Tennessee Student Assistance Corporation (TSAC) Student Portal online at httpsclipslinktsactngov studentsignon

All students planning to attend classes at ETSU must pay their fees in full or confirm registration on GoldLink by the Fee Payment Due Date for the term Students who fail to either pay their fees or confirm their registration on Goldlink will be dropped from classes

NOTE You will be required to repay any financial aid funds received in error andor over your budgeted cost of attendance

FAFSA TIPS bull Be sure to list ETSUrsquos school code 003487

bull Do not select the College of Medicine or College of Pharmacy unless this is where you will attend classes

bull Use the name printed on your Social Security card and correct date of birth and Social Security number

bull Follow the instructions carefully and review your information for accuracy before submitting

bull Do not pay money to file or receive help filing the FAFSA The application is free and the ETSU Office of Financial Aid will assist you for free if you have questions

View more online wwwetsuedufinaid

Visit Us Online Visit the ETSU Office of Financial Aid online at

wwwetsuedufinaid for helpful tips and information on money management and budgeting repayment options

avoiding default and more

IMPORTANT DATES October 1

Complete FAFSA as soon as possible with prior-year income and tax information Use IRS Data Retrieval Tool if eligible

November 1

Review your FAFSA results at wwwfafsagov If selected for verification review requirements onGoldLink and submit all requested documents toETSU Office of Financial Aid

February 1

Deadline to complete FAFSA for Tennessee Student Assistance Award Grant eligibility Also follow up on your financial aid status by checking your ETSU email the ldquoFinancial Aidrdquo tab on GoldLink or with the Office of Financial Aid

April 15

Priority date to have FAFSA filed verification complete all corrections made and file ready to awardfor Fall term

June 1

All awards on GoldLink must be accepted or declinedand all student requirements must be received andcomplete for aid to be ready for start of Fall term

July 1

Yes IT IS LATE If you are just now completing theFAFSA and wish to start school in the Fall you may need to be prepared to cover your educationalexpenses until the processing of your FAFSA has been completed by the ETSU Office of Financial Aid

August 1

Priority date to have FAFSA filed verifications complete all corrections made and file ready topackage for Spring term