Applying for Financial Aid
Step 1: Submit Application
Submitting an application for financial aid is easy. Holy Cross College only requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) be completed to be considered for financial aid. You have to be a United States citizen or permanent resident to apply.
Aid applicants are strongly encouraged to complete their aid application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Online applications are more accurate and are processed faster than paper applications. Please complete the 2008-2009 FAFSA for the 2008-2009 school year.
Aid applications are not considered complete until either signature pages are received by the government processing center, or Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) are used to sign the application electroncially online. Applications for dependent students must have both a parent and student's signature. Students considered independent need only to ensure they sign the aid application.
Priority processing deadline for aid applications for the following award year is March 1st. Failure to submit aid applications by that date will result in processing delays. Indiana residents must note that their aid application must be received by the government no later than March 10th to be considered for state grants for the following award year.
Step 2: Submit Verification Documents
Beginning with 2007-2008 FAFSA's, only aid applications demonstrating need must be verified. All other aid applications will receive an award letter within 1 to 2 weeks of Holy Cross College receiving a complete FAFSA that is ready for award processing. Award letters will be mailed out starting March 1, 2008.
After the aid application is received by Holy Cross College, you will receive a letter from Holy Cross requesting certain documents to verify your aid application. Holy Cross College policy requires all aid applicants demonstrating need to submit documentation for verification purposes. The goal of this policy is to ensure accuracy and fairness in the aid process from both the perspective of Holy Cross and its students. Failure to submit verification documents in a timely manner will lead to application processing delays. The documents required are listed below.
- A signed verification worksheet completed in full (a parent's signature is also required for dependent students).
- Signed copies of your 2007 Federal 1040 tax form (ie. 2007 tax return for 08-09 aid applications).
- Signed copies of your parent's 2007 Federal 1040 tax form (dependent students only).
- W-2's for yourself for 2007.
- W-2's for your parent's for 2007 (dependent students only).
Step 3: Receive Award Letter
An award letter will be sent to you once all requested and necessary documents to process your aid appliction have been received by Holy Cross College. The award letter details by term the types and amount of aid you are eligible to receive at Holy Cross College. Please review the award letter carefully. Further paperwork is usually required to take advantage of self-help aid (ie. work study, and most types of loans). Common additional paperwork is listed below. Remember, you are not necessarily done completing aid paperwork after receiving your award letter.
- Work study paperwork (ie. payroll forms).
- Request forms for loans (where applicable).
- Master promissory notes for loans, especially if you are a new student or changing lenders.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the Financial Aid Office.