Frequently Asked Questions
Student Accounts
Financial Aid
Do I need to complete the FAFSA every year?
Yes, you must complete the FAFSA every year you wish to receive federal or state financial aid. The FAFSA information is valid for the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters of that specific academic year. For example, the 11/12 FAFSA is valid for Fall 11, Spring 12 and Summer 12. It is from the FAFSA that PLNU is able to calculate the amount of your financial need.
Should I use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool?
Importing your income information from the IRS directly into your FAFSA allows for the most accurate information to be submitted. If selected for verification, this should greatly reduce the amount of time and effort needed to complete requirements for financial aid awarding and processing. If you are just filing your FAFSA, review these instructions for using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. If you are going back to correct your FAFSA, review these instructions for updating your FAFSA with the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
How do I order a tax transcript?
Tax transcripts are ordered from the IRS. Review these instructions for ordering a tax transcript from the IRS.
What is the school code?
PLNU's school code is 001262
What is "financial need"?
Financial Need is defined as the difference between your Cost of Education (COE) for the academic year and the “Expected Family Contribution” (EFC). COE is the sum of tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and miscellaneous costs. Your expense budget is calculated using tuition and fees and the California Student Aid Commission 9-month Student Expense Budgets for the current academic year. The “Expected Family Contribution” is calculated by the Department of Education using the information you submitted on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Generally, not all of your "financial need' will be met by Financial Aid.
What if my family's financial situation has changed since we filed the FAFSA?
Federal law allows PLNU to consider any significant change to a student's financial circumstances. A formal appeal process is available to students and parents but we recommend that you contact the SFS office to speak to an advisor first.
How many units do I need to be enrolled in to receive financial aid?
To receive your full financial aid awarded you must be enrolled in 12 units or more at PLNU each semester. To receive Federal and State aid (including student loans), you must be enrolled in at least 6 units. Aid may be prorated for certain awards.
The enrollment status breaks down as follows:
| Enrollment status | Full-time | 3/4 Time | 1/2 Time | Less than 1/2 time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of units | 12+ | 9-11 | 6-8 | Less than 6 |
What happens if I drop a class while receiving financial aid?
Dropping units may result in cancellations or reductions of previously awarded financial aid. Consult with your SFS Advisor to discuss how dropping units may impact your billing and financial aid award.
My parents don't support me, so I want to be independent. How can I be considered independent?
A student is considered independent for financial aid purposes, if the student can answer “Yes” to any of the criteria listed below. The student will not have to provide parent Information, but PLNU may ask for supporting documentation to verify independent status. If the student can answer "Yes" to multiple criteria, documentation is only required for one. The criteria and the necessary documentation is provided below:
- Are you 24 years old or older?- No documentation necessary unless there is a discrepancy
- Married? - No documentation necessary unless there is a discrepancy
- Working on Master's/Doctoral Program? - Post-Baccalaureate determination
- Active Duty Military? - Current Military ID card
- Veteran of U.S. Armed Forces? - Form DD214 or Veteran Certification
- Children you Support? - If discrepancy, Clarification of Household Size Form
- Dependents other than Child/Spouse? - If discrepancy, Clarification of Household Size Form
- Orphan/Ward of Court/Foster Child? - Death Certificate(s) or Ward of Court/Foster Care Documentation
- Emancipated Minor? - Emancipated Minor Court Documentation
- Legal Guardianship? - Legal Guardianship Court Documentation
- Homeless Determined by School? - High School or School District Determination Letter
- Homeless Determined by HUD Shelter? - HUD Shelter Program Determination Letter
- At Risk for Homelessness? - Runaway/Homeless Youth Program Determination
I don't fall under the independent criteria listed above. How can I be considered independent?
You can request an independent status appeal for us to review your circumstances. Just because your parents will not pay for college or they consider you independent because you are 18 years old does not mean you are automatically independent. Most appeals for independence involve some type of adverse home situation like abuse, parent's in jail, etc.
When do I get my money?
The disbursement date for all aid awarded occurs after the first two weeks of each semester.
What if there is money left on my account after my bill is paid?
If there is a credit balance on your account after your bill has been paid, you have three basic options:
- Return the extra funds back to the Department of Education, reducing your loan debt and the amount of interest you will owe. (To return the funds to your lender, either send an email to student financial services at sfs@pointloma.edu or submit a Loan Adjustment Form).
- Leave the credit balance on your account to help pay next semester’s bill. However, if your credit balance is caused by federal student aid, we are required to refund you within 14 days of the disbursement.
- Request a check for the credit balance, or any portion of it. To request a check, simply send an email to our office at sfs@pointloma.edu. Refund checks cannot be issued until all aid has been posted to the student account.
Students are able to access any available credit showing on the student account, even if the credit was created by a parent payment or a parent PLUS loan.
*Note that we will not issue a refund check if a TMS contract is still in effect.
Why are the disbursement dates so late in the semester?
Providing accurate and timely financial aid is important to our department. We verify that all application steps have been completed and that you are enrolled in the correct number of units before disbursing aid to your student account, to ensure that your financial aid awards are accurate and will not result in lost aid.
How do I get money for books?
Students are not able to access funds on their student account until all aid has posted and a credit balance exists. Financial Aid is not posted until the third week of each semester. However, if a student's pending financial aid is greater than the charges on the account, we can offer up to $600 as a book money advance, once the semester has begun.
During the first two weeks of school, students who will have a credit balance on their account can see a Student Financial Services Advisor for a cash advance of up to $400 (or the amount of the credit expected, whichever is lesser).
How does Federal Work Study work?
Read about Federal Work Study here.
What is a dislocated worker?
If you checked the box that you are a dislocated worker on the FAFSA (Q85 or Q103), you may be required by PLNU to submit documentation of your status. A person may be considered a "Dislocated Worker" if he/she:
- is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing a job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation.
- has been laid off or received a lay-off notice from a job.
- was self-employed but is now unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster.
- is a "displaced homemaker", a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family (e.g. a stay-at-home mom or dad), is no longer supported by the husband or wife, is unemployed or underemployed, and is having trouble finding or upgrading employment.
The parent or student may be required to submit proof of dislocated worker eligibility prior to being packaged for financial aid. Proof may be the one of the following:
- a termination letter or layoff notice
- a final pay check stub
- a current unemployment benefits statement
- a divorce decree for displace homemaker
- a death certificate for a widow or widower
- a business statement or dissolution statement for self employed.
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