Apply for Financial Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

You must complete the FAFSA every year. This can be done online or by paper. Be sure to consult our FAFSA Tips and know When to Apply before you begin.

In order to complete the online application, you must first have an FSA ID: one for the student and one for the parent. Apply online for a FSA ID. The FSA ID serves as an electronic signature. This is the only application needed to apply for aid at Kutztown University. By listing Kutztown University as a school of choice (KU's federal school code is 003322), the FAFSA data is electronically transmitted to us.

The priority filing deadline to be considered for KU need-based scholarships and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is February 15. Do not wait until you have received acceptance of admission to file your FAFSA. If you will not attend your first choice school, you can easily have your information released to another school. File the FAFSA by the earliest filing deadline for all the schools you are considering to attend.

Already Completed a FAFSA in the Last Year?

Student Aid Report (SAR)
You will receive a paper SAR in the mail four to six weeks after filing the paper FAFSA. You may also access your SAR online if you have an FSA ID. Read the SAR and make any corrections necessary.

Master Promissory Note for Stafford Loan
The Financial Aid Office will process a Stafford loan for you. Since the FAFSA no longer asks if you are interested in a student loan, the Financial Aid Office must make some assumptions. The Financial Aid Office assumes that you want the most aid you could possibly receive, which would include a loan. If you do not want a loan or you want a lesser amount, you can print out the Loan Change Form from the Financial Aid Office's website's "forms" link and tell us what to do. If you plan to accept the loan in any amount, you will need to do entrance counseling and electronically sign the Master Promissory Note at studentloans.gov.

Parent PLUS Loan
A parent can apply online for a Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Student (PLUS) at the StudentLoans.gov website.

  • Related Link: Other Types of Aid

Financial Aid Offer
An email showing estimated financial aid is sent in early spring to incoming freshmen and transfer students.

The notice of awards is always an estimate of financial aid and is subject to change pending completion of review of tax returns, review of financial aid progress and other issues. If the aid is adjusted, changes will be reflected online. Students are encouraged to notify the Financial Aid Office if any scholarships are not listed or if the student declines any of the aid offered.

Verification
Some files will be selected for a process called verification. The Financial Aid office must collect IRS federal tax return transcripts of the parent and student and compare this information to the line items reported on the FAFSA. It is important to respond promptly to any requests for information, as aid cannot be disbursed until the verification is complete. Due to the volume of materials to be reviewed, it is not unusual, especially during the summer, to experience a turnaround of several weeks in the review of submitted documents. The Financial Aid Office can no longer accept a photocopy or fax of federal tax returns. Only tax return transcripts from the IRS are acceptable.