ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø

October 1: FAFSA Opens — The is the main first step if you are seeking financial aid. By filing sooner rather than later, you may have more aid options available to you. Watch for an email to confirm your FAFSA has been received and processed successfully.

ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Residents: Don't forget to complete your ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø State Grant application by May 1. You will be directed to this application from your FAFSA.

Get Familiar with Your MyIUP Account — Check out , which is a portal to financial aid, checking your grades, and more.

Apply for scholarships — Apply using the IUP general scholarship application, and see tips on finding other scholarships and avoiding scams—you should never need to pay money in order to apply for a scholarship.

Your financial aid offer letter is sent — Please be sure to read the second page for your next steps.

Look over your financial aid offer — Make sure you understand the grants, scholarships, and loans you have been offered.

Financial aid offer letters are sent out on a weekly basis. It takes three to five business days for our office to receive your FAFSA information.

Check — Check for any incomplete financial aid requirements, such as signing your master promissory note, entrance counseling, and verification, which may impact your eligibility.

— If you haven't done so already, please remember to file your FAFSA. You'll receive a financial aid offer once it has been processed.

PA State Grant — Don't forget to do your PA State Grant application with your FAFSA by May 1.

PA State Grant — Watch for your PA State Grant offer letter (via email).

Verification — If you've been selected to verify your FAFSA information, you'll get a letter from our office explaining what is needed. You must return the required documents to receive your financial aid.

Check — Check for any incomplete financial aid requirements, such as signing your master promissory note, entrance counseling, and verification, which may impact your eligibility.

Tuition and Fee Cost Estimator — You can check the through the website or MyIUP. If you log in, you can use your personalized information to determine your cost after financial aid.

Record Release Authorization — Give your parent or guardian access to your financial aid account by granting access through under Personal Information.

• In the new MyIUP portal, log in to . Go to Discover and search for "records." On the My Student Information, Data, and Accounts card, select Record Release Authorization.

Complete Final Steps for Aid — If you haven't already done it, complete any steps, such the master promissory note and entrance counseling, for your loans. The loans won't be paid against your bill until you finish these steps.

Check — Check for any incomplete financial aid requirements, such as signing your master promissory note, entrance counseling, and verification, which may impact your eligibility.

If You Need Additional Aid — Look at your options for loans to cover your balance.

Use Refund for Books — If you have a pending refund (a negative balance due on your bill), you can apply the cost of your books at the towards your bill until the end of the drop/add period for classes.

Use Refund for Books — If you have a pending refund (a negative balance due on your bill), you can apply the cost of your books at the Co-op Store towards your bill until the end of the drop/add period for classes.

Changing Your Schedule Could Impact Your Aid — If you drop too many credits, you may no longer be eligible for some kinds of financial aid.

It's Extremely Important to Attend All Your Classes — If you do not attend a class during the first week, it can cause a serious delay in your financial aid, or you could lose your financial aid.

Your Grades Affect Your Aid — You have to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress to keep your future financial aid. If you are having trouble with your classes, talk to your professors or advisor.

Check your IUP email account regularly, so you don't miss important notifications from our office.

Consider taking a part-time job on or near campus, perhaps through Federal Work-Study, to help pay for college and gain work experience.