Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What types of financial aid can I receive at a law student
at Chicago-Kent?
A: Because neither the federal nor state governments have
grant programs for graduate students, as a law student at Chicago-Kent
you would be eligible to receive the federal Stafford loan, alternative
loans and/or merit and/or need-based scholarships. In order
to receive student loans, you must be enrolled in a degree-seeking
program and enrolled at least half-time (6 semester hours for
federal loans and 3 semester hours for alternative loans).
Q: How can I receive a Chicago-Kent scholarship?
A: The Admissions Office administers all scholarships.
You can reach their office at (312) 906-5020 or email at admit@kentlaw.edu.
You can also do a scholarship search on the web at fastweb.com.
Q: How do I apply for financial aid?
A: The first step to take in order to receive financial
aid for each academic year is to complete the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid or the FAFSA.
Students should complete the FAFSA
as soon as possible after January 1st of the academic year in
which you plan to enroll. The Office of Financial Aid recommends
completing the FAFSA prior to March 1st. Starting with the 2008-2009
FAFSA you must use the IIT school code on your FAFSA—001691.
If you have completed the FAFSA online you will receive a Student
Aid Report via email in approximately 1-2 weeks. Students who
complete the paper FAFSA will be mailed a Student Aid Report (SAR)
in approximately 4-6 weeks. For this reason we recommend that
students complete the online version of the FAFSA, as it is a
much faster process. Be sure to review your SAR thoroughly and
make corrections if necessary. The Chicago-Kent Office of
Financial Aid will receive an electronic copy of your SAR and
determine what types of aid you are eligible to receive.
Q: How do I make changes to my financial aid award?
A: New students can make changes to the paper award letter
that they received in the mail and return it to the Office of
Financial Aid. Continuing students can view their award
in their myIIT account. To make changes to their award continuing
students should contact our office via email at finaid@kentlaw.edu
to make changes.
Q: Are there other forms to complete in addition to the FAFSA?
A: Yes. After you have reviewed and made any necessary
changes to your award, there will be certain forms to complete
to begin the student loan process. For the 2004-2005 year,
students planning to borrow any of the following loans will need
to complete the processes described below:
Federal Stafford loans
New students who have been awarded federal
Stafford loans will need to select a lender and complete a Master
Promissory Note online at the lender's website, which can be accessed
here.
Continuing students who have received a federal
Stafford loan in the past will not need to complete another Master
Promissory Note unless the student wishes to use a new lender.
The Office of Financial Aid will process a federal Stafford loan
for the maximum amount the student has been awarded unless the
student informs us otherwise.
Private loans
New and continuing students who wish to borrow
a private loan will need to select a lender and complete a loan
application at the lender's website, which can be accessed here.
Perkins loans
New and continuing students who have been
awarded a Perkins loan will receive a promissory note from IIT's
Student Loan office. The student must complete and return the
promissory note in order for the loan funds to be credited to
their account.
Q: What is an application/promissory note?
A: This is your contract to receive a student loan and
your agreement with your lender to promise your repayment of the
loan. A student loan cannot and will not be disbursed in
an application/promissory note is not completed.
Q: What is the Master Application/Promissory Note?
A: This form is the product of the 1998 Reauthorization
of federal student aid. It is called a "Master” promissory
note because when you sign it the first time, you are giving your
school and the government to process and disburse a student loan
for you every year you are enrolled. Your lender associated
with the promissory note will remain the same.
Q: How will the Office of Financial Aid know how much I want
to borrow in a Stafford loan is I do not have to submit a promissory
note every year?
A: The Office of Financial Aid will process your Stafford
loans subsequent to your Master Application/Promissory Note according
to your financial aid award. Our office will process the maximum
amount you have been awarded unless you inform us otherwise.
Q: Why do I have to submit my federal Tax Return to the Office
of Financial Aid?
A: By law, every college/university is required to “verify”
30% of their student body. The government randomly selects
a 30% population of students to perform the Verification Process.
In completing this process, our office simply compares your actual
federal Tax Return to the tax figures you reported on your FAFSA.
If there are any discrepancies, they are corrected and your financial
aid awards are reviewed again for eligibility. If any changes
are made to your award due to Verification, you will be contacted.
Q: Are there other forms of documentation I may need to submit?
A: On occasion, depending on the student and the circumstance,
our office may request citizenship verification, copy of social
security card, marriage license, confirmation of prior default
status cleared, verification of registration with selective service,
etc. Be assured that if our office requires any additional
information from you to complete your financial aid file, you
will be contacted and one of our counselors will answer any questions
you may have.
Q: When will I receive my student loan disbursement?
A: The arrival of disbursements to the Office of Financial
Aid will vary, depending upon loan type, lender and disbursement
method. When our office receives your disbursement, your
file will be reviewed for completeness, your enrollment status
will be confirmed and then your disbursement will be forwarded
to the Bursar’s Office. The Bursar will notify you by email
that a disbursement has been received for you.
Q: When will I receive a Refund check?
A: Once your tuition balance has been paid and if you
have a credit amount remaining on your student account, a Refund
check will be issued to you. Refund checks are issued 3-5
business days of the date of your credit balance from the Bursar’s
Office.
Q: What if the financial aid your office has awarded me is
not enough to cover my education and school expenses?
A: You have the right to appeal your financial aid package
with our office. Contact our office and consult with a counselor
about your circumstances and how to go about an appeal action.
Q: What if I am visiting another school. Can I still
receive financial aid?
A: Yes. You will have to complete a Study Abroad Request
for Financial Aid form. This form will provide us with the
information needed to contact your visiting school and set up
a Consortium Agreement. If you are planning to visit another
school, see a counselor in our office for more details.
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