Along your journey at the University of Arizona, you’re bound to have questions. Fortunately, we’ve made it easy to find the information you need. Here are the most frequently asked questions (and answers) related to funding your Arizona education. If you’ve searched this page and still have questions, we’re ready to help
Yes, the following deadlines are applicable:
| Year in School | FAFSA Submission Deadline | Correct FAFSA Errors by |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming First-Year Students | January 31st of high school senior year | January 31st of high school senior year |
|
Continuing Students (for renewal of funding) |
March 1st each year | May 1st each year |
The deadlines listed here are only for Arizona Assurance funding and institutional grant aid consideration
As an incoming first-year student, you will receive a financial aid offer along with a conditional selection letter for Arizona Assurance which will detail your financial aid for the academic year. Continuing students will receive an email by the end of the summer each year after all renewal criteria has been confirmed.
You can view your financial aid offer in your UAccess Student Center anytime once you are notified via email that you have been selected, conditionally selected, or renewed, or conditionally renewed for funding.
Arizona Assurance funding can be renewed for up to eight consecutive semesters granted you meet all renewal criteria, each academic year. Be sure you review all renewal criteria, including important dates and deadlines to ensure you are renewed for Arizona Assurance funding.
Yes, the University provides an academic support system to help you succeed in making the transition to college life and succeed in your classes. You will be offered excellent resources to help you, such as career counseling, faculty/staff mentors, peer mentors and advisors. For more information on the program expectations please visit https://assurance.arizona.edu.
Students may appeal a decision about the Arizona Assurance Program funding by submitting the Arizona Assurance Program Funding Appeal Form, a personal statement and any supporting documentation to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA). Your appeal will be reviewed by the Arizona Assurance Program Appeal Committee.
Generally, appeals based on financial-need will not be considered. Appeals that are generally considered are application process issues or extenuating circumstances such as serious medical emergencies or a death in the family.
Completed appeals must be submitted to OSFA by all stated deadlines.
No. If you have not met the renewal criteria and have become ineligible for Arizona Assurance Program funding, you will not be able to regain Arizona Assurance funding in future terms even if you meet all other criteria. You will continue to remain eligible for Arizona Assurance Program services.
If extenuating personal circumstances beyond your control prevented you from meeting all renewal criteria, you may submit the Arizona Assurance Funding Appeal. Please see the question pertaining to appeals later in this document for more information. You must appeal the loss of the Arizona Assurance Program Funding the year it occurs.
Example, if you failed to complete all program requirements during the 2020-2021 academic year and were not renewed for 2021-2022 funding, you must appeal no later than the first day of Fall 2021 classes.
Even if you become ineligible for Arizona Assurance Program funding, you are still encouraged to file the FAFSA by March 1st each year for institutional grant funding consideration. This is a priority deadline for institutional grant purposes only.
Arizona Assurance students must enroll in at least 12 units each semester at the University of Arizona. When enrolled in 12 units at Arizona and additional units at another institution, a Consortium Agreement is not necessary because the student is already being awarded financial aid at full-time status. A Consortium Agreement is not required to transfer units from another institution to your University of Arizona degree. Arizona Assurance funding cannot pay your tuition at another institution.
Yes. After completion of your first year at Arizona you may participate in a Study Abroad or the NSE program.
If participating in a University of Arizona sponsored Study Abroad program, you must still meet minimum unit completion and cumulative GPA requirements for renewal of the award. You should also notify the AZA Office to discuss how your participation affects your AZA program expectations.
You may not use Arizona Assurance funding for non-Arizona-sponsored study abroad programs and must submit an Arizona Assurance Deferment Request form and have it approved to resume receiving funding upon returning.
| PROGRAM | USE ARIZONA ASSURANCE FUNDING? | ARIZONA ASSURANCE DEFERMENT REQUEST FORM REQUIRED? |
|---|---|---|
| University of Arizona -Sponsored Study Abroad Programs | Yes | No |
| Non-University of Arizona-Sponsored Study Abroad Programs (3rd party offerings including CEA, CIEE, DIS, Semester at Sea) | No | Yes, students participating in a non-University of Arizona-sponsored study abroad program must submit and have an approved Arizona Assurance Deferment Request for the term(s) for which they will not be attending the University of Arizona. |
If you are considering participating in one of these programs, it is strongly recommended that you visit the Study Abroad webpage and contact their office for additional information.
Renewal of Arizona Assurance funding requires continuous enrollment unless you have an approved deferment.
The Arizona Assurance Deferment form may be submitted for extenuating circumstances and will be reviewed by the Arizona Assurance appeal committee.
In addition to potentially losing future Arizona Assurance funding for not meeting all renewal requirements which include completion of 24 units per academic year, federal regulations require financial aid to be awarded under the assumption that you will attend the institution for the entire period in which federal assistance was awarded.
Unless you complete 60% of the term in which federal aid was awarded, you will be required to return all or part of the financial aid released to your Bursar's student account for that term. This applies to students who have officially (including medical), or unofficially withdrawn. Complete withdrawals will also affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status. For more information about how a withdrawal affects financial aid, you may visit our withdrawal policy webpage.
If you are considering a complete withdrawal, you should also speak with your Academic Advisor and an Arizona Assurance staff member. To find your Academic Advisor visit https://advising.arizona.edu.
In order to maintain Arizona Assurance Program funding eligibility, you must complete 24 units by the end of each academic year. If dropping a class during the semester causes you to complete less than 24 units during the academic year (fall, winter, spring, and summer semesters), you will lose future Arizona Assurance Program funding the following academic year. Dropping a class during the semester will affect your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status and could cause your Federal Pell Grant to be adjusted based on your enrollment changes.
If you are considering dropping a class, you should also speak with your Academic Advisor. To find your advisor visit https://advising.arizona.edu.
While there is no Arizona Assurance funding offered during the summer sessions, you may be eligible for federal and institutional aid. There is no application to apply for summer aid, but you must meet certain eligibility criteria to be offered summer financial aid. Review the Summer Aid webpage for more details. Review this information early as OSFA will start offering summer financial aid at the beginning of May.
You may contact the Arizona Assurance Scholars Program Office at 520.626.3656, or aza@arizona.edu.
You may contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at https://financialaid.arizona.edu/contact or 520.621.1858. If you send an email, please be sure to use the appropriate categories below to have your question answered by an Arizona Assurance specialist on our team.
| Student | Category | Sub-category |
|---|---|---|
| Incoming First-Year | Other | Arizona Assurance - Incoming Student |
| Continuing | Other | Arizona Assurance - Current Student |
If you are currently facing financial hardships, you may be able to apply for assistance from the Arizona Student Emergency Fund. Learn more here.
The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) will notify you of the award via an email to your Arizona email address. To confirm it has been awarded to you, follow the instructions below to confirm the CARES Act funding has been awarded:
If you received an email from OSFA and confirmed in UAccess that you were awarded CARES Act funds but have not received a direct deposit or a mailed check within the aforementioned timeframe, first confirm whether the award has been released to your Bursar's student account by following the steps below.
If the CARES Act award has disbursed to your Bursar's student account, contact the Bursar’s Office to confirm that your funds have been refunded to you and to where the funds have been sent.
The university is required to prioritize recipients based on exceptional need, such as students who receive Pell Grants or those with extraordinary financial circumstances. Students must either have a 2020-2021 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file with the university or submit a Student Emergency Fund (SEF) application in order to confirm eligibility. Recipients must have been enrolled on or after March 13, 2020, the date of declaration of the national emergency due to the coronavirus.
While only continuing University of Arizona students are being reviewed for funding at this time, incoming students for the Fall 2021 semester may also be considered for HEERF funding, assuming they meet all stated eligibility requirements and depending on the amount remaining during the upcoming academic year.
You can learn more about the eligibility requirements on the U.S. Department of Education’s website.
You may need to refer to the documents/information listed below:
For additional information visit studentaid.gov.
The FAFSA is completed online at fafsa.gov. The FAFSA will guide you and provide detailed explanations for each question. If you need additional help, you contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid or the FAFSA Help Line at 1800.4FED.AID.
You should never have to pay a fee to file or have someone fill out the FAFSA for you.
If you need assistance with your FSA ID please visit studentaid.gov.
For information about a how a student’s dependency status is determined visit https://studentaid.gov/apply-for-aid/fafsa/filling-out/dependency/.
Your answers to questions on the FAFSA determine your dependency status for financial aid purposes. Being financially independent from your parents does not make you independent for financial aid purposes.
If you do not meet the criteria to be considered independent but can document special circumstances about your independence, you should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
For more information about a student’s dependency status visit studentaid.gov.
Your answers to questions on the FAFSA determine your dependency status for financial aid purposes. Filing your own taxes does not make you independent for financial aid purposes.
If you do not meet the criteria to be considered independent but can document special circumstances about your independence, you should contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.
For more information about a student’s dependency status visit studentaid.gov.
The FAFSA form asks for marital status “as of today” (the day it’s filled out). If you or your parent is married now but wasn't in the requested tax year (and therefore didn't file taxes as married), the spouse’s requested tax year income will need to be added to the FAFSA form.
If you or your parent filed in the requested tax year as married but is no longer married when filling out the FAFSA form, the spouse’s income will need to be removed.
For more information visit studentaid.gov.
You should submit the information of the parent who provided the most financial support during the last 12 months or during the most recent year that you were supported by a parent. Support includes money, housing, food, clothes, car, medical and dental care, payment of college costs, etc. Also, if the parent described above is married or remarried as of the date you completed the FAFSA, you must include the financial information about your step-parent.
Log in at fafsa.gov and select “Make FAFSA Corrections”. Navigate to the “School Selection” page and use the school code 001083 to add the University of Arizona.
Please do not send in your Student Aid Report, it will not be used to process your financial aid. All FAFSA information must be received electronically from the Federal Processor.
You can make corrections indicating that you have a child by going to fafsa.gov and selecting "Make FAFSA Corrections". If you have childcare expenses, you may want to contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid and request a Cost of Attendance appeal. You can find more information on the Cost of Attendance appeal at https://financialaid.arizona.edu/policies/appeals#costofattendanceappealcoa.
Your SSN and name must be correct on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
You must file a new FAFSA if:
Before refiling your FAFSA, report changes to the Social Security Administration (SSA) office. Refile and submit your FAFSA once your name change has been processed by the SSA.
The FAFSA you have submitted cannot be deleted and you will have two applications on file. Therefore, you must contact our office regarding these changes to ensure we received the correct application.
If you made a mistake when entering your name, you may submit corrections by logging in at fafsa.gov and selecting “Make FAFSA Corrections”.
You can correct your FAFSA by going to fafsa.gov and selecting "Make FAFSA Corrections". For more information on correcting your FAFSA, visit studentaid.gov.
Please complete the FAFSA with your current classification. If it changes after summer session classes, please contact our office so your file may be reevaluated.
To check the status of your FAFSA, visit fafsa.gov. You can also check your Financial Aid Summary in your UAccess Student Center.
If our office needs additional information to process your FAFSA, we will notify you in your UAccess Student Center To Do List and email your CatMail account.
The Federal Processor will send you an email when your FAFSA has been processed. Follow the link provided or log in to fafsa.gov to review your Student Aid Report (SAR). Review the information for accuracy and ensure the University of Arizona (school code 001083) is listed as one of your schools to receive the FAFSA data.
If the data is accurate, and you have been admitted to the University, then Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will begin the awarding process. If there are errors in the data, please make the necessary corrections online by logging in at fafsa.gov and selecting “Make FAFSA Corrections". Once the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid has the corrected data and you have been admitted to the university, the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will begin creating a financial aid offer.
Generally, graduate non-degree students are not eligible for federal financial aid.
You must complete a Graduate Non-Degree Seeking Financial Aid Petition to be considered for financial aid.
If approved, you will qualify for undergraduate, senior level loan(s) (if you have not borrowed your undergraduate lifetime maximum). This aid is only available for one consecutive 12-month period beginning on the first day of the loan period.
The deadline to submit this form is the first day of class.
Graduate students admitted to the University of Arizona Main campus may also qualify for financial assistance not based on Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) data.
Check with your graduate department advisor for information on University Fellowships, Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships. Apply for campus scholarships on Scholarship Universe. Private foundations and agencies are also a good source of fellowship, grant and loan funds to help pay for graduate education.
Graduate students admitted to the Arizona Online campus will only be considered for federal financial aid, which includes the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, and Federal Work Study.
Please note: Any outside financial resources received must be reported to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) and may reduce the financial aid eligibility originally established by your FAFSA information.
To qualify for a GRE fee reduction you must be a U.S. citizen or resident alien and:
Navigate to https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/fees/reductions and apply for the certificate on the Educational Testing Service website.
Graduate teaching, research assistantships, and fellowships are awarded by individual academic departments.
You must contact the graduate advisor in your department. Applicants interested in being considered should inform the graduate advisor in their program as soon as possible.
Graduate students admitted to the Arizona Online campus will only be considered for federal financial aid including the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, and Federal Work Study and are therefore not eligible to apply for a teaching assistantship and/or fellowship.
Graduate students who meet the following criteria may be eligible to receive federal financial aid:
If you are working on your dissertation, you only need to be registered for 3 units of 900 level.
It is also possible to receive loans for 1 unit of 900 level course work, by applying for Advance Status.
Financial Aid awards are based on an average budget for graduate students, which includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, living expenses, a small transportation allowance, and a miscellaneous allowance. In some cases, other necessary expenses (i.e. child care expenses) can also be covered.
If your personal expenses are higher than the Estimated Cost of Attendance, contact our office to request a Special Circumstances form.
If you are offered financial aid from non-federal or non-institutional sources, you must report these awards to OSFA as soon as you are made aware of them.
Federal regulations require that your financial aid awards be based on the difference between your estimated cost of attendance and your available resources (calculated Expected Family Contribution from the FAFSA and sources of outside assistance). OSFA will recalculate your financial aid award offer based on this information, and you will receive a revised award letter.
Graduate students admitted to the Arizona Online campus will only be considered for federal financial aid including the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, and Federal Work Study.
If a graduate student switches from the University of Arizona Main campus to the Arizona Online campus, any institutional financial aid, including fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships, and research assistantships will be forfeited.
During the fall and spring semesters, a minimum of 9 units is considered full-time.
For students with Graduate Assistant/ Associate appointments, full-time status consists of a minimum enrollment in 6 units of graduate credit.
A graduate student working on a thesis or dissertation who is only enrolled in 900-level units and not employed as a Graduate Assistant/ Associate must be enrolled in 3 units.
A student who has completed all course work, the thesis/dissertation unit requirements, has advanced to candidacy, is working on the thesis/dissertation, and is not employed as a Graduate Assistant/ Associate may apply for advanced status , which allows 1 unit of 900-level credit for full-time status.
During winter or pre-session, first and second summer sessions, full-time status consists of enrollment for 6 graduate units or more in any combination of pre-session, first and second summer sessions.
Tuition can vary based on the graduate program you are enrolled.
Please see the Bursar Tuition and Fees Calculator for more information.
A Federal Direct Subsidized Loan is a federal student loan for which a borrower isn’t generally responsible for paying the interest while in an in-school enrollment period (or other deferment periods). Interest begins accruing for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans as soon as the loan is credited.
To be eligible for a Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, you must be an undergraduate student with financial need. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to students pursuing an undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree enrolled at least half-time. Financial need is not required to qualify.
Both of these types of loans are for students, in the student's name, and not transferrable to another borrower. Read more on studentaid.gov at https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized.
After you are offered loans, you must accept your loans in UAccess and complete the loan process.
A typical credit decision for a PLUS loan is returned to the university within three-business days. If you have not received the credit check decision within 3-4 business days, you may have previously placed a freeze, hold, or monitor status on your credit with one of the three credit bureaus (Equifax, TransUnion, Experian). You will need to contact each credit bureau to ensure the credit hold is temporarily lifted for a five-business day processing period. Immediately contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid once the hold has been lifted so the credit check can be reprocessed before the end of the release period.
If you would like to be offered the remaining amount of your loan, you can contact our office to request to be reviewed for your academic year eligibility. If you are still eligible, our office will reoffer the rest of the loan for you to accept.
Here are some common scenarios that may prevent the To Do List item from clearing. See if one of these scenarios applies to you:
Allow for a minimum of three business days for our office to receive your MPN and update your To Do List item. It could be that you completed the incorrect MPN as there are a couple of options. You can double check by logging in to studentaid.gov with your FSA ID to verify you completed the MPN listed as MPN for Graduate/Professional Students under the Complete Aid Process section.
Federal law mandates a minimum “Right to Cancel” waiting period. It can take up to ten business days before authorizing the disbursement of state or private educational loan funds. This “Right to Cancel” period can vary per lender, but typically begins after the borrower signs the Loan Approval Disclosure (sometimes referred to as the Final Loan Terms). Be sure to include the ten business day waiting period when planning for your bill payment. After the ten day period, your funds are then sent to the University of Arizona and processed directly to your Bursar's student account.
If you are offered FWS for the academic year, monitor your Arizona email account for an email from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid with information regarding accepting the FWS awards in UAccess, including the date in which you may begin to do so.
When looking for a FWS position, you may apply for any on campus position or an off campus position with an approved local non-profit organization.
For more information about FWS, click here.
To see the status definition(s) of your Student Services Center To Do Items, visit https://financialaid.arizona.edu/forms/student-center-to-do-list.
The Special Circumstances Form can be used to report changes to assets and income or report additional expenses not already included in the standard Cost of Attendance assigned to you. You must contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid to request access to this online form. You will also be asked to provide supporting documentation when completing the form.
The 1098-T forms for University of Arizona students are generated by the Bursar's Office. They are posted on UAccess under the Bursar Account menu.
The Bursar’s Office has posted general information about the form and a list of frequently asked questions to assist you.
Financial aid typically disburses to your Bursar's student account 7-10 days prior to the start of classes.
The number one reason aid does not release at that time is because the student is not enrolled in enough units (typically at least 12 units) and/or the student has open To Do List items.
Visit https://financialaid.arizona.edu/policies/disbursement-policy for more information.
Good news, you do not have to submit a separate summer financial aid application! We will automatically review students who are both enrolled in summer units and have an official Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on record with the University of Arizona. For more information about this process, visit our Summer Financial Aid webpage.
An overaward occurs when total awards exceed your COA or when your total need-based awards exceed your calculated Financial Need. Federal Regulations require the university to resolve all overawards before additional financial aid can be released. For more information please visit our overaward policy page.
Financial Aid Counselors will review each overaward individually and will first attempt to clear the overaward without reducing or canceling any aid. Certain charges on a Bursar’s student account can be added to the COA, including tuition differential charges, campus health charges and program fees. If a Financial Aid Counselor is unable to clear an overaward, students will either be notified via a UAccess Student Center To Do item that they have been offered a COA Appeal Form or once a revised financial aid offer is received, a student has the opportunity to contact our office and speak with a Financial Aid Counselor to determine if they are eligible for one. For more information please visit COA Appeal.
OSFA’s processing times vary depending on the time of year. Usually, allow 4-6 weeks for a Financial Aid Counselor to review.
OSFA advises students to complete all necessary To Do items as soon as possible to prevent changes from needing to be made to the aid package as these changes can cause overawards. Additionally, students should notify OSFA as soon as they are aware of any additional aid they will receive as these award additions can also cause overawards.
To prevent a future overaward, it is important for students to inform OSFA of all financial assistance they will be receiving as soon as they know. A student anticipating more aid can also request a COA Appeal from OSFA to try and prevent future overawards within the same academic year. Lastly, OSFA advises students to complete all necessary UAccess Student Center To Do items as soon as possible to prevent possible changes to a student’s aid package.
In general, a student’s Cost of Attendance (COA) reflects the maximum amount of aid a student can receive, depending on the type of aid offered. In addition to the COA, financial need reflects the maximum amount of need-based aid a student can receive. Need-based aid includes all “free-money” including scholarships and grants and also the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan. Financial need is calculated by subtracting the student’s Expected Family Contributed (EFC) as determined by FAFSA from the COA.
Therefore, if a student is offered more aid than the estimated COA or more need-based aid than a student can receive, an overaward results and the university must resolve by either canceling or reducing the aid for which the student is no longer eligible. For more information including student examples, please visit overaward policy page.
Students are not required to complete a COA Appeal Form. But, in some cases, overawards can be resolved by a student submitting a COA Appeal Form, which is used to document additional expenses not included in a student’s standard, estimated COA. A COA Appeal does not guarantee your aid will not have to be reduced/canceled but is the only option for an opportunity to communicate additional student-related expenses you may have.
The processing time for the COA Appeal varies depending on the time of year. On average, it takes three weeks to process. Once an appeal is submitted (via the StudentForms portal), OSFA will review all documentation and contact the student if additional documentation or clarification is needed. Students will be contacted via email and in general, an additional task will be added in the StudentForms portal.
An unresolved overaward could delay the release of aid and/or require students to return a portion of their financial aid. It’s important for students to regularly monitor their official University of Arizona email account and their UAccess Student Center for additional To Do List items, changes to aid and changes to their Bursar’s student account balance. OSFA will always send an email with the outcome of the COA Appeal review, whether it is denied or approved.
The estimated COA can only include the student’s estimated expenses. For example, if providing documentation for the cost for rent, the student’s portion of rent is the only portion that can be considered. If rent/mortgage is shared, students must provide documentation reflecting their share only (if married or living with a partner, total rent/mortgage will be split equally). The only exception to this rule is for dependent care expenses.
The costs of maintaining and supporting the student’s family are accounted for in the formula used to calculate the EFC. For more information, visit our Cost of Attendance Appeal page.
An approved COA Appeal does not guarantee that aid will not still have to be reduced/canceled. It is possible that the expenses added to the COA but were not enough to resolve the full overaward. In this situation, the remaining overaward must still be resolved by reducing/canceling aid. Students should monitor their UAccess Student Center for changes to aid and changes to their Bursar’s student account balance.
OSFA will do everything in its power to resolve overawards without causing a balance however, balances do sometimes occur. The balances caused by overawards are a result of OSFA reducing and/or canceling financial aid that had already credited to the Bursar's student account. Sometimes this is because funds were previously released as a financial aid refund to the student. In this event, students are no longer eligible for the funds previously released and are responsible for resolving the new Bursar Balance and/or returning the funds released to the student as a refund.
For more information please visit our overaward policy page.
Please visit the Human Resources website to learn more about QTR eligibility.
QTR reduces the cost of base tuition by 75% for dependent students. Since merit scholarships cannot exceed the cost of 100% base tuition, merit scholarships will reduced down to 25% of base tuition or $25 for employee/employee spouse. Merit does not cover the cost of program differential tuition fees but these costs may be reduced by QTR. Please note that reducing merit awards due to QTR does not extend the original time frame of merit eligibility and any excess funds cannot be converted to cash to be used to pay for other costs.
| QTR Example | Using a $5,000 Wildcat Tuition* Award Offer |
|---|---|
| Base Tuition | $10,000 |
| QTR (75% reduction) | $ 7,500 |
| Tuition Due | $ 2,500 |
| Wildcat Tuition Award** | $ 2,500 |
| Tuition Due (after award applied) |
$ 0 |
*Wildcat Tuition Award reduced from $5,000 to $2,500 to cover the tuition balance due, covering the 100% cost of base tuition.
All awards and tuition programs or benefits are included when determining a student’s financial aid eligibility. QTR is a benefit that reduces tuition and must be accounted for in your Financial Aid Offer. Your Financial Aid Offer may be updated once your QTR benefit is applied, which may include reducing student and/or parent loans, institutional need-based grants, and Federal Work-Study. For more information on why your aid may have been adjusted, please visit our Understanding Your Financial Aid page.
Yes. If you are no longer receiving QTR, you may request to have your merit scholarship reinstated to its original amount based on the Terms and Conditions. Please contact our office to make this request.
Our office will adjust merit scholarships at the beginning of the semester through the end of the QTR enrollment timeframe. For more information about QTR deadlines, please visit the HR website.
Log on and check out Scholarship Universe (SU), our online scholarship-matching tool for admitted University of Arizona students! SU connects Wildcats to millions of dollars in both school and private donor scholarship opportunities. Scholarships that are available come from a variety of academic and professional interests. These scholarships are based on a range of items in your profile responses including degree plan, academic performance, financial need, grade level, enrollment status, and more! For more information, review our SU FAQs and videos!
The University of Arizona Undergraduate Admission application also serves as the application for merit tuition scholarships. Admitted students are automatically reviewed and offered merit tuition scholarships that they are eligible to receive. For more information, check out our Incoming First-Year and Transfer Tuition Scholarship page.
The University of Arizona merit scholarships for first-year and transfer students are determined as part of the admission application process. Check out our Incoming First-Year and Transfer Tuition Scholarships page for more information on how your scholarship was calculated. If you have any questions about that process, please contact the Office of Admissions.
In order to qualify for the PTK Tuition Scholarship, students must be admitted to the University of Arizona by July 1st, have 36 or more transfer units at the time of admission, and a 3.50+ cumulative transfer GPA. Additionally, the PTK designation must be listed on the student's community college transcript. If the community college does not include PTK information on their transcript, please send a copy of your PTK certificate to the Office of Admissions at admissions@arizona.edu.
Our office receives changes from the Office of Admissions and updates student's accounts on a regular basis, typically once a month until the start of the semester. During this time, your financial aid offer may not reflect the most up-to-date merit scholarship and other applicable aid. Monitor your CatMail account for an updated financial aid offer.
Merit tuition scholarship offers are included with admission acceptance letters. If you have been offered a merit scholarship, please make sure you review the terms and conditions.
Most of our merit tuition scholarships require students to complete 30 cumulative Arizona units each academic year and maintain a 3.00 cumulative GPA in order to qualify for renewal.
Visit the Scholarship Terms and Conditions page for scholarship renewal requirements for your specific offer. Select the terms and conditions for the year you first received your scholarship.
Our merit tuition scholarships are offered to high school graduates who are first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students (i.e. students who did not attend any higher education institution including community colleges, universities, or international post-secondary education schools after high school graduation). If you enroll in a fall or spring semester at another 2-year or 4-year institution after graduating from high school, your merit scholarship eligibility will be impacted.
Summer enrollment prior to attending the fall term at Arizona does not impact eligibility. Dual enrollment (college enrollment during high school) and/or participation in non-credit bearing programs (during and post high school) does not impact eligibility.
If a student drops below full-time enrollment for the semester, the merit scholarship is subject to be adjusted in accordance with the student’s enrollment and base tuition charges. This may result in a balance with the Bursar’s Office.
If a student withdraws on or after the first day of classes begin, the student forfeits that semester of merit scholarship eligibility. Merit scholarships may be reviewed for reinstatement in future semesters if students are meeting the renewal requirements. However, that semester in which your scholarship(s) were lost are still counted against your total eligibility. Scholarships cannot be extended past the 8 (first-year) or 4 (transfer) semesters of maximum eligibility. If you have other financial aid, you must review the withdrawal policy here.
Merit scholarships typically release to your Bursar's student account approximately ten days before classes begin each fall and spring semester. Merit scholarships require that you Verify Lawful Presence and enroll full-time (12+ units per semester) at Arizona.
Other scholarships may have different enrollment criteria to be released. Please review the details of each item under your Financial Aid Summary in your UAccess Student Center for more information.
If your scholarship has not released but you meet the criteria listed above and do not have any outstanding To Do List items, please contact our office.
Merit tuition scholarships for students admitted in the spring are only available for transfer students who meet certain criteria. The undergraduate admission application also serves as the application for merit tuition scholarships. Admitted students are automatically reviewed and offered merit tuition scholarships that they are eligible to receive.
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid
Attn: Operations
1401 E. University Blvd
PO Box 210066
Tucson, AZ 85721-0066
Typically, our office posts private donor scholarships within 1-2 weeks after we have received the scholarship check in the mail (or wire transfer). Normal processing times increase in August, due to the large amount of scholarship checks received. If you are waiting for a private scholarship to be applied to your due balance, be prepared to pay your remaining Bursar's student account balance in order to avoid late fees.
No, courses taken at another institution (also known as transfer credit) do not count for your scholarship renewal requirements. For more information about the types of units that count for renewal, visit the Scholarship Terms and Conditions page. Select the year you first received your merit scholarship.
Most departments at the University of Arizona offer scholarship or grant funds (gift aid) to the students enrolled in their programs. We recommend contacting the department who selected you as a recipient if you have any questions. Contact information can be found in your announcement letter or email, or on Scholarship Universe if the application was posted in the online portal. The department maintains the most updated eligibility criteria and serves as the best contact for your questions.
No. Merit tuition scholarships are given by the University of Arizona and can only be applied toward tuition charges at the University of Arizona. Additionally, students must be enrolled full-time (12 or more units) at the University of Arizona in order to receive the scholarship funds so a consortium agreement is not necessary.
Courses taken at another institution do not count toward the renewal requirements.
Check your UAccess Student Center. If you have an open To Do List item for merit renewal indicating that our office is monitoring your account, we will automatically review your eligibility when all summer grades are posted. As long as you meet the renewal requirements, we will add your scholarship onto your financial aid offer. Our office reviews students regularly at the end of each summer session, so there is no need to submit an additional request. We will email you once this process is complete.
You can request to have your academics reviewed for scholarship reinstatement. Let us know that you would like to be reviewed by submitting an email to our Ask Aid Team. Select the “Scholarship” category and “Reinstatement Request” subcategory to submit your request. Our office will then review your academics and remaining semesters of eligibility to make sure you qualify to have your scholarship reinstated. If eligible, we will add your scholarship to your financial aid offer. Monitor your CatMail account for an update once you have submitted a request.
You can request to have your academics reviewed for scholarship reinstatement. Let us know that you would like to be reviewed by submitting an email to our Ask Aid Team. Select the “Scholarship” category and “Reinstatement Request” subcategory to submit your request. Our office will then review your academics and remaining semesters of eligibility to make sure you qualify to have your scholarship reinstated. If eligible, we will add your scholarship to your financial aid offer. Monitor your CatMail account for an update once you have submitted a request.
The Scholarship Appeal review period is from June through the due date in August. Depending on the number of appeals being submitted to our office, it may take 2-4 weeks to receive your decision email. Regular processing times increase in August due to the high volume of documents being submitted to our office. Keep an eye on your CatMail account for more information from our office.
Submitting a Scholarship Appeal does not guarantee it will be approved. If you are waiting for a Scholarship Appeal decision, be prepared to pay your remaining Bursar's student account balance in order to avoid late fees
Yes, passing GRO grades count for merit scholarship renewal requirements. For more information about the types of units that count for renewal, visit the Scholarship Terms and Conditions page. Select the year you were first offered your merit scholarship.
All merit tuition scholarships require continuous fall and spring semester enrollment at the University of Arizona. If you will not be enrolled at Arizona and you are meeting the merit renewal requirements, you should submit a Scholarship Deferment request. As a reminder, students with merit tuition scholarships cannot take any courses or enroll in any other institution if they are not enrolled at Arizona.
No. Students who met the temporary renewal requirements after the 2020-2021 academic year are still eligible to utilize their grace period in a future academic year or semester, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Terms & Conditions for their scholarship.
This one-time change will allow institutional merit-based tuition scholarships to renew for the 2021-2022 academic year at a non-rounded 2.80 cumulative University of Arizona grade point average (GPA) and 27 University of Arizona graded units completed/graded by the end of the 2020-2021 academic year (fall 2020-summer 2021). All other terms and conditions originally outlined at the time of offering remain in place.
No. This new one-time merit renewal change will allow students to be within a 3-unit deficit of their normal cumulative unit requirement. For example, a sophomore who completed 33 University of Arizona units during the 2019-2020 academic year could complete a minimum of 24 University of Arizona units between fall semester 2020 and summer semester 2021 to be within the 3-unit deficit of their normal cumulative unit renewal requirement.
Only for GPA. (A minimum 3.0 cumulative University of Arizona GPA will be required at the end of future academic years.) As long as you have completed a minimum of 27 graded University of Arizona units by spring/summer 2021 or you are within the 3-unit deficit of your cumulative unit requirement, you will not be required to “make up” the difference in units during future years. In other words, a sophomore who completed 30 units their first year and 27 units during 2020-2021 would need to have at least 87 completed University of Arizona units at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.
Please keep in mind that while you don’t have to “make-up” any units to maintain your merit-based tuition scholarship, the scholarship is still only renewable for up to 8 consecutive semesters (or 4 consecutive semesters for transfer students) and if you complete less than 30 units per academic year, you may be delaying your graduation past the four years, at which time the merit-based tuition scholarship will expire.
This exception is for all institutional merit-based tuition scholarships with renewal requirements of more than a 2.8 cumulative University of Arizona GPA and more than 27 graded University of Arizona units. If you have questions about your specific scholarship, please check the scholarship terms and conditions or contact our office.
Students who experience extenuating circumstances that impact their ability to meet the renewal criteria after the close of spring/summer 2021 may appeal the loss of their scholarship by submitting a Scholarship Appeal to our office. While the 2021-2022 appeal is not yet available, more information about the appeal, including deadlines and required documentation, can be found on the financial aid appeals page.
No, this one-time exception only applies to institutional merit-based tuition scholarships. Federal eligibility standards, including Satisfactory Academic Progress, and specific donor scholarship requirements remain in place.
If you attend only fall 2020 or spring 2021, whether due to an approved deferment or the date of your admission, you must complete a minimum of 12 University of Arizona graded units for the semester you attend and earn a minimum 2.8 cumulative University of Arizona GPA. For future years, your renewal requirements will revert back to the standard renewal requirements for your award including maintaining at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA but you will not need to “make-up” the three units you were not required to complete during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Funding may be returned for up to 14 days after it disburses. After that, you are responsible for communicating with the Department of Education your wish to convert the TEACH Grant into a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. The Department of Education will help you establish a repayment plan for these funds.
The TEACH Grant would be the only federal grant you would be eligible for as a graduate student.
While you are a graduate student, your service obligation for the TEACH Grant funds you received as an undergraduate will be suspended. However, once you earn your Master’s degree, you will have to teach for another four years regardless of how many years you taught before earning your Master’s degree. These four years of teaching will count toward your service obligation for the grants you received both as an undergraduate and as a graduate student (provided that you teach full-time in a high-need field at a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families).
Your TEACH Grant service requirement must be completed within eight years of earning your Master’s degree.
Like all Federal Direct Loans, repayment would start 6 months after you graduate or fall below half-time status. At any time, you may request that the Department of Education convert your TEACH Grant into a Direct Unsubsidized loan. Once a TEACH Grant has been converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, it cannot be reconverted into a grant.
The Federal government publishes guidelines each year with tax filing requirements and provides an online wizard to determine if you must file a federal tax return. All Federal financial aid recipients are expected to comply with published tax laws. Any conflicting information will need to be resolved before financial aid can be released.
To be eligible for Federal financial aid, males who were born on or after January 1, 1960, are between the ages of 18 and 25 years old, and not currently on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces must register with the Selective Service. For further information about exemptions to this requirement visit https://www.sss.gov/.
You may register online at https://www.sss.gov/. If you are not yet 18, you may register online 30 days prior to your 18th birthday.
Once received, upload a copy through StudentForms. Individuals unable to successfully register for “Get Transcript ONLINE” can utilize the methods below.
If you or your parent(s) no longer have your W-2 and/or 1099-MISC forms, you can request a replacement from the employer who issued the original.
Alternatively, you can request a “Wage and Income Transcript” from the IRS by submitting the paper Form 4506-T. Complete the form with box 8 marked, then submit to the IRS via mail or fax. The “Wage and Income Transcript” will be mailed within 5-10 calendar days. Once received, upload a copy through StudentForms.
Once received, upload a copy through StudentForms. Individuals unable to successfully register for “Get Transcript ONLINE” can request a VONF by following option 2.
To request another copy of your Social Security Card, please contact the Social Security Administration on-line at https://www.ssa.gov/, call 1.800.772.1213 or visit the local office at 3500 N. Campbell Ave. We cannot accept other documentation for verification of your Social Security Number. Without a copy of your Social Security Card, we cannot process and disburse your financial aid.
Check out our Financial Aid Questions Video for detailed instructions on creating a StudentForms account and completing verification.
Older versions of the Certificate of Citizenship and the Certificate of Naturalization instruct the holder not to photocopy. The Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services has advised the Department that these documents may be photocopied if done for lawful purposes such as documenting eligibility for Federal Student Aid funds.
Yes, income earned in a foreign country is treated the same as income earned in the U.S. You need to convert all figures to U.S. dollars, using the exchange rate in effect on the day you filled out the FAFSA. Income paid to the foreign government in that country should be treated as "U.S. income tax paid." If the government of the foreign country did not tax the money, the income should be treated as untaxed income.
If you filed an income tax return with the relevant tax authority of a U.S. territory, commonwealth, or with a foreign central government, you must provide:
You should attach all foreign tax documents to the “Parent/Student Foreign Tax Form” found at: https://financialaid.arizona.edu/forms
Since we are requesting prior-prior year tax information and the tax extension deadline falls in October, six months after taxes are due, you or your parent must submit your Tax Return Transcript for the applicable prior-prior year. If you or your parent requested an additional tax extension, they can submit a copy of the IRS’s approval of an extension beyond the automatic six-month extension and W-2 forms for each source of employment income received for the tax year.
If you cannot appear in person at the financial aid office, take the Statement of Education Purpose form to a notary public, and complete it in front of the notary. Once the form is notarized, send the original notarized document, along with a copy of the government issued ID presented to the notary, to the financial aid office by mail. Once received , we will be able to upload the document into your task for completion.
If you or your parent(s) are a victim of IRS tax-related identity theft, access to your tax information generally occurs 8-11 weeks after the IRS has received your tax return. However, resolution of IRS tax-related identity theft can take 120-180 days. Please visit https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-central for more information.
In some cases, victims of IRS tax-related identity theft may not be able to use the FAFSA’s IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) or request a Tax Return Transcript (TRT) from the IRS for 8-11 weeks after the IRS has received your tax return. However, we suggest trying those methods first to verify your income. If they do not work, please utilize the alternative method below.
When using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, users will no longer be able to view their tax information they are transferring because of added security and privacy protections. The tax information will be transferred into the FAFSA directly from the IRS. OSFA will have access to the transferred information if you need additional information.
Verification is completed through the StudentForms portal. Within VStudentForms, it will show you exactly which documents you need to submit.
Tax Verification
Click here for: Directions on how to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.
Click here: To request an IRS Tax Return Transcript.
In order for your parent to create an account in StudentForms, you must first complete all tasks you have been assigned within the system.
If you are choosing to e-sign your form(s) there will be an option to request your parent's e-signature as well. Click on the "Request" box and enter your parent's email address. An email will then be sent to your parent prompting them to create a StudentForms account.
When creating an account, all information (name, social security number, date of birth) must be entered EXACTLY as it appears on your FAFSA.
If your name contains suffixes (i.e., Jr., Sr., II, III) or punctuation (i.e., spaces, apostrophes, hyphens), ensure you have entered any of these items exactly as it was on your FAFSA. Error code 1010 is always due to either:
To update any of your unprocessed forms or documents, please visit our office or contact us, and we will be able to reject the submitted item(s) so that you may make corrections and resubmit.
There could be many reasons, but first check to ensure that all documents that were requested in both StudentForms and on your To Do List in UAccess Student Center have been submitted and received.
Your file will not be reviewed until all documents are received.
Also, check StudentForms again to ensure we have not returned a document to you for correction.
Check out our Financial Aid Questions Video for detailed instructions on creating a StudentForms account and completing verification.
No, your parent will not be able to upload any documents to your StudentForms account.
All documents must be uploaded by you. Parents also will not be able to make changes to documents you have submitted.
Before signing, your parent will have an option to review the documentation and reject it if corrections are needed. Once you have made corrections, you will again click the "Request" box to send your parent another e-sign request.
No, the accounts are not linked.
If you wish to provide your parent with guest access to your UAccess Student Center, please click here to view a guide.
If you wish to have your parent create their StudentForms account, please follow instructions on your StudentForms account once your documents are submitted.
PDF, JPG, PNG, and BMP files are able to be uploaded.
Word documents cannot be uploaded to StudentForms.
Mobile devices equipped with a camera can be used to take photos of your document(s) and then upload them directly into StudentForms in your mobile web browser (remember to use Chrome) quickly and easily.
