It’s never too early to begin preparing for your student’s success in college. If you have a middle schooler or early high school student, check out the following resources:

Federal financial aid begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA. Completing the FAFSA unlocks your opportunity to access federal aid, such as the federal Pell Grant, student loans, federal work-study and even federal parent loans. 

Need help filing your FAFSA? Start here:

• Federal Student Aid YouTube: Access helpful videos from the Department of Education on everything from how to create an FSA ID to information about what happens after you fill out your FAFSA.
• Overview of the FAFSA process: This helpful graphic will give you a broad picture of the FAFSA process. It is a great reference as you move through the federal financial aid process.
• Filing Out the FAFSA Overview: Detailed instructions from studentaid.gov, including what documents you may need, how to determine your dependency status, and how to sign and submit.
• Are you looking to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) but need some extra help? Visit our top Frequently Asked Questions to find answers.  

When considering the cost to attend the University of Arizona, it is important to know what to expect so you can plan responsibly for your student’s Wildcat career. Before you can understand how your financial aid impacts your costs, you first have to understand how your costs are calculated.

For more information on the cost of college, visit:

• Incoming First-Years and Transfer Student Costs: Learn more about your estimated cost of attendance. Costs vary depending on your residency and housing choice. (See additional resources for Transfer Students below)
• Incoming Arizona Online First-Years & Transfer Costs: Learn more about flexible pricing options for Arizona Online students. Use the Cost Estimator to break down unit pricing per program. (See additional resources for Transfer Students below)
• Incoming International Student Costs: Get help estimating costs like tuition, fees, books, living expenses, and required health insurance. (See additional resources for International Students below)
• Net Price Calculator (NPC): The NPC will give you a personalized look at what your total net cost, otherwise known as your expected out of pocket costs, may be based on your unique student profile.

Which kinds of aid do we need to pay back? Which kinds are considered “free money”? Understanding the difference between a grant and a loan are important steps in gaining a better picture of how to piece together a financial aid plan that works for you and your student.

Types of Aid: Explore different types of financial aid that may be available to your student.

Federal Work-Study: A unique federal financial aid program available to students who demonstrate ‘financial need’ as determined by the FAFSA. This program can help your student pay some of their living expenses by working a part-time job. 

Financial Aid Terms: Financial aid processes and terminology can be difficult and confusing to understand. If you are looking for some additional resources to understand some common “financial aid lingo” visit the Federal Student Aid glossary to search for the term(s) you may need help with!

As your student receives their financial aid offer from the University of Arizona, it’s time to get familiar with essential financial aid terms like Cost of Attendance, Student Aid Index, and Financial Need, so that ultimately you can truly understand the financial aid offer. 

• Understanding Your Financial Aid Offer: This page is dedicated solely to helping you and your supporters make sense of the financial aid offer you received from the University of Arizona. Check out detailed information and a video tutorial that breaks it down for you.
• Residency: Learn more about residency for tuition purposes and the qualifications on the Residency Classification website. Some state or institutional scholarships and grants offered may change based on your student’s determined residency status, so be sure to visit those pages on the financial aid website to read if the type of gift aid your student receives is specifically based on their current residency.

There are two kinds of loans available to parents of college students to help cover educational expenses: Federal Parent PLUS Loans and Private Loans.

As we start to get closer to the beginning of the school year, you may be interested in important dates like when financial aid will release to your student’s Bursar account. 

• If you or your student is a veteran, they should get in touch with our Veteran Education and Transitional Services office. They have a team of dedicated staff who are available to work directly with you to determine which benefits you are eligible for.

• Are you wondering how to use your 529 / Prepaid or College Savings Plan for your student’s college expenses? Visit the Bursar Office website at https://bursar.arizona.edu/payment/options for instructions on where to send payments. 

• Students whose parents are employees of the University of Arizona may be eligible for a Qualified Tuition Reduction. For more information, visit Human Resources. Curious how QTR and merit scholarships can work together? Visit our Qualified Tuition Reduction and Merit reference page.

Parents & Family Programs: The University of Arizona office of Parent & Family Programs is a resource committed to keep you engaged, informed and supported throughout your student’s time on campus. Become a free member of the Parents & Family Association to stay connected!

Why am I being asked to verify my identity when asking about my student’s financial aid?

• In order to ensure students' protected financial information remains secure and confidential, students, parents and adult supporters will need to provide items to verify the caller is authorized to access the information. Parents listed on the FAFSA may receive limited information on Parent PLUS Loans, account payment totals and more. Any person requesting access to student account financial information, including eligible financial aid, FAFSA details and more will need to have the student complete a FERPA Release Authorization form listing the individuals as having access to the information. Learn more at https://registrar.arizona.edu/privacy-ferpa/ferpa.

How can I have access to my student’s financial aid and account balance to make a payment or obtain other information?

• Students may never share their school log in (Net ID) password with another individual as it is against university policy. However, students can set up a Guest Center account for parents/adult supporters to have access to student financial information, payments, or academic information. Instructions can be found at https://it.arizona.edu/documentation/uaccess-student-guest-manager.