Student Financial Services
Basic Information
General Eligibility Requirements
Satisfactory Academic Progress
APPLICATION PROCESS (Back to Menu)
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by April 1 each year. The FAFSA is available on the internet after January 1 at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Paper worksheets are available in Student Financial Services. Be certain to use the UM school code 001004.
When the FAFSA is processed, information is sent electronically to the Office of Student Financial Services where your file is evaluated to determine eligibility for federal aid. If further information is needed from you, you will be notified. All correspondence is sent to your UM email or UM post office box. New students will receive information at their home address prior to being assigned a UM email or post office box.
Determining Eligibility for "Need" Based Aid
The FAFSA provides the financial aid office with a figure that reflects your "expected family contribution". In other words, what the federal government believes that a student/parents/spouse can reasonably be expected to contribute toward the educational cost. This figure is calculated from the income information submitted on the FAFSA.
The Office of Student Financial Services establishes the Cost of Attendance/Student Budget (COA) for the award year. This includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, board, transportation and personal expenses. If the student's expected family contribution is less than the COA, the student has "demonstrated need". If the contribution is greater than that COA, there is no need demonstrated. Need determines what type of aid the student is eligible to receive.
Admit Status - If you are not currently enrolled or accepted for admission unconditionally, you should apply for admission immediately. Your application for federal financial aid cannot be acted upon until you have been unconditionally admitted as a degree-seeking student.
The University of Montevallo does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, veteran status, or disability in employment or in the provision of services.
AWARD NOTIFICATION (Back to Menu)
When all documents have been provided, your application will be reviewed to determine your eligibility for federal aid. An award notification letter will be sent to your permanent address if initially awarded during the summer. After fall/spring terms begin, notification will be sent to the UM box.
All students who are awarded federal aid must carefully read all the information on 'CONDITIONS OF AWARD' on this website. Students may accept or reject aid on Banner Self Service.
Please advise Student Financial Services if you expect to receive assistance from external sources. This assistance must be considered when determining eligibility for federal aid.
GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS (Back to Menu)
To be considered for financial aid you must meet all of the following requirements:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- Be accepted unconditionally for enrollment in a degree-seeking program
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress in your course of study
- Not be in default on a federal loan or owe a refund on a grant received for attendance at any post-secondary institution
- Not be convicted of drug possession or drug sale (See FAFSA instructions)
VERIFICATION OF APPLICATION DATA (Back to Menu)
If your application is selected for a review process called verification, you must submit the following to the Student Financial Services office for the year specified:
- A signed copy of your Federal Tax return and a copy of the W-2 form(s)
- A signed copy of your parent's Federal Tax return and W-2 form(s) if you are a dependant student; if married, submit a signed copy of your spouse's Federal Tax return and W-2 form(s)
- A verification worksheet (www.montevallo.edu/finaid/forms/).
A determination of eligibility cannot be made until the verification process is completed. Other documents may be requested. All documents required for verification must be submitted within 60 days of request or your application processing will be terminated.
HELPFUL INFORMATION (Back to Menu)
Apply Early - File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (www.fafsa.ed.gov) by April 1 each year. If you wait until later to file, funds may not be available on a timely basis to assist with your expenses. Filing late could also affect the timeliness of any refunds.
Do Not Estimate - Use completed Federal Income Tax returns to complete the FAFSA. If you estimate this data, you may be required to correct it, which will delay the processing of your application.
Do Not Leave Blanks - Never leave a question blank on any application. Blank questions will delay your application.
Keep Copies - Retain photocopies of all forms and correspondence you submit with dates they were mailed. Refer to them when calling or writing about your application.
Use Your Full Given Name - Complete all forms using your full given name. Do not use nicknames. Notify Student Financial Services of any name change.
Use Your Correct Social Security Number - Entering your CORRECT Social Security number on all forms, especially parent or spouse tax returns, is very important. Be sure to review your Social Security number for accuracy; transposed or incorrect numbers will result in a delay in processing.
Read And Respond - Carefully read and follow instructions provided. Respond quickly to all requests from the Office of Student Financial Services. Even if your application is received by the priority date, you will not receive an award if your file is incomplete.
Take Responsibility - You are applying for aid to help you attend the University of Montevallo. Although you may need your parents to help completing your forms, the application forms are yours, and you need to know what forms and information have been provided to whom and when.
Document Phone Calls- If you call to discuss your application, keep notes of the day you called, with whom you talked and what was discussed. If you call back, try to talk with the same person.
Re-apply - Awards are not automatically renewed from year to year. Annually, new applications should be received by the priority date of April 1 for the coming award year.
Summer Aid - Summer assistance will be based on any remaining eligibility after the aid is awarded for fall and spring semesters. If you have received your annual maximum amounts for federal aid during the fall and spring semesters, there will be no eligibility for summer.
Review - The Office of Student Financial Services reserves the right to review and revise or cancel the award at any time due to changes in financial or academic status, discovery of incorrect or falsified information or errors in determining eligibility.
Status Changes - Recipients are required to report to the Office of Student Financial Services any changes in marital, financial or residency status. This includes any financial assistance or scholarships not included on your award from the University.
Course Load - Most awards are based on the understanding that the student will be enrolled full time (12 hours for undergraduates; 9 hours for graduate). Scholarships typically require full time enrollment. Federal loans require a minimum of 6 hours to maintain eligibility. To maximize grant eligibility, enroll for 12 hours.
CONSEQUENCES OF WITHDRAWAL (Back to Menu)
If you are receiving any form of federal financial aid and withdraw from the University of Montevallo, either officially or unofficially, you should be aware that you may be required to repay some or all of the federal funds received.
The U.S. Department of Education has determined that students earn a percentage of the federal financial aid awarded based on the percentage of the term that he or she attended classes. For example, if a student withdraws from the University or otherwise ceases to attend classes at the 25 percent point of the term, he or she has earned only 25 percent of his or her financial aid and must repay the 75 percent that was unearned. A student who received $2,000 of federal financial aid for the term would be entitled to $500 and would have to repay the remaining $1,500. Students who attend beyond the 60 percent point of the term are considered to have earned 100 percent of their federal financial aid.
In addition, withdrawal from the University affects the Satisfactory Academic Progress standard and may affect the future receipt of federal financial aid.
Prior to withdrawing or otherwise ceasing to attend classes, students should contact the Office of Student Financial Services to determine the potential impact of their withdrawal.
SATISFACTORY ACADEMIC PROGRESS (Back to Menu)
In order to receive federal financial aid (Title IV) a student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress. The eligibility for a federal (Title IV) program is evaluated as part of the initial application process and again at the end of the academic year. In the evaluation process all grades of W (Withdrawn), I (Incomplete), IP (In Progress) and dropped courses after the drop/add period will be counted as hours attempted but not passed. Repeated courses will count as hours attempted.
Historical Evaluation - Determination of eligibility will be based on a historical evaluation of all hours attempted at the University of Montevallo as well as the student’s grade point average.
Transfer Hours - All hours accepted for transfer credit by the University will be considered as part of the time frame.
Qualitative - Undergraduates
The following minimum standard must be met:
- After completion of 30 hours, 1.50 cumulative GPA
- After completion of 60 hours, 1.70 cumulative GPA
- After completion of 90 hours, 1.90 cumulative GPA
- After completion of 130 hours, 2.00 cumulative GPA
Several scholarships require a higher minimum GPA than those required for satisfactory progress.
Students who are suspended from the University for academic reasons are not considered to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Quantitative - Students must average passing 67% of all hours attempted at the University of Montevallo.
Time frame - Students may receive aid up to 150% of the number of credit hours required for completion of the degree.
Entering students (freshmen and transfers) are considered to be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Appeals Procedure - Students failing to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress may feel that there are mitigating circumstances which contributed to their failure to meet standards. These students may choose to appeal to the Office of Student Financial Services for an exception to be made based upon these mitigating circumstances.Such appeals must be in writing or submit the appeal form (www.montevallo.edu/finaid/forms/). Include such documentation as appropriate to support the claim of mitigating circumstances. Decisions made by the Office relative to appeals will be in writing (primarily to the UM email address) and reflect any conditions required for the student to maintain eligibility.
