Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Office is located on the main floor of the Wood Student Services Center and includes Financial Aid and Veterans Affairs. The Office website https://www.easternct.edu/financial-aid/index.html specifies policies, procedures, and helps with frequently asked questions. Additional questions from students and their families can be directed to our staff, by email, or phone as follows:

• Financial Aid, FinancialAid@easternct.edu, 860.465.5205
• Veterans Affairs, FinancialAid@easternct.edu, 860.465.5096

All communication must include the student's full name and Eastern ID number.

Once a student is enrolled in classes at Eastern, they will need to complete a FERPA authorization to determine whom our staff is able to speak with regarding financial aid. Students do this through the FERPA waiver on their self-service account. Our staff cannot speak to anyone, other than the student, unless noted on this waiver. 

Consideration for Need-Based Aid

Need-Based Aid is financial aid funds students qualify for through completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Most funds provided to students require completion of this form. The FAFSA is completed online at https://studentaid.gov. Students could qualify for grants, scholarships, loans, and Federal Work-Study (FWS). The FAFSA must be filed each year to receive maximum consideration for the limited funds available.  

Outside Resources 

These are funds provided to students external or outside of the Financial Aid Office. Sources include Admission Scholarships, private scholarships, room and board waivers, tuition waivers, etc. The Office highly recommends students seek out these opportunities, and links to these resources ca be found on our website. If a student receives an award from one of these sources and it is not noted on the Financial Aid Offer Notice, the student should notify the Office in writing as soon as possible because it could impact the financial aid they have received. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students are required to progress at a specific pace towards graduation. This is called Satisfactory Academic Progress and is reflected in both a quantitative (credits attempted) and qualitative (grade point average/GPA) measurement. The quantitative component requires completion of at least 67% of all credits attempted and undergraduate degree completion by the time 180 credits have been attempted. The qualitative component requires students to meet a specific GPA standard dependent upon credits attempted. The full SAP policy is available on the Financial Aid website at https://www.easternct.edu/financial-aid/policies/satisfactoryprogress.html.

Failure to maintain SAP could result in cancellation of and an inability to receive financial aid in the future. Students need to understand this policy is separate and apart from other Eastern academic policies. 

Master Promissory Notices and Student Loan Entrance Counseling

The first time a student accepts a Federal Direct Loan at Eastern, the student must complete a Master Promissory Notice (MPN) and Student Loan Entrance Counseling online at https://studentaid.gov. The MPN requires an electronic signature and is an agreement between the student and Federal Government that the student will repay the loan. Entrance Counseling is an educational course on the borrowing of Federal Direct Loans. Both must be finalized before these loans will be paid to the student account. 

Changes in Credit Load and/or Housing Status

A student's credit load and housing status are both used to determine eligibility for financial aid. The Office should be contacted immediately upon consideration of changes to these two items to ensure understanding of how those changes could impact the financial aid award.

The Financial Aid Office will review all files at the end of add/drop each term making updates to financial aid awards where appropriate when changes have been noted.

Verification 

Verification requires the request of different documents and comparing those documents to the FAFSA making updates where appropriate. The Financial Aid Office has partnered with Inceptia, a third party organization, for this process. Changes to the FAFSA because of verification sometimes results in changes to a student's financial aid award. To limit these changes, students should complete the FAFSA as accurately as possible utilizing the link between the FAFSA and IRS whenever able. 

If the student is selected for verification, they will be notified through their university email and from an email sent out by Inceptia. Students must respond within two weeks of notification. Failure to respond in a timely manner could result in a reduction in the financial aid award. Financial aid will not pay to a student's account if the verification process has not been completed. 

Special Circumstances

Sometimes there are changes to a student or family's financial situation not accounted for by the FAFSA. The Financial Aid Office can review these situations to see if additional aid assistance can be offered. Circumstances are narrow and aid is limited. The Special Circumstances Appeal on the Financial Aid website offers further details. 

Veterans Educational Benefits

Assistance is offered to veterans obtaining their educational benefits through the G.I. Bill. Veterans are encouraged to keep the Office updated on any changes in their education programs. Veterans with difficulty maintaining their academic performance may not be eligible for tutorial assistance through the Veterans Administration.

All veterans are encouraged to request information about the Connecticut Veterans Tuition Waiver, even those no longer eligible for G.I. Bill benefits, to determine if they are eligible for financial assistance.  

Withdrawal

Students considering withdrawing from the University should speak to financial aid before doing so. Financial aid is awarded based on continued attendance. Withdrawal often requires the University to prorate the amount of federal and institutional financial aid a student has been given to reflect actual time enrolled. This proration can result in a balance due to the University. The full withdrawal policy is available at https://www.easternct.edu/financial-aid/policies/federalwithdrawalpolicy.html. This policy is separate and apart from the University tuition and fee refund policy.

Exit Loan Counseling 

All students who have borrowed a Federal Direct Loan are required to complete Exit Counseling. This will need to be done after you have separated from the University (graduated/withdrawn) or are taking less than 6 credits in a semester. This is completed on https://studentaid.gov.