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Checking the Status of Your Application
If you and your student have already started the process of applying for financial aid, you can check the status of your application by following the steps below. Not sure what you need to do? Review the application checklist.
Application Status Page
Students who have applied for admission to DU and indicated interest in need-based financial aid on their application have a financial aid checklist on their application status page. This is the best place to both learn what needs to be submitted and to verify that we have received materials. Detailed instructions for logging in to the application status page has been sent to your student.
All items are updated once per day. Anything with a red 'x' is still needed. Please note that during busy times (typically November through February), it may take us a few days to update checklist items.
Submitting Documents
The easiest and most secure way to submit documents to our office is through the upload process on your student's application status page. You can also email materials to finaid@du.edu or fax them to 303-871-2341.
Reviewing the Student Aid Report
Once you submit the FAFSA, we recommend that you review the Student Aid Report (SAR) to make sure it's correct and complete. The SAR will give you some basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid as well as list your answers to the questions on the FAFSA. You'll receive an email with instructions on how to access the SAR online 3-5 days after you submit the FAFSA.
If you don't have any changes to make to the information listed on the SAR, just keep it for your records. If you found a mistake, you should correct or update your FAFSA.
Reviewing Your Profile Acknowledgment
Once you submit the CSS Profile, the College Board will provide you with a Profile Acknowledgment that will include all the information provided on the application. Unfortunately, you cannot change any data on the CSS Profile online. If you found a mistake, please print out the Profile Acknowledgment, make corrections directly on that form, and submit the paper version to our office.
Federal Verification and Conflicting Information
Some students will be selected for a process called federal verification or will have conflicting information between the FAFSA and CSS Profile, which means we will need to collect additional documentation before we can create an award package. We'll send email reminders to students who are missing financial aid requirements. However, since checklists can change, we recommend that your student frequently logs in to the application status page.
When to Expect an Award Letter
What exactly is an award letter?
A financial aid award letter (sometimes called a financial aid "package") is a document that will list all of the types of financial aid (or "awards") your student is eligible to receive from the University of Denver. The aid listed may come from a combination of federal, state or institutional sources.
What do we need to do to receive an award letter?
To receive an award letter, your student must be admitted to the University of Denver and have a complete financial aid "file." That means the 2019-20 FAFSA, the CSS Profile (if you want to be considered for institutional need-based aid) and any additional documents requested have been submitted.
When will we receive it?
The answer to this question depends on which admission application round your student chose and if you applied for financial aid by the priority deadline.
- Early Decision I Applicants: If the financial aid application was completed by November 15th, an award letter will be sent with the admission decision in early December.
- Early Action Applicants: If the financial aid application was completed November 15th, an award letter will be sent soon after the admission decision in mid-December.
- Early Decision II Applicants: If the financial aid application is completed by February 1st, an award letter will be sent with the admission decision in late February.
- Regular Decision Applicants: If the financial aid application is completed by February 1st, an award letter will be sent soon after the admission decision in early March.
If you miss the priority deadline, that's OK! We'll continue to send award letters on a weekly basis to students who complete the financial aid application process after the dates listed above.
How will we be notified?
First, your student receive an email when the award letter is available to view online through the application status page. We'll mail a follow-up packet that will include additional information and resources to help you understand the financial aid options at DU.
How are awards determined?
The types of aid listed on your student's award letter are based on several things, including the information your family supplied on the FAFSA and CSS Profile and your student's planned enrollment. We'll provide much more information on this topic in a future Financial Aid 101 email.
Anything else I should know?
Many of the awards in the financial aid package will be offered to your student—not automatically accepted on his or her behalf. This means, for example, that students who don't want to borrow a loan they were offered, aren't obligated to accept that loan. Some types of financial aid will also require additional steps before funding can be received.
Additionally, please be aware that in accordance with University of Denver policy, we cannot negotiate financial aid packages. However, if your family has an extenuating circumstance that is not reflected on the FAFSA or CSS Profile, please let us know.
That's it for this week! Want to review past Financial Aid 101 emails? Check out the archives.
Up next week: Types of Aid Available
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