The University of Tennessee - Martin

How to Apply

• Errors When Applying for Assistance
• Financial Aid Policies and Procedures
  
  

To determine if you are eligible for NEED-BASED aid and to get the maximum amount of aid that you are eligible to receive complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on or before the priority deadline, March 1st, every year:

1. NEW! Geared toward Juniors/Seniors prior to completing FAFSA. Get an estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid at http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov
2. Apply for you PIN number to electronically sign your FAFSA at www.pin.ed.gov. Once you have received this number go to #2.
3. Complete the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA at www.fafsa.ed.gov; you will need your most recent tax returns and W-2's. Applications received by the processing center after March 1 will only be reviewed for Pell Grants, Stafford Loans and PLUS loans.
4. Approximately 2-3 days after you apply on-line you will receive an electronic Student Aid Report (SAR).  If you mail the application, it will take approximately 2-3 weeks to receive your SAR in the mail. Review it for accuracy. If all information is correct, no further action is required. Keep the SAR in a safe place in case you need to refer to it later.
5. If additional information is required to process your file, you will receive a Missing Information Letter from the Office of Financial Aid. Failure to respond within this time period could drastically reduce the amount of aid that you are offered.
6. Once all information is received by our office, you will receive an award notification via e- mail. This notification will include instructions about accessing your specific award amounts in our secure student information system: Banner Web.  Students wishing to receive this information through regular mail can certainly do so by contacting our office in writing indicating your preference.  Loans should be accepted in Banner Web.
   
   

• You must apply for aid EVERY YEAR.
• Award information is communicated through email (notifications) and through Banner Web (specific award information).
• Missing the priority date will limit the amount of aid for which you are considered.
• Quickly respond to ALL requests for information.
• Put your name and social security number (UTM student generated ID) on all documents turned in to our office.
• Keep a copy of all documents related to your financial aid.
• Return the required portions of your award letter, making sure to sign where indicated.
• Keep a record of all previous loans, including promissory notes and disclosure statements.
• ASK QUESTIONS IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND.

NON-NEED BASED aid is available through the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and PLUS Loan programs. A FAFSA must be completed before applying for the unsubsidized loan.  

In order to assist as many students as possible, we are unable to award 100% of a student's demonstrated need. Financial aid is designed to supplement a family's contribution; therefore a student should be prepared to finance a portion of his/her cost of education.

Undergraduate (no previous bachelor's degree) students are applying for:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Family Educational Loan Programs (subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans)
• Federal Work Study

• Tennessee Lottery Scholarship Policies

• Certain scholarships

Graduate/professional students and undergraduates with a prior bachelor's degree are applying for:

• Federal Family Educational Loan Programs (Stafford)
  
  

Federal and state financial aid are awarded on the basis of need. Need is the difference between the cost of education (tuition, fees, room, board, books and supplies, and other educational expenses) and the amount the student and his/her family can afford to pay, known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is determined by the federal processor after evaluating the information you provided on the FAFSA. A federal processing agency considers factors such as income, assets, family size, and number of students in college at least half time when determining a family's ability to contribute to the cost of attendance. If you feel that your family has unusual expenses or circumstances that may affect your ability to meet your EFC, you should discuss the matter with your financial aid counselor.

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