Parents

We are pleased to have your student as part of the Troy community. One of our goals is to assist parents in helping their students with the financial aid process, so that it is simple and clear. With this goal in mind, we have created this Web page just for parents to share some general financial aid information with you that may be helpful.

FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, protects the privacy of student educational records. Any information provided is kept in strict confidence. Please rest assured that we are very aware of concerns for safekeeping of your information. We want you to know that we strictly adhere to FERPA. Although it does limit what we can share with you about your student, it protects your student.

Look out for all of those marketing pieces that will be flooding your mailbox pertaining to funding your student’s education. Troy University has a “school initiated” application process, which means you must apply directly with our office to receive a federal student loan, rather than through outside organizations. Our Federal Direct Stafford Loans will be awarded automatically if your student is eligible and PLUS Loan forms are available on our Web site at http://troy.edu/financialaid/plus.htm. At any given time, there may be two years of forms on our Web site (current year forms and new year forms). Current year forms, of course, apply to the current academic year (Fall through Summer). New year forms apply to an upcoming academic year. It is important to make sure the correct forms are completed for the correct academic years.

Beware of scams. You should not pay to process financial aid applications, and we recommend that you do not pay for scholarship searches. You should not pay an agency or business that “guarantees” you will be eligible for financial aid and you should not pay to have your FAFSA completed for you. The first F in FAFSA is FREE.

Approximately 70% of Troy University students receive some type of financial assistance, including grants, loans, scholarships and work study. The process of applying and receiving aid can be intimidating for some, but it does not have to be. As a guide to assist you, we are providing some basic steps and a time line below.

• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available January 1 each and every year, and students may complete it online from our Web site at http://troy.edu/financialaid/. We recommend all students file the FAFSA regardless of family income. Although some students do not qualify for federal Pell Grant, they may qualify for other aid, including loans.
• The FAFSA should be filed by mid-February at the latest to meet our application priority date of March 1st each year. Students who meet the priority application date are given the greatest consideration for aid. The FAFSA can be completed using estimated tax information, if needed, and then can be corrected to finalize the process.
• Students can begin looking for their Troy Award Notification or Award Letters in late March to mid April (we usually indicate on the web page when we begin to award). The award letter provides an estimate of financial aid based on information from the FAFSA and other sources. Once your student is a registered student, he/she can access a “To Do List,” found on Trojan Web Express under documents; each year after applying the student should review this list to determine what else is needed “to do” or submit to complete the financial aid file. Students should review their “To Do List” on a regular basis throughout the year when documents are submitted.
• Your student should make sure their “To Do List” is complete as soon as possible and at least two months prior to the beginning of the semester! If not, it could cause you and your student frustrating delays.

We have created an Application Checklist, which we recommend you review and share with your student. It is located at http://troy.edu/financialaid/step1.htm or by going to the links at the bottom of this page.

You may want to remind your student that scholarships are awarded by several sources at Troy University - they can have their questions answered more accurately by contacting the office that awarded the scholarship or provided the contract.

Financial aid disbursements to student accounts begin after “Add/Drop” (the period of time when a student may adjust their class schedule) has ended, usually 7 to 10 days into the semester or term.

The AL PACT program is Alabama’s Prepaid Affordable College Tuition program, which is administered through the Alabama State Treasury and the Troy University Student Financial Services Office (Student Accounts) through 3rd party billing. This program pays 100% of tuition, pending credit hours available. Mandatory fees, such as activity fee and technology fee, are paid through AL PACT; however, laboratory fees are not included. For more information, please call 1-800-ALA-PACT (1-800-252-7228), or view the web site at http://www.treasury.state.al.us. Questions or comments regarding 3rd party billing? Contact Josie Norris – jonorris@troy.edu at (334) 670-3880.

Additionally, the Florida Pre-pay college program is administered through the Florida Prepaid College Board and Student Financial Services through 3rd party billing. Each student determines his/her program for out-of-state colleges, whether unrestricted or restricted. For more information, please call 1-800-552-GRAD (4723), or view the web site at http://www.florida529plans.com/Prepaid/Contract/mascov.html. This program is also administered through Student Accounts. Questions or comments regarding 3rd party billing? Contact Josie Norris – jonorris@troy.edu at (334) 670-3880.

For help with Troy University financial aid questions, try our Call Center at 1-800-414-5756 from 8AM to 5PM CST, Monday through Friday.

• 11/12 Application Checklist (PDF)
• Announcements: News about new Grant Programs
• Application Steps - Application to Disbursement - The Application - Priority Dates - Student Aid Report (SAR) - General Eligibility Requirements - When students MUST Provide Parental Information - Types of Aid Available
• A Word on Borrowing for College
• Budgeting; Can I afford to attend?
• Parent Loan Process - This program has some great advantages over other forms of educational financing such as second mortgages for education or private loans.
• Private Loan Information
• Scams,Financial Aid Fraud, and Identity Theft Caller impersonating Federal Official requesting bank information.
• Scholarship Scams - Don't be fooled! If there is a fee, it is probably a scam.
• Scholarship search information is available at www.finaid.org and at www.fastweb.com.
• Tax Credits, Deductions and 1098-Ts
• Troy University PowerPoint Presentation Applying is as easy as 1,2,3!
• Tuition Payment Deadline
• U.S. Department of Education PIN Registration Information

What is the PIN?

Where can I use my PIN?

You can use your PIN at these U.S. Department of Education Web sites:

• FAFSA on the Web: Access and complete your Renewal Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• You may also use your PIN to electronically sign your submitted FAFSA
• Submitting corrections to your processed FAFSA.
• Obtain a copy of your processed FAFSA information.
• The National Student Loan Data System Web site: View a history of the federal student financial aid you have received.
• The Federal Direct Loan Program will accept the PIN to allow you to e-sign the Master Promissory Note (MPN).

Last Updated: 12/16/2011