Financial Aid Impolicy 12-13

Institutional Methodology Policy 12-13

The University of Arizona (UA) remains committed to ensuring that every student who qualifies for institutional aid receives it. In an effort to accurately award students based on an analysis of a family's ability to pay, the UA's Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) is now using Institutional Methodology (IM) for select groups of incoming students. Similar to Federal Methodology (FM), which is based on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), IM determines a family's ability to pay for college costs but is more comprehensive, accurate, and current than the FM calculation. The UA bases its IM calculation on the College Board's CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE (PROFILE) for two groups of freshman students.

 

Who Must Complete the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE

By Invitation only:
  • Students who meet the following criteria will be invited to complete the PROFILE to determine Arizona Assurance eligibility:
    • Arizona Resident
    • Family income (wages or adjusted gross income) of $42,400 or below and be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant
    • Unweighted cumulative high school GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale)*
    • Submit an application for admission and all required supporting materials to UA by March 1st
    • Complete the FAFSA by March 1st (UA code is 001083)
    • Dependent student
    • Enroll full-time at the UA directly after high school
  • Students who meet the following criteria will be invited to complete the PROFILE to determine eligibility for institutional grant funds:
    • Non-Resident students
    • First time, full-time freshmen
    • Submit an application for admission and all required supporting materials to the University of Arizona by March 1st
    • Complete the FAFSA by March 1st
    • FAFSA EFC ≤ $25,000

Students are notified by invitation only if they must complete the PROFILE. Students should complete the PROFILE only if OSFA has requested that they do so. If OSFA has not requested that the student complete the PROFILE, the completion of this application will be of no benefit to the student.

Students will be notified of the invitation to complete the PROFILE via:

  • Their Next Steps Center
  • Their UAccess Student Center To Do List
  • UA Email
If the parents of the student are divorced/separated/never married or are living separately, the noncustodial parent must complete the Noncustodial PROFILE (NCP). Students who are unable to complete the NCP may submit a Request for Waiver of Noncustodial PROFILE. Students should speak with their Financial Aid Counselor if they feel they qualify to submit this request.
 

Important Dates/Deadlines:

Keep in mind the sooner all requested information is received, the sooner our office will be able to notify you of your aid eligibility.
  • For the Arizona Assurance Scholars Program:
01/01/2012
FAFSA application available
PROFILE application available
3/1/2012
Complete UA Application submitted
Complete FAFSA submitted
3/31/2012
Complete PROFILE submitted (with NCP application if necessary)
5/1/2012
Taxes must be submitted (if requested by OSFA)
Date by which rejects FAFSA must be cleared
8/20/2012
Priority Date for Appeals
  • For nonresident institutional grant funding:
01/01/2012
FAFSA application available
PROFILE application available
4/1/2012
Complete UA Application submitted
Complete FAFSA submitted
5/1/2012
Priority PROFILE filing date (with NCP application if necessary)
5/1/2012
Date by which rejected FAFSA must be cleared
Prior to Disbursements which begin in August
Taxes must be submitted (if requested by OSFA)*
* The review of tax documents may change a student’s eligibility for aid. It is recommended that these are submitted in a timely manner to prevent any last minute changes or delays to aid.
 

How to Submit the Profile

Directions are available only to students invited by OSFA to complete the PROFILE via their Next Steps Center or their UAccess Student Center To Do List.
 
Having trouble completing the PROFILE application? Take a moment to view College Board’s new WebEx Presentation. This presentation includes a walkthrough of the standard PROFILE application as well as an informative Question and Answer session.
 

Cost to Students

  • The initial cost for the 2012-2013 PROFILE application and one college or program report is $25. Additional college or program reports are $16 each.
  • The PROFILE service automatically provides fee waivers to domestic (U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens) first-time students from families with low incomes and limited assets. For more information: http://professionals.collegeboard.com/prodownload/PROFILE_fees.pdf
 

Important Contacts & Customer Service

The College Board provides exceptional customer service. They can assist students and high school counselors in answering general questions as well as assist students with completing the PROFILE.
  • Students
    • Email: help@cssprofile.org
    • Phone: (305) 829-9793 (9a - 6p EST, Mon - Fri. Extended service hours: Mon - Fri, 8a - 10p, EST from January – April. Subject to change.) TDD: (800) 915-9990
    • Web: profileonline.collegeboard.com
  • High School Counselors
    • Phone:(800)239-5888
    • Email:help@cssprofile.org