Frequently Asked Questions

Financial Aid Summer Hours (May 12-August 15) are:

Round 1 of funding:

Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) 2020- This application was open from May 13,2020-June 30,2020. The student maximum amount of emergency assistance provided by this grant was:

• $750 for undergraduate students who were eligible for the Pell Grant. 
• $350 for undergraduate or graduate students who were eligible for federal aid, but not the Pell Grant

Round 2 of funding:

Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Approiations Act (CRRSAA) 2021- This application was open from February 25, 2021- May 7, 2021. The student maximum amount of emergency assistance provided by this grant was:

• $1,000 for undergraduate students with an exceptional need, such as full Pell eligibility or extraordinary financial circumstances.
• $1,000 for undergraduate students eligible for some Pell Grant funds, but not the entire award.
• $500 for undergraduate or graduate students who have need but are not eligible for Pell Grants.

Round 3 of Funding:

American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) 2021- This application was open from August 13, 2021-November 15, 2021. The maximum amount of emergency assistance that was provided by this grant was:

• $2,500 for undergraduate students with an exceptional need, such as full Pell eligibility or extraordinary financial circumstances.
• $1,500 for undergraduate students eligible for some Pell Grant funds, but not the entire award
• $1,000 for undergraduate or graduate students who have need but are not eligible for Pell Grants.

Round 4 of funding

American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) 2021- This application was open froom January 4, 2022-March 8, 2022. The maximum amount of emergency assistance was provided by this grant was:

• $2,500 for undergraduate students with an exceptional need, such as full Pell eligibility or extraordinary financial circumstances.
• $1,500 for undergraduate students eligible for some Pell Grant funds, but no the entire award. 
• $1,000 for undergraduate or graduate students who have need but are not eligible for Pell Grants. 

Round 5 of funding:

Supplemental Support Under the American Rescue Plan Act (SSARP) 2021 – This application was expected to be open from January 4, 2023 – March 14, 2023, however, funds were depleted and the application was closed on February 15, 2023. The maximum amount of emergency assistance that was provided by this grant was:

• $750 for undergraduate students with an exceptional need, such as full Pell eligibility or extraordinary financial circumstances.
• $500 for undergraduate students eligible for some Pell Grant funds, but not the entire award.
• $250 for undergraduate or graduate students who have need but are not eligible for Pell Grants.

Click here to create your Federal Student Aid (FSA) account username and password.  You can also see a video with how to create the FSA ID and other information by clicking here.

Anyone designated as a contributor on your FAFSA will be required to have their own Federal Student Aid (FSA) IDs, using different e-mail addresses.  Check out this video to see who would be a contributor on your FAFSA.

Watch a video about filling out the FAFSA here.

To complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®), you might need:

• Your Social Security Number
• Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. 
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
• Net worth of investments, business, and farm
• An FSA ID to sign electronically and grant consent to obtain federal tax information from IRS via direct data exchange

For married or dependent students, you will also need the following for your Contributor(s):

• Contributor(s) Social Security Number
• Contributor(s) federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. 
• Contributor(s) Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Contributor(s) Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
• Contributor(s) Net worth of investments, business, and farm
• Contributor(s) FSA ID to sign electronically and grant consent to obtain federal tax information from IRS via direct data exchange

Here is some information on whether or not you are dependent or independent on the FAFSA, it is also in Spanish here.

Verification means we have to double check the information you reported on your FAFSA.  Simply turn in the requested forms and documents as soon as possible to our office. Reach out to our office if you have questions.

Yes, we are required to officially document if you or your parent(s) did not file an income tax return and you are chosen for verification.  You can request this documentation with the IRS form 4506-T.  Instructions are included on this form.  If you are unsuccessful with getting this information from the IRS, we have an alternate form you can submit.

YES!  To receive any offered aid, you must begin and remain in attendance through the 100% tuition refund period for each class.  If you do not attend, ALL of your financial aid will be returned, possibly leaving a balance due on your account.

It is so important for you to check with our office before you drop any or all of your classes.  Your aid may depend on the number of hours you are enrolled in or the number you complete.  Talk to us before you make any schedule changes also, click to see our withdrawal information.

If your final grades are “F’s,” you will receive a letter giving you the amount, if any, aid you must repay for the term.  The amount owed is calculated using your last documented date of attendance for the term. 

Financial aid will pay for only one repeat of a class in which you have already received a passing grade, this includes classes that you withdrew from after receiving a passing grade.

Normally, federal aid will not pay for mixed enrollment, undergraduates for graduate classes and graduates for undergraduate classes, however, there are a few approved programs which do allow this combination. Please contact our office to see if your program qualifies.

Arkansas Tech's Federal Student Aid SAP policy is located here:  Satisfactory Academic Policy

Yes, the instructions for submitting an appeal are located here. For a faster turn around, fill it out or submit it on OneTech. The instructions are included on the form. 

Refund and other important dates are posted on the Student Accounts web site.

Information about book vouchers at ATU can be found here:  Book Vouchers.

If you are eligible, once you complete the FAFSA and all requested paperwork, a loan will automatically be offered to you. You will receive a email at your official ATU e-mail address once your student aid offer is available. Then, you can acccept or decline your aid in OneTech. *Note: the last day to accept a student loan is the last day of classes for the term.

Steps for completing a Parent PLUS loan application (*the application will not open until July 1st of the award year):

**Student must have a completed FAFSA on file to be eligible for a PLUS loan.

Go to https://studentaid.gov/plus-app/ and click on Learn More on the Parent of a Student borrower type.

A parent must log in with their FSA ID to start the application.

Complete the application as requested, making note of where the application asks for student information and borrower information. The parent is the borrower for a Parent PLUS loan.

Shortly after the application is submitted, Arkansas Tech University will receive the PLUS request and send the student an updated award notification letter.

If the PLUS loan is approved and the parent is a new borrower, a PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) will also need to be completed by the parent on the PLUS MPN website.  If the parent has borrowed a PLUS loan prior to this application, a new MPN is not required.

If the PLUS loan is denied, we will be notified of the denial and will offer the student additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized loans if eligibility remains.

Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least 6 hours of undergraduate classes and graduate students must be enrolled in at least 5 graduate hours to receive loans. All students must begin and remain in attendance through the 100% tuition refund period for each class to receive this loan. You may not receive a disbursement on an approved student loan until at least six of the hours in which you have enrolled have actually begun. For example, if you enroll in six hours for fall but three of those hours do not begin until mid-term, you would not receive your student loans until mid-term. Note:  Financial aid will pay for only one repeat of a class in which you have already received a passing grade, this includes classes from which you withdrew after receiving a passing grade- this may cause your enrollment to be below the requirement for loans.  Therefore, you will not receive loan funds.  Check with our office if you have a question about your schedule.

The main differences between the two loans are 1) subsidized loan eligibility is based on financial need, whereas an unsubsidized loan is not, and 2) the government pays the interest for the student on subsidized loans while the student is enrolled in school at least half-time.

Repayment is deferred for BOTH loans until six months after the student graduates or stops attending school at least half-time.

All first-time loan borrowers must complete both the entrance counseling and MPN.  If you are a transfer student, you must complete entrance counseling for ATU, but may not need to complete the MPN again.  Go to https://studentaid.gov and sign in to complete the requirements. Notifications will be sent electronically to the school within around 24 hrs. You will only have to complete these once during your time at ATU.

All Freshmen, First-time Student borrowers have a 30-day delay (from the 1st day of class) on the initial loan disbursement.

Also, for any grade level, if the loan is for one semester you will receive half of the loan at the beginning of the semester and the remaining half at the mid-point of the semester.

Generally, full loan eligibility is offered during the Fall and Spring semesters. In order to use loan funds to pay for summer classes, you will need to reserve money from Fall or Spring to pay for summer charges.  If you do not accept all of your eligibility for the Fall and Spring semesters, you may have funding available.  Please contact our office for student specific information.

Use the Loan Simulator to get an early look at which repayment plan you may be eligible for and see estimates for how much you would pay monthly and overall.

Yes, there are limits established by the Department of Education (Dept) for the federal loan program. 

Dependent undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $31,000.  Only $23,000 of this may be subsidized.

Independent undergraduate students may borrow a maximum of $57,500.  Only $23,000 of this may be subsidized.

Graduate students may borrow a maximum of $138,500 (this INCLUDES loans received as an undergraduate student).  All graduate level loans are unsubsidized.

For either the Tech scholarships or the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) awards, your enrollment is reported as of the 11th class day of each term, called the Attendance Date on the Registrar Academic Calendar. This date changes each term, so be sure to check with the Financial Aid Office to determine what this date is before you change your schedule. Any additions after the 11th class day to meet the minimum required enrollment will not be considered.

Ask yourself the following questions. Have you:

• Been officially admitted to Tech?
• Registered for the correct number of hours? (15 hours for all Tech academic scholarships)
• Signed up for on-campus housing, if required, OR obtained an exemption from Residence Life?

Ask yourself the following questions. Did you:

• Meet the renewal requirements for the scholarship? 
• Register for the correct number of hours? (15 hours for all Tech academic scholarships)
• Move out of campus housing and not get an exemption from Residence Life?

Information about renewal requirements can be found on the Renewal Requirements webpage or in the Academic Catalog for the year of your enrollment.

Requests for scholarship reinstatements/deferments are considered by the Scholarship Appeals Committee. Students who wish to appeal for a reinstatement or deferment should put their request in writing and sent it via email to scholarships@atu.edu or by mail to Alisa Waniewski, ATU Office of Admissions, Brown Hall, Suite 104, Russellville AR 72801. Any supporting documentation that is available should be included. Appeal decisions are made by the Scholarship Appeals Committee. 

No, you don’t have to enroll in 15 hours during your last semester of scholarship eligibility. However, if you enroll in less than 12 hours, your scholarship award will be prorated based on the number of hours in which you are enrolled. You should notify the Financial Aid Office if you plan to enroll in less than 15 hours during your final semester of scholarship eligibility. Please note, if you do enroll in less than 15 hours, your scholarship will not credit until after the attendance date (11th class day) of the term.

See the Estimated Work-Study Eligibility Chart to determine an estimate of the maximum number of hours you may work per week.