Sample Checklist
open box for a checkmark
Look for scholarships and grants.
Look for scholarships through your state or college as well as national and community
organizations. Arkansas Tech University's scholarships can be found at www.atu.edu/scholarships.
open box for a checkmark
Complete the FAFSA
Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. Make sure to fill it out and submit the FAFSA each year you are in college. Arkansas Tech's Title IV school code is 001089. If you want your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) sent to us, you need to put this number on the FAFSA.
About FAFSA
The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is the only way to apply for federal student aid. The schools you list on your application will use FAFSA information to evaluate your financial need and determine how much federal aid you are eligible to receive. Many states and colleges also use FAFSA information to provide their own financial aid.
Each October the FAFSA is available for the upcoming school year. It is best to fill it out as early as you can because some aid is first come, first served.
When you complete a FAFSA, you'll need to provide personal and tax information. Hopefully,
you will be able to automatically retrieve the information from the IRS. If you have
questions about what tax year information to provide on the FAFSA, look at the questions
on the FAFSA, or contact our office.
open box for a checkmark
Receive a Student Aid Report (SAR)
After you submit your FAFSA, you'll receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR
summarizes the information in your FAFSA. Review it and make corrections if needed.
open box for a checkmark
Receive an Award Letter
Your award letter explains the combination of federal grants, loans, and work-study
a college is offering you. The offer might also contain state and institutional aid.
If you receive award letters from multiple colleges or career schools, you should
compare them and decide which school works best for you.
open box for a checkmark
Enroll in your school of choice and register for classes
open box for a checkmark
All Financial Aid is applied to your student account
Once your aid package is applied to your account, you will either owe a balance if
your aid did not cover all of your expenses, or if your aid covered all of your expenses
and had some money leftover, that money will be refunded to you through the Student
Accounts office. Refund dates and information can be found at www.atu.edu/stuaccts.
open box for a checkmark
Maintain your Financial Aid award
Check OneTech periodically throughout each semester to make sure there are no holds
on your account, or missing paperwork that might impact your financial aid award.
Keep your aid package's credit hour and GPA requirements in mind when making decisions.
Don't forget to fill out the FAFSA each year your are in school.
open box for a checkmark
Graduate
Celebrate as you cross the stage at Tucker Coliseum and get your diploma.
open box for a checkmark
Wrap up your Financial Aid requirements
If you did not take out student loans, you're done! If you did, now is the time for loan exit counseling and planning your loan repayment strategy. Check out https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans for information regarding different repayment plans and getting started repaying your loan.
