faqs
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Financial aid FAQs
General
1. Am I eligible for financial aid?
2. How do I apply for financial aid?
3. What kind of assistance can I apply for?
4. How much money will I get?
5. How much money can I get from grants, federal work-study, and loans?
6. When will I find out about my application?
FAFSA
7. What is the FAFSA deadline?
8. Why do I need a PIN?
9. My parents have more than one student in college. Do they need a separate PIN number for each student?
10. Can I estimate my tax information if I have not completed my taxes by the deadline?
Scholarships
11. What types of scholarships are available?
12. How do I apply for scholarships?
13. I'm getting a non-university scholarship. Will this affect my scholarship assistance?
14. How will I get my non-university scholarship?
Work study
15. What is Federal College Work Study?
16. How do I find a Federal College Work Study job?
Transfer students
17. What type of aid is available to transfer students?
18. How do I apply?
19. What scholarships are available for transfer and nontraditional students?
20. What should I do if I'm transferring to K-State for the spring semester and want to continue receiving financial aid?
21. Do I have to be admitted to K-State before I receive assistance?
22. Since I'm transferring, will my checks be at K-State next semester?
23. I have previous student loans. Do I need to do anything for them?
Special circumstances
24. How do I acquire independent status?
25. What if I have a special circumstance?
Verification
26. What is verification?
27. What happens if I’m selected for verification?
General
1. Am I eligible for financial aid?
To receive federal financial aid, you must meet eight requirements for eligibility.
Check the list of requirements.
2. How do I apply for financial aid?
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Fill it out online or pick up a paper version from your high school counselor. You will need to know K-State's federal school code: 001928.
3. What kind of aid can I apply for?
There are four ways to pay for college: grants, loans, work-study jobs, and scholarships. You can apply for the first three by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). To apply for scholarships, just complete the K-State scholarship application.
4. How much money will I get?
You will not know how much money you are eligible for until you apply. Based on the information you provide on the FAFSA, K-State will prepare a financial aid offer that may include federal grants, loans, work study, and/or K-State scholarships. Check out this description of the various types of aid. Be sure to meet the March 1 priority deadline to maximize your financial aid.
5. How much money can I get from grants, federal work-study, and loans?
That depends on what types of federal aid you’re awarded. Check out this detailed description of each type of aid. Here are some ranges of financial assistance for an academic year:
- Grants: $50 to $4,050
- Work study: $800 to $2,500
- Subsidized Stafford Loans: $500 to $2,625 for freshman students
6. When will I find out about my application?
The first award letters are mailed around April 1 to your permanent address. Electronic award letters are also on KATS, the K-State Access Technology System, but you must have an eID first. Your award notification will list the types of financial aid you can expect to receive for the academic year. The notification may be delayed if you’re selected by the federal government for a process called verification, or if you are not fully admitted into a degree program at K-State.
FAFSA
7. What is the FAFSA deadline?
March 1 is the priority deadline. If you apply after this date, your chances for receiving all types of financial aid will be reduced. Eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant and/or Federal Direct Student Loans are not affected by this priority deadline. It’s easier to complete the application when you have already completed your income tax return.
8. Why do I need a PIN?
You’ll need a personal identification number to electronically sign your FAFSA. If you don’t already have a PIN, apply now. Your financial aid PIN is just like the PIN you get from your bank. It is confidential and should not be shared with anyone, even if someone else completes your FAFSA for you. If you’re a dependent student, your parents should also apply for a PIN now so they can electronically sign your FAFSA.
9. My parents have more than one student in college. Do they need a separate PIN number for each student?
Your parents can use the same PIN to sign all the FAFSA forms. They don’t need a new number for each student, but a FAFSA form needs to be completed for each student.
10. Can I estimate my tax information if I have not completed my taxes by the deadline?
You can estimate your taxes on your FAFSA, but you may have to go back and correct your FAFSA if the income or tax information is incorrect. Filing your tax return first makes completing the FAFSA easier.
Scholarships
11. What types of scholarships are available?
K-State offers scholarships based primarily on merit. In order to qualify for general scholarships, freshmen students must be admitted to the university and have completed a K-State scholarship application by November 1. Priority date for current students and transfer students is February 1.
12. How do I apply for scholarships?
There is only one scholarship application at K-State. You can fill out the paper application in our application workbook, available through the Office of Admissions, or you can fill it out online. The only scholarships not included in this process are athletic and performance scholarships. Freshmen students must submit the K-State scholarship application by November 1 of the preceding academic year. Current students and transfer students must submit the K-State scholarship application by February 1 of the preceding academic year.
13. I’m getting a non-university scholarship. Will this affect my financial assistance?
Please notify the Office of Student Financial Assistance as soon as you learn that you will receive any non-university scholarships or funding. Non-university funding may affect your financial assistance, especially your loan eligibility.
14. How will I get my non-university scholarship?
Most non-campus scholarship agencies send scholarship checks to K-State. If you receive a non-university scholarship check directly from a scholarship agency, please endorse it and write your full name and student ID number on the front of the check. Then mail or deliver the check to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
Work-study
15. What is Federal Work Study?
Work-study is a program that helps you earn money for college by working on campus. Typical work study awards range from $800 to $2,600. Most jobs are on campus and pay by the hour ($6/hour minimum student wage). You will be responsible for finding a work-study job and must be enrolled at least half time (6 hours per semester for undergraduates).
16. How do I find a Federal College Work Study job?
Check out K-State’s Career and Employment website, which includes an up-to-date listing of part-time job opportunities, including those jobs that qualify for work study.
Transfer students
17. What type of aid is available to transfer students?
There are four basic types of financial aid available to help you meet your educational costs: grants, scholarships, educational loans, and student employment.
18. How do I apply?
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and the K-State scholarship application. Contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance in 104 Fairchild Hall for information.
19. What scholarships are available for transfer and nontraditional students?
If you are transferring 24 or more semester hours from a Kansas community college, you may be eligible to receive an $800 scholarship. You must carry a 3.5 GPA to receive this scholarship. Phi Theta Kappa students who are nominated for the All-Kansas Academic Team will receive a $1,500 nonrenewable scholarship if they transfer to K-State immediately after attending a Kansas community college. Ten Phi Theta Kappa students who are transferring to K-State with 24 or more credit hours and a 3.75 GPA may be selected to receive a total of $2,500 in scholarship assistance. See additional transfer scholarship information.
20. What should I do if I'm transferring to K-State for the spring semester and want to continue receiving financial assistance?
On your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, you should list K-State as a school you will attend. You can electronically add K-State to your FAFSA or you can call the federal processor at 1-800-433-3243. Items you will need to make the change: your PIN number given to you by the Department of Education; your data release number found on your Student Aid Report; and K-State's federal school code (001928).
21. Do I have to be admitted to K-State before I receive assistance?
Yes, you must be admitted into a degree program. Your application for financial aid can be processed once you have been notified by the Office of Admissions that you have been admitted to K-State. However, award money you are eligible for will not be dispensed until your admission file is complete. Special and nondegree seeking students are not eligible for financial assistance.
22. Since I'm transferring, will my checks be at K-State next semester?
Depending on how soon you begin the process to have your financial assistance information sent to K-State, your checks may or may not arrive in time for the start of the semester. Please plan accordingly.
23. I have previous student loans. Do I need to do anything for them?
Yes. You will want to obtain an in-school deferment form from the holder of your loans. Submit that form to the registrar's office at K-State. Be sure to complete your information first. The registrar will complete the certification portion of the deferment. You will then need to mail the in-school deferment(s) to each of your loan holders.
Special circumstances
24. How do I acquire independent status?
Not living with your parents doesn’t automatically classify you as independent. Independent status is determined by the federal government based on seven FAFSA questions about your birth date, degree, marital status, veteran status, and more. Find out what criteria you must meet.
25. What if I have a special circumstance?
If you have a special circumstance, such as your family’s unusual medical expenses or recent unemployment, K-State may be able to adjust your financial aid. Contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance if you think you might have these, or other, special circumstances.
Verification
26. What is verification?
Verification is a process that ensures that the information you report on your FAFSA is accurate. Approximately 30 percent of students are randomly selected by the federal government to go through the verification process.
27. What happens if I’m selected for verification?
You will be required to submit your and your parents’ signed federal income tax returns with W-2 forms and any schedules you filed with your return. You will also be required to complete the institutional verification form. Any discrepancies our office finds must be corrected, and your financial assistance eligibility may be affected.