How to Apply for Financial Aid

Students and parents of dependent undergraduates must apply for an FSA User ID. This is a secure user ID code that you use to ‘sign’ federal financial aid items online (such as the FAFSA, or student loan documents). You can apply for your FSA User ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov

Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as soon as possible after October 1st and file online at https://studentaid.gov/. AIC’s school code for the FAFSA is 002114.

Once your FAFSA is processed by the US Department of Education, the results will be sent electronically to AIC’s Financial Aid Office. Be sure to review your Student Aid Report (SAR) for accuracy.

Note that some applications are selected for verification. If your application is selected, you will need to submit income tax documentation, as described in your SAR. The AIC Financial Aid Office will also advise applicants of documentation required to complete the application and awarding process.

If the FAFSA does not accurately represent your financial situation, you are welcome to provide additional written information to the office. All information you provide is held in strict confidence.

We encourage students to file the FAFSA as soon as possible so we have sufficient time to evaluate eligibility for federal, state and college financing programs. Evaluation of late applications will continue, with awards being made on a funds-available basis right up through the semester beginning. Since the FAFSA now requires you to use prior-prior year taxes, please try to use the IRS Data Retrieval tool which will enable faster and more accurate results.

If you are a parent of a college student and want to learn more about filling out the FAFSA, check this out:

AIC will issue a financial aid decision after a review of your FAFSA and any other documentation submitted in support of your application. Aid packages typically include grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study assignments. If you are a graduate student you will need to sign and return the financial aid award letter to the financial office. Regardless of whether you are an Undergraduate or Graduate student, you will also need to complete the Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling if you wish to accept Federal Student Loans.