To be eligible for federal, state, or institutional student aid programs at the UNH College of Professional Studies, you must meet minimum general eligibility requirements.
General Eligibility Requirements
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
- Have a valid Social Security Number (there are a few international exceptions allowed by law)
- Have a high school diploma or equivalent or have been homeschooled in a setting approved by state law
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
- Not be in default status on a federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal grant
- Be accepted as a regular student working toward an eligible degree or post-baccalaureate certificate program
- Be enrolled at least half-time during any term (except for Pell Grant Eligibility)
- Not be receiving federal or state financial aid from another institution for the same enrollment period
Additional Eligibility Requirements
You may also be asked to complete verification or to resolve conflicting information on your FAFSA.
Federal Title IV aid (Pell, SEOG, Stafford, PLUS, Grad PLUS) recipients may be eligible to receive funds before the start of the term to cover the average cost for books and supplies ($150 per registered class) if, after direct charges have been paid, there is a remaining credit balance on the student account.
To be eligible, a student must be registered for classes and have aid ready to be disbursed at the time the Advanced Funds process runs 10 days prior to the term start.
Checks are mailed and direct deposits are made the Wednesday prior to the start of the term.
Students who have a previous account balance are not eligible for Advanced Funds.
Students are responsible for repayment of funds if they drop from any or all coursework. Students may opt out of this process by submitting the Opt Out of Advanced Funds form.
To receive Advanced Book Funding you must meet the following conditions by the 10th day prior to the start of the term:
- Be eligible for federal student aid
- Your federal aid is ready to disburse
- Be registered for classes
- Have a credit balance after covering the cost of tuition and fees
- Not have a prior balance due on your account.
If you do not meet the above conditions any credit balance will be issued to you no earlier than two weeks after the drop period for the term. To increase your chances of qualifying for the advanced book funds we recommend you submit all required documents by the financial aid preferred deadline. This date can be found in the Academic Calendar.
We will notify you by email when you have additional requirements to complete your financial aid application. Please check your WebCat account often for updates.
A student who has submitted a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may be chosen for verification by the U.S. Department of Education Central Processing System (CPS) or by the UNH College of Professional Studies. The purpose of verification is to confirm/verify the information provided by you (and your parent if applicable) on the FAFSA. If you are selected for verification, you may be required to submit the following documentation:
- Tax Documents
- Child Support Paid/Received
- Household Size
- Number in College
- Identity and Statement of Education Purpose
- High School Completion Status
- Untaxed Income
- SNAP Benefits (formerly known as food stamps)
If your FAFSA is selected for verification, we strongly encourage you to import your tax information to the FAFSA by using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. This is the fastest/easiest way to satisfy the requirement. We should receive your FAFSA correction with the updated information within 72 hours.
If you are not eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you will be required to obtain an IRS Tax Return Transcript. You can download or order a free Tax Return Transcript at the IRS website. If you request the Return Transcript by mail you can expect to receive it within 5-10 days after the IRS receives your request.
If a student or parent was granted a filing extension by the IRS, contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information on required documentation.
Documentation submitted to the Office of Financial Aid must be legible and have student identifiers attached (Student ID, Date of Birth, Address, etc.). If you submit a document that is not legible or is missing information, then the requirement will be considered incomplete and you will be notified of this via email or letter.
Your FAFSA application could contain conflicting information that requires resolution. You may be required to submit additional documentation to resolve the conflict. Additional documentation may include, but is not limited to: a copy of your Social Security card, Alien Registration card, driver’s license.
Documentation submitted to the Office of Financial Aid must be legible and have student identifiers attached (student ID, etc.). If the student submits a document which is not legible, appropriate or incomplete, then the requirement is considered incomplete and the student is notified to resubmit.