UNC Greensboro financial aid — such as loans, grants, and some scholarships — is awarded through the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships to eligible students based on information reported each year in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
A new FAFSA should be filed each year the student wants to be considered for financial aid. File as early as possible for the best chance for the most aid.
Students must report UNCG’s Federal School Code (002976) when they file in order for UNCG to consider them for financial aid.
Tips for Filing the FAFSA
What information is needed on the FAFSA
You’ll need to have the following on hand:
- Social Security Number
- Alien Registration Number (if not a U.S. citizen)
- Prior year federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned. Note: many students and parents are able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool
- Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
- Records of untaxed income (if applicable)
- An FSA ID to sign electronically. Note: beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, all contributors to the cost of paying for your education (parents, grandparents, spouses, etc.) must also have an FSA ID.
Undergraduate dependent students will need the above information for their parents during filing as well. Make sure both the student and parent (for undergraduate dependent students) sign the FAFSA or it will be rejected.
DEPENDENCY STATUS ON THE FAFSA: Dependency status determines whose information must be reported on the FAFSA. A dependent student is required to report both student and parent information. An independent student will report only student (and spouse, if applicable) information. More info about how to determine dependency status is on the Department of Education website.
When to File the FAFSA
As a general rule, you should file the FAFSA as early as possible. The FAFSA is typically available starting in October; however, the all-new 2024-25 FAFSA was delayed this year due to comprehensive changes as part of the FAFSA Simplification Act. (More info here.) The new FAFSA is now ready for you, so be ready to file as soon as possible — UNCG’s Priority Filing deadline is March 1, 2024. The FAFSA uses previous-year tax information, so your 2024-25 FAFSA, available in late 2023, will use 2022 tax information.
Missed the FAFSA Priority Filing deadline? It’s not too late! We process FAFSAs all year round, but the sooner you file yours, the better your chances at a great aid package!
UNCG’s Priority Filing Date is MARCH 1.
File by the priority date for the best access to the maximum aid available. There is limited financial aid funding in some areas like state grants, so students who apply by the priority date receive priority access to those limited funds.
Students can apply after the priority date, as late as June 30 of the academic year in which they need aid. (For example, file by June 30, 2024, for the 2024-25 school year.)
Common FAFSA mistakes
It’s important to read all FAFSA instructions very carefully as incorrect or incomplete information will delay a student’s aid being processed. Here are some of the most common errors to avoid.
- Make sure the name, birthdate, and social security number listed are all correct.
- Pay close attention to tax reporting sections and use the FAFSA’s help buttons to see what tax line number to use. Also, using the IRS data retrieval tool to move your tax information to your FAFSA will lower the risk of errors.
- Respond to requests for verification and/or missing items as quickly as possible to ensure aid is processed with no or minimal delays.
- Keep all supporting documents for reference. Students may be requested to provide them later to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
Interested in applying for PLUS loans?
Graduate students and Parents who wish to apply for a PLUS Loan must submit an application in addition to the FAFSA and be approved based on credit.
Parents’ role in financial aid
Parents of dependent students seeking financial aid for an undergraduate degree must participate in the financial aid application process by completing and signing the FAFSA along with the student, and providing documents if requested.
To provide the required information on a student’s FAFSA, the parent should complete the following steps:
- Create an FSA ID.
- Have the student log in to the FAFSA using their own separate FSA ID.
- Use the parent’s FSA ID to retrieve IRS data when prompted. (Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, if applicable, saves a lot of time in the filing process.)
- Provide any additional information, such as details about bank accounts, investments, and untaxed income.
- Sign the completed FAFSA alongside the student using the parent FSA ID.
Parents who are unsure about whether to include their information or another parent’s information, or who have questions about how to report details on the FAFSA, please refer to the Federal Student Aid website.
When aid is awarded, it is usually all in the student’s name. Any grants, subsidized or unsubsidized loans, and/or scholarships are solely connected to the student. The student does not need a cosigner for their federal student loans.
Parents may opt to apply for a Federal Parent PLUS loan if their student is considered a dependent on the FAFSA. If the parent is approved (based on a credit evaluation), the parent can take the loan for use toward the student’s educational costs. If the parent is denied, there is an option where the student can receive additional loan funds. The Parent PLUS loan application is available through the Federal Student Aid website.
Unsatisfied requirements and Verification
After submitting the FAFSA, students may receive an email stating their Financial Aid file is incomplete. This means there is something that will prevent the aid from being awarded or being disbursed, or paid, to the student’s account.
How to upload requested documents
Students should provide requested documents via the secure Document Uploader in UNCGenie. Scan documents so they can be viewed clearly. There are several free mobile scanner apps that will allow students to use the camera on their phone.
To use the Document Uploader:
- Go to UNCGenie
- Click the ”Enter Secure Area” option on the UNCGenie Home page and enter your Student/University ID Number and your UNCG PIN
- Go to Financial Aid tab in UNCGenie
- Select Financial Aid Document Upload at the bottom of the page
Citizenship documentation requests
Sometimes, the Department of Education is unable to verify the student’s citizenship status with the Social Security Administration or with the United States Citizenship Immigration Services (USCIS). In these cases, UNCG’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is required to submit additional documentation from the student to USCIS. This process may take an additional 4-6 weeks before the student’s file can be completed.
Verification
Every year, a subset of students who apply for financial aid are selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education. This process requires schools to verify self-reported data provided on the FAFSA to ensure its accuracy.
Verification is intended to ensure that students receive the maximum aid for which they are eligible, NOT because fraud or misrepresentation is suspected.
Students who have been selected for verification will receive an email with more information about outstanding requirements and can view those requirements in their UNCGenie.
Requested documents may include:
- Completion of a Verification Worksheet
- Copies of Tax Information via the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, Tax Return Transcript, or a Non-Filing form (attached to the Verification worksheet).
- Students/parents who did not file taxes but had income will need to submit copies of their W2s.