Financial Aid Information

UNM Financial Aid

File FAFSA | Student Aid Report | UNM-G Letters | Award Letters | Enrollment | Disbursement of Funds | Satisfactory Academic Progress | Withdrawing From UNM-G
Special Circumstance

File FAFSA

• Priority consideration for grants given to students who apply by March 1 and complete their Financial Aid files promptly thereafter.
• If you receive a Renewal FAFSA you can file that form here.
• If you are a first time filer, or lost your renewal form then file FAFSA here.
• UNM-G Federal School Code is 002663.
• If filing FAFSA on-line, please obtain a Federal PIN Number for you and your parent. These PIN's are your electronic signatures and speed up the filing process. If you do not apply for a PIN you and your parents will have to sign and mail a signature page.

NOTE: Grant funds are limited and distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis to students meeting the March 1 priority deadline.

SAR (Student Aid Report)

• You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the U.S. Department of Education.
• Look this over to make sure all information is correct. If it is correct, just hold onto your SAR. If corrections are needed, then make corrections, sign SAR, then turn in to the Financial Aid Office.
• The financial aid process takes eight to twelve weeks depending on the time of year, type of aid desired, and your promptness to requests by our office.

UNM-G Letters

• Award Letter
  • You will receive a letter listing your awards for each semester.
• MIL (Missing Information Letter)
  • You will need to submit additional documents or forms to the Financial Aid Office.
  • Once these are processed you will receive an award letter.

Award Letters

• Your award letter summarizes the type(s) and amounts of aid offered, assuming full-time (12 hours or more) enrollment. If planned enrollment differs from these asumptions, visit the Financial Aid Office immediately, otherwise your financial aid will not credit your account.
• Your letter may include estimated awards-they are not yet official. Amounts may change pending additional documentation and processing.
• You must be admitted to the university as degree-seeking to receive an award letter.
• You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to receive financial aid.
• Carefully read the award terms and conditions.
• If you receive any type of financial assistance to attend UNM other than the type(s) reflected on your Award Letter, you must notify our office. This includes tuition remissions, scholarships, AmeriCorps grants, JTPA, DVR, VA benefits, etc. These affect your financial aid eligibility. Unreported aid could result in an overaward which you may have to repay immediately or it may reduce future aid.
• Summer aid is available to eligible students who enroll for the summer sessions. Students must have completed financial aid files, submit a Request for Summer Aid Form, and register for summer courses. Awarding is subject to change and based on the availability of funding. Again it is first-come first-serve basis and varies depending on aid received during Fall/Spring semesters.

Enrollment

• If admitted non-degree, you are ineligible for financial aid.
• Submit your official high school or GED transcripts to the UNM-Gallup Admissions office; if you do not have either of these visit our office.
• If you are pursuing a second undergraduate degree, make an appointment to visit your financial aid advisor to determine your status.
• If you cancel, drop, or withdraw below the number of credit hours at initial disbursement, you may have to repay funds. If you drop below half-time status, future loan disbursements are canceled. Visit our office before changing enrollment status.
• A drop in credit hours results in a tuition refund, the refund is credited to any financial aid program from which you received funding.
  • If you completely withdraw from UNM and receive a tuition refund, the refund is applied first to the financial aid programs and any remaining amounts are refunded to you.

Disbursement of Funds

• After you receive an official award letter, official (not estimated) awards will disburse to your account on the 1st day of each semester.
• Any amount owed to UNM is paid first, if your aid does not cover the total amount owed, you must pay the difference.
• If your aid is greater than the amount owed, a refund check will be mailed or direct deposited to your bank account. Be sure the Registrar's Office has your correct address.
• Work-study awards are not applied directly to charges owed. If you are interested in a work study job, visit our office. You can not earn more than your work study award so monitor your earnings closely. You are paid bi-weekly.

NOTE: First-time borrowers must attend a Dept Management/Entrance Counseling Workshop before receiving their loan funds.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Grades are important when it comes to receiving financial aid. In general, you must:

1. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 1.70 or above for the first 30 attempted credit hours and a 2.00 or above thereafter.
2. Complete and earn credit for your classes. Unearned credits include grades of I, W, F, WF, WP, NC, and audited classes. You must successfully complete at least 67% of all attempted hours.
3. Complete and earn your degree within 150% of the published lenth of your degree or certificate program, measured by the total accumulation of attempted credit hours at UNM and other universities or colleges.
   • Total Attempted Hours:
   • Certificate program up to 45 credits.
   • Associate program up to 90 credits
   • Bachelor program up to 190 credit
   Failure to meet any of the above criteria results in ineligibility for financial aid (grants, loans, work-study, and some scholarships). If you have legitimate reasons for failing to maintain satisfactory academic progress, you may complete an Appeal Form. For details, contact the Financial Aid Office.

Withdrawing From UNM-G and Returning Financial Aid

• Students who withdrew after attending 60% of the term are not required to return funds. Students who "unoffically withdraw" from UNM-G (quit attending classes but do not follow official withdrawal procedures) may have to return all of their financial aid received for the semester. Students are encouraged to follow proper withdrawal procedures to limit their liabilities.
• The Financial Aid Office sends letters to both the "unofficial withdrawals" and students who failed to earn any credits for the semester. These students are required to contact their professors and request that specific information be sent to the Financial Aid Office. There are strict deadlines. Students are encouraged to respond in a timely manner. Aid is cancelled for students that fail to respond to the letters and/or miss the deadlines. These students must repay all the aid they received. Repayment of aid must be made prior to subsequent disbursement of any type of financial assistance. Donors determine refund and repayment of institutional, private, and third party scholarships.

Special Circumstances

If you or your family is experiencing unusual circumstances which affect your ability to pay for your education, please contact Student Financial Aid Office for a Special Circumstances form.

Examples of special circumstances we will consider are as follows:

• Tuition expenses at an elementary or secondary school
• Special medical or dental expenses not covered by insurance *
• A parent or spouse who recently became unemployed
• Adult care costs
• Unusual debts
• Income reduction or nonrecurring income
• Parent(s) enrolled at least half-time at a Title IV-eligible institution who are paying their own way through college.

Based on the information you provide (along with supporting documentation), your financial aid eligibility may be recalculated.

* Medical & Dental expenses up to 11% of the family's income are already taken into account by the federal needs analysis formula when determining financial aid eligibility. Therefore, only the portion of expenses, which exceed 11%, will be considered an unusual circumstance