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The University of Hartford's financial aid staff is here to help you navigate the application process for financial aid.

First-Year and Prospective Students

File the FAFSA

UHart School Code

Our Federal school code is 001422.

Apply by Feb. 15

Our priority-filing deadline for FAFSA is Feb. 15. The FAFSA is available online.

First-Year Students

If you are a first-year student (freshman and transfer), you will be considered for non-need based scholarships and grants at the time of admission.

Prospective Students

Prospective students who want to be considered for need-based financial aid must complete the steps below:

  1. Apply for admission to the University of Hartford. Students seeking consideration for financial assistance should file an application and provide transcripts and test scores by February 15th. You may use our online application if you wish.
  2. Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Based on the information provided on your FAFSA, the Federal government will determine your family's expected family contribution (EFC). The difference between the cost of attendance at the University of Hartford and your EFC is your financial need.
    • Your EFC is determined using a formula developed by the U. S. Department of Education and is designed to assess what a family can afford to pay toward a college education. Factors include the number of family dependents, number of children in college, income, and a percentage of total assets (not including home equity). You should list the University of Hartford as a recipient of the FAFSA data. Our Federal school code is 001422. The University has a priority-filing deadline of Feb. 15. The FAFSA is available online at studentaid.gov.
  3. The FAFSA should be submitted by February 15th to qualify for the maximum funding possible because some sources are limited. Starting in 2016, the FAFSA is now available on October 1 each year. We highly recommend that you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing your FAFSA, to directly link your income from the IRS.

A few important things to remember during the financial aid process:

  • You must be accepted for admission before you are considered for student financial aid.
  • You must submit the required deposit fees by the deadline date as stated in the Admission Office notification letter in order to reserve the financial aid awarded.
  • Financial aid cannot be credited to your account until your high school final transcript is received in the Office of Admission and Student Financial Assistance.
  • Your financial aid award is subject to verification of information provided on your FAFSA application and may be adjusted accordingly.

Returning Students

Returning students must complete the FAFSA by April 1 to be considered for need-based aid. Non need-based aid is renewable assuming you maintain full-time status and meet Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.

Requests for Additional Aid

We are committed to making a UHart education an option for all students. When possible, we eliminate the cost of attending as a barrier by fully exploring all of a student's options.

The Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) is a great tool for students and their families to complete to identify any need-based aid that a student might qualify for—but we recognize that a family’s financial circumstances may not always be accurately reflected on the FAFSA application due to changes that might have occurred. The Office of Student Financial Aid will work with a family to consider requests for additional aid for qualifying circumstances. This is done through a professional judgement process.

To start the professional judgement process, you will need to submit a brief narrative outlining the change in circumstance you would like reviewed. You will also need to complete our Request for Additional Funds Form. These documents can be emailed to our office at finaid@hartford.edu. This process will likely require you to submit additional documentation which we will request once an initial review is completed.

As a guideline, below is a list of common reasons you may request an additional review of your financial aid award (professional judgement) but is not all inclusive:

  • Job loss
  • Involuntary job change
  • Parent has divorced/separated from spouse occurring after the tax year reported on the FAFSA
  • Other

The circumstances below do not qualify and will not be considered:

  • Standard living expenses
  • Tuition paid for private elementary and/or secondary schools
  • Voluntary leave from employment
  • Bankruptcy
  • Circumstances occurring prior to the tax year reported on the FAFSA

We want to make a UHart education a reality for all students—please know we are happy to talk through any situation! Please contact our office directly to talk further about your request for additional aid and any next steps you might be able to take.

Verification

Verification is the process of comparing the information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with requested documents. These documents may include and are not limited to:

  • Verification Worksheet

  • Parent/student IRS Tax Return Transcript

  • Parent/student W-2s

You can be selected for the verification process by either the Federal Processor at the time you complete the FAFSA (look at your Student Aid Report or SAR) or by the Office of Student Financial Aid. In either case, the Office of Student Financial Aid will send you an email notifying you that you have been selected for verification and stating what documents are necessary for your file. We may update the FAFSA as a result of the comparison process. Sometimes this results in a change to your financial aid awards or package. If your financial aid will change, we will notify you through a revised or amended award letter/email.

Through verification, students will be asked to perform a data match with the IRS instead of submitting copies of IRS Tax Return Transcripts. The IRS Data Match allows students and their parents that have completed their Federal Tax Return to pull that data directly into the FAFSA. This allows for fewer errors and can speed up the verification process significantly.

Verification will prevent your financial aid from paying to your account. This could result in:

  • Inability to add/drop classes

  • Default (late) fees on your bill

  • Inability to register for the upcoming semester

  • Inability to obtain a transcript

  • Potential reduction of financial aid awards

Therefore, it is imperative you complete this process as soon as possible.

Students may be asked for additional documents not noted above that are necessary for file completion but not related to the verification process. These may include and are not limited to:

  • Proof of citizenship

  • Proof of Selective Service Registration

  • Parent/student copy of birth certificate

  • Parent/student copy of social security card

  • Documentation of emancipation

  • Documentation of ward of the court status

Withdrawing

Students that separate from the University may not be eligible for the full amount of financial aid for which they were awarded. Federal regulations require that federal financial aid (Title IV) be pro-rated based upon attendance. Details about this process are listed below. The University and State also has policies in place about financial aid earned in connection to separation. Please contact us with questions about this policy.

In addition, your bill may change as a result of your withdrawal. Please contact the Center for Student Success (CSS) for information about how this may impact you. You can also read additional information about the withdrawal and refund policies.

The law specifies how the University of Hartford must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw from school. The Title IV programs that are covered by this law are: Federal Pell Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, TEACH Grants, Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs), and Federal Perkins Loans.

Though your aid is posted to your account at the start of each period, you earn the funds as you complete the period. If you withdraw during your payment period, the amount of Title IV program assistance that you have earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If you received (or your school or parent received on your behalf) less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school and/ or you. The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro rata basis. For example, if you completed 30% of your payment period or period of enrollment, you earn 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. Once you have completed more than 60% of the payment period or period of enrollment, you earn all the assistance that you were scheduled to receive for that period.

If you did not receive all of the funds that you earned, you may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. You will be notified if this applies to you. There are some Title IV funds that you may have been scheduled to receive that cannot be disbursed to you once you withdraw because of other eligibility requirements. If you receive (or your school or parent receive on your behalf) excess Title IV program funds that must be returned, you will be notified of the amount you need to return. Any amount of unearned grant funds that you must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of a grant overpayment that you must repay is half of the grant funds you received or were scheduled to receive. You do not have to repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less. 

The requirements for Title IV program funds when you withdraw are separate from any refund policy that your school may have. Therefore, you may still owe funds to the school to cover unpaid institutional charges. Your school may also charge you for any Title IV program funds that the school was required to return. If you don’t already know your school’s refund policy , you should ask your school for a copy. Your school can also provide you with the requirements and procedures for officially withdrawing from school.

For the full Return of Title IV Funds policy please contact the office of Student Financial Aid at 860.768.4296 or finaid@hartford.edu. If you have questions about your Title IV program funds, you can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243). TTY users may call 1-800-730-8913. Information is also available on Student Aid on the web at https://studentaid.gov.

Students who receive any federal financial aid (e.g. Pell Grant, Federal Direct Stafford Loan, etc.) are required to successfully complete the credits for which they were awarded aid. In compliance with federal regulations, the Office of Student Financial Assistance confirms that financial aid recipients have received academic credit for at least one course per semester. Students who do not receive any passing grades may be required to repay a portion of the financial aid received for the term.

If a student fails to earn a passing grade in at least one course, the Office of Student Financial Assistance assumes, for Federal Student Aid purposes, that the student has unofficially withdrawn, unless the student is able to document completion of at least one course. Obtaining documentation is the responsibility of the student.

At the end of each semester, we will identify students who appear to have no passing grades and will send an e-mail with instructions to their University of Hartford e-mail address. It is in the student’s best interest to respond to this e-mail with the appropriate documentation. If no response is received, we will perform a calculation to return all or a portion of the federal student aid awarded for the term.

Before 60% Mark:

  • Number of Days Attended: 5
  • Number of Days in the Semester: 99
  • Earned Financial Aid: 5.1%
  • Unearned Financial Aid: 94.9%

After 60% Mark:

  • Number of Days Attended: 64
  • Number of Days in the Semester: 99
  • Earned Financial Aid: 64.6%
  • Unearned Financial Aid: 0%

SAP Policy

In accordance with federal regulations, all financial aid recipients are required to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards. These standards are developed to ensure that students succeed in meeting the minimum requirements for a degree. The Office of Student Financial Assistance evaluates each financial aid recipient for adherence to these standards annually, immediately following the spring semester. Students who do not meet the SAP standards during this review are not eligible to receive financial aid until the SAP requirements are met. Financial aid recipients are defined as any student receiving aid from at least one of the following sources: federal, state, and/or institutional. This financial aid SAP review is separate from and in addition to other academic reviews conducted at the University.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Definition: SAP is a measure of a student’s movement toward a stated degree objective. Satisfactory progress is evidenced by: (a) maintenance of a grade point average (GPA) consistent with the minima outlined below (qualitative satisfactory progress): and (b) satisfactory performance in the major area of study as specified by the student's college department; and (c) an acceptable rate of course completion as outlined below (quantitative satisfactory progress).

Timing and Notification: In January, the Office of Financial Assistance will send a warning letter to those students receiving financial aid in the Fall and not making satisfactory academic progress as determined by the academic progress report maintained by the Registrar's Office. The letter will inform students they must meet the minimum qualitative and/or quantitative requirements prior to the start of subsequent terms or semesters to be considered for financial aid commencing with summerterm. The student will not be considered for financial aid until they have satisfied the requirements for satisfactory academic standing. Not later than two weeks after receiving the Spring semester registrar reports, the school or college will notify each student who has not made satisfactory qualitative and/or quantitative academic progress of its academic standing action, with copies to Financial Aid, Registrar, Dean of Students, and the Provost. Students may appeal the decision of a school or college using the established process. The outcome of the appeal determines a student's academic standing at the University; the Director of Financial Aid retains the responsibility for enforcing federal regulations for financial aid eligibility.

Qualitative Requirements (GPA): Students are required to maintain a minimum GPA to be considered in compliance with SAP regulations. The specific GPA standards to which students must adhere are available in the section of the Undergraduate Bulletin entitled "Academic Regulations".

  • Incomplete and Withdrawn Courses: Incomplete (I) and Withdrawn (W) courses are not included in the GPA calculation used to assess SAP eligibility.
  • Repeated Courses: Only the grade most recently earned (subject to the limitations stipulated in the Undergraduate Bulletin) will be used in the computation of the student’s GPA and credits earned.
  • Transfer Courses: Transfer credits are counted as both attempted and earned in the quantitative calculation. They do not count towards a student’s GPA for the qualitative requirement.

Quantitative Requirements (Pace):
Standards for Undergraduate Students: Completion rates for satisfactory academic progress, quantitative satisfactory progress, is based on attempted credits at census date. Full-time students enrolled in programs requiring 60 or 120-126 credit hours are expected to complete 12 credit hours a semester, or a total of 24 credits hours, at the end of an academic year. A full-time student enrolled in a four year program requiring more than 126 credits is expected to complete one-fifth of the required program credits during each academic year. The fall and spring terms constitute the academic year at the University. Students enrolled in fewer than 12 credit hours in a semester at census date are expected to complete all requirements for an associate degree within five years of initial matriculation and all requirements for the baccalaureate degree within ten years of initial matriculation. For students who are not making satisfactory academic progress at the end of the Spring semester, credit hours taken over the summer can be used to attain satisfactory progress. In addition, credits earned in Winterterm may be used to attain satisfactory academic progress. Fall semester incompletes must be completed by the end of the Spring semester, and Spring semester incompletes must be completed by the end of the summer sessions to count towards making satisfactory quantitative progress. Financial aid awards are contingent upon the availability of funds at the time students become eligible.

Standards for Graduate Students: Graduate students are expected to complete all requirements for their degree within time limits set by their colleges and to complete the fraction of their initial semester load specified by their colleges. These standards will be established by the college and shall be available in printed form at the dean's office. Additionally, the dean's office shall communicate any changes in such standards to the Provost and the Registrar; the Provost will transmit such changes to the Council of Deans.

For full SAP Policy please contact the office of Student Financial Aid (860.768.4296 or finaid@hartford.edu).

Student Consumer Information

For Consumer Information please click here.

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