Financial Aid Notification Guide

Welcome to UCA

At UCA, we’re excited to help you make college affordable. Your myUCA account is your gateway to understanding your federal aid eligibility. We’ve compiled comprehensive information below, covering all aspects of financial aid, to ensure you have a clear understanding of your award and aid options.

Common Student Needs

Changes in Family Circumstances

Life changes such as death, job loss, or divorce can affect financial aid. Please contact us immediately if your family experiences any significant changes.

Missing Expected Aid

If you anticipate receiving financial assistance in any form that does not appear on this notice or your myUCA self-service account, confirm with the donor or agency awarding the scholarship to determine when the funds will be sent to UCA.

Types of Aid Available

Federal Aid

Federal Grants: Pell Grants and SEOG are available based on financial need.
- Federal Pell Grant: This grant is available for students with high financial need and is usable for up to six years of full-time study.
  - A federal grant is awarded to full-time or part-time students demonstrating high financial need.
  - Federal regulations limit a student’s lifetime use of the Federal Pell Grant to the equivalent of six years of full-time eligibility.
- Federal SEOG: Funds are limited for undergraduates with exceptional needs.
  - SEGO stands for the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
  - A limited number of SEOG funds are available for undergraduate Pell Grant recipients with exceptional financial needs.
- Federal Direct Loans: Subsidized and unsubsidized loans with details on interest and repayment are available here.
  - Direct Subsidized Loan: Eligibility is need-based. No interest accrues on the principal while you are enrolled at least half-time and during the grace period.
  - Direct Unsubsidized Loan: Eligibility is not need-based. Interest accrues while you are enrolled and during the grace period.
  - Our office will determine the type (Subsidized or Unsubsidized) and amount of Federal Direct Loan for which you are eligible based on the information provided on the FAFSA.
    - Learn more about loan types and terms on the Student Aid website.
- Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS): Available for parents of dependent students. They are non-need-based.
  - Interest begins accruing immediately, and repayment begins 60 days after disbursement.
  - At UCA, we do not automatically include the PLUS loan as part of the financial aid package. If you are a dependent student and the funds included in your Financial Aid Notification are insufficient to meet your expenses, one of your parents may want to consider applying for a PLUS loan.
  - For more information about PLUS loans, visit https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/plus/parent.

State Grants and Scholarships

Arkansas Programs: Learn about scholarships like the Academic Challenge Scholarship available through ADHE.
- Academic Challenge Scholarship: The Arkansas Academic Challenge Program provides scholarships to Arkansas residents pursuing higher education.
ADHE will determine your eligibility after you apply for the scholarship and submit all required documentation directly to ADHE by their stated scholarship deadline.

External Assistance

Scholarships and Grants: Always explore additional private funding options through local organizations and online scholarship platforms.
Private Education Loans: Loans provided for educational purposes.
- We encourage you to use all grants, scholarships, and federal loans for which you are eligible before considering a private loan.
- Private loans may have variable interest rates, and each lender has different eligibility requirements, loan rates, repayment terms, and conditions. Find more information at https://uca.edu/financialaid/private-or-alternative-loans/.

Student Employment

Federal Work-Study (FWS): Need-based work opportunities. If you are potentially eligible for federal work-study should see this option on your account.
Institutional Work-Study: Availability depends on departmental funds and does not depend on financial need. These opportunities are available to all students.

Loan Essentials

Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling

New loan borrowers must complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov.

Master Promissory Notes (MPNs) may be completed at studentaid.gov/mpn.
Entrance Counseling may be completed at studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling.
- Loan funds will not be added to your account (disbursed) until the MPN and Entrance Counseling have been completed.

Loan Repayment

If you receive a federal student loan, you must repay that loan with interest.
- The U.S. Department of Education will assign repayment of your loans to one of their federal loan servicers. Repayment of your direct loan begins six months after you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time enrollment status to the loan servicer.
- Review interest rates on your loans here: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates

Navigating Your Financial Aid

Communication with Students

Stay informed through your UCA Cub Account and check your email regularly. Manage your financial aid and other records via myUCA.

myUCA: This is the self-service portal that provides 24/7 access to your UCA academic, billing and financial aid records. Your admission acceptance letter provided login information for myUCA.
UCA Cub Email Account: This is a UCA-issued email account where we will send communication. Please check this email account frequently.

Release of Information

Students can grant others access to speak with our office about their Financial Aid.
Complete the Release of Information form under your myUCA Self-Service portal.

Affordability and Planning

Cost Calculators: Use tools to estimate tuition and living expenses here.
Payment Plans: Options to spread out your payments are detailed here.

Emergency Aid

If unexpected financial challenges arise, the Student Support and Resource Center can help you connect you with resources to stay on track.

Academic Requirements for Aid

Enrollment Status

Your financial aid is based on your enrollment status. Be sure to understand how changes in your enrollment can impact your aid.

Financial aid is based on enrolling in an eligible UCA program and taking required courses. Full-time students (12 or more undergraduate credit hours) are offered aid. If you enroll part-time, adjustments are made before disbursement. Your enrollment status affects the amount of aid you receive. Speak with a financial aid counselor if you don’t plan to enroll full-time.

Students must be enrolled at least 1/2 to receive Federal Direct Loans.
Some types of aid require enrollment in more than 12 credit hours per term, such as UCA Academic Scholarships, Academic Challenge Scholarships, etc.

Level	Full Time	3/4 Time	1/2 Time	<1/2 Time
Undergraduate/Post Bac enrolled in 1000 to 4000 level courses	12 or more hours	9-11 hours	6-8 hours	1-5 hours
Graduate enrolled in 5000 to 7000 level courses	9 or more hours	7-8 hours	5-6 hours	1-4 hours

Academic Progress

To keep your federal aid, you must maintain satisfactory academic progress. Details on standards and tracking can be found in your financial aid section on myUCA.

Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress: To receive federal financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress.
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is determined by the number of hours attempted and earned, as well as the cumulative GPA. These standards are checked at the end of each semester.
Scholarship Renewal: Scholarships have renewal criteria, including GPA and hours requirement, for disbursement and renewal from term to term or year to year.
- Each type of scholarship (UCA, ADHE, Private, etc.) has its renewal criteria.

Conclusion

Please feel free to contact us if you encounter financial difficulties or need clarification on your financial aid package. We aim to ensure that you can focus on academic success without undue financial stress.