Next Steps in the Financial Aid Process

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After You Submit

  1. Once we receive your FAFSA (and CSS Profile, where applicable), we may need additional information, such as a tax return or other verification of your income. If so, you’ll get an email from IDOC, the College Board’s document upload service, letting you know the next steps. 
  2. We’ll use the information you provide in your application to determine your financial aid package. 
  3. We’ll reach out via email if there’s anything else we need to determine your financial aid offer. 

Upon receipt, our financial aid staff will review your file within 5-10 business days. 

We May Need Additional Documents 

Needing additional documents is common, and we will contact you if this occurs. Please respond within two or three days to any request so the processing of your financial aid application is not delayed. 

We may need more documents because the U.S. Department of Education performs comparisons of every financial aid application with several federal databases, including the Social Security Administration, the Immigration and Naturalization Service, and the Selective Service.

Check Your To Do List 

Log in to SIS Self-Service / Financial Aid / View Financial Aid / Menu / To Do List. Access SIS Self-Service with your guest account or your Hopkins JHED. 

  1. Address any outstanding items, which will be listed in the To Do List. 
  2. You will be sent an offer notice after we have received all required documents. 
  3. Review your award. 
  4. Accept or decline the award. 
  5. Regularly check your To Do List for additional financial aid requirements related to specific award types. 
  6. To continue receiving financial aid, you must reapply each year. 

Tip: Apply by the priority filing deadlines and respond in a timely manner to document requests to ensure that your financial aid will be ready by the start of the semester and will be paid to your student account when you begin classes.

Get Ready to Receive Your Funds 

Enroll in Classes 

Ensure you are enrolled in enough credits for the semester to be eligible for aid. 

  • Understand your credit hour minimums. 
  • If your academic semester has multiple terms/sessions, enroll in all planned classes for the semester at the same time.  

How Funds Are Delivered 

Hopkins will first apply loan funds to your school account to pay for tuition, fees, and other charges. If any loan funds remain, JHU will distribute them to you to help pay other education expenses—set up direct deposit to receive funds quickly. Get more information about receiving aid from studentaid.gov. 

Set Up Direct Deposit 

Get your student account ready by enrolling in eRefunds with Flywire. 

  • To enroll, log in to SIS Self-Service and navigate to Billing / Summary / Actions / Set Up Direct Deposit.  
  • Be sure to verify your local mailing address. Paper checks are automatically mailed if direct deposit hasn’t been set up. Go to Personal Info / Summary to verify your local mailing address. 

Receiving Your Funds 

Funds are disbursed in equal parts by semester/term unless otherwise indicated. You will not receive funds for the entire year upfront. 

Schedule 

  • Funds typically appear in your student account either on the first day of the semester/term or 10 days before the start of the semester/term.  
  • For your scheduled disbursement date, check SIS Self-Service / Financial Aid / Disbursements. 

Refund Schedule 

If your total financial aid disbursements exceed the balance owed on your student account, you will be refunded the credit balance. Set up direct deposit to receive your refund quickly. 

Hopkins processes refunds within 14 business days of the disbursement date. 

Using Federal Financial Aid to Purchase Books and Supplies 

If you are eligible for a refund, you should receive it in time to buy any required books and supplies during the first week of the semester. Set up direct deposit to receive your refund quickly. If your refund is delayed, contact SEAM about obtaining an emergency loan to purchase required books and supplies. 

Apply Again Next Year 

To continue receiving financial aid, you must reapply each year. 

Tip: Check your JHU email regularly. Important information about financial aid and your student account (bills) are sent to your JHU email. Stay on top of any changes to your award, outstanding application/disbursement requirements, and your financial aid status for the next semester.

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New Borrowers 

If you intend to borrow a Federal Direct Loan, please complete, if you haven’t yet: