Applying for Financial Aid

If you need financial assistance to attend Embry-Riddle, there are plenty of funding sources available. Whether you seek loans, grants or scholarships, you must follow a specific process to see if you qualify. For certain funding options, such as scholarships, you need to check with the organization offering the aid to see what the application process is.

Refer to the step-by-step process below to apply for aid.

1. Verify Your Eligibility

All students who wish to receive financial aid must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen.
  • PLEASE NOTE: The citizenship status you report on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must match with the Social Security Administration (SSA).  If your citizenship does not match with the Social Security Administration you will be required to update your information with the SSA and/or provide original documentation in person to the Financial Aid Office before Federal Aid can be disbursed.
• Be degree-seeking in an eligible program as determined by the university.
• (for male students) be registered with the Selective Service, if required. Females are not required to register. Students can check requirements at www.sss.gov.
• Apply for Financial Aid each year as well as submit additional documentation as requested.
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards.
• Not be in Default on a student loan.
• Certify that financial aid be used for educational purposes only.
• Certify that if the student purposely gives false or misleading information, the student may be fined up to $20,000, sent to prison, or both.
• Not have drug-related offenses – a student who has been convicted of any offense under any Federal or State law involving the possession or sale of a controlled substance shall not be eligible to receive any grant, loan or work assistance during the period beginning on the date of such conviction and ending after the interval specified in the following table:

If the student is convicted of an offense involving the possession of a controlled substance, the ineligibility period is:

• First offense: 1 year
• Second offense: 2 years
• Third offense: Indefinite

If the student is convicted of an offense involving the sale of a controlled substance, the ineligibility period is:

• First offense: 2 years
• Second offense: Indefinite

Additional information is available on the Federal Student Aid website.

2. Complete the FAFSA

To become eligible for financial aid, you must start with the application process. Regardless of whether you are a past aid recipient, you need to apply annually for financial aid through completion of a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on the FAFSA website. When completing the FAFSA you will need to enter Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University school code 001479. By listing ERAU (Title IV School Code: 001479) as one of your school choices, we will receive your information electronically for processing. This application is valid from July 1 until June 30 of the following year. For more information on Federal Student Aid, please review The Guide to Federal Student Aid.

•  How to Fill Out the FAFSA

*Note that filling out FAFSA is free. Beware of websites and services who charge you for filling out the application. If you suspect a website is charging people, or if you need assistance, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 433-3243.

• All Students, parents, and borrowers are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites.

• You can use your FSA ID immediately to complete and electronically sign your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®; www.fafsa.gov) [your parent can sign with his or her own FSA ID].

• Your FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. It has the same legal status as a written signature. Don't give your FSA ID to anyone—not even to someone helping you fill out the FAFSA. Sharing your FSA ID could put you at risk of identity theft!

Allow up to an hour to gather your information and complete the FAFSA. You'll need to refer to several items when filing the FAFSA:

• Social Security card
• Driver's license
• Income tax information and W-2 forms

•  After the FAFSA: What Happens Next?

3. Retrieve your IRS data

IRS Data Retrieval Tool

The U.S. Department of Education and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) have collaborated to develop a tool that simplifies the completion of the FAFSA application. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool allows FAFSA applicants and parents to request and retrieve their tax data directly from the IRS. Once this data is retrieved from the IRS, it can be transferred to the FAFSA application.

Use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool:

• The tax year to be requested is on the FAFSA application being completed
• Electronically filed tax return information will be available online from the IRS Data Retrieval Tool approximately one to two weeks after return has been filed.
• Data from paper tax returns will be available 6-8 weeks after the return has been filed. Student applicants and parents who have filed their taxes will be given the option to use the IRS data retrieval tool when they are completing the Financial Information portion of their FAFSA application.
• There are two separate Financial Information sections on the FAFSA for dependent students. Students will use this tool for the Student Financial Information section and parents of dependent students will use this tool for the Parent Financial Information section.
• Upon selecting the IRS Data Retrieval Tool you will be directed to the IRS website. From there, you will need to authenticate your identity before any personal information is displayed.
• After viewing tax data, you will then have the option to “Transfer” the tax information directly to the FAFSA application.

We highly recommend that you take advantage of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool because it’s easy, fast, accurate and streamlines the process if your application was selected for verification.

One of the final steps in completing the FAFSA is supplying Embry-Riddle's federal school code. Our school code is 001479.

Student Notifications

Email is an official means of communication for students at Embry-Riddle. All official university e-mail will be sent to each student's assigned university e-mail address. Students are responsible for reading emails received from the university.