Applying for Financial Aid

To qualify for federal student aid (FSA), some of the basic eligibility requirements are listed below.

• You must be a:
• U.S. citizen: Persons (except for the children of foreign diplomatic staff) born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia and, in most cases, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands; persons born abroad to parents (or a parent) who are U.S. citizens; and persons who obtained citizenship through naturalization.
• U.S. national: Persons born in American Samoa, Swain’s Island or the U.S. Minor Outlying Islands.
• Citizen of the Freely Associated States: Citizens from the Federal States of Micronesia, Palau and Marshall Islands receive limited FSA consideration.
• Other eligible non-citizens, such as:
• Permanent U.S. Resident with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
• Conditional Permanent Resident with a Conditional Green Card (I-551C)
• Have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing any one of the following designations:
• Refugee
• Asylum Granted
• Parolee (for a minimum of one year & status has not expired)
• T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.)
• Cuban-Haitian Entrant
• Have a valid certification or eligibility letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) showing a designation of victim of human trafficking.
• Native American born in Canada with a status under the Jay Treaty of 1789.
• You must have a valid Social Security Number (SSN) unless you are a citizen of the Freely Associated States.
• You must be accepted into an eligible program as determined at Embry-Riddle.
• You demonstrate financial need for need-based aid programs
• You must enroll at least half-time for Direct Loan disbursement.
• You cannot be in default on any federal student loan (i.e., fail to make a payment for more than 270 days).
• You agree to use federal student aid for education-related expenses only.
• You cannot owe money on any federal student grant (i.e., Pell Over-Payment, SEOG Over-Payment).
• You sign and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• You maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
• Show you are qualified to obtain a college education by having (1) a high school diploma, (2) a state-recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate, or (3) completed a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.

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 SSA, you will be required to update your information with the SSA and/or provide a copy of your original citizenship documentation to the Financial Aid Office before federal aid can be disbursed. Applications that have an Alien Registration Number (ARN) are matched against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) records. If the DHS match fails after automated primary and secondary confirmation, the school must conduct a third-step confirmation with the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Additional eligibility requirements can apply in certain situations including for non-U.S. citizens, students with criminal convictions and students with intellectual disabilities.

The FSA ID is your user name and signature for federal websites and forms. Visit studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account to create your account. Keep your FSA ID in a secure place, as you will need it each year to renew your application.

If you are a dependent student, your parents will need their own FSA ID. Starting with 2024-2025, all people, even those without a Social Security Number (SSN), must create an FSA ID.

Forgot your FSA ID or your password? Retrieve your username or look up your password.

Complete the FAFSA each year at studentaid.gov/fafsa and include the Daytona Beach Campus school code 001479 for all ERAU locations.

Visit Filling Out the FAFSA for help and tips for completing the FAFSA.

Allow 3 to 5 business days for processing. Our priority submission date is March 1 for fall. For more information, please review The Guide to Federal Student Aid.

Note: Completing the FAFSA is free and takes most applicants about an hour to complete.

It will be emailed to you 3-5 days after submitting the FAFSA or mailed to you within three weeks when no email is provided.

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) will be included in the FSS. The SAI has replaced the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). If you are selected for verification, your FSS will have an asterisk next to your SAI, and information will follow in the FSS acknowledgement letter.

If you are selected for verification, Embry-Riddle will also send you an email and place required documents on your To Do List on ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Tasks.

Please submit required documents promptly. Verification processing time may take 4-6 weeks from the date the last required document is received. Then, continue to monitor your To-Do List throughout the year, as new requests may arise.

Not all students are selected for verification, so please do not submit information unless requested.

Notification will be sent to new students by mail, while returning students receive an email. All students can view their aid on ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Financial Aid.

If changes are made, additional notifications will be sent via email and viewable on ERNIE.

Once aid is offered, you will be asked to accept the terms and conditions of being a financial aid receipt by submitting the ERAU Financial Aid Agreement eForm on ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Tasks. Visit our Terms and Conditions page for more details.

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.

Sign-up to receive text messages! Opt-in to receive text messages from the Financial Aid Department, Student Financial Services, and Registrar Office by agreeing to receive text messages. This can be done when activating your ERNIE account. If you have previously declined SMS Notifications but want to enroll now, navigate to ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Profile > SMS Notification Preferences.

Opt into SMS/text message alerts with StudentAid.gov > Log In > Settings > Communication Preferences to receive up to date notifications and learn about upcoming changes to the FAFSA.

• Grant access to your records for parents, spouses, siblings and others on ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Profile > Auxiliary Access.
• Apply for ERAU Donor-Funded Scholarships between November 1 and March 1 each year.
• Investigate costs and create a budget each year.
• View your bill starting July 1 for fall and December 1 for spring on ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Finances > Statement of Account.
• Enroll in eRefund to receive remaining aid via direct deposit on ERNIE > Campus Solutions > Finances > My Student Account > Make a Payment-Access Account > Electronic Refunds > Setup Account.
• Register full-time (12 or more credit hours) by the Fee Payment Deadline (10 days before classes start each term).