Frequently Asked Questions

Prescott students are assigned a financial aid counselor based on the first letter of their last name. Reach your counselor by email, phone or in person:

• A-G: Mercy Hartman, 928-777-3765
• H-O: Lori Kelly, 928-777-3775
• P-Z: Jessica Bullard, 928-777-4823

Scholarships are available through a variety of sources, so requirements and application procedures vary. Our Scholarship Opportunities website has general information on Institutional-Funded Scholarships, Donor-Funded Scholarships, Boeing Scholars and External Scholarships. Additional scholarship information and resources are located on our Prescott ERNIE Department Page.

Your cost will vary slightly by academic program (Note: Students pursuing a degree program requiring flight training will have additional costs), but you will find that Embry‑Riddle is by far one of the most affordable private universities for aviation/aerospace education. See the estimated cost of attendance.

Keep in mind, just because a private university costs more than a public state university, it doesn't necessarily mean you will pay more out of your pocket. Schools that cost more are authorized to award higher amounts of financial assistance. So your out-of-pocket cost could be the same or even less.

No. Flight costs are not covered by tuition and fee payments. Flight training is "Pay-As-You-Go." After completing the training session, you may pay for your session online through the Education and Training (ETA) system. You may pay with a credit card, debit card, eCheck, or your Flight Dollars.

Your Flight Account is a prepaid deposit account used only for flight expenses. Use any of the methods of deposit below.

1. In-person deposits are accepted at Student Financial Services (formerly the Cashier’s Office) using a pin-debit card, check, or money order. Located in building 13 and open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
2. Mail a check or money order to ERAU Student Financial Services, 3700 Willow Creek Road, Prescott, AZ 86301. Be sure to include a letter requesting a deposit for Flight Dollars and provide the student's full name and ID number.
3. Students can make an online depositusing a credit card (subject to a 2.95% processing fee).
4. Parents and guests can make an online deposit using a credit card (subject to a 2.95% processing fee).

The cost for taking flight training is a part of several different degree programs at the university, and, as such, you can receive financial assistance to help cover your cost in this area.

The majority of students receiving financial aid and pursuing a degree program requiring flight training find it necessary to consider borrowing from a couple of different loan programs. Careful budgeting of your costs in these programs is a worthwhile effort to ensure your success.

After your tuition, fees and, if selected, on-campus housing and meal plan, are paid, if there is any remaining financial aid, you will receive the remaining aid via check by mail or direct deposit. Once the remaining aid is received, you may deposit funds onto your EagleCard for FLIGHT Dollars.  

Understanding flight budgets and other cost of attendance (COA) items will help with your financial success. Find the estimated flight costs and cost of attendance (COA) on our Prescott ERNIE Department page.

Most flight students find it necessary to borrow loans to assist with flight costs. Hopefully, the information and links below will make it easier to understand how financial aid can be utilized for flight.

• What to know before borrowing loans.
• Federal Student Loans for undergraduate students
• Federal Parent PLUS Loans
• Private Student Loans
• It is the student’s responsibility to deposit funds into their EAGLE FLIGHT account.
• If your flight funds are almost depleted and you have not completed the course, please let the Financial Aid Office know. We will verify your loan funds were used appropriately and can then determine the additional amount you can borrow.
• Before processing a drop, withdrawal or cancellation of a flight course, contact your Financial Aid Counselor to see if there will be any financial impact to your account. If enrollment changes due to a dropped flight course, awards may be reduced or canceled.
• Contact your financial aid counselor if you need help applying or understanding flight funding.

Please note: If money borrowed for flight is utilized for other purposes, we will not be able to authorize additional funding.

In general, the FAFSA becomes available on October 1, and our priority submission date is March 1 for the upcoming fall when applying for scholarships.

The sooner you fill out the FAFSA, the better. The application is free, and it's not just a way to determine how much federal student aid you'll receive. State governments and some colleges and universities use information from the FAFSA to determine what state and institutional aid you qualify for. But state agencies and individual schools have different deadlines to qualify, so keep track of all the deadlines and get a head start.

Even if your family income is too high to qualify for grants, the FAFSA is used to determine federal student loan eligibility. There's no harm in applying and no obligation to borrow loans.

There is no maximum income level. The FAFSA looks at many factors to determine your Student Aid Index (SAI), such as:

• Student (and spouse, if married) income and taxes paid;
• Parent income and taxes paid (if dependent);
• The family size; and
• When required student assets, spouse assets (if married) and parent assets (if dependent).

There are many different financial aid programs to assist students at all income levels. The best way to find out what you might qualify for is to apply using the FAFSA.

Federal privacy laws protect your information, even from parents, spouses, and siblings. Find the FERPA policy at erau.edu.ferpa.

Designate up to three individuals to have access to your information. Revise your designations at any time.

Go to ERNIE, and under Tools, select Campus Solutions, click the Profile tile, then click Auxiliary Access.

If you still have other questions not answered in this section or elsewhere in Embry-Riddle's Financial Aid information, please contact us and we'll be happy to assist you.