Applying for Aid

As with all financial aid, you must apply! At Howard University College of Pharmacy, we use two applications: the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Health Sciences Financial Aid Application (HSFAA) to develop each student's financial profile. Most students use FAFSA on the Web and their BisonWeb account to complete their applications. The information on your FAFSA and HSFAA is transmitted to Howard University once designated, and Howard then uses the information to assess your financial need for student aid.

FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE U.S. CITIZENS, REFUGEES, INDIVIDUALS SEEKING ASYLUM, OR PERMANENT RESIDENTS

All students who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents in a degree-seeking, aid eligible program should complete a free application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Apply early, but not before January 1. The priority deadline for all financial aid applications is February 1st.

You do not need to be admitted to the University before you submit your FAFSA application. However, your Financial Aid eligibility will not be assessed until you have been accepted by the University into an eligible program and have paid your enrollment fee. If you apply for Financial Aid by the priority deadline, you may qualify for a greater amount of gift assistance.

How to file a FAFSA

You can complete FAFSA in one of the following ways:

- Online at the FAFSA web site.

- Over the phone with a Department of Education counselor at 1-800-433-3243 (TTY Line for Hearing impaired is 1-800-730-8913)

The FAFSA application is specific to an academic year, so you will need to make sure you are completing the correct version of the application.

WHAT TO REPORT ON THE FAFSA

Personal Information

You will need to provide some basic personal information on your FAFSA that includes:

Full legal name
Date of Birth
Social Security Number
Citizenship Status - (only U.S. Citizens, permanent residents and certain visa holders are eligible to complete a FAFSA)
Mailing Address
E-mail Address
Driver's License (optional)

In order for Howard University to match your FAFSA information to your university record, the spelling of your name, your date of birth and social security on your FAFSA must match what is listed in Howard's system. If there is a discrepancy, you will need to resolve the issue with the Department of Education to ensure that your FAFSA data can be processed appropriately.

Dependency Status

As a Health Professional student, you are automatically considered an Independent Student. You are still, however, required to submit parental information to complete your student financial profile. If you are married, you are also required to submit your spouse's information. You will not be considered for all available funds if you fail to provide parental information and signatures.

Financial and Tax Information

The FAFSA requires that you provide tax and other financial information for yourself and your parents or your spouse (if you are married).

The online FAFSA application provides a helpful tool that allows you to ensure the accuracy of the tax information you are providing in a faster, more efficient way. The IRS Data Retrieval Tool provides you and your parents or spouse the ability to have your prior year's tax information transferred directly to the FAFSA, without you having to manually enter in the information yourself. Howard University strongly recommends that you use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to ensure the accuracy of the information you are reporting.

If you do not or are unable to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, you will need to collect the following documentation for all individuals you are reporting information for:

- Prior year's tax returns

- Prior year's W2s (End of Year Wage Statements from your employer)

Additionally, you may be required to report information that is not reported on tax returns such as:

- Value of investment and bank accounts as of the month you are filing your FAFSA

- Housing and Living Allowance received from military or clergy

- Non-education VA Benefits

- Child Support Received or Paid

-Payments to Tax-deferred Pensions

- Untaxed Income

- Cash Received or Bills paid on your behalf

The online FAFSA application provides helpful hints and information for how to retrieve all information requested. You can also contact a FAFSA representative if you have any difficulty completing your application at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION

The Department of Education uses the information you provide on your FAFSA to calculate your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Your EFC is the amount of your educational costs the government has determined you and your family can afford to pay either out-of-pocket or through various financing options.

Your EFC is listed as a numerical value on your Student Aid Report and is transmitted to all of the schools listed on your application along with the rest of your FAFSA data. Howard uses your EFC to determine the amount of your financial need and eligibility for need-based federal and institutional financial aid.

It is important to remember that your EFC is not necessarily the amount you will owe to Howard or the overall amount your education will cost. An EFC is only an estimate of the amount of your family's contribution and can be different from your final bill or amount of in-direct costs, depending on how much of your financial need is covered by financial aid offered to you.

FINALIZING YOUR FAFSA

You must correctly identify Howard University on the FAFSA as an institution that you plan to attend in order to ensure that the results are sent to us. Use the following federal code, 001448, for all Howard University schools and colleges, including professional schools and allied health professions.

You will also need to sign your FAFSA in order for the Department of Education to process it and send the information to Howard University. If you are completing the form online, you and your parent can sign the FAFSA electronically using your PIN.

STUDENT AID REPORT

The Department of Education typically takes 3-5 business days to fully process your FAFSA once you have submitted a complete application. Once your FAFSA is fully processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) that will indicate any issues with your application and your potential next steps. If there are any errors or issues that you need to resolve you will need to follow the instructions listed on the SAR to correct them. Your Student Aid Report will also include your Expected Family Contribution as calculated by the Department of Education.

The information that is reported on your SAR is also sent to the schools you listed on your FAFSA. Howard University should receive your FAFSA data at the same time you receive your SAR.

Health Sciences Financial Aid Application

Before you begin this application, complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online before February 1st, if eligible. Please make sure that you answer the question regarding college name, city, state, and school code as follows: Code 001448, Howard University, 2400 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, DC 20059. It is mandatory for students who wish to be considered for Federal Scholarships and Loans for Disadvantaged Students to complete the parent(s) as well as the student (and spouse) sections on the 2016‐2017 FAFSA. The parental data requirement cannot be waived. Parents’ signatures must be provided on the FAFSA. All application information will be verified. If parents reside outside of the United States, allow extra time to obtain information and signatures. A Student Aid Report (SAR) will be sent to you by the U.S. Department of Education after the FAFSA has been processed. Review the SAR and, if necessary, make corrections online.

Health Sciences Financial Aid Application

Instructions for completing the application can be found here. We recommend that you open the instructions in a separate window.

After properly completing Sections A-B of the application, a select group of students will receive notice to complete Section C of this application via their Bisonweb account. In Section C, expound on any information requested in earlier questions and provide details of extenuating circumstances. If you do not receive notice to complete Section C, then you have completed your application.

Merit scholarships

Merit-based scholarships are awarded once you have successfully completed your financial aid application(s).

For Incoming Students:

You do not need to submit a separate application to be considered for an institutional merit scholarship. Priority in awarding institutional financial aid funds will be given to eligible students on a first‐come, first‐served basis. However, awards may be awarded to students throughout the school year based on need and academic performance.

For Current Students:

Priority in awarding institutional financial aid funds will be given to eligible students on a first‐come, first‐served basis. However, awards may be awarded to students throughout the school year based on need and academic performance. The submission of an application does not guarantee approval for financial aid.

Private scholarships

Typically, outside scholarships require separate applications that are submitted directly to the organization offering the award. The College has limited information about private scholarships. Notice of these opportunities are sent via e-mail. Please check and apply accordingly.

FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

Financial aid resources available to assist international students are extremely limited. Therefore, it is imperative that international students make definite financial arrangements for their four or two-year in-school period before arriving. The College of Pharmacy must be notified of these plans at the time of admission. An acceptable financial plan is a condition of matriculation for admitted international students. Obligations will include tuition and fees, books and supplies, room, board, travel and miscellaneous expenses.

International student loans are available to US citizens and US permanent residents studying outside their home country or non-US citizens studying in the US. Please visit the following resources related to financing an international education:

IEFA.org - This site offers comprehensive college scholarship search and grant listings, plus international student loan programs and other information to promote study abroad. Browse through the list of featured schools to learn which are actively seeking international students.

InternationalScholarships.com - Offers a list of grants, scholarships, loan programs, and other information to assist college and university students who are interested in studying abroad. Search by area of study, school location, and home country to find programs that suit your needs.

InternationalStudent.com - Offers information on areas of study, state guides, insurance, and loans for international students interested in studying in the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia.

MPowerFinancing.com - Loans for Domestic and International Students. Offer loans to 180 nationalities, and no need for a co-signer.

Merit scholarships

Merit-based scholarships are awarded you have successfully your financial aid application(s). You do not need to submit a separate application to be considered for an institutional merit scholarship. Priority in awarding institutional financial aid funds will be given to eligible students on a first‐come, first‐served basis. However, awards may be awarded to students throughout the school year based on need and academic performance. All recommendations are subject to availability of funds and the final determination of student eligibility. The submission of this application does not guarantee approval for financial aid.

Private scholarships

Understanding the Cost of Attendance

The most important thing to remember about the cost of attendance is that it is not the same as your bill. The cost of attendance is an estimate of all the possible costs a student may incur as related to your attendance at the College of Pharmacy. Howard creates this estimate each year based upon your program. The cost of attendance is used to determine what your financial need is and the maximum amount of financial aid you can receive. Additionally, it is meant to help you budget appropriately for your enrollment at Howard.

The cost of attendance is made up of both direct and in-direct costs. Direct costs are those that will appear on your bill and are required to be paid by you to the university. These costs include tuition, fees, on-campus housing, books and instruments, association fees, and insurance.

The in-direct costs are comprised of expenses that the university does not bill you for, but that you may accrue anyway as the result of being a student. These include off-campus room and board, supplies, transportation and miscellaneous costs.

Howard estimates all costs based upon averages for your program and enrollment. It is important to remember that the cost of attendance only includes expenses related to your attendance at Howard. The Department of Education and Howard University expect all students to be responsible with their financial choices and recognize that not all personal costs can be included as part of the cost of attendance.

You can view your cost of attendance via BisonWeb.

Aid Packaging Process

Once you have completed the necessary steps to apply for financial aid, Howard University can create a financial aid package for you. A financial aid package is a summary of all the federal, state and institutional financial aid awards you are eligible to receive based upon your program, status, cost of attendance, and FAFSA information.

A completed financial aid package includes the following information:

- Itemized list of all the financial aid awards you are eligible to receive for the academic year

- Cost of Attendance for the academic year

- List of requirements you must complete in order to receive your financial aid