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Dependency Appeal Application (2026-27)

Dependency Appeal Application (2025-26)

Instructions on how to Submit a Financial Aid Application

Financial Aid Appeal Form (2026-27)

Financial Aid Appeal Form (2025-26)

 

Grad & Online Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form

Rindge Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal Form

Raven Card Transfer Request Instructions

Refund Schedule (2025-26)

Jessica Marulli Scholarship

Private Scholarships

Verification - General Instructions & FAQs

Create Parent Account Instructions

Verification of Low Income (2025-26)

Verification of Low Income (2026-27)

Student Financial Responsibility Statement

Tuition Payment Instructions for U.S. Students (for wire transfers)

S.W.I.F.T. International Payment System (Student Tuition Transfers)

Academic Year: A period of time from the beginning of one fall term to the beginning of the next fall term in which students are funded for up to three semesters. 

Add/Drop period: A limited period immediately following the beginning of a semester/term where the school allows students to make changes to their course enrollment.  

Adjusted Gross Income: The remaining income after taxes and a basic living allowance have been subtracted as identified on federal tax documents. Line 11 on tax form 1040 (as of tax year 2025). 

Appeal: An appeal process is available to any student who has had a change in financial circumstances or has been determined ineligible for continued aid if extenuating circumstances prevented them from maintaining satisfactory academic progress. 

Associate Degree: An undergraduate academic degree awarded by community colleges, technical colleges, and some four-year universities upon completion of a course of study, typically lasting two years. It requires roughly 60 semester credits and serves as a faster pathway to specific careers or a foundation for transferring to a bachelor's program. 

Award Letter: The document you receive from a college that explains the terms of the financial aid that the college is offering you. The information includes the types and amounts of financial aid offered, what you’re expected to do to keep the award and a deadline for accepting the award. 

Bachelor's Degree: An undergraduate academic qualification awarded by colleges and universities, typically requiring three to four years of full-time study (most often at least 120 credits). It is the standard foundational degree for many professions, providing in-depth knowledge in a specific major and acting as a prerequisite for graduate school.  

Budget: The estimated cost of attendance for a student at an institution typically includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, room, board, personal expenses, and transportation. 

Bursar’s Office: The Bursar is the college official responsible for handling billing and payments for tuition, fees, housing, meals, and other related expenses. Synonymous with Business and Student Accounts Office.  

Business Office: The Business Office is responsible for handling billing and payments for tuition, fees, housing, meals, and other related expenses. Synonymous with Bursar’s and Student Accounts Office.  

College Credit: When a college grants credit for a course, it means that passing that course counts toward a degree. Colleges may also grant degree credit for scores on exams. 

Cosigner: Any individual who assumes responsibility for a loan if the borrower fails to repay. 

Cost of Attendance (COA): The total (estimated) annual amount it should cost each student to attend each program at each school. The COA is a budget rather than a billing statement as it includes costs the school will not charge you for directly. The Cost of attendance includes tuition, mandatory fees, on-campus housing and meals (or a housing and food allowance for off-campus students), costs for books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses. The COA often lists direct (billed) and indirect costs separately.  

Deferment of Loan: Period during which the repayment of the loan is suspended because the borrower meets certain eligibility requirements (e.g., enrolled in college at least half time). 

Demonstrated Need (also referred to as financial need): The difference between your student aid index (SAI) from the FAFSA and the total cost of attendance for a particular college. Aid offices cannot calculate demonstrated need for students who do not submit a financial aid application such as the FAFSA. 

Dependent Student: A student who does not meet the federal requirements for independent status and is therefore required to report parental information when applying for federal and state student aid. The federal requirements for dependency status are as follows: A student is considered independent if they answer YES to any of the following questions, all other students are considered Dependent regardless of tax filing status, etc.: 

• Student is 24 years or older as of January 1 in the calendar year of study.
• Student is/was ward of the court (legal guardianship) or an orphan.
• Student is legally married.
• Student has a legal dependent other than a spouse and provides more than 50% of their financial support.
• Student is on active duty or a veteran of the US armed forces.
• Student is an emancipated minor as determined by a court.
• Student is an unaccompanied youth who is unhoused or at risk of becoming unhoused as determined by a school district or shelter.
• Student has earned a Bachelor’s degree. 

Direct Costs: Charges listed in the Cost of attendance that the student/family pays directly to the college. Includes expenses such as tuition, housing, meals, and fees. 

Disbursement: Financial aid disbursement is the payment of all awards (including scholarships & loans) to the student’s account. This generally occurs during the first few weeks of each semester/term.  

Enrollment Status: Academic workload (or course load), as defined by the institution, in which a student is enrolled for a defined academic period. This normally relates to the number of credit hours or clock hours taken by a student during a given academic period (i.e., full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, less-than-half-time). 

Entrance Counseling: This online webinar explains your rights and the obligations you agree to meet as a condition of accepting a Federal Direct Loan and can be accessed via . 

Exit Counseling: This online webinar provides important information to prepare students for repayment of their federal student loan(s) and can be accessed via . 

Expected Family Contribution (EFC): An eligibility index (dollar amount) that college financial aid staff use to determine how much financial aid you would receive if you were to attend their school. The EFC is calculated according to a formula specified in law and is based upon the information provided by the student and their family on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). ** This term will no longer be used as of the 2024 - 2025 aid year. The new term is SAI. 

FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid: The free application form for federal financial aid. It is required for all students seeking federal student grants, work-study programs, and loans. Most colleges and state agencies require it to determine institutional and state need-based aid as well. Can be accessed via . 

Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan: Loan funds provided to undergraduate students with financial need by the U.S. Department of Education. The government pays the interest on the loan while the student remains enrolled at least half time and during certain periods when the government allows deferment of repayment. There are annual limits on the amounts that may be borrowed, which vary by the student's academic year in school and the student's dependency status. 

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan: Loan funds provided by the U.S. Department of Education to undergraduate and graduate students, regardless of their need. Interest accrual begins immediately, and the student can choose to pay the interest while enrolled or upon entering repayment. There are annual limits on the amounts that may be borrowed, which vary by the student's academic year in school and the student's dependent or independent status. 

Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan (PLUS): Loan funds provided to the parents of dependent undergraduate students by the U.S. Department of Education. This federal loan program allows parents with no adverse credit history to apply for a loan amount up to the cost of attendance each year, less any financial aid received by the dependent student. Repayment of principal and interest begins immediately once the loan is fully disbursed with some options to delay payment available.  

Federal Pell Grant: A federal grant provided by the federal government to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and have a Student Aid Index (SAI) below a certain threshold established by the federal government. The Pell Grant award amount is prorated based on Enrollment Status each semester. 

Federal Student Aid: Any financial assistance from the government in the form of grants, loans, and/or work-study to help students with college or career school.  

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): A federal grant awarded by the institution to qualified undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need. Priority is given to Federal Pell Grant recipients. 

Financial Aid: Money given, offered, or loaned to you to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges, and private and social organizations. 

FSA ID: A Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) consists of a username and password which gives you access to the U.S. Department of Education’s online systems and can serve as your legal signature when completing electronic documents. Parents of dependent students (as per the federal definition of dependency) need to have an FSA ID of their own, to sign their student’s FAFSA as well as to apply for Parent PLUS loans, etc.  

Gift Aid: Funds awarded to the student that do not have to be repaid. Gift aid can include awards with titles such as grants, scholarships, remissions, awards, waivers, etc. Gift aid can be awarded based upon many factors, including (but not limited to) financial need, academic excellence, athletic, musical, and/or theatrical talent, affiliation with various groups, and/or career aspirations. 

Grade Point Average (GPA): The number of attempted hours divided into the number of earned 
quality points earned for post-secondary credit work.  

Graduate Student: A college student working toward a post-baccalaureate degree (Master or Doctor). 

Grant: A type of financial assistance that doesn’t have to be paid back (falls under Gift Aid). Grants are usually awarded based on financial need. 

Independent student: An independent student (for federal aid purposes) is at least 24 years old, married, a graduate/ professional student, a veteran, a member of the armed forces, an orphan, a ward of the court, someone with legal dependents (not a spouse), an emancipated minor, or someone who is, or is at risk of being, unhoused. 

Indirect Costs: Estimated educational expenses included in the cost of attendance that are not paid directly to the institution. Includes expenses such as books and supplies, transportation, and personal fees. 

Interest: Interest is a loan expense charged for the use of borrowed money. Interest is paid by a borrower to a lender. The expense is calculated as a percentage of the unpaid principal amount of the loan.  

Master’s Degree: A postgraduate academic qualification, typically requiring one to two years of full-time study, 30-40 credit hours depending on area of study, that signifies advanced knowledge and specialized expertise in a specific field. It is pursued after a bachelor's degree to enhance professional skills, switch careers, or prepare for doctoral studies (PhD) 

Master Promissory Note (MPN): An MPN is a legal loan document that contains the Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities as well as Terms and Conditions for repayment. This document must be completed prior to loan payout being made.  

Merit Aid: Gift aid offered to students based on their personal achievements. Most scholarships are considered merit aid, as they are generally awarded for success in school, the arts, athletics, music or another area. 

Need-Based Financial Aid: Funding offered to students based on a calculation of their finances derived from tax returns as a deduction from cost of attendance. Qualifications for this type of aid may vary between schools.  

Net Price: Amount of direct and indirect costs remaining after all Gift Aid is applied. Net price can be covered through a variety of sources, including savings, income, and educational loans. 

Net Price Calculator: An online tool that gives you a personalized estimate of what it will cost to attend a specific college. Most colleges are required by law to post a net price calculator on their websites.  

Origination fee: A fee deducted from each loan disbursement by the federal government to help pay the cost of  the loan management. 

Outside Scholarship (also referred to as private scholarship): Gift aid offered by a variety of private groups, individuals, corporations, and nonprofit organizations. 

Private Loan (also referred to as Alternative loan): Funding from a commercial, state-affiliated, or institutional lender that must be paid back. Private loans have varying interest rates, fees and repayment options and usually require the applicant to be creditworthy or have a creditworthy cosigner.  

Professional Judgement: For need-based federal aid programs, financial aid administrators can adjust the Student Aid Index (SAI), adjust the cost of attendance (COA), or change the dependency status (with documentation) when extenuating circumstances exist (for example, if a parent becomes unemployed, disabled or deceased). 

Reserve Officer’s Training Corps (ROTC): A program offered by the military and available at some colleges. ROTC offers scholarships to students who agree to serve in the military after they graduate. Some ROTC four-year scholarships cover full tuition and fees. The program combines a military education along with college study leading to a bachelor’s degree. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP): Satisfactory academic progress is the process a school uses to determine if a student is meeting all of his or her educational requirements and is on target to graduate on time with a degree or certificate. This process may vary across schools. 

Scholarship: A type of financial assistance that doesn’t have to be paid back. Scholarships may be awarded based on certain qualities, such as, academic excellence, athletic ability, talent, affiliation with various groups, or career aspirations or a combination of merit and need. 

Student Accounts Office: The Student Accounts Office is responsible for handling billing and payments for tuition, fees, housing, and other related institutional expenses. Synonymous with Business and Bursar’s Office.  

Student Aid Index (SAI): The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that financial aid officers at colleges or career schools use to determine how much federal student aid the student would receive if the student attended the school. This number results from the information that the student provides in their FAFSA® form. To calculate the SAI, a need-based analysis is conducted. The analysis considers the income and assets of the student and their parents or spouse, as applicable. 
The analysis formula used considers both taxed and untaxed income, as well as any assets and benefits received, such as unemployment or Social Security. 

Student Aid Report (SAR): The official notification sent to students, from the federal government after submitting the FAFSA. This document tells the student what their student aid index (SAI) is. 

Transcript: The official record of your course work at a school or college. Your high school transcript is usually required as part of your college application and for some financial aid packages. 

Transfer Student: A student who has completed some academic credits at a college or university and has requested to enroll at a different institution. 

Title IV Programs: Federal student aid programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. Includes Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal Direct Loans. 

Tuition: Tuition is the amount of money each student pays towards receiving instruction, materials, and/or supplies, or for the rental or purchase of equipment, for a course of study. 

Undergraduate Student: A college student working toward an associate degree or a bachelor's degree. 

Unmet Need: Difference between a student's total cost of attendance at a specific institution and the student's total available resources, including financial aid. 

Verification: A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student's financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers. 

Work-Study: A program that allows students to take a part-time campus job as part of their financial aid package. To qualify for the Federal Work-Study Program, which is funded by the government, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Some colleges have their own work-study programs.