Frequently Asked Questions About the 2024-2025 FAFSA & Receiving an Aid Offer from Seton Hill

Is There a Way to Estimate my Seton Hill Financial Aid Eligibility Prior to Receiving an Official Aid Package from Seton Hill?

Yes! While you wait for your Official Financial Aid Offer to be available, students and families can use our Net Price Calculator to estimate their financial aid eligibility. While the Net Price Calculator provides a good estimate of costs and aid, there may be aid opportunities it doesn't catch for specific individuals. Seton Hill is here to answer your questions and offer you one-on-one guidance in understanding your personalized financial aid options and package.

Here's how you can receive an Estimated Annual Cost summary planning worksheet from the Seton Hill Financial Aid Office:

1. Complete our new Net Price Calculator online at setonhill.edu/NPC.
2. Enter your information, select "email my results" by entering your name and email address.
3. Check your email inbox for an email with the subject line: Your Financial Aid Estimate from Seton Hill University.
4. Forward this email to SHUaid@setonhill.edu.
5. Receive an easy-to-understand Estimated Annual Cost summary planning worksheet from the Seton Hill Financial Aid Office.
6. Speak with your admissions counselors to better understand your financial options based on your personalized estimate.

How Does the Aid Process Usually Work?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a free, online application that students and their families use to apply for federal aid for education. You can choose to have the information you provide on the FAFSA shared with colleges and universities that you are interested in attending.

Many colleges, including Seton Hill, use the information provided on the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for all types of financial need-based aid. 

In past years, students and their families have been able to complete the FAFSA in October of the year prior to the fall semester of the year in which they plan to start college. This year, the U.S. Department of Education pushed back the open date for the FAFSA to December 31, 2023 as they completed a comprehensive update of the online form.

What’s Different About the 24-25 School Year?

The U.S. Department of Education has created a new, streamlined version of the FAFSA.  It became available on December 31, 2023.  Anyone applying for aid beginning with the fall 2024 semester will be required to use this new form.

Will the Changes for 24-25 Affect How Much Aid I Can Get from Seton Hill?

No. The difference between this year and past years is that you may be receiving notification about some of the aid you are eligible for a little later than usual - depending on when you file. 

How Long After I File My 24-25 FAFSA Will I Find Out About Need-Based Aid?

It will depend on three things: 

1. When you apply and are accepted to Seton Hill.
2. When you complete your FAFSA (and remember to add Seton Hill as college you're interested in. Our school code is 003362.)
3. When the FAFSA is processed by the U.S. Department of Education and the information is shared with Seton Hill University. The Department of Education plans to begin sharing the information with colleges by mid-March 2024. Seton Hill's Financial Aid Office will process the information and provide you with an official aid offer quickly after receiving this information.

How Can I Prepare to Complete the FAFSA?

• If you didn’t submit a 2023–24 FAFSA form, make sure to create your StudentAid.gov account—and remember your username and password so you can access and submit the 2024–25 FAFSA form when it’s available.  You can create your account here.
• Find out if your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute their info on your FAFSA form. You can get information about your dependency status here.
• If your parent(s) or spouse will need to contribute to your form, make sure each contributor creates their own StudentAid.gov account. (Even if a contributor doesn’t have a Social Security number, they will be able to create an account when the 2024–25 form goes live.)

How Can I Find Out More About the New FAFSA?

You can watch these videos:

•  What's Changed for the 2024-2025 FAFSA 
• Start Your 24-25 FAFSA

Or you can visit StudentAid.gov.