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Mrs. Beatriz De León Rivera
Financial Aid Director
Office #15
787 743-3038 Ext. 268
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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Mrs. Frances A. Casillas
Financial Aid Officer
Office #16
787 743-3038 Ext. 3206
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Working Hours: 8:00 to 5:00 Monday to Friday
Our main goal at the Financial Aid Office is to provide assistance to candidates and students so that they may obtain the financial resources they need to pay their cost of attendance. As a qualified students you may be eligible to the following financial aid programs, according to your academic program:
Federal Pell Grant
A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid. Pell Grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need, and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. Eligible students receive a specified amount each year under this program. The amount to be awarded will depend, not only on the students financial need, but also on their cost of attendance, status as a full-time or part-time stduent, and if they plan to attend school for a full academic year or less.
The amount of funds a student may receive over his/her lifetime from the federal Pell Grant is limited by federal law to the equivalent of six years. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding a student can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%.
Direct Loans
The U.S. Department of Education’s federal student loan program is the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Under this program, the U.S. Department of Education is your lender. The available options under this program are:
Direct Subsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans are loans made to eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but eligibility is not based on financial need. Graduate and professional students may be eligible to receive up to $20,500 per academic year, according to the cost of attendance. Qualified medical students enrolled in an accredited program, may be eligible to receive a maximum of $40,500 in Unsubsidized Loan per academic year.
Direct Loan-Plus Graduate Loan: This is a low fixed-interest loan for graduate and professional students to cover their cost of attendance. The Graduate Plus Loan requires a credit verification.
All loan programs have fixed interest rates and origination fees. As psart of the application process, you must submit a master promissory note on line, and complete an electronic entrance counseling at StudentLoans.gov.
Veterans educational and training benefits
The Department of Veterans Affairs provides education and training opportunities for eligible dependents of veterans who are permanently and totally disabled due to a service-related condition, who died while on active duty or as a result of a service related condition. Students can obtain more information at www.va.gov/education.
Vocational Rehabilitation Program
This program seeks to help students with physical or mental disabilities, so that through various phases or stages they are able to develop their capabilities. The students must contact the regional office corresponding to the area where he/she lives.
National Health Services Corps Scholarship Program
This program is available for medical students students in the primary health care specialties and committed to serving part or all of their career in federally designated health professional shortage area. Learn more about this program at https://nhsc.hrsa.gov.
Military Scholarship Programs
SJBSM is a proud signer of the Department of Defense Voluntary Education Partnership Memorandum of Understanding (the DoD MOU). If you intend to use a DoD education benefit (Federal or State Tuition Assistance) you must start this process with your unit Educational Service Officer (ESO) or your military counselor.
Eligibility for the Tuition Assistance program depends on your branch of service. Students must contact the desired program for more information at:
- US Army: 1-800-USA-ARMY or www.healthcare.goarmy.com
- US Air Force: 1-800-423-USAF or www.airforce.com
- Navy: 1-800-usa-navy or navy.com-
- National Guard: 1-800-GO-GUARD
- SJB Veterans Affairs Certifying Official: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Important consideration when taking out federal student loans?
Before you take out a loan, it’s important to understand that a loan is a legal obligation that makes you responsible for repaying the amount you borrow with interest. Even though you don’t have to begin repaying your federal student loan right away, you shouldn’t wait to understand your responsibilities as a borrower. Be a responsible borrower.
- Keep track of how much you’re borrowing. Think about how the amount of your loans will affect your future finances, and how much you can afford to repay. Your student loan payments should be only a small percentage of your salary after you graduate, so it’s important not to borrow more than you need for your school-related expenses.
- Research starting salaries in your field. Ask your school for starting salaries of recent graduates in your field of study to get an idea of how much you are likely to earn after you graduate.
- Understand the terms of your loan and keep copies of your loan documents. When you sign your promissory note, you are agreeing to repay the loan according to the terms of the note even if you don’t complete your education, can’t get a job after you complete the program, or you didn’t like the education you received.
- Make payments on time. You are required to make payments on time even if you don’t receive a bill, repayment notice, or a reminder. You must pay the full amount required by your repayment plan, as partial payments do not fulfill your obligation to repay your student loan on time.
- Keep in touch with your loan servicer. Notify your loan servicerwhen you graduate; withdraw from school; drop below half-time status; transfer to another school; or change your name, address, or Social Security number. You also should contact your servicer if you’re having trouble making your scheduled loan payments. Your servicer has several options available to help you keep your loan in good standing.
Application process for financial aid
Students interested in applying for federal financial aid must comply with the following requirements and process:
- Have financial need.
- Be an US Citizen or an Eligible Non-Citizen.
- Have a valid social security number.
- Enroll in an eligible program as a regular student working toward a degree.
- Meet satisfactory academic progress standards.
- Register (or have registered) with the Selective Service if you are a male between the ages of 18 and 25.
- Certify that are not in default on a federal student loan and that do not owe money on a Federal student grant.
- Student can not exceed the aggregate loan limit established by the Department of Education.
- Comply with the Entrance/Exit Interview (Counseling)
- Provide all documents and information required by the Financial Aid Office and the Admission’s Office.
Required documents:
Applicants must submit the documentation required by the Financial Aid Office no later than a week prior to enrollment.
First time applicants at SJBSM must complete an Electronic Entrance Counseling, and a Master Promissory Note at www.StudentLoans.gov.
Application Process
- Fill the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (known as FAFSA) in order to be evaluated for eligibility for federal funds. Go to gov,
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- Deadline for submission is April 15th
- SJBSM School code is G31773.
- Enter your name as it appears on your Social Security card.
- Be sure to enter updated information (address, phone number,
- email, etc.).
- You need a FSA ID to sign your FAFSA. To request an FSA ID,
- please access Federal Student Aid Site.
- Financial need: Once you submit your FAFSA, the U. S. Department of Education will send an Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) to the Financial Aid Office, which will be used for completing your financial need analysis. For undergraduate students, the Expected Family Income (EFC) will be considered. The EFC is the amount that the student should contribute toward to his/her cost of attendance. The financial need analysis consists of the following calculation:
(Cost of attendance) minus (EFC) equals (Financial Need)
The Financial Aid Office will take in consideration any other expected financial aid (external funds such as Vocational Rehabilitation, military scholarships, and any other grant or scholarship) when calculating the financial need.
Note: A student cannot receive financial assistance in excess of the determined Financial Need.
The Financial Aid Office has the authority to request any document to determine the eligibility of the student to receive federal funds.
Notification
The next step is the Financial Aid Notification. Once the financial need analysis is completed and eligibility is determined, the student will receive a notification letter, which will indicate the type/financial aid programs, amounts, and the applications forms that must be completed.
Verification
Verification is the process used to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA is accurate. The main reasons for being selected for verification include: that you were chosen randomly, that the information you submitted was incomplete, or that the data you provided is inconsistent. The Financial Aid Office will verify applications selected by the Department of Education (ED), except in cases when of graduate students which will are eligible for unsubsidized financial aid only.
Otherwise, FAFSA applications selected for verification by the ED will be verified in the following items (according to the verification code):
- Adjusted gross income
- Taxed paid
- Specific untaxed income items from tax return: untaxed IRA distribution, untaxed pensions, eduction credits, IRA deductions, tax excemp interest
- Number in family members in college
- Child support
- Other items required by the Departemtn of Education
The student is required to submit the following documents to the Financial Aid Office, within an establihed deadline for submission:
- Verification Worksheet
- Copy of corresponding tax return
- Copy of the corresponsing W-2 form,(s)
- Evidence of wages, salaries, tips, etc, reported on FAFSA
- Other required documents
Note: Financial aid will not be processed until the verification is completed
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that every stuent who receives federal financial aid maintain a satisfactory academic progress toward the achievement of a degree. Progress is measured by the student’s grade point average and credit earned in relation to those attempted and the length of the academic program.
Return of Title IV Funds
Federal student financial aid (Title IV funds) are awarded to students under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.
A student who withdraws after the 60% point of a semester is entitled to retain all Title IV aid for that payment period. However, if the student withdraws prior to the 60% point of the term, unearned Title IV funds as determined by the federal policy must be returned to the corresponding programs.
Electronic Entrance Counseling and Master promissory Note:
Students must complete an Electronic Counseling and the Master Promissory Note for DL Loans at StudentLoans.gov. Students are also required to complete an Electronic Exit Counsling before the student changes his/her status from the school (graduation, withdrawal, or dismissal). More information and instructions regarding this process will be provided to the student with the notification.
Students with loans from other school
Students with loans from other school(s), must contact his/her servicer(s) in order to request a diferrment for the loan(s).
To keep track of all your federal loans, access the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) at nslds.ed.gov, the central database for federal student aid. You’ll need to use your PIN number to access your information.
Important links and numbers:
