Financial Aid at Eastman

Returning Undergraduate Students

 

HOW DO I RENEW MY MERIT SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2018-2019?

You do not need to complete any additional forms regarding merit aid.  You only need to make sure that you are in compliance with the requirements listed below.

  • Be registered for at least 12 credit hours each semester.
  • Be making satisfactory academic progress towards the completion of your degree.
  • Be maintaining a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 or higher.

Merit Scholarships are awarded for a total of 8 semesters (10 semesters for dual degree students) for first time freshmen. Transfer students’ awards are renewable based on the entering class year (for example, 3 years for an entering sophomore).

Merit Scholarships are determined at the time you are accepted to Eastman and cannot be appealed.

HOW DO I RENEW MY NEED-BASED FINANCIAL AID FOR 2018-2019?

International Students who were admitted prior to the Fall of 2018 and are receiving the George Eastman Grant need to complete the 2018-2019 CSS PROFILE each year. Eastman’s CSS Code is 2224. The George Eastman Grant is a need-based institutional grant. Student and family need often varies from year to year, so a student’s eligibility will be reviewed and awards may be adjusted upon receipt and review of the CSS PROFILE for International Students.  If you need to amend the information on the CSS PROFILE, you will have to print out a copy of the PROFILE, make the changes and forward a copy to the Eastman Financial Aid Office.

Domestic Students (US Citizens or Permanent Residents) need to complete the 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Make sure to use the Eastman School Code on your FAFSA:  008124.  

The application deadline for both the CSS Profile and the FAFSA is April 1, 2018. Failure to complete the FAFSA by the April 1st deadline may result in a reduction of need based financial aid.

Tips for Completing the 2018-19 FAFSA

Common Errors to Avoid When Completing the 2018-19 FAFSA

HOW WILL I RECEIVE MY 2018-2019 FINANCIAL AID PACKAGE?

An email will be sent to you by the Eastman Financial Aid Office with a link to your Financial Aid Package on ESM FAOnline.

Your need-based financial aid awards will not be offered to you until your processed FAFSA or CSS PROFILE for International Students is received electronically by the Eastman Financial Aid Office. In cases where a FAFSA or CSS PROFILE for International Students at Eastman has not been received, you will receive a Financial Aid Package listing the merit scholarship and identifying the “missing” financial aid documents.

We will start to process financial aid packages for all returning Undergraduate students in late May.

WHAT IS VERIFICATION?

Verification is the process of confirming the information you provided on the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as required by Institutions participating in Federal Financial Aid programs. Not all students are selected for verification.

If you are selected, in order to comply with Federal regulations, we may ask you to provide information that verifies the data you provided on your FAFSA. Please note that the need-based portion of your financial aid offer is only an estimate until verification of your financial aid file is completed. 

****** We can no longer accept Federal Tax Returns. We can only accept a copy of an IRS Tax Return Transcript which is obtained at irs.gov/transcript. ******

WHAT OTHER FUNDING IS AVAILABLE?

Outside Scholarships

We encourage students to search and apply for outside scholarship funding throughout their degree program. Receiving the greatest amount of outside scholarship funding requires students to consider scholarships beyond the music realm (clubs, religious organizations, ethnic groups, groups that parents or other relatives may be involved with, etc.) and to keep the search broad (start with the general scholarships, then try the arts, etc.). Please visit our Forms and Links page to begin your search.

State Educational Loans

Some state governments offer an educational loan program. These programs:

  • are available to both undergraduate and graduate students (and possibly to parents and relatives), as long as the student is matriculated and enrolled at least half time in a degree program.
  • are credit-based and offer interest rates and terms which are very competitive with alternative loans.
  • may have both fixed and variable interest rates available, depending on the state.

To learn if your state has a loan program contact your State Education Agency through the Department of Education’s Educational Resource Organizations Directory.  Read carefully the loan criteria and contact your State Education Agency with questions.

Private Alternative Loans

Some students and families choose to borrow a private loan to cover a portion of the cost of education not already paid for by scholarships and federal grants/loans. We encourage students and parents to exhaust all federal loan options prior to applying for a private loan. The federal loan programs generally offer lower interest rates and fees than the private loans.

If a student chooses to pursue a private loan, we recommend comparing the costs associated with various lenders before completing an application. Interest rates, fees, repayment periods, and other benefits can vary significantly between lenders. Often these loans are based on credit-worthiness and approvals are not automatic. The FinAid.org website provides some comparative information regarding private loans. When selecting a loan through a comparative website, be sure to go to the lender’s website to ensure the most up-to-date information about the loan.

The Eastman School of Music does not maintain a preferred lender list. As such, the University has no agreements or relationships with any lenders and does not receive any benefit, financial or otherwise, from the use of private loans by students. For more information on the University’s policies, please see our Student Loan Code of Conduct.

Appeal for Additional Assistance

If the family’s financial circumstances of an undergraduate student have changed drastically due to unemployment, medical expenses, loss of personal funding (Social Security or Child Support), etc., then the student/family may contact the Eastman Financial Aid Office to ask about an Appeal for Special Circumstances.

COST OF ATTENDANCE

For detailed information about the costs of an undergraduate degree at Eastman, please see the University Bursar’s website at http://www.rochester.edu/adminfinance/bursar/eastman.htm.