FAQs for Graduate & Professional Students

General FAQs

Are tuition payment plans available?

Yes, St. John Fisher College does have a payment plan. The payment plan enables you to pay your balance due in monthly installments. The payment plan does not charge interest, only a small enrollment fee. Please visit the Bursar's Office website for details.

Is it too late to apply for financial aid?

Probably not. The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) takes approximately 2-4 weeks to process. Financial aid can be calculated and awarded to students once we receive the FAFSA data. It is recommended that you apply for the FAFSA on line at www.fafsa.gov and keep a copy for your records before submitting it. We are not able to retroactively process financial aid after a student's last term of enrollment.

My Student Aid Report (SAR) indicates that I have been selected for verification. What does that mean?

The Department of Education randomly selects students to have their submitted FAFSA information verified by the school. St. John Fisher College notifies students by mail and/or email of any required documentation needed to complete the verification process. Graduate students selected for verification will be required to submit a signed copy of their and their spouse's (if applicable) 2010 Federal Income Tax return, a copy of their and their spouse's (if applicable) W-2's, and the SJFC Independent Verification Worksheet [pdf].

What are the school codes for St. John Fisher College?

The Federal School Code for St. John Fisher College is 002821.

Can I use my aid for summer classes?

If you are taking 6 or more credit hours please complete the Summer Financial Aid Request Form [pdf] and submit to the Financial Aid Office.

For Financial Aid purposes, what is considered full-time, half-time, and less than half-time?

For Financial Aid purposes, full time is considered 12 credit hours or more per semester. 3/4 time is 9 to 11 credit hours per semester. Half time is 6 to 8 credit hours per semester and less than half time is 5 or less credit hours per semester. A student must be enrolled at least half time (6 credit hours) to receive Federal Direct Student Loans and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans.

How do I get a loan deferment?

Obtain a loan deferment form from you lender and have the Registrar's Office complete it. You can view information regarding your Federal Student loans at www.nslds.ed.gov.

What does the EFC number on my Student Aid Report (SAR) mean?

The data reported on your FAFSA is used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) value. This value is used to determine your federal aid eligibility. St. John Fisher College uses this value as a guideline for determining your Fisher aid eligibility. The Federal EFC value is not necessarily your out-of-pocket cost to St. John Fisher College.

What is the difference between a subsidized and an unsubsidized Federal Direct Student Loan?

The Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan is awarded on the basis of financial need. The federal government pays the interest on the loan during the time you are enrolled in college and during the period in which your loan is deferred. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan is not awarded on the basis of financial need, and you are charged interest form the time the loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.

How will my aid be disbursed to me?

Once all requested documentation has been received and processed by the Financial Aid Office, your awards will be disbursed to St. John Fisher College's Bursar Office to be applied towards any outstanding balance. Any credit balance will be refunded to you by the Bursar's Office.

How do I pay for books before I get my refund?

If a student has a credit balance, they may transfer anticipated credit from their student account to their Cardinal Cash Account to use in the College bookstore. Anticipated credit can be transferred by completing a Transfer Request form at the Bursar's Office. The credit will be available to use in the bookstore approximately one week before classes being. To learn more about Cardinal Cash, please visit the Bursar's Office website.

If a student is not planning to purchase books from the College bookstore and they have a credit balance, a refund check will be issued after classes begin to reimburse/use for any education related expenses.

SJFC's Financial Aid Office has requested a Spouse/Child Enrollment Verification Form. What does this mean?

The Financial Aid Office is requiring you to complete the Spouse/Child Enrollment Verification Form [pdf] because you reported more than one in college on your FAFSA. The St. John Fisher College student completes Section A, the Spouse or Child of the student completes Section B and then submits the form to his or her college for enrollment verification (or attaches an enrollment verification certification) after he or she has enrolled for the academic year. The Financial Aid Office will continue processing your financial aid application; however, until this completed form is received, funds will not be disbursed to your account. This outstanding requirement will NOT hold up any credits to your account.

Do I need to re-apply every year for aid or is it automatically renewed?

You need to re-apply every year. Aid eligibility is reviewed annually and requires you to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov each year that aid is requested.

What happens to my aid if I drop a class?

Please see the Bursar Office refund policy and a financial aid counselor.