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The Step by Step Guide to Your Financial Aid Award Letter

(Click here for a printable PDF version of the Step by Step Guide to Your Financial Aid Award Letter)

• STEP 1: Understanding Your Award Letter
• STEP 2: Figuring Out Your Costs
• STEP 3: Accepting Your Financial Aid Award
• STEP 4: Additional Funding Options
• STEP 5: Read UB Financial Aid Terms and Conditions

STEP 1: Understanding Your Award Letter

Your financial aid award letter identifies the aid available to you based on program eligibility requirements, including grants, loans, scholarships and assistantships. Additional information about financial aid sources can be viewed here.

STEP 2: Figuring Out Your Costs

UB uses the following formula to determine your financial need:

Cost of Attendance (COA)
- Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
= Financial Need

DETERMINE YOUR INDIVIDUAL COSTS:

1. Print the Financial Aid Worksheet (PDF)
2. Determine your estimated cost of attendance.

Complete the worksheet by indicating your direct costs (those billed by the university) and subtract your financial aid. Determine what you owe, or what you will receive in a refund. Adjust loan borrowing, if possible, to keep your loan debt low.

• Cost of Attendance – tuition, fees, living allowance (based on housing status provided on the FAFSA), books, supplies, personal, and transportation
• Expected Family Contribution = Parent Contribution (PC – if dependent) + Student Contribution (SC)
• Financial Need – dollar amount UB attempts to fill with need based financial aid programs

STEP 3: Accepting Your Financial Aid Award

To accept your Financial Aid Award, contact BIRD, the University’s automated telephone system, at (716) 645-7800. Grants and scholarships do not require acceptance on BIRD. The following instructions will guide you through the process.

NOTE: All campus-based Federal financial aid funds awarded by May 1 must be accepted by May 15. All awards made after May 1 must be accepted within 2 weeks of the award date.

1. Dial (716) 645-7800 and press number 3 to select Financial Aid. Press number 1 to find out your status.
2. When prompted, you may choose to enter either your nine digit social security number or your eight digit person number followed by the # key.
3. You will then be required to enter your Personal Identification Number (PIN).
4. If this is the first time you are accessing the BIRD system, your initial PIN will be the 2-digit month and the 2-digit day of your birth date. For example, if your birth date is January 1, you would enter 0101 as your PIN. Immediately after entering this PIN, you will be required to enter your new PIN. Your new PIN can be any combination of numbers you want EXCEPT your initial PIN. The system will prompt you to verify the new PIN again. Please make sure your new PIN is a number that is easy for you to remember, as you will use this PIN each time you access BIRD.
5. Upon completion of your PIN verification, you will be prompted to acknowledge UB finanical aid terms and conditions. You will then hear your financial aid award information.
6. BIRD will prompt you to identify your next request in this session.
7. From this point, the system will guide you through the necessary steps needed to accept or decline your awards.
8. Select Option 1 to listen to a list of all financial aid awards*
9. Select Option 2 to listen to a list of financial aid awards that you may accept.

*Please note all financial aid grants such as EOP, PELL, SEOG, and institutional scholarships have been accepted on your behalf. Therefore, you will not be able to access these awards. Also note that the TAP estimate listed on your award letter is only an estimate; it is your responsibility to submit a TAP application to New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC). You will not be able to accept your TAP estimate using BIRD.

Tips for Using BIRD

• A busy signal means BIRD is operating. Please call back.
• If there is no answer, BIRD is not operating. Normal hours are daily from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m. BIRD does not operate on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day.
• In the event you forget your PIN, the BIRD help line is available Monday - Friday from 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., and can be reached at (716) 645-2450.
• Use the same selected PIN throughout the entire BIRD system.

STEP 4: Additional Funding Options

1. UB Time Payment Plan (UBTP)

The University at Buffalo offers a time payment plan which is an alternative to paying the account in full at the beginning of the semester. The UBTP plan consists of 4 installment due dates that coincide with regular account billing dates. It is available for both the fall and spring semesters and there is a per semester application fee. The UBTP plan is not a loan program and is an interest-free program. Students must reapply at the beginning of each academic year.

2a. Federal Direct Parent Loans (PLUS) - (for undergraduate dependent students)

To request a Federal Direct Parent Plus Loan, the Parent Data Form (PDF), must be completed. The parent borrower must pass a credit check to receive a Parent loan. A parent may borrow up to the cost of attendance less all other financial aid.

2b. Graduate PLUS - (for graduate/professional students)

To request a Federal Graduate PLUS Loan, please print and complete the Graduate Data Form (PDF). A credit check is required. The student may borrow up to the cost of attendance less all other financial aid.

3. Alternative Loans

An alternative loan is a last-option, non-federal loan from an outside source such as a bank or lending institution. Alternative loans are not meant to replace the Federal Student Loan Programs that the University at Buffalo participates in, but rather serve as an additional source of funding after all other federal sources have been exhausted.

STEP 5: Read UB Financial Aid Terms and Conditions

As a financial aid recipient at UB, I understand that I am responsible for the following financial aid terms and conditions, even if not required to accept them on BIRD*. I further understand that I will be required to provide proof of my identity as required by FERPA when calling on the telephone, e-mailing or visiting an in-person site and the purpose is to protect my personal information.

• Telephone: I will be asked various questions from the FAFSA to prove my identity
• E-mail: Responses will only be sent via your UB e-mail account
• In-person: Picture ID will be required

1. Please note that you must file the FAFSA each year by March 1 if you wish to be considered for campus-based funds, such as Federal Work-Study Awards, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG), Perkins, and Health Professions Loans. (http://src.buffalo.edu/financialaid/faq.shtml)
2. Students must be enrolled in a matriculated degree program for Federal financial aid eligibility. Students must notify Student Academic Records & Financial Services once all the requirements for a degree are completed, as you will no longer be eligible for Federal financial aid.
3. If you decide not to enroll in UB, or not to return to UB, please visit http://src.buffalo.edu/procedures/index.shtml for the appropriate procedure.
4. Financial aid recipients must meet all Satisfactory Academic Standards (SAP) requirements as outlined at http://undergradcatalog.buffalo.edu/policies/finances/federal.shtml You must be making progress towards your degree by earning applicable credit hours and have at least a 2.0 GPA. Graduate and Professional students must meet all Satisfactory Academic Standards based on Federal financial aid standards, and the standards for academic progress established by their school.
5. The University at Buffalo reserves the right to verify any data submitted by students (and spouse, if applicable) and parents. If necessary, the data will be corrected and respective awards adjusted accordingly. If the applicant is found to be ineligible for financial aid, the award(s) will be withdrawn. The student will then be responsible for all expenses incurred at UB.
6. Financial aid awards are based on UB credit hours registered by our semester census dates.

2009-2010 Census Dates

Summer 2009 semester - July 1
Fall 2009 semester - September 11
Spring 2010 semester - January 22

7. Financial aid recipients must notify the Student Response Center (SRC) of changes in enrollment, degree program and housing status. You must also notify the SRC of any scholarships, tuition waivers, board waivers, VESID benefits and/or fellowships, etc. as these all may result in an adjustment to financial aid. Use the status change form at http://src.buffalo.edu/pdf/0910FAstatuschange.pdf (PDF).
8. Financial aid is awarded by academic year which begins with the summer and fall semesters and concludes with the following spring semester. Awards will be split evenly by semester for most programs (this may vary with some credit hour specific awards like Federal Pell Grant). Financial aid will credit your student bill after requirements are met for each program. If financial aid does not cover your bill, you are responsible for the difference.
9. In order to be considered for financial aid for the summer semester, you must complete the Summer Aid Request form found at http://src.buffalo.edu/pdf/0910SummerAidRequest.pdf (PDF) beginning in April each year. No campus-based aid is awarded during the summer semester.
10. If selected for verification and/or Quality Assurance (QA), you will be required to submit all documentation requested. Financial aid will not credit your student bill or disburse until the process has been completed.
11. If you or your family has unusual circumstances (such as loss of employment), consult the Student Response Center for further instructions.
12. New and transfer undergraduate students must provide a final high school transcript to the Admissions Office.
13. Title IV funds (Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Federal Perkins, Federal Direct Stafford, PLUS and Graduate PLUS Loans) can only be used to pay institutional charges for the semester such as tuition, fees and room and board. However, non-institutional/miscellaneous charges (Campus Cash, health insurance, late fees, etc.) and prior semester charges can also be paid using Title IV funds with approval. We will use your Title IV funds to pay non-institutional/miscellaneous charges and prior semester bill balances, unless you request otherwise. You may do so by completing the Title IVAuthorization Form found at http://src.buffalo.edu/pdf/nonallowable.pdf (PDF).
14. Pending credit – what does this mean? As long as the student has met all financial aid program requirements, financial aid will show as a pending credit on the student account. Federal financial aid will first credit direct costs, such as tuition, fees, room, and board. Direct Deposit is available for students with refunds—find out more about direct deposit at http://src.buffalo.edu/pdf/directdeposit.pdf (PDF). Refunds are made available as outlined in the disbursement calendar. Go to http://src.buffalo.edu/studentaccount/disbursement.shtml for details.
15. Students will receive a Financial Aid Follow-up Letter identifying missing information/requirements preventing financial aid from being disbursed. Students are expected to respond in a timely manner.
16. Grants

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SEOG
• Federal ACG
• Federal SMART Grant
• Education Opportunity Program (EOP)
• Scholars Grant

17. New York State Grants

• TAP: Student must be matriculated and registered for 12 credit hours as either an undergraduate or graduate student. (undergraduate college code is 1010; graduate codes are 5130, 5132 for law and 5133 for medical). Apply at http://www.hesc.com/content.nsf/SFC/2/About_TAP.
• SUSTA (State University Supplemental Tuition Assistance): Financial aid program sponsored by the SUNY system to allow additional state aid for maximum TAP recipients.
• Part-time TAP: Awarded to matriculated students who were incoming freshmen undergraduate students for the 2006-07 academic year or thereafter, enrolled in 3-11 credits. (http://www.hesc.com/content.nsf/SFC/PartTime_TAP_Program).
• APTS: Student must be an undergraduate enrolled for 3-11 credit hours and meet income requirements. Annual award amount is determined by Student Academic Records and Financial Services. Application required and can be found at http://src.buffalo.edu/financialaid/apts.shtml.

18. Federal Work-Study Program

• Students are responsible to find a job at (http://www.student-affairs.buffalo.edu/career/workstudy.shtml). Student is paid bi-weekly and can use earnings to pay educational expenses.

19. Institutional Scholarships

• Students are responsible for maintaining and understanding the specific requirements for continued receipt of scholarship funding. Visit the following Web page for details:http://src.buffalo.edu/financialaid/scholarships/continuescholar.shtml.

20. Loans - You will be required to sign a promissory note for all the loans listed below and in most cases will also be required to do entrance counseling denoted below with an asterisk.

• Federal Perkins Loan*
• Federal Direct Stafford Loans*
• Federal Parent Loan (PLUS)
• Federal Graduate PLUS (GPLUS)*
• Health Professions Loans
• Institutional Loans
• Private/Alternative Loans: Researched by the student only after all other grant and federal loans have been exhausted. We do not have a preferred lender list.

21. Veterans educational benefits have been estimated on full-time enrollment. Benefit amounts will be finalized after the VA certification process during the summer semester only.