- Should I even apply for financial assistance?
- What types of assistance are available?
- Do I have to fill out a million forms?
- My family has special financial needs/circumstances—how does this affect my eligibility to receive financial aid?
- My parents are divorced/separated. How does this affect my eligibility to receive financial aid?
- What happens after I file the FAFSA?
Should I even apply for financial assistance?
Yes, we encourage all students to apply – even those who assume that they are ineligible because of family income level. Not all types of assistance are based on financial need; there are many sources of funding which may be available to you.
What types of assistance are available?
Your financial aid award will usually consist of a combination of funds from four different sources—scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment. An endowment of over $100 million enables Randolph to offer many academic scholarships and leadership and participation awards, as well as need-based financial aid. In addition, there are many financing plans from which to choose.
Do I have to fill out a million forms?
For need-based aid, we require only the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), available at www.fafsa.ed.gov/. Your application for admission serves as your application for all scholarships except for Presidential Scholars. Contact your admissions counselor for more information on the Presidential Scholars Competition.
Working with you as an individual is the most important part of the process. It is your entire situation that needs to be assessed—all of the details that make up your family situation. It may be that a parent has lost a job, or that grandparents have joined the household. There are many expenses that are not reflected on the FAFSA. You should write a letter to Kay Mattox, Director of Student Financial Services, describing the situation and giving as many details and facts as possible.
The FAFSA requires information concerning your custodial parent only.
It takes at least four weeks for the FAFSA to be processed by the Federal Student Aid Program. Randolph College will receive a Federal Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) as a result of your filing the FAFSA. Upon acceptance for admission and receipt of the ISIR, we will forward a financial aid award letter to you.