How to Apply for Financial Aid


Step 1: Complete the application for admission; you must be admitted to Belmont University before being given consideration for financial aid.

Step 2: Please visit our webpage on Outside Scholarship Searches for a listing of outside scholarship websites.

Step 3: Complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Prior to filing online, you and your parents should register for a PIN (Personal Identification Number) at www.pin.ed.gov . This will enable you to electronically sign your FAFSA information. You can complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov . Be sure to list Belmont's Title IV code (003479).

Please remember that the priority date for filing your FAFSA is March 1st of each year!

Step 4: You will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a summary of the information you filed on the FAFSA. If you filed online, you will receive an email notification. If you filed by mail, you will receive your SAR copy in the mail.

Step 5: Review your SAR for accuracy! If any portion of your SAR is incorrect, make the corrections either online or on your paper SAR and and send your corrections to the federal processor. Be sure to read the top page of your SAR and follow any instructions on that page. If you have been selected for verification, please review our webpage on How to Complete Verification .

Step 6: SFS should receive your SAR electronically from the federal processor. SFS begins reviewing SARs and awarding on March 15th each year. Awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis and it generally takes SFS four to six weeks to process a completed financial aid award.

Step 7: If you are a new student: your award letter will be mailed to you. Federal Stafford and Federal PLUS loan applications will be included. If you are a returning student: you will be notified by postcard with instructions for viewing your award online through BIC (bic.belmont.edu)

Step 8: After reviewing your award, you have the option of completing loan applications online. Please visit the SFS website for a list of lenders . Loan applications must be received by your lender within two weeks of the payment due date.

Step 9: Federal Stafford loan entrance counseling must be completed by students. This can be completed online at www.mapping-your-future.org . Stafford loans cannot be applied to your account until entrance counseling has been completed.

Step 10: You should receive a disclosure statement from your lender confirming your loan approval. Loan funds and financial aid cannot disburse to your account prior to ten days before classes begin.

Step 11: Continue to monitor your financial aid award and student account online through Banner Web to ensure funds are credited to your account.