How To Navigate Financial Aid - Coastal Carolina University

Navigating the financial aid process can be difficult. We hope this page and the information provided will serve to ease some of the stress that can accompany applying for financial aid. Provided below is information about completing the FAFSA, submitting additional information, completing the verification process, what to do after receiving your offer letter, and how to request a special circumstances review. If you need additional assistance please call (843-349-2313) or email (finaid@coastal.edu) us to work with a counselor.

How Can We Assist You?

How to complete your FAFSA.

Additional missing information after completing the FAFSA.

Completing verification.

What you can do after you receive your offer letter.

Having a special or unusual circumstance evaluated by financial aid.

I want to complete my FAFSA

- The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available to complete online (or through the mobile app) on October 1 each year. Before beginning the FAFSA you may want to view this FAFSA Checklist for a list of information you will need. The FAFSA available in October is used to award financial aid for the academic year beginning the following August.

- It is recommended that all eligible applicants use the Data Retrieval Tool in the income sections of the FAFSA. Use of this tool allows your tax information to be uploaded to your FAFSA, reducing the chance of errors.

- You must add our school code for CCU to receive the application. Coastal Carolina University's Federal School Code is 003451.

- If you are a dependent student for purposes of FAFSA (click here if you're not sure), you must complete the parent information sections of the FAFSA and have a parent sign with their personal FSA ID. If you are not sure which parent to use for your FAFSA please click here for more information about reporting parent information.

- Be sure to familiarize with these Tips and Common Mistakes

I need to submit additional missing information

Sometimes we are required to collect additional information in order to complete your financial aid file. It is imperative that you continue to monitor your CCU email and Self-Service Financial Aid continuously. Once we receive your FAFSA (typically within 10 days of submission), we will email you if additional information is requested. We will also list the missing information along with instructions how to submit the information needed on Self-Service. Click on Required Documents to see what additional documents you may need to submit.

I need to complete the verification process

If the Department of Education selects your FAFSA for verification CCU is required to collect additional information. The type of information we need to verify is dependent upon the type of verification for which you were selected. For information regarding verification selection as well as what you can expect during the process please visit our Verification Information page. equired forms can be found on the Verification Information page as well as Self-Service Financial Aid.

Never submit information that has not been requested by Financial Aid and Scholarships!

Check your CCU email and Self-Service regularly. Verification is a very regulated process and we often need additional information. We will generally communicate via email and Self-Service when additional information is needed.

I received my offer letter, now what

Once your file is complete and an award offer has been determined you will be notified that your offer letter is available to view. New students will be mailed a letter to their home address and continuing students will receive a notification via CCU email. Continuing students are not awarded for the following year until after spring grades are final and satisfactory academic progress has been reviewed. All students can view their current offer letter on Self-Service.

If your offer letter includes any of the following awards, or if you need to apply for loans, there are additional steps you must take in order to receive the award. Click on the award for more information about these additional steps. (This is not a all-inclusive list, these are the most common awards with additional requirements.)

Direct Subsidized Student Loan

Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan

South Carolina Need-based Grant

South Carolina Scholarships

Student Private Loan

Direct Parent PLUS Loan

Graduate PLUS Loan

I have a special or unusual circumstance. What can I do?

Financial Aid and Scholarships recognizes that students and/or their parents sometimes have special or unusual circumstances which may not accurately reflect their current financial situation. We are here to help! If you or your family has experienced a special or unusual circumstance, please reach out to our office and speak with a counselor. We will discuss the changes, review your FAFSA for any potential adjustments and talk about eligibility and options. The following is a list of common situations that may warrant an adjustment:

Permanent and significant loss of income

Loss of employment

Divorce

Death of a parent listed on the FAFSA

Dependent student with no parental contact

While the above is not an exhaustive list, these are the most common situations warranting additional review. Every situation is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and adjustments are not guaranteed. Click here for more information.

If you have a situation you would like reviewed, please contact our office to speak with a counselor. You may email a description of your situation to finaid@coastal.edu or call 843-349-2313 to discuss further.

Helpful Links