Important Financial Aid Updates

Greetings!

2023-2024 Financial Aid 

Great news! The Financial Aid Office is current on reviewing files for Winter quarter.  Students who have already applied and submitted all required documentation should receive an aid offer notification if they have not so already. Disbursement of financial aid money begins on January 5 for winter quarter. This date is based on compliance of when funds to students can be disbursed. 

Students applying now should check that all outstanding documents have been submitted and plan to pay their tuition (or make tuition payment arrangement) if their aid has not been finalized by the tuition deadline of January 3, 2024.   Note: Because the disbursement of financial aid will start on January 5, all financial aid students who have an aid offer notification are protected from being dropped for non-payment. 

Please encourage students who plan to attend this coming Winter and/or Spring to apply for 2023-2024 financial aid if they have not already done so. For assistance with financial aid application and/or questions, please have students visit our financial aid office, M-TH, 8-5pm, and Friday, 8-12 or by email at Financialaid@shoreline.edu.

To see if students are eligible for other funding opportunities, check https://www.shoreline.edu/apply-and-aid/funding-and-aid/default.aspx

2024-2025 Financial Aid Application 

The biggest change to financial aid in 40 years is occurring with the 2024-25 FAFSA. These changes impact how students and their parents are required to complete the application as well as processing for financial aid offices.  It will require the financial aid office to learn new policies, create new forms, and set up the ctcLink system. These are just a few examples of the changes the financial aid office will be implementing. 

Students across the country are expected to be able to complete the 2024-2025 aid applications starting on December 31, 2023.  This is much later than the usual October 1 date the form becomes available.   The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be completed at www.studentaid.gov/fafsa and the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA) can be completed at www.wsac.gov/wasfa.   The 2024-2025 financial aid applications are for students who plan to enroll for the 2024-2025 year (Summer 2024, Fall 2024, Winter 2025 & Spring 2025).  

To learn more about the changes and the communication to our students, please visit:  https://www.shoreline.edu/apply-and-aid/funding-and-aid/financial-aid/fafsa-simplification.aspx

Based on these unprecendented changes, the financial aid office is not expected to receive applications until late January.  As a result, we anticipate the earliest we may begin processing files is late March or early April. We will  communicate any changes to this timeline.  Please help narrate the timeline to our students and encourage them to apply as early as possible. We will make sure all students who apply and submit their required documents by our recommended priority deadlines are protected from being dropped for non-payment while they await their aid offer. 

Winter Quarter Emergency Aid

The Winter quarter emergency aid application opens on December 28. The Financial Aid Office will begin disbursing emergency aid on January 5.

Starting Winter quarter emergency aid will be handled through the Benefits Hub. For assistance with the application or questions, students can either schedule an appointment with a Benefits Hub Coach at https://benefitshub.as.me/schedule.php or email emergencyaid@shoreline.edu.