Financial Aid Process

Your Next Step

Students who wish to be considered for federal aid and other need-based assistance must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The FAFSA priority deadline for new students is March 15 and March 30 for returning students.

FAFSA Filing Changes

Beginning with 2017-18, the FAFSA cycle will begin October 1, 2016, instead of January 1, 2017. FAFSA income information will come from the “prior, prior year.” FAFSA income information will come from the “prior, prior year.” Based on this, your 2019-2020 FAFSA will collect tax year 2018 income data.

These changes are being made to allow students additional time to review, submit, and update FAFSA data. They will also reduce the use of estimated income and increase the use of the IRS Data Retrieval Tool.

Date of University Attendance

When FAFSA Can Be Submitted

Income Information Year Requested

July 1, 2020 – June 30, 2021 January 1, 2017 – June 30, 2018 2018
July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022 October 1, 2018 – June 30, 2020 2019
July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023 October 1, 2019, – June 30, 2021 2020
July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024 October 1, 2020 – June 30, 2022 2021

Students who are Virginia residents must have their Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant application completed by July 31 to be guaranteed state funding. Students that received VTAG in the prior award year DO NOT need to complete a new application. The priority deadline for all other financial aid requirements is June 1. Please utilize your MyBU account to view the status of your financial aid, along with the documents needed to finalize your financial aid.

Step-By-Step Guide to Financial Aid

The process outlined below has been developed to assist students in understanding the entire financial aid process and to assist students in budgeting and managing their personal records. Bluefield University encourages our students to submit the documents requested promptly to assure that their aid will be processed prior to the start of classes.

#1

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA or renewal FAFSA for the appropriate academic year) online. Our university code is 003703. FAFSA help is available at https://fafsa.ed.gov/help.htm. For more information on how to complete the FAFSA check out the Financial Aid Toolkit.

#2

The processed results of the FAFSA called a Student Aid Report (SAR) will be mailed or emailed to you and electronically transmitted to us. We are unable to fully process aid for you until we receive these results. Please read your SAR carefully and resolve any errors or problems right away.

#3

Undergraduate Virginia residents should complete the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG) application and return it to the financial aid office by July 31 to be considered an on-time application. The VTAG application can be accessed from Forms and Resources. Funds are awarded in compliance with state regulations.

  • If you are a Virginia resident enrolling or are currently enrolled within the Masters of Nursing program and will be in at least 9 credits for the fall semester, then you may also be eligible for VTAG.

#4

After you have been accepted at Bluefield University, and we receive your FAFSA results, we will begin to examine your eligibility for financial aid. You will receive an award letter either by mail or email detailing your awards and the additional documents needed to finalize your financial aid. As a part of your award package, we may recommend loans for you in order to cover the balance of your charges. We generally list an award for the maximum amount that you may be eligible to receive. You may wish to borrow only what you need to cover your charges and books to prevent over-borrowing.

  • If you wish to accept the aid listed, simply complete the requested items on your award letter. If you wish to reduce or decline any part of your financial aid, simply login to your myBU and complete the electronic Student Change In Aid Form.
  • Upon receiving your FASFA information, you may be selected for a process called verification which requires our institution to verify the FAFSA information reported. To learn more about the Verification Process, we have created this explanatory page.

#5

Direct Loan borrowers are required to complete entrance counseling in order to be approved for a loan. You will also be required to sign a Direct Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note, or MPN) to receive your loan. Complete your loan counseling on the Federal Student Aid website.

#6

Notify the Financial Aid Office of any outside scholarships or other financial assistance you receive in order to prevent a federal overpayment condition. Include church and community scholarships, employer pay and employer reimbursement, rehabilitative services benefits, military benefits, etc. This notification is very important! An overpayment may affect whether you are eligible to receive certain grants and loans in the future.

#7

Billing and financial aid awards for online students will align with your courses and are applied in eight-week increments. As such, your financial aid will be broken into two equal disbursements over each semester. This applies to institutional and federal aid. We encourage you to plan and budget accordingly for expenses, including textbooks.

#8

Our institutional policy is to credit the account after the census (or add/drop date indicated in the academic calendar) date. After bills are paid, students receiving a refund will be sent a check after class participation has been verified through the Registrar’s Office.

#9

It is important to remember that the paperwork you complete is for one academic year only. You will need to complete a FAFSA renewal and other documents each year for which you wish to obtain financial aid. The FAFSA may be completed on or after October 1 of the current school year.

Do I only apply once?

  • No. Students must apply each academic year for the fall semester and submit the necessary documents.

Do I have to take the classes specified in the Associate's Degree tracks as they are listed on the information sheet?

  • No. Students may take any of the courses that are offered in a given term.

Where do I find the textbook listing, and where do I purchase the books?

  • Log in to myBU, and under the "Student" tab, you will find a list of the textbooks required (if any) for each course. Students are responsible for purchasing their own textbooks.

How long is a semester?

  • Our semesters are divided into two 8-week terms.

Is there an orientation?

  • Yes. Students can attend an orientation session that explains how to access courses, how to register for classes, and answers other questions.

Where can I find a course description?

Does the student need to take the SAT or ACT in order to take Dual Enrollment classes?

  • No. If a student decides to study at BU full time, BU is currently test-optional for the 2021-2022 admissions cycle.

Are the classes live? Do students need to log in and participate at certain times?

  • Classes are offered online, so a student can log-on and study at their convenience and their own pace. Students have assignments due each week; you can complete your assignments at any point in time before the deadline.

Does an Early College student need to come to campus for anything?

  • No. However, we would love to have you visit our campus if you are interested in continuing with traditional on-campus study. Students who complete their associate's degree have the option to walk at our commencement ceremony.

Are Early College students able to receive Financial Aid?

  • No. However, Early College courses are very affordable compared to other options. The cost for an online Dual Enrollment course is $100 per credit hour.

How do transferring credits work?

  • Each College or University completes a transcript review in order to decide which courses transfer. Sticking to general education classes generally makes transferring credits simple. All Early College courses at Bluefield University are general education classes that should transfer to another accredited institution.

Is an Early College student considered, and treated, as a transfer student when they become a full-time college student if they have earned enough credits to be a Junior?

  • No. Since they have not graduated from high school, they are considered a first-time college student regardless of how many credits transfer. However, by transferring credits when they enroll as a full-time student, they will have to take fewer classes to receive their bachelor's degree, which shortens the length of time to earn the degree.

Can I speak to someone if I have more questions?

  • Yes. Please contact the Office of Admissions by email or you can call them at 276.326.4231

 

Meet our core Counseling faculty

Dr. Challen Mabry

Assistant Professor of Counseling

Dr. Kristen Moran

Associate Professor of Counseling

Brandy Smith

Assistant Professor of Education & Counseling,
Director of the Master of Arts in Counseling Program,
Title IX Confidential Counselor

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