Application Procedure
We want to make applying for financial aid as easy as possible for you and your family.
We welcome any information you feel will help us understand your financial status and ask that you are mindful of the required priority dates so you don’t miss any deadlines and we can properly assist you in a timely manner.
Financial Aid Process
This process is for incoming first-year and transfer students.
1. File the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA is the application for federal and state-funded assistance. You are encouraged to file the FAFSA electronically. You will need to obtain a federal student aid ID, with which you will be able to electronically sign the FAFSA online. All need-based financial aid applicants must complete the FAFSA.
Please complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1st of the year preceding when you would like to be considered for need-based financial aid, but before these priority dates:
Fall entrant: August 20
Spring entrant: January 10
Summer entrant: May 1
Create your federal student ID
If you choose not to submit your FAFSA online, you may print and complete this PDF FAFSA form. List Springfield College federal code #002211 on the FAFSA.
2. Begin your financial aid form before being accepted for admission.
File forms to meet the priority filing date. Financial aid decisions are issued only to students who have been accepted for admission. Students accepted after the financial aid priority date will be offered pending eligibility and availability of funds.
3. Be prepared for a potential verification request that may be made on some applications.
Students will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid if they are required to provide additional information due to the verification process. Students can check for their required documents and forms on My Financial Aid via the Financial Aid main webpage.
Students selected for a process called “verification” by the U.S. Department of Education will be required to provide income verification documents and complete the Springfield College Verification Worksheet. Do not complete the worksheet unless requested by the Office of Financial Aid.
Send the requested documentation directly to the Office of Financial Aid. Do not submit any documents to the FAFSA processor. These forms will not be forwarded to Springfield College by external processors.
4. Clearly and correctly write the student’s name and Springfield College ID on all forms and in all communications with the Office of Financial Aid.
Keep copies of all forms for your own records.
4a. Redact all personally identifiable information (Social Security Number and Bank Account Number)
5. Allow for adequate mailing and processing time.
Complete the FAFSA at least two weeks prior to priority dates. Priority dates refer to receipt of information by the Office of Financial Aid, not the filing dates. Late applications may reduce access to grant funding. Offers are not final until the FAFSA data is received from the federal processor and if selected for verification, verification of application data/income is conducted.
6. Check your email for your financial aid offer letter.
Please accept or decline your offers on My Financial Aid via the Financial Aid main webpage.
Applicants who are accepted late or who complete their financial aid files after the established deadlines will receive decisions on a rolling basis.
Springfield College does not guarantee funding to all eligible applicants.
Next Steps After Applying
You’ll receive a financial aid decision on My Financial Aid advising you of your eligibility for federal, state, and College financial assistance.
We know that a family’s financial information is extremely sensitive. Please be assured that all income information submitted to the Office of Financial Aid is held in strict confidence. In addition, your financial status does not affect your admission into the College.
Grants and Offers
Springfield College grants are offered to full-time undergraduate students based on financial need, with consideration given to your academic, co-curricular, and community achievements. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions may recommend first-year applicants for a merit scholarship, which is not based on financial need and does not require a financial aid application for consideration. The Office of Undergraduate Admissions will notify you if you are selected.
FAFSA
Students are asked to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Once Springfield College receives the processed FAFSA, there may be other documents or forms that will be requested of the student applicant and their parents. The request for additional information is called verification.
Professional Judgment
Professional Judgment is the process in which the College may consider, on a case by case basis, a student’s special or unusual circumstances to determine if they are eligible to have their financial aid adjusted. There must be a significant change to the household finances to be considered for a Special Circumstances Professional Judgment. Documentation will be required.
The following list includes the most common types of changes in circumstances in which a Special Circumstances Professional Judgment may apply:
- Loss or reduction of employment/earnings
- Child support or alimony reduction or loss
- Death or divorce of student's parent or spouse
- Change in student's marital status
- Excessive out-of-pocket medical and/or dental expenses
- Catastrophic loss, such as damage or loss from a natural disaster
- One-time taxable income (e.g., pension distribution, IRA disbursement, back-year Social Security payments, etc.)
The following lists includes the most common types of changes in circumstances in which an Unusual Circumstances Professional Judgement may apply:
• Estrangement from parent or guardian
• Homelessness or risk of homelessness
• Incarceration of parent or guardian
• Mental Illness of parent or guardian
• Relationship with parent or guardian is detrimental to the student
All Unusual Circumstances appeals are required to submit a Dependency Override Request form, detailed letter of explanation (signed and dated) describing your reason for requesting additional financial assistance and supporting documentation to be considered. The Office of Financial Aid may request additional information to support your special or unusual circumstance. Please note that the submission of an appeal does not guarantee a change to your financial aid offer. All decisions are final.
If you or your family has experienced a life event that impacts your finances and this isn’t reflected on your FAFSA, please contact our office to discuss your situation in further detail. Our office can be reached at (413) 748-3108 or at financialaid@springfieldcollege.edu.
For those students selected for verification, a Professional Judgment cannot be processed for changes until the verification process is complete. Please check your financial aid status on your My Financial Aid portal prior to inquiring about an appeal.
The following list includes the most common of circumstances the may warrant an Professional Judgement adjustment to your Cost of Attendance. An adjustment to your Cost of Attendance almost always, if approved, will result in increased loan eligibility.
• Travel to and from an internship or field placement
• Housing expenses that exceed our estimated housing allowance
• Child care expenses for periods of educational related activities
• A computer purchase
Financial Aid Confidential Information Waiver
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal law protecting the confidentiality of the student’s records. In compliance with FERPA, the Office of Financial Aid must have the student’s written authorization to discuss information from their financial aid file to anyone other than a custodial parent(s) that is designated on the current academic year’s FAFSA. Completing the waiver will allow whomever the student designates to communicate with the Office of Financial Aid. This waiver will remain on file and in effect until graduation, withdrawal from the college or a written statement to change or eliminate designees.
