Understanding the Financial Aid Process

We can assist you throughout the Financial Aid Process.  Whether it's applying for aid, completing verification requirements, or reviewing your financial aid offer, we're here to help.

  1. Admissions & Costs
  2. Financial Aid
  3. Resources & Forms
  4. Understanding the Financial Aid Process

Financial Aid Timeline

To receive funding from any of the federal or state student aid programs, you must meet all of the following criteria:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • Demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA
  • Have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalency (e.g., the GED), or complete homeschooling at the secondary level
  • Be pursuing a certificate in a program (Career Major) that has been approved for Title IV eligibility
  • Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress in your program
  • Certify funds will be used for educational purposes through the FAFSA
  • Not be in default on a previous loan or owe a repayment on any grants

To apply for Federal Student Aid, Oklahoma state grants, and other need-based aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)Opens in a new window for each school year you are enrolled. You are encouraged to complete this application as soon as possible after it becomes available on October 1, preceding the school year. This application uses a federal calculation to determine your family's ability to pay for your education. After you complete the FAFSA, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) with your results, including your Student Aid Index (SAI). The SAI replaces the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). It is an eligibility index number that the Financial Aid Office uses to determine how much and what types of aid you may be eligible to receive. Please review your FSS to make sure the information is correct. If you listed Francis Tuttle as a school on your FAFSA, we will receive the same information that was on your FSS. The school code for Francis Tuttle is 015702. For information on completing the FAFSA through the FAFSA Mobile App, we encourage you to watch this video.

After a review of your FAFSA results, the Financial Aid Office will send you a letter requesting any additional documents (e.g., signed tax returns, W-2s, etc.) required. If any corrections need to be made, the Financial Aid Office will update your FAFSA and determine your eligibility for Federal Student Aid and state grants. The Financial Aid Office will provide you with an Award Offer showing all the financial aid you are eligible to receive.

Please note that Dependent students must include the information for their parent(s) on the FAFSA. Please remember that you must be able to answer "yes" to at least one question in Step 3 of the FAFSA to be considered independent, even if you are self-supporting and file your own taxes. If you have no contact with your parents and don't know where they live, or if you've left home due to an abusive situation, fill out the FAFSA form and immediately contact the Financial Aid Office at 405.717.4315 to set up an appointment to discuss your situation.

If your legal parents are married to each other or live together, you should report information about both parents on the FAFSA. Your legal parents are your biological or adoptive parents or your parents as determined by the state, i.e., if the parent is listed on your birth certificate. If the parent whose information you report on the FAFSA is remarried, you should include the step-parent's financial information. Additional information on which parent(s) information to include on the FAFSAOpens in new window

The Department of Education verification requires schools to compare or verify certain demographic and financial information reported on the FAFSA using supporting documentation. The deadline to submit verification documentation is 30 days from the request letter date. 

The Financial Aid Office will send you a documentation request letter stating what is needed to complete verification. Please do not submit any documents to the Financial Aid Office unless specifically directed to do so. We cannot continue processing your file until we receive the requested information.

Your award offer will provide you with the amounts and the estimated payment period dates that your financial aid covers. The award offer also provides an estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) and will reflect an assumed housing component for each student based on their dependency status due to the housing question being removed from the 2024-2025 FAFSA. Starting with the 2024-2025 academic year, dependent students will be assigned a living-with-parent(s) at-home cost of attendance budget. Independent students will be assigned a not-living-with-parent(s), not-at-home cost of attendance budget. The student must notify the Financial Aid Office in writing if this budget component is incorrect and does not represent their housing situation.

Francis Tuttle participates in several grant and scholarship programs, but we do not offer  Federal Work-Study or student or parent loans. See more information about the types of financial aid you may be eligible to receive.

Revised Financial Aid Offers may be necessary due to various circumstances. We may have to modify the amount or types of aid we have offered. One of the following situations may result in a revision to your financial aid offer:

  • Additional award
  • Changes or corrections based on verification
  • Changes or corrections based on conflicting information
  • Pell Grant lifetime eligibility limitation
  • Veteran Affairs benefits
  • Outside Scholarships

We recommend that you maintain records of all your financial aid offers to see what changes are made in any revised financial aid offers in the future.