Making Your College Choice Affordable!

• 81% of degree-seeking students receive financial aid at DSU.
• Students received over $16.9 million in financial aid last year at DSU.
• The average financial aid award was $9,694 in 2011-12.

Financial Aid Checklist - FAFSA School Code 003463

1. Apply for admission to Dakota State University.
2. Complete your Federal tax return early (student/spouse and parent(s), if dependent) to use when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We recommend using the IRS Data Retrieval tool to report your income tax figures, this can be done approximately 2 weeks after you e-file or 8 weeks after submitting a paper return.  Students must complete the FAFSA in order to receive Federal financial aid of any kind, including grants, work study and Federal loans.
3. File the FAFSA as early as possible after January 1 each year.  The IRS Data Retrieval Tool will be available beginning February 3, 2013.  DSU's priority date is March 1.  Keep a copy of your confirmation page and Student Aid Report (SAR) for your records.
4. If you are selected for Federal verification, provide the requested documentation to the Enrollment Service Center in Vermillion, SD, as soon as possible.
5. Transfer students: you must submit official academic transcripts from all previous colleges you've attended to the Admissions Office before you may be considered for a financial aid award.
6. When you receive your award letter packet from the Financial Aid Office, complete, sign and return it to us along with all other documents we request.

Dropping Classes or Withdrawing From School

Students may drop a class during the drop/add period found in WebAdvisor or the course syllabus and receive a refund for the full tuition and fees charged for that class.  A drop may impact financial aid if it has already been paid to the student account in SDePay, and the student may owe the University for returned financial aid funds.  Students may drop a class after the drop/add period to receive a W grade and no refund; deadline is published in WebAdvisor, course syllabi and the DSU academic catalogs.  Students wishing to drop a class may do so in WebAdvisor, in their advisor's college office, or by visiting the Registrar's Office.

Students may also withdraw from school (ALL enrolled classes).  Students needing to withdraw from school need to contact the Vice President of Student Affairs jesse.kane@dsu.edu or the Academic Advising Office at the University Center.  Please refer to the current academic catalog for official policies on withdrawing from school.  Partial refunds or returns to financial aid sources will be calculated within the first 60% of the term for students withdrawing from school.  Deadlines for withdrawing from classes are published in WebAdvisor, course syllabi and in the academic catalogs.

DSU Financial Aid Code of Conduct

The DSU Financial Aid Office, as a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), complies with the NASFAA Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct for Institutional Financial Aid Professionals.

Important Numbers

Other Resources

• Tax Education Credits/Incentives
• National Student Loan Database
• Guide to Financial Aid (SmartStudent)
• Access America for Students
• Family Education Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA)
• Cash Course - Financial Literacy
• AmeriCorps