Eligibility
To receive Federal Aid, you must meet the following eligibility requirements. If you have any questions about these requirements or if you think you may not meet one of them, please contact the school's Student Financial Services Office at 1-866-275-2422, ext. 1402.

You must:

• Not be in default on a prior federal education loan, or owe a repayment on a prior federal grant
• Possess a high school diploma or GED
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program
• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Have a valid social security number
• Make satisfactory academic progress (continuing students)
• Be registered with Selective Service, if required
• Not have been convicted of certain drug offenses
• Sign a statement of educational purpose and a certification statement on overpayment and default (both found on the FAFSA)

Determining dependency status:
If you can answer "Yes" to any of the questions below, you will be considered "independent" for Federal Financial Aid purposes, and your parents will not need to answer the parent questions on the FAFSA. If you answer "No" to all of these questions, you are considered to be "dependent" for Federal Financial Aid purposes.

• Were you born before January 1, 1981 (for 2005-06 FAFSA, January 1, 1982)?
• Are you married?
• Are you supporting legal dependents other than a spouse?
• Are you an orphan?
• Are you a ward of the court?
• Were you a ward of the court until age 18?
• Are you a veteran of the US Armed Forces?

How federal aid is awarded:
When you complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), and indicate The Art Institute of California — San Diego as one of your school choices, we will be able to receive an ISIR (Institutional Student Information Report) electronically. The ISIR will contain an EFC - Expected Family Contribution. The EFC is determined by a set federal formula, and relates to the amount that you (and your parents, if you are a dependent student) might be expected to pay for direct and indirect costs for one academic year. The EFC, in relation to your costs, is used by the school to determine your eligibility for the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal SEOG, the Perkins Loan, and the Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan. These aid types are referred to as "need based" aid.

Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form

For the FAFSA application form, click here 

The FAFSA is used to determine your eligibility for Federal and some state aid, including:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
• Federal Perkins Loan
• Federal Stafford Loan
• Federal Work-Study
• State Grants

Tips for filling out the FAFSA online
Follow the instructions carefully. Give yourself time and quiet. Find a place and time to complete the form without interruption. Get organized. Gather your personal and family financial records. Here's a checklist of records you may need:

1. Last year's federal tax returns forms1040/1040A/1040EZ and W2 forms
   • If you haven't filed a return yet, try to do that before you apply for financial aid.
   • If you can't find last year's return, call Student Financial Services at The Art Institute of California — San Diego and we'll help you get a copy from the IRS.
   • It is important to keep a copy of your tax return because you may be asked to provide it to the Student Financial Services office later.
2. Checkbook records
3. Savings account and investment statements
4. Installment and mortgage loan payment books
5. Information relating to income including wages, dividends, Social Security benefits, welfare payments, alimony or child support, Veterans Administration benefits, and disability benefits.

All information provided to the school will, of course, be kept confidential. The Art Institute of California — San Diego is in compliance with the provisions of the Family Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. This law regulates the release of any personal information.

Involve other family members who must provide information. Your parent(s) will need to complete the parent section of the form if you are classified as a "dependent" student for Federal Financial Aid purposes. After completing FAFSA on the Web, you will need to print, sign, and mail the signature page. (If you do not have a printer, the signature page will be mailed to you.) A parent must also sign the form if they contributed information to the form.

If you need assistance, feel free to call Student Financial Services at 1-866-275-2422, ext. 1402. We'll be glad to help.

Federal Loan Applications: Student

To apply for a Federal Stafford Loan (student loan) online, click here; or you can, use the form provided by the Student Financial Services office. We suggest that you wait to apply for your loan until you receive your student financial plan, so that you will know how much the school recommends that you borrow. Read the promissory note before you sign it. It is a legal document requiring you to pay back the money you borrow. Be sure to answer all of the questions on the application carefully, accurately, and completely. These are the grade level maximums. You can apply for up to these amounts:

Before you receive a loan, you will need to participate in a loan counseling "Entrance Interview". Before you leave school, you will need to participate in a loan counseling "Exit Interview". Both of these can be done on-line through the Loan Counseling link in the right sidebar.

Federal Loan Applications: Parent

An eligible parent qualifies for Federal PLUS (parent loan for undergraduate students) Loans while their dependent son or daughter attends school. To apply for a PLUS loan, one of your parents must complete the PLUS pre-approval form and pass a credit check. The parent borrower may either be approved online (click here), or can use the application provided by The Art Institute of California - San Diego. We suggest that your parent wait to apply for this loan until you receive your student financial plan, which will show the recommended amount to be borrowed. The maximum amount that a parent can borrow is the cost of education minus any aid that the student is receiving. Download the brochure.

Supplemental Data Form
In addition to the loan application, students who apply for a loan will need to complete a Supplemental Data Form. This form is available through the Student Financial Services offices.

When to Apply for Financial Aid
As soon as you enroll at The Art Institute of California — San Diego, you should apply for financial aid. Appropriate application forms are available in the The Art Institute of California - San Diego enrollment packet -- the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), applications for the Federal Stafford Student Loan and Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) with a list of preferred lenders, and The Art Institutes Merit Award application. If you are enrolled before the forms are available for the year in which you will be starting school, and you need to know what your financial aid amounts might be, we can provide you with an "Estimator" form.

Continuing students should apply as soon as possible after the new year's FAFSA is distributed. Deadline dates will be provided each year.