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Financial Aid Forum

Ever had questions about financial aid and how it works, but didn’t want to ask? Or maybe you’ve always thought the Office of Financial Aid was a little… intimidating? You’re not alone (but also like, we’re really nice people, honestly)!

Join Office of Financial Aid staff for the 2026 Financial Aid Forum, a multi-week series of interactive sessions designed to demystify financial aid and help you understand the key components that impact students. These sessions are designed for everyone—from folks with literally no experience or knowledge of financial aid at all, to those with a basic understanding who want to go deeper. Come for one session or come for all—each stands on its own, but together they tell the whole story of how financial aid works.

Session Schedule

All sessions will be held in the Admissions Family Room (LRW 235).

Session Descriptions

Financial Aid Big Picture: Enrollment, Offers, FAFSA, and Our Impact

This kickoff session brings the full financial aid story together in one place. We’ll zoom out to look at how financial aid fits into enrollment management and student recruitment, then zoom back in to unpack how a financial aid offer is built and what kinds of scholarships the College provides. We’ll walk through what the FAFSA actually measures, what the Student Aid Index (SAI) represents, and how those pieces influence a student’s eligibility. To ground it all in reality, we’ll also take a look at how much financial aid the College distributed last year and talk about what those numbers reveal about access, affordability, and who we serve.

Making the Grade: Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

This session focuses on what it really means for a student to remain eligible for financial aid over time. We’ll talk through why Satisfactory Academic Progress exists, how it’s measured, how students can lose or regain eligibility based on academic performance and completion, and how this process is completely separate from academic probation and suspension.

R2T4: What It Is and Why It Has Nothing to Do with Star Wars

Despite the name, Return of Title IV Funds has nothing to do with R2D2 or space operas, but it can feel just as mysterious. This session unpacks what happens to financial aid when a student withdraws from the term, why the federal government requires schools to perform R2T4 calculations, and how those calculations affect students’ bills and future aid eligibility. We’ll walk through how this process works in practice and why timing, communication, and documentation matter so much for both students and the institution.

Work, Learn, Earn: Federal Work-Study Explained

Federal Work Study (FWS) often feels straightforward on the surface, but there’s a lot happening behind the scenes. In this session, we’ll talk about how students become eligible for FWS, how award amounts are determined, and what rules govern how and where students can work. We’ll also explore how FWS can support student success when used intentionally, the differences between on-campus and off-campus placements, and why this program requires careful coordination across departments.

Show Me the Money: Cash Management and Title IV Disbursements

This session dives into the behind-the-scenes mechanics of how financial aid actually moves from the federal government and the College to a student’s account. We’ll talk about when aid is allowed to disburse, how early disbursement rules work, and what the regulations say about issuing Title IV refunds to students. We’ll also discuss why cash management rules exist in the first place, how they protect students and the College, and how timing and compliance can directly shape a student’s experience with refunds and balances.

Graduate Aid in a Post-OB3 World

This session focuses specifically on how OB3 changed the rules and options around graduate financial aid. We’ll walk through what graduate aid looked like before OB3, what shifted under the new legislation, and what that means for how graduate students can fund their education now. The conversation will also cover the role of private loans, what institutions are and are not allowed to do when it comes to private lending, and how preferred lender lists work in practice. The goal is to leave with a clear understanding of the current graduate aid landscape and what guidance we can appropriately provide to students navigating these options.

What’s New in Financial Aid? Policy, Reporting and Recent Changes

Financial aid is constantly evolving, and staying current can feel overwhelming. This closing session takes a step back to look at the major legislative and regulatory changes from the last year or so and how they’re reshaping the work we do. We’ll talk about how OB3 continues to ripple across financial aid operations, what FVT/GE reporting means for the College, how FWS reporting has shifted, and why these changes matter not just for compliance, but for students and programs on the ground.