Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the Financial Aid Notification (FAN)?

The FAN is a crucial document that candidates receive after their Financial Aid Application is received and if requested, any additional required documentation has been processed by the Office of Financial Aid. 

This notification is sent via email (check your spam/junk folder in case your email provider redirects our email) and provides a comprehensive breakdown of all the financial aid sources that the candidate is eligible to receive. It also shows the tuition fee and your out-of-pocket candidate contribution which will be divided by 12 to set your monthly payment amount when you set up your payment plan with our Bursar.The FAN serves as a valuable tool for candidates to understand their financial aid package and make informed decisions regarding their education expenses. 

On the FAN - what is the difference between direct and indirect costs?

• Direct cost: charges Universities/Colleges bill directly to the student. Example - candidate contribution amount for tuition charges
• Indirect costs: (not covered by financial aid) costs candidates pay out-of-pocket throughout the academic year, to parties other than the University/College they are attending. Example - computers, internet, books, off-campus housing, meals, transportation

2. What are some sources of financial aid I might be eligible for, based on my Financial Aid Application?

• Institutional - Reach University scholarships, awards and grants

  • Awarded for Fall, Spring and Summer (summer is optional)
  • Available for part-time and full time enrollment
  • Tuition-specific (covers tuition only, no overages for refunds will occur)

• Federal Pell Grant

  • If eligible, the grant amount is based on your FAFSA SAI (Student Aid Index) and enrollment level (full-time,¾ time, halftime, less-than-halftime) and is tuition specific, no overages for refunds will occur.

• SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)

  • Must be a Pell grant recipient
  • Priority: given to lowest SAIs first
  • As of July 1, 2022 - Reach University no longer participates in the federal student loan program
  • We do not participate in the Federal TEACH Grant program

    Student Loans / Federal TEACH grant program                                                                                                                                               

• External scholarships/loans

  • Scholarships: some are tuition-specific while others are not. If you receive an external scholarship, please contact Financial Aid with the details.
  • Private Alternative Loans: we do not certify private alternative loans

3. Who can I contact if I have more financial aid questions?

Financial Aid / FAFSA: contact our Financial Aid Team at finaid@reach.edu

4. What if I need additional assistance for the Candidate Contribution?

If you are struggling financially, please contact our Bursar Team bursar@reach.edu for options that may be available to you.

5. What is the total tuition cost?

Reach University provides a high-quality program. The amount you pay is meant to be affordable on purpose. We believe that every student should have an amazing teacher and becoming an amazing teacher should be affordable. This does not mean that it only costs *$900 to provide you with all of the high-quality teaching and candidate services that you see and receive. The actual cost to provide all of this, is better shown in the actual tuition amount of $12,374  (2 semesters) and *$16,912 (3 semesters). Optional summer classes are covered by your financial aid as well! We help pay for these costs utilizing Reach financial aid and philanthropy, as well as, federal and state grants (based on your annual Financial Aid Application), to bring you a high quality pathway to a career, at an affordable cost.

6. My Name has Changed. How do I update my name at Reach?

Please email Financial Aid for the required name change process. finaid@reach.edu

7. I need to file my Financial Aid Application-how do I start?

If you are NOT eligible to file a Federal Student Aid FAFSA application, here are two

specific options:

• If you live in California and are unable to file a FAFSA, file a CADAA

  • https://dream.csac.ca.gov/landing code 042637

• If you do not live in California and are unable to file a FAFSA, file a CSS Profile:

  • https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/ code 9236

Candidates that are eligible to file a FAFSA, please see the information below:

START HERE>>>>>>Complete your yearly FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov

Reach University School Code: 042637

For the 25-26 and 26-27 academic terms, Candidates who do not complete a FAFSA annually, or complete a FAFSA but fail to finalize their financial aid eligibility by submitting, if requested, all required financial aid documents, you will pay the full tuition cost of $12,374 for (2) semesters and $16,912 for (3) semesters.

The all new FAFSA is easy and quick to complete! Most Candidates spend between 30-40 minutes to complete, sign and submit it.

NEW USERS: When you access FSA (Federal Student Aid), if this is your first time filing a FAFSA, you need to "Create an Account". If you have questions or issues, click "Help Center" (top, right) and do a search for the information/help you are needing.

There is also a step-by-step tutorial that is easy to understand!

• How To Fill Out the FAFSA Form

RETURNING USERS: If you have filed a FAFSA before, even if it was years ago, DO NOT create a new account. Simply "Log-in" using your **FSA Username and password that you created the first time you filed a FAFSA. 

**If you do not remember your FSA log-in information, please see below:

To retrieve your Username and password, please follow these steps: 

1. You need to click this link: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/sign-in/retrieve-username and follow the instructions. Use a current email address that you can access and check your spam/junk folder if you do not see response emails from FSA in the inbox.
2. Once you retrieve your Username, go to the FSA (Federal Student Aid) www.studentaid.gov Log-in, enter the Username and click "Forgot Password"  
3. You will receive info on how to reset your password
4. Once you have reset your password, log into FSA again www.studentaid.gov using your username and new password to access your account.
5. Go to your Personal Info section and verify/update your information if needed

From there, just continue through the questions and answer them with the answers that apply at that moment you are filling out your FAFSA. 

It is important that you read everything carefully before entering anything on your FAFSA, double check all entries for spelling and accuracy, that way, you will not have to go back later to make corrections! If a question does not apply to you, leave it blank.

Once you have completed, signed and submitted your FAFSA, you will get a confirmation email from FSA letting you know it is being processed. 

We typically receive your processed FAFSA file from FSA within 5-7 business days. Once we receive and process your file on our end, we will email you at that time.

If the above steps do not work, you will need to contact the FAFSA Help Desk for assistance. They are the only ones that have access to assist with most FAFSA issues. They can be reached at 1-800-433-3243 ​- Hours of Operation. Monday: Open 8 a.m.– 9 p.m. ET. ​ - Tuesday/Wednesday: Open 8 a.m.– 8 p.m. ET. ​ - Thursday/Friday: Open 8 a.m.– 6 p.m. ET.​ - Saturday/Sunday: Closed.

8. My FAFSA needs corrections, how do I do that?

What kinds of changes can I make to my FAFSA^® form once it’s been processed?

Corrections: If You Made a Mistake

If you made a mistake in what you reported on the FAFSA form, you’ll need to make a correction.  Click here>>>   how to make changes to your FAFSA information.

Corrections: If FAFSA^® Form Is Missing a Contributor’s Consent and Approval

If your FAFSA form is missing a contributor’s consent and approval, your contributor must do the following:

1. They log in and go to their account Dashboard.
2. Then select the FAFSA form that indicates “Action Required” under the “My Activity” section.
3. Then Select “Approve.”
4. Then provide their consent and approval.
5. Then navigate through the form.
6. Then sign and submit their section of the form.

>>>>PLEASE READ<<<<

If you have issues making corrections, updates or with a Contributor accessing, approving or signing your FAFSA, please contact Federal Student Aid's FAFSA help center by clicking the link below: 

FAFSA Help Center