It’s time for current and prospective students to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)! The FAFSA is your key to need-based financial aid including funds from state, federal, and institutional programs. Returning K students should file their FAFSA before March 1. First-time filers can follow advice from the U.S. Department of Education. Explore our website to learn more about financial aid.

The Michigan Department of Treasury is hosting virtual Financial Aid Nights to provide information on FAFSA filing and available federal and state aid programs. The sessions are free and open to everyone.

It was recently announced by President Biden that some federal loan borrowers will be eligible for forgiveness of federal loans. Below you will find some high level details of this forgiveness program:

• Loans must have been disbursed on or before June 30, 2022. This means that loans for the upcoming 2022-23 academic year are not included.
• Parent PLUS Loans are included in this forgiveness.
• Borrowers earning less than $125,000 per year ($250,000 per year for married couples) in 2020 or 2021 are eligible. For students enrolled in school as a dependent student for FAFSA purposes between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022, eligibility will be based on your parent’s income.
• For those meeting the income requirements, forgiveness is up to $10,000 if the borrower did not receive a Pell Grant while in college and up to $20,000 for those who did receive a Pell Grant while in college. You can check to see if you have received a Pell Grant by logging into the Federal Student Aid website.
• Most borrowers will have to apply for the forgiveness. An application is expected to be released by early October.

More information and FAQs can be found on the Federal Student Aid announcement page. That page will be updated with new information as it becomes available, so check back frequently. You can also sign up for email updates from the Department of Education.

The Michigan Competitive Scholarship (MCS) and Michigan Tuition Grant (MTG) are currently pending because we are still waiting for the state of Michigan to set their 2021-22 budget which will finalize the amount of these awards. The MCS and MTG will stay on pending until the state budget is passed.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it may take some time for the state budget to be set and it’s possible that the MCS and MTG may be reduced. At this time, the amount of these awards is not being applied to bills. We recommend planning your payments for the fall term to not include the amount of these awards in the event that the state budget is not approved before bills are due.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government has instituted or expanded programs to assist college students during the ongoing crisis. The programs involved are SNAP and a program to assist with paying for internet access. You can find more information about these programs on our COVID-19 Resources for Students webpage. We will update that page with any additional programs or resources that become available.

Returning K students should plan to file their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before March 1 to ensure that they are considered for all forms of financial aid. The FAFSA is your key to state, federal, and institutional need-based financial aid.

Congress passed a bill in late December that authorized additional Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF II) dollars to provide emergency student grants as well as defray institutional expenses related to the coronavirus pandemic. 

The Office of Financial Aid will make payments prioritizing students with the highest need based on FAFSA data.  Funds will be paid automatically and directly to students.  Students do not need to apply.  Students will receive an email to their K account notifying them of payment.

These emergency student grants are intended to help with emergency costs that arise due to coronovirus, such as tuition, food, housing, health care or child care.

Check out our FAQs for more information.

It’s time for current and prospective students to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)! The FAFSA is your key to state, federal, and institutional need-based financial aid. Returning K students should file their FAFSA before March 1. First-time filers can follow advice from the U.S. Department of Education. Explore our website to learn more about financial aid.

The Office of Financial Aid has resumed their normal phone availability. We will now be answering phones daily from 8:00 – 12:00 and 1:00 – 5:00.

Due to the ongoing health concerns related to COVID-19, the financial aid staff is continuing to work remotely. We will not be open for walk-in traffic or in-person appointments for the foreseeable future.

We encourage you to email your questions to finaid@kzoo.edu to ensure a prompt response. We will be also answering phones in a limited capacity from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM daily.

If you need to submit any forms or documentation to our office, we encourage you to use our Secure FileDrop system. Directions on how to use the Secure FileDrop system can be found here. These items can also be left in the drop box next to the door of our main office.