Bucky's Financial Aid Treasure Map

Reference and Resource Guide

Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships

 

FAFSA News: The Department of Education plans to open the 2025-26 FAFSA on December 1, 2024.

The costs associated with attending ETSU can include both direct and indirect costs. Please review ETSU's Cost of Attendance for more details.

East Tennessee State University awards degrees in dozens of programs, including distinctive interdisciplinary programs and distance education offerings that serve students from the region and beyond. A student to faculty ratio of 18:1 means you'll get the personal attention you deserve. ETSU offers students a total university experience that includes cultural and artistic programs, diverse student activities, a variety of residential opportunities, and outstanding recreational and intercollegiate athletic programs.

Making an investment in higher education can lead to great opportunities. But the first step to making your dreams come true is understanding how to finance a college education. In the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, we are here to make sure you and your family have the answers you need. Our main website is full of helpful resources, providing information for future students, current students, and transfer students. Bucky’s Treasure Map serves as a more in-depth Financial Aid reference and resource guide for you and your family.  

1) Getting Started: The Financial Aid Process

    Finding financial aid can seem overwhelming. That’s why your first step needs to be completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is your gateway to all federal financial aid, as well as the starting point for many state and school-aid programs. Put simply, there are funding  opportunities – such as the Tennessee HOPE (Lottery) Scholarship and the Federal Pell Grant – that will not be available to you without a completed FAFSA. Students need to file a FAFSA each year they wish to receive aid.

  For the 2025-26 aid year the Department of Education plans to open the FAFSA on December 1. Use prior-prior tax data when filing. For example, in order to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA, you will need your 2022 federal tax information. Some funding opportunities are first come, first served. That means that the earlier you file the FAFSA, the greater access you may have to funding. 

   Students should also submit the University Scholarship Application, which opens October 1. Doing so will automatically place you in consideration for a range of scholarships. Scholarships – money that does not have to be paid back – are available to first-time freshmen students, transfer students, veterans, international students, currently enrolled undergraduate students, and graduate students. The application is due March 1 each year.

Not sure you can afford college? Think again. At ETSU, 84% of students receive financial assistance, and ETSU students earned $17.6 million in institutional aid for the 2023-24 aid year. 

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How Do I Get Started?

  • Create an FSA ID. Students and contributors must do this.
  • On the FAFSA site, select Start New Form.
  • Log in using your FSA ID and password.
  • Enter your information for each question.
  • Add ETSU’s school code: 003487.
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Things To Remember

  • Use your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card.
  • Beginning with the 2024-25 FAFSA, contributors are required to consent to the Direct Data Exchange (DDX) tool.
  • There are separate sections for parent and student income.
  • The student and contributor(s) must sign the form to complete it.

  • The Financial Aid Process: What is verification?

    About 30% of all students who file a FAFSA are selected for verification, a process to confirm that the information reported on your FAFSA is correct. If you are selected for verification, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will request additional documents from you. These documents may include the Verification Worksheet, Asset Information Form, Tax Returns, and W-2 Forms. Documents can be submitted via fax, mail, in person, or through a personalized drop box link that is emailed to you. Be sure to follow all instructions. Do not send any personally identifiable information via email. 

    If you are selected, don’t panic. We are here to assist you. Contact your personal Financial Aid Counselor if you have questions.

2) Types of Aid

 Financial aid is money set aside by the federal government, state, ETSU, and private agencies to help you pay for college. 

   Financial aid can come in the form of grants, scholarships, work-study jobs, or loans. Before you accept your Financial Aid offer, make sure you understand what you are reviewing. The FAFSA is the only way to apply for federal financial aid. Don’t forget: ETSU provides a broad spectrum of programs to assist in financing your college education. The most up-to-date information, including eligibility requirements, is available online.   


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Federal Pell Grant

The Federal Pell Grant is a need-based award for undergraduates earning their first bachelor’s degree. There are annual and lifetime Federal Pell Grant limits.

Beginning with the 2024–25 award year, a student may qualify for a Pell Grant under one of three sets of eligibility criteria:

  • Maximum Pell Grant eligibility (Max Pell)
  • Minimum Pell Grant eligibility (Min Pell)
  • Calculated Pell Grant eligibility, based on SAI
The maximum Pell Grant for 2024-25 is $7,395, but the amount will depend on your Student Aid Index (SAI), the cost of attendance, a student's status as full time or part time, and plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree. A Federal Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to be repaid, except under certain circumstances. Federal Pell Grant funds cannot be recieved from more than one school at a time. 
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Subsidized vs. Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans

The Federal Direct Subsidized Loan is a need-based loan, and the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not. Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of six credit hours to receive a Subsidized Loan or Unsubsidized Loan. Students who are borrowing a Subsidized Loan are not assessed interest on the loan while they are enrolled at least half-time. Students who are borrowing an Unsubsidized Loan are assessed interest while they are enrolled in school, but payment of the interest typically is deferred until loan repayment begins. A student may pay on a loan while enrolled, which will result in lower loan payments over the life of the loan and a lower long-term cost for the loan. A loan is financial assistance that must be repaid. 

 

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Parent PLUS Loan

The Parent PLUS, as it is more popularly known, is a federal Direct Loan Program that allows parents of undergraduate students to apply for additional funds to cover a student’s educational costs. Parent Plus loans are credit based and cannot exceed a student’s financial aid budget. To receive, students must complete the FAFSA and meet general eligibility requirements for federal student aid. To apply, parents may apply online starting July 1. If approved, the parent must also complete a Parent PLUS Loan MPN. The school will be notified of the Parent’s PLUS application. Parents must reapply for the PLUS each year.

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Federal Work-Study Employment

Students who express an interest in the Federal Work-Study program on their FAFSA and have need-based eligibility may be awarded Work-Study funds. Funding for Federal Work-Study is limited and awarded on a first come, first served basis. Federal Work-Study awards are earned as wages by working on campus. Students are paid bi-weekly. Browse for available student service positions. This includes positions for academic performance scholarship, federal work study, regular student work study, and others.

3) Cost of Attendance 

Your cost of attendance is an estimate of what it will cost to attend East Tennessee State University for one year. This estimate includes the following: 

  • Tuition/fees
  • Living expenses
  • Books/supplies
  • Travel
  • Miscellaneous expenses

Your estimated cost of attendance is the figure that the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships uses to process your aid eligibility and award package. Remember, your cost of attendance is not the actual bill that you may get from ETSU. Your estimated cost of attendance is based on the total of your direct costs (tuition and fees, on-campus housing, a meal plan, or a housing and food allowance if you live off-campus) and your indirect costs (allowances for books, supplies, transportation, and loan fees). 

In the example below for in-state students living on campus without dependents, tuition and course fees are estimated and based on 15 credit hours for Fall/Spring semesters and do not include online or special course fees. All awards are subject to change pending the availability of federal, state, and institutional funding and regulatory verification. The costs associated with attending ETSU can include both direct and indirect costs. Please review ETSU's Cost of Attendance for more details.

An Estimated Annual Cost of Attendance 

 

Direct Cost: Tuition/Fees $10,472
Direct Cost: Living Expenses
$10,554
Indirect Cost: Books $1,350
Indirect Cost: Travel $4,320
Indirect Cost: Miscellaneous $3,600
Total Estimated Annual Cost $30,296
   
4) The FAFSA Is Complete. Now What?

You have filed your FAFSA. You have completed verification if you were selected. You have submitted the University Scholarship Application. 

Congratulations – those are some of the biggest steps toward receiving Financial Aid at ETSU! But you are not done. There are a few more steps you need to complete, including monitoring your ETSU Email and GoldLink and confirming your registration. 

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Monitor Email and GoldLink

Regularly monitor (a minimum of once a week) both your GoldLink account and your ETSU Email for updates. Online, we provide a step-by-step GoldLink Guide just for you. Once we receive your FAFSA, we may need additional information. You will receive an award notice that details your financial offers. Read all award information carefully because it contains useful information about your financial aid. Remember that the quicker you provide requested information or documents, the smoother your Financial Aid process will be.

You will have the choice to accept or decline your award offers. Remember that your offers must be accepted before the aid is applied to your account. Did you accept loan offers? If so, you must complete the Loan Entrance Counseling and the Direct Loan Master Promissory Note.

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Confirm Registration

Confirm Your Registration (secure your classes) each semester on GoldLink. This must be done prior to the Fee Payment Due Date. At ETSU, you have a few options to confirm your registration:

  • Confirm with payment. This means you either pay your bill in full or enter into a payment plan with the Bursar's Office.
  • Confirm with Financial Aid. This means you have enough aid to cover the entire balance.
  • Confirm you will not be attending ETSU.

For students who qualify, payment plans could be an option. Take a look at payment plan options on the Bursar’s page. 

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Keeping Your Aid

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships is notified by the Registrar when a student has officially withdrawn from the university. The federal government mandates that students who withdraw from all classes may only keep the financial aid they have “earned” up to the time of withdrawal. Title IV funds disbursed in excess of the earned amount must be returned by the university and/or the student to the federal government. In this situation, a student could owe the university, the government, or both.

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships reserves the right to adjust a student’s awards due to additional resources received, changes in the student’s eligibility and/or availability of funds. If an error was made, whether by the student, the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, or another agency, federal regulations require that the error be corrected and that funds be billed/charged back as necessary. Chargebacks may result in a hold on grades, transcripts, diplomas, and registration in future terms, and will be required to be paid in full in order for the hold to be removed. If aid has to be reduced, whenever possible, East Tennessee State University will reduce the loan and/or Federal Work-Study award first.

Students must also maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Federal regulations require that a student has met - and continues to meet - some basic academic standards before receiving federal financial aid. You may read more about that on this page. 

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Have Questions?

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships provides you with a range of ways to both stay informed, as well as get your questions answered. Take a look at some of the opportunities that exist to serve you:

The department's main website is also a great resource for all current and potential students. From important dates and deadlines to information about the FAFSA, our site is designed with you in mind.

You may also wish to explore the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website. The office of Federal Student Aid provides more than $120 billion in financial aid to help pay for college or career school each year.

  • What if I have more questions about affordability?

    ETSU is proud to offer a Tuition and Fees Estimator. Take a look at this resource here.

  • What if I need additional assistance?

    Students may consider alternative loans if they have additional financial need. It is best to explore all options to meet individual educational costs. Compare rates and consider their repayment terms.

  • How long before my refund processes?
    Grants, scholarships, and loans administered by ETSU are first applied to your billing account to pay tuition, fees, housing and other university charges. Students whose financial aid exceeds the charges on their university student billing account will receive a refund. After financial aid funds are applied to a student’s account balance, refunds are generated and sent either through direct deposit or paper checks, via US mail, within 14 days of the date that funds are applied to your student account. Students are encouraged to have their refund deposited directly to their personal bank account.

Confused by some of the terms you see?