Did you know that 78% of CU Denver undergraduate students who are Colorado residents (and who have submitted their FAFSA) receive some form of financial aid? Being awarded funding for college can make all the difference in accessing a life-changing education, but it’s just the first step.
If you find you have questions after an award letter hits your inbox—or at any point in the semester—you’re not alone, and there are experts on campus whose job it is to help you get any and all of your questions answered.
Your first stop is Lynx Central in Student Commons. The staff there can help with all things admissions, registration, payments, and fees—or just help you find where on campus your new class is. They’re also your go-to for financial aid and scholarships. Students can call, email, or stop by the Lynx Central desk to ask a question or to schedule a one-on-one appointment to make navigating financial aid easy and manageable. The Lynx Central staff will either be able to answer your question or connect you with a financial aid advisor in the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office who can help.
Wondering what types of questions to ask? Below are six of the most common topics Lynx Central helps with.
1. Work Study Questions: Work Study is a federally funded program that allows students to make some cash while in school by working jobs on campus. On-campus jobs are a great way to get more connected to the Lynx community, meet people, and make friends. Plus, on-campus employers can be more understanding about the demands of a student’s schedule (say you need to take finals week off, for example). If your financial aid package includes Work Study, it means you can earn up to the amount awarded to you via a Work Study-eligible job on campus. If you’re struggling to get the on-campus job you want paid for by Work Study, or you’d like help applying for a Work Study award, head to Lynx Central to ask for help.
2. Adjusting Your Student Loans: You might find your cost of living is higher than you planned for or you might discover you don’t need as much aid as you thought you did and you need to reduce your loans. Lynx Central can help you adjust your loan amounts.
3. FAFSA Help: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the federal form that is required by virtually every college and university to determine financial aid eligibility. You cannot get financial aid without first submitting your FAFSA, so get it in early each year (CU Denver’s FAFSA school code is 004508).
All financial aid starts with this document, but not all of our lives fit neatly into the boxes on a form. If it’s not immediately obvious how to fill out your FAFSA form, CU Denver has FAFSA experts who will sit with you and make sure you submit the best possible form for your situation. (Say you’re younger than 24 but financially independent from your parents, have an issue with citizenship for someone on your form, or your financial situation has changed dramatically and isn’t represented well by the information the form collects. CU Denver’s team of advisors can help you navigate any of these situations, and more.)
4. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) or Other Award Requirement Issues: Satisfactory Academic Progress is sometimes used to measure a student’s progress toward a degree and may be a requirement for some forms of financial aid, like a scholarship. If you don’t think you can meet your SAP requirements, a financial aid advisor can meet with you to help you make a plan to regain your financial aid eligibility.
5. Cost of Living Adjustments: Maybe you have financial aid to cover all of your expenses, but you’re finding the cost of school and living is higher than what you’ve been awarded. Then you should reach out Lynx Central staff. They can help you figure out if you can make adjustments to your cost of attendance so you can access more financial aid.
6. Scholarship Help: Do you want to apply for scholarships, but don’t know where to start? Lynx Central can direct you to a scholarships advisor who can help. The Financial Aid and Scholarships Office also has many helpful resources and workshops to help you navigate the scholarships process. And for some helpful tips, check out this article.