Financial Aid

The college application and financial aid process can be challenging. If you are applying for first-year admission and aid, this checklist will guide you through the process.

1. Apply: Complete your UHart application for admission.
2. Submit your FAFSA: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at studentaid.gov, which is available on Oct. 1. Use UHart's School Code: 001422. First-year students priority deadline is Feb. 15.
3. Check your admission portal: Your admission letter and financial aid information will be added to your applicant portal. If accepted, your financial aid award letter will soon follow, as long as an official FAFSA has been submitted.
4. Make It Official: Read to be a Hartford Hawk? Make it official. Submit your enrollment deposit to the Office of Admission and accept your financial aid awards by May 1.
5. Attend Orientation: Be engaged. Get to know your way around campus. Ask lots of questions. Get answers. Make new friends and get ready for an awesome first year.

And don't forget to:

• Check your University of Hartford email often.
• Complete Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov.
• Submit required Financial Aid documents ASAP.
• Review your out-of-pocket expenses and know your financing options.

Make sure you understand all of the resources that are available to you, including scholarship opportunities outside of UHart.

UHart Financial aid

More than 90% of our students receive some form of financial aid. Incoming students will receive their financial aid award through their applicant portal.

Once enrolled, all communication from the Office of Student Financial Aid is sent to the student's University email account.

Types of Aid

• Scholarships
• Grants
• Loans

Additional Resources

Payment Plan: A payment plan allows you to pay your bills in manageable installments. Visit commerce.cashnet.com/hartfordpay for more information.

PLUS: Parents may choose to borrow a Federal Direct PLUS loan to pay for their child's education. Parents can access the PLUS application at studentaid.gov. Students must first file the FAFSA.

Alternative Loans: These loans are available to students and generally require a credit-worthy co-signer. Terms and qualifying criteria vary by loan product.

Matriculated graduate students are generally eligible for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan funds up to a maximum of $20,500 per year for most programs. If you elect to use financial aid during Summerterm, please note that your eligibility for fall and spring semesters will be reduced proportionally.

Application and Requirements:

• You may apply for financial aid at studentaid.gov

• For most programs, you must be registered for a minimum of 6 credits each semester to qualify for federal loans.

• If you are applying for aid for Summerterm, you will also need to complete the Summer Aid Application, available on the Financial Aid Forms page. Please return the completed form to the Financial Aid Office at finaid@bongobaystudios.com or fax it to 860.768.4961.

Some graduate students are eligible to borrow additional funds through the Federal Direct PLUS Loan program. A separate application, credit check, and Master Promissory Note must be completed to qualify. For more information, please visit studentaid.gov.

Once all the documentation has been received, an award notification will be sent to your University of Hartford email account with instructions on how to accept your award via the student self-service portal.

Federal Direct Loan borrowers must complete a Loan Counseling (Entrance Counseling) and Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note) at studentaid.gov.

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law that limits certain access to student educational records, even in cases where a parent or guardian is paying for the student’s education.

The Office of Student Financial Aid is committed to following the Connecticut Code of Conduct, which provides all Connecticut colleges and universities with information on the ethical administration of financial aid with emphasis on educational lending.

1. Definitions
   1. “Lending Institution” or “Lender” shall mean (i) any entity that itself, or through an affiliate, engages in the business of making loans to students, parents or others for purposes of financing higher education expenses or that securitizes such loans, or (ii) any entity, or association of entities, that guarantees education loans. “Lending institution” or “Lender” shall not include the University or the state or federal government.
   2. “University” shall mean the university, college, professional trade school or other entity providing post-secondary education that adopts this Code of Conduct.
   3. “Opportunity Loans” shall mean loans to international students or other students who, because they have poor or no credit history, do not have access to student loans on reasonable terms.
   4. “Compensation” shall mean anything of value including, but not limited to, money, credits, loans, discounts, payments, fees, forgiveness of principal or interest, reimbursement of expenses, charitable contributions, stock options, consulting fees, educational grants, vacations, prizes, gifts or other items of value, whether given directly or indirectly.
   5. “Trade Association” shall mean any higher education, financial aid, lending or banking trade, industry or professional association that receives Compensation within the preceding 12-month period from any Lending Institution or Lender.  The Connecticut Conference of Independent Colleges shall not be deemed to be a “trade association” solely by virtue of its contract to administer the Connecticut Higher Supplemental Loan Authority (“CHESLA”).
   6. “Outside Director” shall mean a member of a Lender’s Board of Directors or Board of Trustees who receives Compensation from such Lender in connection with his or her service on the Board of Directors or Board of Trustees and who receives no other compensation from the Lender as an officer, employee, or agent of the Lender or otherwise.
   7. “Agent” shall mean a person acting as a representative of and at the direction of or under the control of a University where such person’s responsibilities with respect to the University relate primarily to the University’s activities involving financial aid or the business of higher education loans.
2. Code of Conduct
   1. Prohibition of Certain Compensation to University Employees
      1. No University trustee, director, officer, or Agent, or any employee who is employed in the financial aid office of the University or who otherwise has responsibilities with respect to higher educational loans or other financial aid at his or her University, and no spouse or dependent children of any such persons (“Family Member”), shall accept any Compensation of more than nominal value (not to exceed the gift  limits established in the State Code of Ethics), directly or indirectly, during any 12-month period from or on behalf of a Lending Institution or Trade Association, except that this provision shall not be construed to prohibit any officer, trustee, director, Agent or employee of the University, or any of their Family Members, from receiving Compensation for the conduct of non-University business with any Lending Institution or Trade Association or from accepting Compensation that is offered to the general public, if such Compensation is permitted pursuant to the State Code of Ethics.
      2. Notwithstanding the prohibitions in subsection II.A.1 or any other provision of this Code of Conduct: (a) The University may hold membership in any nonprofit professional association; (b) A University trustee, director, officer, or employee who does not have responsibilities with respect to higher educational loans or financial aid, may serve as an Outside Director of a Lending Institution or Trade Association and receive Compensation at the Lending Institution’s or Trade Association’s established compensation rates for Outside Directors, provided that any University trustee, director, officer or employee serving on the board of the Lending Institution or Trade Association is precluded from participating in such board’s discussions or decisions that might affect the interests of the University, and provided further that such University trustee, director, officer or employee complies with the University’s conflict of interest policy, and receives annual written notice of the requirements of both this Code of Conduct and the University’s conflict of interest policy.  Further, notwithstanding the prohibitions in subsection II.A.1, a trustee, director, officer or employee of a Lending Institution or Trade Association who does not have responsibilities with respect to higher education loans or financial aid shall not be prevented from serving on the Board of Directors of a University solely by virtue of his or her position with the Lending Institution or Trade Association, provided that any such person serving on the board of the University is precluded from participating in such board’s discussions or decisions that might affect the interests of such Lender or Trade Association or that relate to financial aid or higher education loans.
      3. Nothing in this Code of Conduct shall be construed to conflict with the requirements of Connecticut General Statutes ?10a-201 et seq., including without limitation ?10a-203(a), and ?10a-221 et seq.
      4. The prohibitions set forth in this subsection II.A shall include, but not be limited to, a ban on any payment or reimbursement by a Lending Institution or Trade Association to a University employee or Family Member for lodging, meals, or travel to conferences or training seminars unless such payment or reimbursement is related solely to non-University business  University employees whose duties relate to financial aid may accept food or refreshments of nominal value provided or paid for by a Lender or Trade Association at a meeting, conference or seminar related to their professional development or training, as permitted pursuant to the State Code of Ethics.  University employees are not precluded from attending any educational or training program related to financial aid or higher education loans where no registration fee is charged to any attendee because of a Lender’s or Trade Association’s sponsorship or support of the program, and provided that the registration fee is limited to covering the costs associated solely with the education or training component of the program, if permitted pursuant to the State Code of Ethics.
   2. Limitations on University Employees Participating on Lender Advisory Boards No University officer, trustee, director, Agent or employee, or any of their Family Members, shall serve on an advisory board for a Lender.  Lenders can obtain advice and opinions of financial aid officials on financial aid products and services through Trade Associations, industry surveys or other mechanisms that do not require service on Lender advisory boards and provided such person receives no Compensation for such service.  This provision shall not apply to participation on advisory boards that are unrelated in any way to financial aid or higher education loans.
   3. Prohibition of Certain Compensation to the University
      1. Neither the University, nor any alumni association, booster club, foundation, athletic organization, social organization, academic organization, professional organization or other organization affiliated with the University (“Affiliated Organizations”), may accept any Compensation from any Lending Institution or Trade Association in exchange for any advantage or consideration provided to the Lending Institution or Trade Association related to the Lending Institution’s or Trade Association’s financial aid or education loan activity.  This prohibition shall include, but not be limited to (i) revenue sharing by a Lending Institution or Trade Association with the University or Affiliated Organizations, (ii) the receipt by the University or Affiliated Organizations from any Lending Institution or Trade Association of any equipment or supplies, including without limitation, computer hardware and software, for which the University pays below-market prices, and (iii) printing costs or services, provided that a University or Affiliated Organizations shall not be prohibited from accepting a Lender’s or Trade Association’s own standard printed brochures or informational material that does not contain the University’s logo or otherwise identify the University.
      2. Notwithstanding anything else in this subsection II.C., the University may accept assistance comparable to the kinds of assistance provided by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education to schools under or in furtherance of the Federal Direct Loan Program.
      3. Nothing in this subsection shall prohibit a University from accepting endowment gifts, capital contributions, scholarship funding, or other financial support from a Lender or Trade Association, so long as the University gives no competitive advantage or preferential  treatment to the Lender or Trade Association related to its education loan activity in exchange for such support.
   4. Preferred Lender Lists
      In the event that the University promulgates a list of preferred or recommended lenders or similar ranking or designation (“Preferred Lender List”), then:
      1. Every brochure, web page or other document that sets forth a Preferred Lender List must clearly disclose, textually or by clearly designated hyperlink,  the process by which the University selected Lenders for said Preferred Lender List, including but not limited to the criteria used in compiling said list and the relative importance of those criteria; and
      2. Every brochure, web page or other document that sets forth a Preferred Lender List or identifies any Lender as being on said Preferred Lender List shall state in the same font and same manner as the predominant text on the document that students and their parents have the right and ability to select the education loan provider of their choice, are not required to use any of the Lenders on said Preferred Lender List, and will suffer no penalty from the University for choosing a Lender that is not on said Preferred Lender List;
      3. The University’s selection of Preferred Lenders and the University’s decision as to where or how prominently on the list the Lending Institution’s name appears shall be based solely on the best interests of student and parent borrowers, utilizing stated criteria that are limited to benefits provided to borrowers (such as competitive interest rates and repayment terms, quality of loan servicing, and whether loans will be sold) and the ability to work efficiently and effectively with the University to process loans, without regard to the pecuniary interest of the University or to any benefits provided by Lending Institutions to the University or any of the University’s officers, trustees, directors, Agents or employees or their Family Members.  The University’s selection of any Preferred Lender shall be limited to the types of loans for which that Lender has been selected, based on the benefits to the borrower for those types of loans, and the University’s Preferred Lender list shall indicate the types of loans for which each Lender has been selected as a Preferred Lender.  Nothing in this provision is intended to restrict the University’s ability to exercise its discretion in making its own, final judgment about which lenders best meet the University’s criteria and the needs of its student and parent borrowers.
      4. The University shall review its Preferred Lender List at least annually;
      5. The University shall require that all Preferred Lenders commit, in writing to disclose to the borrower, at the time a loan is issued: (a) whether the loan may be sold to another Lender; (b) that the loan terms and benefits will not change if the loan is sold to another Lender;   and (c) that the loan benefits may change if the borrower chooses to consolidate his or her loans; and
      6. The University shall ensure that any Preferred Lender list that it publishes to students contain no less than three (3) Lending Institutions.
   5. Prohibition of Lending Institutions’ Staffing of University Financial Aid Offices
      1. No employee or other agent of a Lending Institution may staff the University financial aid offices at any time. The University shall ensure that no employee or other representative of a Lending Institution is ever identified to students or prospective students of the University or their parents as an employee or agent of the University. The foregoing prohibitions notwithstanding, if the University believes that it would benefit students, the University may allow representatives of Lenders to conduct informational sessions, such as exit interviews and presentations on loan payment and loan consolidation options, so long as: (a) student attendance is voluntary; (b) a University representative explains that other Lenders may provide similar services; (c) the affiliation of the Lender representative is disclosed at the start of the presentation; (d) the Lender representative does not promote the products or services of any Lender, and (e) the University takes reasonable steps to ensure compliance with the requirements of this paragraph.
      2. In the event that the University permits a Lender to conduct information sessions or exit interviews as set forth in subsection E.1. above, the University must retain control of any interview or presentation offered by Lenders. Control may be evidenced by: (a) a University employee attending such interview or presentation; (b) the University recording or videotaping the interview or presentation; or (c) with respect to an exit interview conducted electronically via the internet, the University creating or approving in advance the content of such electronic exit interview.
   6. Proper Execution of Master Promissory Notes The University shall not link or otherwise direct potential borrowers to any electronic Master Promissory Note or other loan agreement unless the Master Promissory Note or agreement allows borrowers to enter the Lender code or name for any Lender offering the relevant loan or the University’s link to the electronic Master Promissory Note or agreement informs borrowers of alternative means of entering into a Master Promissory Note or agreement with any Lender of the borrower’s choice. Any information the University provides to borrowers about completing a Master Promissory Note or agreement with a Preferred Lender must provide the information required in subsections II.D.1 and II.D.2 above.
   7. Requirements for Opportunity Loans The University may enter into arrangements with Lenders to provide Opportunity Loans to students whose credit rating would otherwise preclude them from obtaining loans with reasonable rates and terms. The University may enter into such arrangements with a Preferred Lender after the University has selected Preferred Lenders in accordance with the provisions of Section II.D above, or it may use a separate process for selecting Lenders to provide Opportunity Loans, so long as that process also complies with the provisions of Section II.D. above. The University shall not request, accept, solicit or consider a Lending Institution’s offer to provide any Opportunity Loans in exchange for the University providing concessions, benefits or promises to the Lender.
   8. Revolving Door Prohibition
      1. In the event a University hires an employee who will be employed in the financial aid office of the University or who otherwise will have responsibilities with respect to higher educational loans or other financial aid and such employee was employed by a Lender during the 12 month period prior to the date of hire by the University, such employee shall be prohibited from having any dealings or interactions with such Lender on behalf of the University for a period of 12 months from the date such employee’s employment with the Lender was terminated.
      2. In the event a Lender hires an employee who was employed by the University during the 12-month period prior to the date of such employee’s hire by the Lender, the University shall be prohibited from having any dealings or interactions with such employee for a period of 12 months from the date such employee’s employment with the University was terminated.

Once a student has been accepted to the University, the student can expect to receive a financial aid award letter in their applicant portal after their official Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been submitted via studentaid.gov and our office has received a copy.

The UHart Scholarship Portal provides students the ability to direct-apply to specific scholarship opportunities, write letters of thanks to their donors, and explore external scholarship opportunities. Students can access the platform here using their University email address and password omitting the ‘@bongobaystudios.com’ portion. If students need assistance with resetting their email password, contact UHart’s Help Desk Support.

If students have specific questions regarding listed scholarship opportunities or the portal, please contact a member of the Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarship team at SFASchols@bongobaystudios.com.  If there is a question regarding your general financial aid, please utilize financial aid contact information above.

For an incoming student, financial aid award letters are added to a student's applicant portal. Once you have decided that the University of Hartford is the best fit for you and have paid your tuition deposit, you will be sent a welcome email within 3-5 business days. This welcome email will have very important information regarding your log-in information for the self-service portal. The self-service portal will grant access to students to view their financial aid package, their housing application, and other important student services.

Financial aid funds cannot be utilized to pay a tuition deposit since a student is not eligible for this aid prior to enrollment. If you’re finding that it is difficult to pay the University’s tuition deposit, please contact our Office of Admission via admission@bongobaystudios.com for additional guidance.

The EFC determined by your FAFSA is best described as a financial score, not a dollar amount (even if it may be displayed this way). Your EFC is FAFSA’s determination of your family’s financial strength and their ability to contribute to your education. This figure is utilized when determining a student’s financial need. Learn more about financial need and the impact of EFC here.

Financial aid is intended to help support students toward their degree, but most students will need to explore other options to help cover their out of pocket costs.  Beyond financial aid support, the University offers an optional Full Service Payment Plan (FSPP). The CASHNet FSPP allows you to pay current term expenses in 5, 4 or 3 installments. More information regarding payment plan options can be found here.

Beyond a payment plan, families have various options:

• Parent PLUS Loans: This is a federal direct student loan available to the parents of dependent undergraduate students. For more information about this loan program, please visit studentaid.gov.
• Alternative Loan Options: These are private student loans offered by lenders that the student will need to apply for with a credit-worthy cosigner (this can be any individual and is not limited to just students’ parents). To view the University’s preferred lenders, please go to ElmSelect.com and search for the “University of Hartford”.

The Office of Student Financial Aid (SFA) encourages families to explore all their options as early as possible. Some other sources to research are any parent employer scholarship opportunities, local scholarship opportunities, resources in 529 plans or other assets, church scholarship funding, and/or state grants.

The Office of SFA recommends to start applying for opportunities in early May. The first bill is not released until early July. If you need help determining your estimated out of pocket costs, please contact our office.

Federal Direct Loans are considered financial aid because they are fixed-rate loans that are only offered to students that file a FAFSA. These are federal loans offered to students and generally have lower interest rates than alternative loans. Federal loans also allow students to participate in federal loan repayment plans and may create opportunities to participate in federal regulated loan forgiveness plans. Students are not required to take these loans; however, the Office of SFA recommends utilizing all federal direct loan funding prior to seeking out other loan options. For more information regarding federal loans, visit studentaid.gov.

While in school, the Direct Subsidized Loan will have the interest paid by the U.S. Department of Education. The Direct Unsubsidized Loan will have interest that will need to be paid by the student. Payments for both loan programs can be deferred while the student is enrolled.

Each University is only allotted a certain amount of FWS funds per year determined by the federal government. Due to this limited amount of funding, the Office of Student Financial Aid determines who to award FWS based on a student’s financial need. If you were not awarded FWS, please contact our office so we’re able to add you to our waiting list for FWS funds. If you’re awarded, you will be notified via email. Beyond FWS positions, there are also other opportunities to work on campus. Please visit our Student Resources page to explore these options further.

We understand that the FAFSA may not best capture your family’s current financial situation. If your family has experienced a drastic change in family income, please send us a detailed email of your family’s circumstances and a member of our team will review it and determine if an appeal would be right for you.

The outside scholarship will need to be reported as part of your financial aid package. In general, outside scholarships will not impact your need-based aid. In certain circumstances, scholarships of a higher monetary value may impact student’s Federal Stafford Loan eligibility; however, each outside scholarship will be assessed on a case by case basis. Please ensure you notify the Office of Financial Aid as soon as possible of any additional awards you have earned by sending a copy of the award letter to finaid@bongobaystudios.com.

Financial aid is applied first to the student’s direct costs (charges on the bill). Once these costs are paid and if there is a credit of funding on a students’ account, they can utilize this funding to purchase educational items and support educational costs. To access this funding, students can request a refund from the Center for Student Success (CSS) via email at css@bongobaystudios.com once the semester begins.

Financial aid is determined every year based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) determined by your FAFSA. If your EFC is consistent, then your financial aid will stay consistent as well. The University does our best to ensure student’s financial aid funding is similar year to year. Please note that if there is a drastic change in your family income, you may see these changes reflected in your financial aid package. As with most universities, the University of Hartford costs are not locked in when a student enrolls and thus may change over the course of four years.

Financial aid eligibility is also impacted by a student’s ability to maintain qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (number of credits) requirements to meet their program’s Satisfactory Academic Progress and their enrollment. Most financial aid is only available for a student who is full-time (12+ credits) each semester.

International students are eligible for the University’s academic scholarships determined by their admission applications. Since international students are not able to apply for the FAFSA they are not eligible for need based financial aid.