Financial Aid Guide for Entering Freshmen
This guide is a summary of some of the important information we think you should know. Remember that all federal aid recipients must accept 2023-2024 Financial Aid Terms and Conditions before they can receive any financial aid payments. See the section on How to Accept Federal Financial Aid Awards in BOSS for more information.
BOSS is a self-service information system used by students to update personal information, change passwords, and view academic and financial records. You login to BOSS using your UA Little Rock Student ID Number (T number) and BOSS PIN.
UA Little Rock Email Account
You can access the UA Little Rock email system via the Quick Links option on the main web page. UA Little Rock email is an official means of communication and you should check your email account regularly. Important information, such as financial aid notices, semester billing statements and registration information will be sent to your UA Little Rock email account. If you consistently use another email account, we recommend you set your UA Little Rock account to forward messages to that email address.
Your Privacy
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. We cannot discuss your financial aid record with anyone other than you without your permission. You can authorize access to your records via your BOSS account.
Understanding Your Financial Aid Awards—Use BOSS to your Advantage
- The College Financing Plan, accessible from the Financial Aid Menu, displays your Cost of Attendance and the type of awards you’re receiving.
- Your financial aid awards are listed on the Accept Award Offer tab. The name of each award contains a link to more information or you can see all messages at once by clicking on the Award Messages link at the bottom of the page.
- Any missing requirements will be listed at the bottom of the page on the Accept Award Offer tab.
Scholarship Recipients
- Students must take further action on scholarships with a status of “Eligible” in BOSS. Please log into ScholarshipUniverse to review terms and conditions and accept or decline your scholarships: ualr.scholarshipuniverse.com
- The final deadline to accept incoming freshman UA Little Rock merit scholarships is Aug. 1, 2023.
- Arkansas residents are strongly encouraged to submit a SAMS application with the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE). Be sure to apply by July 1, 2023. Students should monitor their SAMS portal for any requirements or requests for documentation from ADHE.
- The census date for UA Little Rock scholarships and financial aid awards from the state of Arkansas is the 11th class day for the fall or spring term. You must be enrolled in the required number of hours for your scholarship on the 11th day of the semester or you will not be eligible to receive the scholarship funds.
Financial Aid Eligibility
Students must meet general eligibility requirements in order to qualify for federal student aid. Recipients of federal, state and institutional student aid must meet requirements for admission, enrollment and satisfactory academic progress (SAP), as defined by the applicable regulation. Refer to the 2023-2024 Financial Aid Terms and Conditions for more information.
Admission Requirements
Although we can offer financial aid once we confirm that you are eligible for admission, all admission requirements must be completed before you can receive any financial aid payments. Don’t forget to submit your final high school transcript as soon as it’s available. If you have questions about your admission status, please contact 501-916-3127 or 800-482-8892. You can email the Admissions Office at admissions@ualr.edu .
Calculating Financial Need
Financial Need is the difference between a student’s Cost of Attendance and Expected Family Contribution. It’s used to determine eligibility for need-based federal and state programs. Other financial assistance from any source, such as scholarships, will further reduce financial need.
Cost of Attendance
A student’s Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of the student’s educational expenses for the period of enrollment and includes the following components: tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation and personal expenses. The UA Little Rock Cost of Attendance is based on average expenses for students with similar academic workloads and living arrangements, rather than actual expenses. Your COA includes estimates of both direct and indirect costs.
- Direct costs include charges for tuition, fees, housing and meal plans that you pay directly to UA Little Rock. The amount you owe to the University will be reflected on your Student Account Billing Statement.
- Indirect costs are costs that you may incur for books/supplies, transportation and other personal expenses. Indirect costs are included in the Cost of Attendance because financial aid may be able to assist you with those expenses.
Expected Family Contribution
The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the result of the information you report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The EFC is calculated according to a formula established by federal law. Your family’s income (taxable and untaxed), assets and household size are considered when determining your EFC.
How Much Aid Can I Receive?
- If your awards include need-based aid, like grants, work-study or a direct subsidized student loan, the total amount of aid from all sources cannot exceed financial need.
- Even if you don’t have any need-based awards, the total amount of aid received from all sources cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance.
- If your aid exceeds your need and/or if your aid exceeds your Cost of Attendance, an overaward occurs. An overaward requires federal, state and/or institutional awards to be reduced.
- If you are receiving any other source of assistance to help with the cost of attending the college (such as scholarships, tuition assistance, employee discounts, veteran’s assistance, etc.) and that information is not listed on your award notice, you should notify the UA Little Rock Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships immediately.
- An adjustment of your award amount(s) may be required, regardless of when we are informed about your additional assistance. It is best to notify us as soon as you know about any other funding you will be receiving.
Financial Aid Guide for Entering Freshmen
