Understanding Your Financial Aid Award

Your award is based on a number of factors. Assuming you’ve completed the FAFSA for this year, your EFC, number of credits, your eligibility for state and institutional aid, and your year in school, are all taken into account.

Your EFC represents how much money the federal government has determined you can contribute towards your education based on the results of the FAFSA. The cost of attendance (COA) is calculated by the school and is based on tuition, fees, books, supplies and living expenses. It is an estimated cost, and is not meant to indicate an amount due to Cornish.

Financial aid is calculated by subtracting your EFC from the COA here at Cornish. This leaves us with your financial need - this number can’t exceed your COA. Need based aid includes things like grants, work study and subsidized/unsubsidized loans.

Keep in mind that work study doesn’t apply directly to tuition. This is a need based award that is treated more like an actual part time job, where you apply, interview, and get paid on a monthly bases.

Institutional merit scholarships are awarded to new and transfer students based on their audition or portfolio review. Your department scholarship is renewable for four years if you begin at Cornish as a freshman and maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and a 67% pace of progression annually.

If you are receiving any outside scholarships, notify us at the financial aid office and be sure that the organization you are receiving the scholarship from has the school’s information so that the check can be mailed to us and applied to your financial aid award.

In subsequent years of attendance, a Cornish student may qualify for a merit-based or endowed scholarship based on donor criteria and department requirements for demonstrated artistic and academic excellence.

If you have any questions or concerns, or if your FAFSA doesn’t reflect your current financial situation due to exceptional circumstances such as the loss of a job or the death of a parent, please contact our office at finaid@cornish.edu or 206.726.5014

Understanding Work Study

Some students get confused with work study, so here is what you need to know:

What is work study?  It is a need-based program that provides eligibility to work part-time on or off-campus while pursuing your studies at Cornish. Your eligibility is determined by the information that we receive from your FAFSA.

How is it funded?  If you are a legal resident,  it is funded by the State of Washington and your employer, and your award is called State Work Study. Otherwise, it is funded by the federal government and your employer, and your award is called Federal Work Study.

How  can I participate? First, you need to be eligible. To find out if you are or not, you can come in and talk with us or look at your Financial Aid Award on Compass. If you have a Work Study Award, you will then need to search for a job. It is your responsibility to find and get the job. Getting a work-study award does not guarantee you a job, and jobs are limited.

Finding a job. If you want to search for work study and non-work study positions, internships, or volunteer opportunities, you will need to register at College Central.

See  STUDENT & ALUMNI REGISTRATION AND USE INSTRUCTIONS on College Central login page for more instructions.

Register.
Click on students.
Read information and announcements.
Go to register now link.
Create an access and ID password.
Continue registration.
From the homepage, select search for jobs/opportunities posted by my school.
Check work study box in job type field. Limit number of criteria to display more jobs.

When hired, what must I do?  You must complete new hire paperwork with your employer and the financial aid office - for this paperwork, we are required to see your passport or Social Security card and a photo ID in person. If you don't have access to these, there are other documents that can be accepted - please come in and talk with us.

What is the difference between a work-study job and a regular part-time job?  Some of the benefits of a work-study job are scheduling flexibility, working in your field of study, work-study earnings typically not increasing your FAFSA Expected Family Contribution (EFC), eligibility for the State of Washington Food Stamp Program while you maintain your work study job, whether you are a legal resident or not.

How do I get paid?  For an on-campus job,  you and your supervisor keep track of hours worked on a timesheet you both sign on the 19th of the month and submit to the Financial Aid office. At Cornish, you receive a paycheck once a month at the end of the month (last business day). For an off-campus job, you do the same but according to your employer's payroll and timeline. You must be paid at least once a month.

How much can I earn?  You can earn up to what you're eligible for - this amount varies from student to student, so if you would like to know you can come in and speak with us. You must be paid an hourly wage that is equal to an entry level non work-study position performing similar duties with the organization and, never less than the City of Seattle's minimum wage of $13.00 as of January 1, 2017. You can work a maximum of 19 hours per week during enrollment periods and up to 40 hours during the summer.

How is my pay applied to my tuition account?  It is not. You receive a paycheck from your employer to use for your personal expenses.

For more information check out this article from StudentAid.gov

Good luck!