Establishing Need

To document need and be determined eligible for assistance, an applicant must follow a process that requires six to eight weeks to complete. Students applying for such funds are recommended to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The forms are analyzed and results are forwarded to Radford at your request. The result is a dollar figure showing the family's or parents' and student's, ability to contribute to the cost of a college education. The figure is then subtracted from the cost of education to determine your estimated financial need. Need, then, is the difference between what the family can contribute and the actual estimated expense of an education or student budget (Undergraduate or Graduate), as determined by the Financial Aid Office. 

Your parents' contribution is determined and represents the amount they can reasonably be expected to contribute to your education. It is not what our parents say they will contribute, but rather a calculated contribution figure based on income, assets, and expenses reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. 

On your FAFSA, please note that Radford's code number is 003732.

In the case of a student who is independent of parental support, a condition defined by the U. S. Department of Education, financial need is calculated on the basis of the student's resources only.