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Tips for Talking to your Financial Aid Counselor

The best thing about navigating the financial aid process at UCF is that you’re never alone.

Our financial aid counselors are here to answer your questions and make sure you understand your options for paying for college. Please keep in mind that nearly every Knight has to call or come in for financial aid counseling, and we ask for your patience and understanding as we work together to help you complete the process.

Help Us Help You

Have questions about financial aid? Here are a few ways to make your phone call more efficient and productive. Before calling or speaking with us, please review the following tips.

  1. Read all the information we send you — and act on it promptly.

    All paperwork is sent for a purpose, and generally requires some action on the student’s part. If you do not understand the information or what is needed of you, bring the information with you when you see your counselor. Ignoring paperwork could cost you your aid.

  2. Understand your rights with FERPA — the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.

    Once you’re enrolled at UCF, we cannot discuss your information with anyone else, not even your parents or spouse. Please explain to your parent(s)/spouse that we cannot discuss your information in any detail. See the Registrar’s Office website for more information on FERPA.

  3. Be prepared to discuss your particular situation.

    If you received electronic and paper forms or other notifications that you do not understand, please have them readily available when speaking with us. Without being able to reference the paperwork you are concerned about, it can be difficult for us to determine how we can best help you.

  4. Be prepared with questions to ask your counselor, and speak up if you don’t understand something.

    It may surprise you to hear that we’re not mind readers. While we can be pretty good at figuring out what you need, it’s easier if you ask questions, especially when it’s for something as important as financial aid.

  5. Be sure that UCF has your current address.

    Any mail sent from our office uses the mailing address that you input on your FAFSA. If your address is incorrect, then you may not receive communications, which can slow down or bring your financial aid process to a halt. Please contact us to change your address ASAP.

  6. Check your Knights Email.

    UCF offices send messages to your Knights Email account whenever we need to request more information or alert you to an outstanding balance. You should also check your To-Do List often. We rely on your responses and verification that all aid is reflected on your invoice and on your Student Center. If you feel that you have aid that has not been applied to your student account, please contact us as soon as possible.

  7. Be sure to respond timely when we request additional materials.

    We are all human, and of course, we do our best not to make mistakes. We make every effort to communicate changes in your financial aid and requests for more information promptly, as well as offer help whenever possible. Sometimes we don’t have all the information we need, which is why we do our best to ensure accuracy with the data we have and ask if we need more.