The School’s financial aid policy has been designed to ensure that, within the School’s resources, no qualified student who is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, will be denied the opportunity to attend Yale because the student and the student’s family cannot, by reasonable efforts, provide the full costs. For that reason, financial aid at the School is awarded on the basis of need.

In order to have their need individually evaluated and to receive the aid they are entitled to, students must do the following:

FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION STEPS

1. File a 2001-2002 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by February 15, 2001. The FAFSA can be completed in paper form (local colleges and high schools have copies) or on the FAFSA website at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Yale’s federal school code is 001426 which is necessary to complete the FAFSA and to ensure that School of Drama receives your information electronically. The FAFSA enables the Financial Aid Officer to consider you for federal student aid, such as the federal Stafford loan program.
2. File a 2001-2002 Need Access form by February 15, 2001. The Need Access application is available on diskette by calling 800.282.1550 or by contacting the School of Drama Financial Aid Office at 203.432.1540. The Need Access form is also available on the web at www.accessgroup.org. Follow the links to "Need Access" and follow the clear instructions that are provided. The Need Access form enables the School of Drama to consider a student for a School of Drama scholarship.
3. Mail a copy of the 2000 income tax returns as soon as possible to the School of Drama Financial Aid Office, PO Box 208244, New Haven CT 06520-8244.

Note: An application for financial aid is not complete until items 1 and 2 are filed. See below for more detailed information regarding these two items.

Each year the School of Drama awards a substantial amount in scholarships- for the 1999-2000 academic year scholarships totaling over $1.35 million were awarded. Financial aid awards are made after a separate financial aid application is filed. Prospective students are urged not to wait for a notice of acceptance to the School and to submit the required financial aid documents by February 15, 2001. A delay in the application may negatively impact the amount and nature of a prospective student’s award. Students do not qualify for traditional financial aid (for example, Canadian and international students) may be able to receive assistance through term-time employment and various supplemental loan programs.

REQUIRED FORMS
Applicants seeking the full range of financial aid available through the School are required to file the following two applications: (Refer to steps above outlining the application process.)

FAFSA
All students enrolled at the School who are U.S. citizens or eligible noncitizens are expected to file a FAFSA. This is essential for establishing eligibility for federal financial aid programs, including the Federal Work-Study, the Federal Stafford Loan, and the Federal Perkins Loan Programs.</>

NEED ACCESS
All applicants wishing to be considered for Yale Scholarship assistance must submit a completed computer diskette to the Need Access service. An application diskette is available by call Need Access at 800.282.1550. Applicants must submit a completed parents’ section if they will not be 23 years of age by December 31, 2001. Where parents are separated or divorced, financial data must be submitted by both parents.

Applicants are strongly urged not to wait for notification of admission before filing financial applications. The deadline for completing the Need Access diskette form is February 15, 2001. This includes the required parents’ section(s). Although the School of Drama is committed to meeting a student’s need with an appropriate financial aid package, a late application may reduce the School’s ability to assist you.

DETERMINATION OF NEED AND FINANCIAL AID AWARD
The Financial Aid Office makes awards which, when added to the funds that are expected from students, their spouses, their families and other available sources, should enable students to meet the basic costs of attending Yale.

A financial aid award is determined by first establishing a standard budget, or cost of education. Using a set of formulae developed by the U.S. Congress, called the Federal Methodology, a calculation of a student’s resources or expected family contribution (EFC), if applicable, is then made. The difference between a student’s cost of attendance and the student’s personal or family contribution constitutes that student’s need. Under no circumstances may financial aid exceed a student’s cost of education.

For incoming students during the 1999-2000 academic year, the first portion of a student’s need was met through assignment to Work-Study employment, the earnings for which ranged between $900 and $2,700 depending on the student’s program of study; the next $13,500 came in the form of an educational loan; and the balance of a student’s demonstrated need, if any, was covered by scholarship. This policy is adjusted to accommodate each student’s particular circumstances.

Sample Award for a First-Year Student

NB: After the successful completion of the first year and assuming that there are no changes in the needs analysis for the student, it is the policy of the School of Drama to improve the financial aid award offered to students in their second and third years.

* Work-Study consists of an assignment to a job, or series of jobs, within the School or at the Yale Repertory Theatre. The earnings are paid weekly through the College Work-Study program.

** Educational loans make up an important part of every aid award. The basic loans are issued through the Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, the Federal Perkins Loan, and various supplemental loan programs. Yale Student Loans (YSL) are available in extreme cases. Some state and private supplemental loan programs offer funds to students and parents who require loan assistance in excess of the annual borrowing limits for the Federal Stafford and Federal Perkins programs, or who are not eligible for either of these programs. Two such programs are the Yale Education Loan offered through the Access Group, Inc., and Connecticut Family Education Loan Program (CT FELP) offered by the Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority. These programs are available regardless of a student’s state of residence. Details on the terms of these loans are available from the Financial Aid Office.

***Yale Scholarships: If the student’s financial need is greater than the total of the Work-Study award and the $13,500 base loan, the remaining unmet need will normally be provided by a scholarship. Eligibility for grant assistance is limited to six terms of study.

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STUDENTS WHO DO NOT QUALIFY FOR FINANCIAL AID
At present, certain students, including those with special student status, who are not eligible for financial aid according to the congressional guidelines, may be eligible for a Yale Education Loan or CT FELP loan. For more information, please see the above paragraph headed Educational Loans.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER FEDERAL PROGRAMS
All students who receive funds through a federal program must certify to the following: that any funds received will be used solely for expenses related to attendance at the School; that they will repay funds which cannot reasonably be attributed to meeting those expenses; that they are not in default on any student loan nor owe a repayment on a federal grant. Continued eligibility for financial aid requires that students maintain satisfactory progress in their courses of study according to the policies and practices of the School.

BILLS
A student may not register for any term unless all bills for that and any prior term are paid in full. Bills for tuition, room and board are mailed to the student before each term. The University requires that term bills must be satisfied prior to the due date specified on the bill. The Office of Student Financial Services imposes a late charge if any part of the term bill is not paid when due.

TUITION REBATES
Each fall the Office of Student Financial Services publishes full details concerning rebates in the School's bulletin. Each student receives a copy of these regulations annually.

SPECIAL STUDENT ELIGIBILITY
Eligibility for receipt of School of Drama assistance or most forms of federal financial aid is limited to students who are enrolled in programs which yield either a degree or a certificate. Persons attending the School as Special Students on a full-time basis are, however, eligible to apply for assistance under various supplemental loan programs. This is the only form of aid currently available to Special Students.

FOREIGN STUDENTS
In order to receive visa documentation, foreign students must submit proof that income from all sources will be sufficient to meet expenses for one year of study. Evidence of funds must come from one of the following sources:

Affidavit from a bank;

Copy of a letter of award stating that financial assistance has been offered from sources other than Yale University;

Certification by parents of their ability and intention to provide the necessary funds; or

Certification by employer of anticipated income.

The Drama School makes no promise of financial aid to nationals of other countries. We must emphasize that the above condition must be met by foreign students before they register at the School of Drama.

FINANCIAL AID LINKS

• FinAid Extensive financial aid information on the net.
• Student Guide to Financial Aid From the Dept. of Education.
• Information About Minority Scholarships