Federal Financial Aid

Federal Pell Grant

Federal Pell Grants are free money awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need determined by the FAFSA. Pell Grants do not have to be repaid. See Pell Grant Policies.

Direct Subsidized Loan

Direct Subsidized Loans are awarded to students who demonstrate financial need. Students must be enrolled in at least 6 program applicable credits to receive these funds. Interest does not accrue and repayment does not begin while students are enrolled in at least 6 program applicable credits and for six months after a student graduates or drops below 6 program applicable credit enrollment. See loan policies for more information, including eligibility limits.

Direct Unsubsidized Loan

Direct Unsubsidized Loans start accruing interest as soon as the funds are disbursed to the student. However, repayment does not begin for six months after a student graduates or drops below 6 program applicable credit enrollment. Students must be enrolled in at least 6 program applicable credits to receive these funds. See loan policies for more information, including eligibility limits.

Direct Parent PLUS Loan

Direct Parent PLUS Loans are available for eligible parents to borrow on behalf of their dependent student. The student is required to complete the FAFSA and the parent must complete a Direct PLUS Loan application. A credit check will be conducted for the parent.

General Requirements

Basic eligibility requirements can be found on studentaid.gov. These requirements include the following:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Have a valid social security number (and make sure it is linked to your BYU-Idaho student account!)
• Have completed a high school diploma or its equivalent (completion of the Pathway Connect program is not sufficient
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

View Requirements

Complete Verification (if selected)

Verification is a process that confirms the information reported on your FAFSA is accurate. BYU-Idaho typically receives your FAFSA within 3-5 business days after it is submitted. If verification is required, additional documentation is requested on your financial aid portal. Students must submit all needed verification documents before federal aid awards can be determined.  

Enroll in Program Classes

BYU-Idaho provides the Program Applicability Tool (PAT) to help you confirm you are registered in program applicable courses and are likely eligible to receive federal financial aid. Only courses directly related to your declared program/major will count toward the credit level in which aid is awarded.

Learn About Program Applicability

Enroll by the Financial Aid Determination Date (FADD)

The FADD is the 23th day of the semester or when it is determined the student has a valid FAFSA, whichever is later. Students must be enrolled in program applicable credits by the FADD in order to receive aid for that semester. Each semester’s FADD can be found on the Dates and Deadlines web page.

Learn About FADD

Repeated Coursework

You may only receive aid for a program applicable class one time after you have already received a passing grade (D- or higher) in the class.

Learn About Repeated Courses

Remedial Coursework

Federal financial aid may be awarded for four remedial courses offered by the university:

• ENG 106
• ENG 109
• MATH 100B
• MATH 101

Remedial Coursework Details

Federal and University aid typically disburse within the first week of the semester. Financial aid funds will automatically be applied to tuition charges and may be authorized to pay for other school charges on the student’s account. Students are encouraged to sign up for eRefund to receive any excess financial aid.