Parent Financial Aid Information

Applying for Aid

Parents play an important role in helping their students navigate the financial aid process. Whether you’re completing the FAFSA, applying for a Parent PLUS Loan, or simply learning how aid is applied to your student’s account, this page will help you understand your part in supporting your Bear.

Tips for Parents

  • Start early—complete the FAFSA or CASFA as soon as it becomes available each year.
  • Stay organized—keep copies of all documents and emails.
  • Communicate—encourage your student to check Ursa and BearMail frequently.
  • Plan ahead—review the Cost of Attendance and talk with your student about budgeting.

View Estimated Costs Information

Your Role in the Financial Aid Process

Financial aid belongs to the student, but there are several ways parents can help

FAFSA or CASFA Support

Most students will complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This helps determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid programs.

  • If your student is considered a dependent, you’ll need to provide your parent(s) information on the FAFSA.
  • Use your own FSA ID (not your student’s).
  • Enter your legal name and Social Security Number exactly as they appear on official documents.
  • Add UNC’s School Code: 001349 at studentaid.gov.

Some students—such as undocumented, DACA, or ASSET students—should complete the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid (CASFA) instead of the FAFSA.

  • The CASFA is free, confidential, and used by all public colleges in Colorado to award state and institutional aid.
  • Information submitted through CASFA is never shared with federal agencies or used for immigration purposes.
  • Apply early to the Colorado Application for State Financial Aid.

Encourage your student to complete their FAFSA or CASFA as soon as it becomes available each year to receive the best consideration for all types of aid. UNC’s priority deadline is June 1.

Parent PLUS Loans

Parents of dependent undergraduate students can apply for a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan to help cover educational costs not already covered by financial aid.

To apply:

  1. Go to studentaid.gov.
  2. Log in with your FSA ID and complete the Parent PLUS Loan Application.
  3. If approved, complete the PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN).
  4. Loan funds will be applied directly to your student’s account after all requirements are met.

If your PLUS Loan is denied, your student may qualify for additional unsubsidized loan eligibility.

Note: The Federal Parent PLUS Loan program will remain available for parents beyond July 1, 2026, even though the Graduate PLUS Loan is being phased out. Learn more about Federal updates.

UNC Scholarship Application

In addition to the FAFSA, remind your student to complete the UNC Scholarship Application through their Ursa account. By submitting one application, students are automatically considered for hundreds of university and donor-funded scholarships — many of which don’t require separate applications.

Priority deadline for undergraduate students: February 1. Encourage your student to apply early and review scholarship renewal requirements each year.

Accessing Financial Aid Information

Your student’s Ursa and BearMail accounts are the primary sources of financial aid updates and award information.
Encourage your student to:

  • Log in regularly to check for new messages and requirements.
  • Complete all forms and verification steps promptly.
  • Review and accept aid offers under the Financial tab in Ursa.

Staying Informed:
Due to FERPA privacy regulations, we can only share specific financial aid details with parents if your student has granted permission. Your student can designate a FERPA Proxy to allow the Office of Financial Aid to discuss their record with you.

Colorado Opportunity Fund

The College Opportunity Fund (COF) is a state benefit that helps Colorado residents pay for college by providing a per-credit-hour stipend toward tuition.

Here’s how parents can help:

  1. Remind your student to apply — they can complete the short application at College Opportunity Fund.
  2. Authorize COF in Ursa — once approved, your student must log into Ursa and select the option to authorize COF.
  3. Encourage accuracy — ensure your student’s legal name, date of birth, and Social Security Number match what’s on record at UNC and on the COF account.

Tip: COF only applies to eligible undergraduate Colorado residents and can reduce tuition costs by hundreds of dollars per semester. Students must authorize COF every term to receive the benefit.

Understanding Billing and Refunds

After financial aid is applied to the student’s bill, any remaining balance must be paid by the published fee payment deadline each semester to avoid service fees and to ensure the student can register for the next semester on time.

If financial aid exceeds the balance owed, a refund will be issued to the student. Parents who borrowed a Parent PLUS Loan can request that refunds be sent directly to them by selecting that option when completing the PLUS Loan application.

Learn more about billing, payment plans, and refund timing on the Bursar’s Office website.

Additional Resources

FERPA

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA, also known as the Buckley Amendment) deals specifically with the education records of students, affording them certain rights with respect to those records. For purposes of definition, education records are those records which are:

  • Directly related to a student and
  • Maintained by an institution or party acting for the institution

FERPA gives students who reach the age of 18 or who attend a post secondary institution the right to inspect and review their own education records. The right to request amendment of records and to have some control over the disclosure of personally identifiable information from these records shifts from the parent to the student at this time.

FERPA applies to the education records of persons who are or have been in attendance in post secondary institutions, including students in cooperative and correspondence study programs, video conference, satellite, internet or other electronic forms. FERPA does not apply to records of applicants for admission who are denied acceptance or to deceased students.

Records may be released to the parent only under the following circumstances:

  • Through the FERPA proxy request process  a student can consent to release information.
  • In compliance with a subpoena.
  • By submission of evidence that the parents declare the student as a dependent on their most recent Federal Income Tax return.

Here’s what cannot be released without written permission from your student:

  • Student’s Bear number
  • Grades/exam scores
  • Grade point average
  • Social security number
  • Parent address/phone
  • Detail of registration information (i.e., courses, times)
  • Race, ethnicity or nationality
  • Gender
  • Date of birth
  • Total credits
  • Number of credits enrolled in a quarter
  • Emergency contact information
  • Specific financial aid amounts
  • Financial aid satisfactory academic progress status

For more details on FERPA visit the Office of the Registrar.