TITLE IV FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE AT CFMNH!

Applying for Federal Financial Aid is FREE !   
Available Title IV Federal Financial Aid:

• Federal Pell Grant Program
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (FSEOG)
• Direct Stafford Subsidized Loans
• Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loans
• Direct Student PLUS Loans

At Center for Massage & Natural Health, we have a state-of-the-art Virtual Financial Aid Office which you will be able to access from the comfort of your home using your own computer, or you are welcome to use ours. A link to our Virtual Financial Aid Office will be provided once we receive your Admissions Application.

At our Virtual Financial Aid Office, you will be taken through every step of the application in an easy-to-understand process. If you have a question during the process, our online Financial Aid Representative will be able to answer any questions you may have within 24-hours via email .If you choose to fill out your financial Aid application while at our school, our Financial Aid Specialist will be able to answer general questions on the spot. With our new Virtual Financial Aid Office, you will receive your Award Notice within 7 days, and usually less, once the financial aid application has been completed.

HOW TO APPLY FOR FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID

The first step is to review our Admissions Process located on our Massage School page, and then submit your Admissions Application. Once you have submitted your application, we will take you through the admissions process and financial aid process at the same time. We recommend that you complete our Admissions Application online to save time, but you are always welcome to fill out the application located in the back of our catalog and mail it in.

Once you have submitted your Admissions Application you must meet these general eligibility requirements for federal assistance:

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be registered with the Selective Service System (if applicable)
• Not be in default on any previous student loan
• Not owe a repayment on a Federal Pell Grant or Federal S.E.O.G. Grant
• Not have borrowed in excess of the loan limits under Title IV Programs at any institution
• Not have been convicted of a drug related crime in the past year

If you meet the above eligibility requirements for Federal assistance, you are ready to begin the Federal Financial Aid application process.

1. If you have not already done so, please apply for a Federal Student Aid PIN number from the U.S. Department of Education. If you have a federal PIN number but have forgotten it, you can ask to have it sent to you from the PIN web site.

2. Next, complete the FREE Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You will be required to enter Center for Massage & Natural Health's school code number: 041294.

3. Once you have completed your FAFSA, you are ready to begin at our Virtual Financial Aid Office. Here we will determine what financial aid you qualify for (Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, etc..) and you will be able to complete your financial aid application. You will be taken through a Student Loan Entrance Interview. This process will provide you with essential financial aid counseling and provided you with your Master Promissory Note. All your data is encrypted for security throughout the application process, and your records are maintained electronically in accordance with the U.S. Department of Education. We will provide you with a link to our Virtual Financial Aid Office when we receive your Admissions Application.

NOTE: Students must demonstrate financial need for subsidized loans. To calculate eligibility, the aid office considers the cost of attendance (COA) at Center for Massage & Natural Health, as well as your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), as determined by the information you provide on the FAFSA.

QUESTIONS?

For general questions about federal financial aid or for help completing the FAFSA, please visit www.studentaid.ed.gov or call (800) 433-3243.

HELPFUL LINKS

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
This student access site is available for students to view their loan and grant records and obtain balance and loan holder information.

Student Budget Calculator
This site will help you to create a realistic budget while you attend school.

Financial Aid Information Page
Information about all types of aid.

Who is Eligible for Federal Financial Aid?

A student has to be a citizen or eligible non-citizen to receive Federal Financial Aid (FSA).We describe immigration documents that we may have to collect to make sure that you meets this requirement to receive FFA.

Eligible Categories

A student must be a citizen or eligible non-citizen to receive aid from the FSA programs. The general requirement for eligible non-citizens is that they be in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming a citizen or lawful permanent resident, as evidenced by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The USCIS was briefly known as the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services or BCIS, and before that it was the Immigration and Naturalization Service or INS. We use DHS throughout this section, and we also refer to USCIS since it is the actual agency that handles immigration matters and whose field offices you might have to contact. The eligible statuses are:

• A U.S. citizen or national;
• A U.S. permanent resident;
• Citizens of the Freely Associated States: the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republics of Palau and the Marshall Islands;
• Other eligible non-citizens.

The Department of Education performs matches against the application to verify the student’s citizenship status. In addition, there are procedures that you must follow to confirm a non-citizen’s status through the DHS and SSA if the CPS matches don’t confirm that status. A student’s citizenship status only needs to be checked once during the award year; if the status is eligible at that time, it remains so for the rest of the award year.

Students who are eligible because they are citizens of certain Pacific Islands can only receive aid from some of the FSA programs (see “Citizens of the Freely Associated States” on p. 35). Students in the other categories may receive any federal student aid an eligible school in the United States offers. If they’re attending foreign schools that participate in the FFEL Program, they may receive Stafford loans.

If a parent wants to take out a PLUS loan for a dependent undergraduate student, both the parent and the student must be U.S. citizens or nationals or eligible non-citizens

U.S. Citizen or National

A person is a United States citizen by birth or by naturalization. Persons (except for the children of foreign diplomatic staff) born in the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and, in most cases, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and the Northern Mariana Islands are U.S. citizens, as are most persons born abroad to parents (or a parent) who are citizens. All U.S. citizens are considered to be U.S. nationals, but not all nationals are citizens: natives of American Samoa and Swain’s Island are not U.S. citizens but are nationals and therefore may receive FSA funds (except ACG/National SMART grants).

Citizenship match with Social Security Administration (SSA)

All applications are automatically matched with Social Security records to verify name, date of birth, U.S. citizenship status, the Social Security number, and possible date of death (see Chapter 4). The result of this match is reported under SSA of the match flags on the ISIR and “SSA Citizenship Code” on the SAR.

If the student leaves the citizenship question on the FAFSA blank, the CPS will still attempt the citizenship match with the SSA. If there is a complete match with the student’s Social Security number, name, date of birth, and U.S. citizenship, the CPS will determine the student to be a citizen. The CPS will reject the application for insufficient information if one or more of the items are not provided.
Note that U.S. citizens born abroad might fail the citizenship check with the SSA, unless they have updated their citizenship information.

Other documentation

If a student must prove his status as a citizen or national, you will be required to provide one of the following documents:

• A copy of the student’s birth certificate showing that she was born in the United States, which includes Puerto Rico (on or after January 13, 1941), Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands (on or after January 17, 1917), American Samoa, Swain’s Island, or the Northern Mariana Islands, unless the person was born to foreign diplomats residing in the U.S.
• A U.S. passport, current or expired, except limited passports (which are typically issued for short periods such as a year and which don’t receive as much scrutiny as a regular passport when applying). In the case of nationals who are not citizens, the passport will be stamped “Non-citizen National.”
• A copy of Form FS-240 (Consular Report of Birth Abroad), FS-545 (Certificate of birth issued by a foreign service post), or DS-1350 (Certification of Report of Birth). These are State Department documents.
• A Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561), issued by USCIS to individuals who derive U.S. citizenship through a parent.
• A Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570), issued by USCIS through a federal or state court, or through administrative naturalization after December 1990 to those who are individually naturalized.
Older versions of the Certificate of Citizenship and of the Certificate of Naturalization instruct the holder not to photocopy them. The USCIS has advised the Department that these documents (and others) may be photocopied if done for lawful purposes (such as documenting eligibility for FSA funds).

Updating status for citizens born abroad

Students born abroad to U.S. citizens are also U.S. citizens, and their status is usually noted in the SSA’s database when they receive an SSN. But rarely a student’s citizenship might not be correct, and such a student (for example, one born on a military base abroad) will fail the citizenship match even if he has a Social Security number. He can contact the SSA to have its database corrected.
Such students can document citizenship by providing a “Consular Report of Birth Abroad” (Form FS-240, which is proof of U.S. citizenship) or a “Certification of Report of Birth” (Form DS-1350, which is evidence of U.S. citizenship and equivalent to a birth certificate). If the birth of the student was registered with the American consulate or embassy in a foreign country before he turned 18, he can receive a copy of one of these by sending a written, notarized request to the State Department at

Passport Services
Vital Records Section
1111 19th Street, NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20522-1705
(202) 955-0307

The student should provide his name given at birth, the date and location of birth, the parents’ names, available passport information, a return address, and a daytime phone number. The signature and a copy of valid photo identification of the requester must be included. For form FS-240 the student also has to include the original form (to exchange it) or a signed, notarized affidavit that the original was destroyed or lost. The FS-240 is $30, and the DS-1350 is $30 plus $20 for each additional copy. This should be sent as a check or money order (no cash or foreign checks) payable to The Department of State. It will take four to eight weeks to receive the form.

If the student is over 18 and the birth wane’t registered, she can file a self-petition for a “Certificate of Citizenship” to any local USCIS office (Form N-600). Proof of the parents’ U.S. citizenship at the time of the student’s birth must be provided.

U.S. Permanent Residents and other eligible non-citizens

A lawful permanent resident (LPR) is a non-citizen who is legally permitted to live and work in the United States permanently. Other eligible non-citizens:
• Refugees are given indefinite employment authorization. Their status continues unless revoked by DHS or until lawful permanent resident status is granted, which refugees may apply for after one year.
• Victims of human trafficking have the same eligibility for federal benefits as refugees, though the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), rather than the DHS, is responsible for certifying this status. Also, the spouse, child, or parent of such a victim may be eligible for Title IV aid. See DCL GEN-06-09.
• Persons granted asylum in the United States are also authorized for indefinite employment, and they can apply for permanent residence after one year. Asylee status continues unless revoked by DHS or until permanent resident status is granted.
• Conditional entrants are refugees who entered the United States under the seventh preference category of P.L. 89-236 or whose status was adjusted to lawful permanent resident alien under that category. Note that the DHS stopped using this category on March 31, 1980.
• Persons paroled into the U.S. for at least one year must provide evidence (such as having filed a valid permanent resident application) from the DHS that they are in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose and intend to become a citizen or permanent resident.
• Cuban-Haitian entrants as defined by Section 501(e) of the Refugee Education Assistance Act (REAA) of 1980.
Some non-eligible statuses are:
• Family unity status. Such individuals have been granted relief from deportation under the Family Unity Program. Previously they were eligible for FSA funds.
• Temporary residents are allowed to live and work in the U.S. under the Legalization or Special Agricultural Worker program. Previously they were eligible for FSA funds.
• Persons with non-immigrant visas, who include those with work visas, students, visitors, and foreign government officials.

Match with DHS records

To verify the immigration status of U.S. permanent residents and other eligible non-citizens, the Department collects A-Numbers on the FAFSA. (The DHS assigns A-Numbers to all legal immigrants.) If the applicant indicates on the FAFSA that he is an eligible non-citizen and provides an A-Number, identifying information from the FAFSA is automatically sent to the DHS for “Primary Verification.”

The results of the match are shown by a match flag in the FAA information section of the output document, under the heading “DHS” on the ISIR or “DHS Match Flag” on the SAR. There will also be a comment about the results on the output document.

Because all applications are matched with SSA records, an application that is matched with DHS records will also be matched with citizenship information from the SSA. Results from the DHS match take precedence over any results from the SSA match, so the latter’s citizenship match flags won’t appear on the output document. You should follow the usual procedures for resolving any DHS match discrepancies.

If a student leaves the citizenship question blank but provides an A-Number, the CPS will assume the applicant is an eligible non-citizen and will attempt to match the A-Number with DHS records. If the student leaves both the citizenship question and A-Number blank, the CPS won’t match with DHS records and will reject the application. The student must submit a correction with the citizenship status and A-Number if he is an eligible non-citizen

Automated Secondary Confirmation

If the database match with immigration records doesn’t confirm a student’s claim to be an eligible non-citizen, the DHS will automatically check if it has documentation that determines the student’s citizenship. If this automated process confirms a student’s eligible non-citizen status, the process obviates the manual or paper secondary confirmation that uses the G-845 form.

The CPS will wait for up to three days to give the DHS time to conduct the automated secondary confirmation. If after three days the DHS has not been able to confirm the student’s citizenship status, the CPS will process SARs and ISIRs with a secondary confirmation match flag value of “P,” meaning that the procedure is still in progress. Once the DHS finishes the confirmation, the CPS will generate SARs and ISIRs reporting the results.

The school should wait at least five but no more than 15 business days for the result of automated secondary confirmation. If the result has not been received by that time, the school must begin the paper process.

A correction made while the DHS is conducting the automated secondary confirmation will start the process over, i.e., the correction will be sent through primary confirmation. Though unlikely, if the new primary confirmation match yields a “Y,” the transaction can be used to award aid. A correction made to a transaction that contains secondary confirmation results of “Y” or “C” (or a transaction with a primary confirmation result of “Y”) will not be sent through the DHS citizenship match again. Otherwise the record will be re-sent for matching.

Paper Secondary confirmation

If the student didn’t pass automated secondary confirmation or if you have conflicting information about his immigration status, you must use paper secondary confirmation. The student has to give you unexpired documentation showing that he is an eligible noncitizen. If you determine the evidence is not convincing, he isn’t eligible for FSA funds. However, if the documentation appears to demonstrate that he is an eligible noncitizen, you must submit it to the USCIS (in the DHS) to confirm it is valid. One exception to this applies to victims of human trafficking, as noted below.

Documents that establish aid eligibility

The standard document for a permanent resident of the United States is the Permanent Resident Card (Form I-551 since 1997) or Resident Alien Card (Form I-551 before 1997). Both forms are referred to colloquially as “green cards,” though they are not green. Permanent residents holding the older Alien Registration Receipt Card (Form I-151, issued prior to June 1978) should have replaced it with a newer card, but for receiving FSA funds it remains acceptable as evidence of permanent residence.

Permanent residents may also present an Arrival/Departure Record (CBP Form I-94) or the new Departure Record (Form I-94A, which is used at land border ports of entry) with the endorsement “Processed for I-551. Temporary Evidence of Lawful Admission for Permanent Residence. Valid until ____________. Employment Authorized.” The form will have an A-Number annotated on it and is acceptable if the expiration date has not passed.

The U.S. Department of State issues a machine readable immigrant visa (MRIV) in the holder’s passport. The MRIV will have a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) inspector admission stamp, and the statement “UPON ENDORSEMENT SERVES AS TEMPORARY I-551 EVIDENCING PERMANENT RESIDENCE FOR 1 YEAR” will appear directly above the machine readable section. An MRIV with this statement, contained in an unexpired foreign passport and endorsed with the admission stamp, constitutes a temporary I-551, valid for one year from the date of endorsement on the stamp.

The USCIS now issues the United States Travel Document (mint green cover), which replaces the Reentry Permit (Form I-327) and the Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571). It is used by lawful permanent residents (as well as refugees and asylees) and is annotated with “Permit to Reenter Form I-327 (Rev. 9-2-03).”

For classes of eligible noncitizens other than permanent residents, evidence of their status typically is on the I-94, but other documents are also acceptable.

• Refugees may have a Form I-94 or I-94A annotated with a stamp showing admission under Section 207 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). They may also have the old Refugee Travel Document (Form I-571) or the new U.S. Travel Document mentioned above annotated with “Refugee Travel Document Form I-571 (Rev. 9-2-03).”

• Victims of human trafficking are entitled to the same benefits as refugees under the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (VTVPA). Because this status is certified by the HHS and not the DHS, these students will not pass the DHS match, and the normal paper secondary confirmation does not apply. You must instead review the student’s certification or eligibility letter from the HHS and call the Office of Refugee Resettlement at 1-866-401-5510, as noted on the letter, to verify its validity and confirm that the eligibility has not expired. You must note the date, time, and results of the call and retain a copy of the letter. If the student applies for federal student aid in a subsequent year at your school, you must call again to ensure that the student’s status is still in force.

The spouse, child, or parent of a trafficking victim might be eligible for aid. He will not have a certification letter but will have a T-visa (e.g., T-2 or T-3). He will also fail the DHS match, so you must call the same office as above, verify the validity of his T-visa as well as the victim’s certification letter, note the time and results, and save a copy of both documents.

• Asylees will have an I-94 or I-94A with a stamp showing admission under Section 208 of the INA. They may also have the same travel documents described under refugees above.

• Conditional entrants will have a stamp indicating the student has been admitted to the United States as a conditional entrant. Because the DHS stopped using this category after March 31, 1980, you should not disburse FSA funds if the student has an I-94 with conditional entrant status granted after that date.
• Parolees must have a stamp indicating that the student has been paroled into the United States for at least one year, with a date that has not expired. (Federal student aid cannot be disbursed after the document has expired.)
• Cuban-Haitian entrants will have a stamp across the face of the I-94 indicating that the student has been classified as a “Cuban-Haitian Entrant (Status Pending). Reviewable January 15, 1981. Employment authorized until January 15, 1981.” Note that a document showing that the holder is a Cuban-Haitian entrant is valid even if the expiration date has passed.

For more information on eligibility, please visit the Department of Education website.

Veterans Benefits and the GI Bill

The Center for Massage & Natural Health’s Massage Therapy Certification Program is approved by the North Carolina State Approving Agency for the enrollment of persons eligible for education assistance benefits from the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

In 1944 President Franklin Roosevelt signed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, otherwise known as the GI Bill. After World War II, more than two million veterans attended college on the GI Bill, according to estimates.

The current program, now known as the Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB), is the centerpiece of military education benefits. The bottom line for the GI Bill is a generous one: Active duty servicemembers and veterans can receive a monthly benefit that is valued at nearly $40,000. This tax-free benefit can be used for tuition, books, fees, and living expenses while earning a degree or certification (including undergraduate and graduate degrees), or attending trade school.

2009 GI Bill Update: Many post-9/11 veterans and servicemembers will soon begin receiving benefits under a new comprehensive education benefits package that goes well beyond helping to pay for tuition. Many veterans who served after Sept. 11, 2001, will get full tuition and fees, a new monthly housing stipend, and a $1,000 a year stipend for books and supplies. The new bill also gives Guard and Reserve members who have been activated for more than 90 days since Sept. 11, 2001, access to the same GI Bill benefits. Learn more about the New Post-9/11 GI Bill.

Qualifying veterans may be able to have part or all of their tuition paid for by the Veterans Administration. Please click here for more information on Veterans Benefits and the G.I. Bill.

For information on how to apply for VA benefits, please contact our Admission Specialist at (828) 658-0814.

SCHOLARSHIPS & DISCOUNTS

By taking advantage of all the financial scholarships and discounts that are offered through CFMNH, you may be able to attend our program for tuition balance as low as $1913, or zero if you qualify for Vocational Rehabilitation. The Center for Massage & Natural Health has a number of scholarships and discounts available for students who attend our program.

Prepayment Discounts: Prepay your tuition and save up to $1,000.00 on your tuition. If you are not applying for Federal Financial Aid, and plan to pay up-front for your tuition, we offer the following Prepayment Discounts:

Prepay at least 90 days before the first day of class: Save $1,000.00
Prepay at least 60 days before the first day of class: Save $500.00
Prepay at least 30 days before the first day of class: Save $250.00

$500.00 CFMNH Career Days Scholarships: Attend any of our monthly Introduction to Massage workshops ($25) and receive an instant $500.00 Tuition Scholarship. This scholarship can only be used by the person who attends the workshop, and can only be applied to our Massage Therapy Certification Programs that begin in 2010. Limit one Intro to Massage Scholarship per student. Can not be applied after a student has already enrolled in our program.

$2500.00 American Opportunity Credit: Receive up to $2500.00 in tax credit reimbursements from the IRS. See our Tax Credit page for complete details.

Full Scholarships: You may qualify for a full scholarship, including tuition, books and suplies through the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services-Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. See Vocational Rehab tab above for complete details.

Sallie Mae provides valuable information on scholarships, and a way to search for them. Click HERE to visit their web site.

Fastweb is another resource for scholarships. Click HERE to visit their web site.

Vocational Rehabilitation

You may be entitled to a full scholarship, including tuition, books and supplies, through the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. To qualify, you must meet the following criteria:

• You have a physical, mental, learning disability, or emotional impairment that affects your ability to find or maintain employment, and
• You require VR services to get ready for, find or keep a job

You and your rehabilitation counselor will develop a partnership and explore your options throughout the rehabilitation process.

Visit the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services Division of Vocational Rehabilitation to find out if you qualify.

Asheville Office
8 Barbetta Dr. Asheville, NC 28806 (828) 670-3377 or Toll Free: 1-877-832-3832

or find your local office HERE.

AmeriCorps Education Awards

Center for Massage & Natural Health is approved to accept AmeriCorpsEducational Awards.

Each AmeriCorps member who successfully completes a term of AmeriCorps service will receive a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award*. You can use your Segal AmeriCorps Education Award to pay educational expenses at qualified institutions of higher education, for educational training, or to repay qualified student loans. You have up to seven years after your term of service has ended to claim the award.

If you successfully complete a term of service in AmeriCorps VISTA, you are eligible to receive either a Segal AmeriCorps Education Award or an end-of-service stipend.