AFI 2019 Screenwriting

[alanray]

Hey! Just checking, did anyone else get an email basically explaining financial aid and the cost of AFI today? Probably nothing, but I’m wanting this to be something positive.

I did not. Please do not crush my spirit

 

[Dean]

Hey! Just checking, did anyone else get an email basically explaining financial aid and the cost of AFI today? Probably nothing, but I’m wanting this to be something positive.

Nooo. Me neither

 

[Dean]

Hey! Just checking, did anyone else get an email basically explaining financial aid and the cost of AFI today? Probably nothing, but I’m wanting this to be something positive.

did you mention to Giovanni the need for financial aid? wondering if this is for people who specified their need for such info.

 

[StarChild]

did you mention to Giovanni the need for financial aid? wondering if this is for people who specified their need for such info.

I did specify that I was planning to get financial aid and take out loans. Good call. Probably nothing. Aw well!
@alanray your spirit should remain intact.

 

[alanray]

I did specify that I was planning to get financial aid and take out loans. Good call. Probably nothing. Aw well!
@alanray your spirit should remain intact.

Alright lol

 

[Isabellagrcia]

Hey! Just checking, did anyone else get an email basically explaining financial aid and the cost of AFI today? Probably nothing, but I’m wanting this to be something positive.

Yup.

 

[Dean]

I still want to get an idea of how many people got that email?

 

[Dean]

I’m really anxious about the possibility of this being an early indication of our fates. I just sent Giovanni an email asking him about this.

 

[Yuk]

I’m really anxious about the possibility of this being an early indication of our fates. I just sent Giovanni an email asking him about this.

If you don't mind, could you share the info when you get a reply? I'm a producing applicant and didn't get the email.

 

[Cody Young]

Curious question to the two people (@Isabellagrcia and @Cdemon) who received the financial aid email, have you already submitted your fafsa to the school and whatnot? I’m wondering if that has any bearing on it. I checked my empower account and it displays all my relevant financial aid information or rather the fact that they have received my documents at least.

 

[Dean]

If you don't mind, could you share the info when you get a reply? I'm a producing applicant and didn't get the email.

Ofc

 

[Septopus7]

Will chime in to say I too got the email last night, but I personally would nor read to much into it. A very standard form letter, honestly. I submitted my FAFSA and did ask about funding during the little pre-interview, so that can easily be the reasoning. Honestly, more pissed because the subject like that popped up in my email was "2019-2020 Financial Aid Information," and my heart skipped a beat thinking it was for USC. IT AIN'T TIME FOR ME TO THINK ABOUT YOU YET, AFI.

For those with the FOMO, here's the entire letter if you are curious. Very basic stuff. and a lot of coached language ("IF you are accepted" used a lot.) The most illuminating piece of info being the fact that you don't find out how much aid you got from the school until AFTER you put down the $1,000 deposit. So eek on both of those things.

-------------------

Dear AFI Conservatory Candidate:

The AFI Conservatory Admissions Committee has notified me that you have applied to become an AFI Conservatory Fellow. In an effort to better prepare you financially should you be accepted into the Conservatory, this letter offers information about financial aid available to help meet your educational needs, how to apply for aid, and how to determine your eligibility for aid. Most Fellows attending the AFI Conservatory obtain financial assistance.



First Year Tuition and Fees at the Conservatory

For the 2019-2020 academic year, the tuition and fees for the Conservatory are as follows:



Full Tuition: $ 55,965

Fees: $ 3,383



A $1,000 tuition deposit is paid upon your acceptance to hold your position in the program. The remaining balance of tuition and fees is paid in two installments of $29,174 per term. Any financial aid granted will be factored in and will reduce the amount of your out of pocket payment.



In addition to the tuition and fees mentioned above, living expenses of $28,922 are added to your cost of attendance budget so that you may receive financial assistance up to $88,270. This cost of attendance is for the nine month period beginning August and ending in June and was determined based upon a survey of enrolled Fellows.



What Aid is Available at the Conservatory?

Federal Direct student loans will make up the majority of your aid eligibility at the AFI Conservatory. Typically, the Federal Direct Loan and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan have been the foundation of aid offered to graduate students.



To be eligible for Federal Direct student loans, applicants must be either citizens or permanent residents of the United States and, among other federal requirements, must not have a current federal student loan default on record.



Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan

The Federal Direct Loan program is a low interest loan program available to assist with educational costs. The key features of this loan are:

A fixed interest rate of 6.6%
Loan fees of up to 1.062% (will be taken out of your loan prior to disbursement)
Up to $20,500 per year in eligibility
Ten year standard repayment with other repayment options available


The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not based on financial need and the government does NOT pay the interest on behalf of a borrower at any time. You can pay interest while in school or allow it to accrue to be capitalized and paid during loan repayment.



The maximum amount of Federal Direct Loan funds that you may borrow will depend on your prior educational experience. If you have a bachelor’s degree, or have completed at least three years of undergraduate study, you will be eligible for graduate level loans at the Conservatory.



For those admitted without at least three years of undergraduate study completed, annual loan limits and terms will vary based upon the amount of undergraduate coursework completed.



Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

The Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan is also available to assist graduate level students with educational costs. The key features of this loan are:

Approval based on your credit history but not your FICO score
A fixed interest rate of 7.6%
Loan fees of up to 4.248% (may be taken out of your loan prior to disbursement).
Maximum eligibility equal to your cost of attendance budget ($88,270) less your Federal Direct Loans plus any other aid received
Ten year standard repayment with other repayment options available


Private Loans

Private, alternative educational loans are also available to assist you with the cost of education at the AFI Conservatory. Each private loan will vary with respect to application requirements, interest rates (generally variable) and loan fees. Applying with a co-signer may be required. As they are not federally guaranteed loans, they are based on your credit history, credit score and/or the credit score of your co-signer.

Scholarships

The AFI Conservatory offers scholarship support to first year Fellows. Although the AFI Conservatory does offer scholarships, we encourage you to research and apply for any private scholarships for which you may be eligible. There are several free, online scholarship search engines (www.fastweb.com is the most comprehensive) to assist you in this process. You will also find information about private scholarships on our website.



How to Apply for Aid at the Conservatory


If you wish to apply for financial aid at the AFI Conservatory, you must follow the steps outlined below:



STEP ONE: Obtain your federal FSA Identification Number (FSA ID) at www.fafsa.gov. Your federal FSA ID will never change and will be used to apply for federal aid, apply for your federal student loans and track your loans in the future. Obtaining your FSA ID is the first step in applying for aid at the Conservatory. You should do this immediately upon receiving this letter and keep it in your records.



STEP TWO: File your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.gov. You may use your federal FSA ID to electronically sign your FAFSA on the Web. Make sure that the Conservatory is listed as one of the schools designated to receive your application. Please file your 2019/2020 FAFSA online by April 15, 2019, for timely processing of your aid application. The Conservatory’s school code for the FAFSA is G22220. Do not wait until you have heard from the Admissions Committee; file your FAFSA today.



STEP THREE: Read your mail and e-mail! There may be additional items that the Financial Aid Office will need to finalize your eligibility. The most common item requested, if needed, will be a copy of your 2018 federal income tax return. The Financial Aid Office will send you a request first via e-mail for any additional documents.



STEP FOUR: The Financial Aid Office will process your file and your financial aid award eligibility information will be made available to you on the Empower web portal at www.AFI.com/empower only after the Conservatory receives your $1,000 deposit. At that time, you will receive information on the federal direct loan programs, and how to complete the mandatory on-line entrance loan counseling and PLUS counseling required before receiving your funds. Completing this process as early as possible will ensure that funds are available shortly after your fall term begins.



How You Will Receive Your Aid at the Conservatory


Provided that you have applied for aid in a timely manner, your funds should be ready for you when you arrive for classes in August. Because your funds will not be available on or before the first week of classes, you will need to prepare financially for any moving costs or start-up costs you may incur before August 19, 2019.





All funds will be disbursed in two equal installments. You will receive one-half of your funds for the first term and one-half of your funds when registering for the second term. At this time, loan funds are being issued via electronic fund transfer (EFT). All aid will be used to pay Conservatory tuition and fees before being refunded for living and/or personal expenses.

Help is Available!
If you have any questions regarding the financial aid process at the AFI Conservatory, please contact me via e-mail at trodler@AFI.com.


Sincerely,

Trina Rodler

Director, Financial Aid

 

[Isabellagrcia]

Curious question to the two people (@Isabellagrcia and @Cdemon) who received the financial aid email, have you already submitted your fafsa to the school and whatnot? I’m wondering if that has any bearing on it. I checked my empower account and it displays all my relevant financial aid information or rather the fact that they have received my documents at least.

I just submitted it about 2 days ago, but in the email, it gives information about when to submit it in April.

I honestly didn’t read too much into the financial email.

 

[StarChild]

@Cody Young @Dean
I did submit FAFSA, and yes I wouldn’t read much into it. I’ve just been in the whole waiting loop for other schools and so I’m all hyped up.

 

[Dean]

I haven’t submitted the FAFSA if that’s why. And Giovanni got back to me without directly answering my question about the email, simply stating that we should wait until 3/15. Oh well, life has to go on no matter how this plays out.

 

[StarChild]

I think the FAFSA thing makes sense though. I don’t think it means anything.

 

[d890]

Ten days left!

 

[Cody Young]

Ten days left!

The wait is killing me!

 

[d890]

The wait is killing me!

same...

 

[alanray]

I'm so anxious!