Financial Aid


Learn how to apply for financial assistance and what financial aid options are available for you.

FAFSA: Applying for Aid

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. When you complete the FAFSA and enter the Amerion College school code, the U.S. Department of Education will let us know what types of federal aid you are eligible for.

​How to Apply

  • Create your FSA ID by clicking “Create Account.” (Important: Only the owner of the FSA ID should create and use this account. Never share your FSA ID!)

Grants

Grants are amounts of money for college that you don’t have to pay back. They’re usually need-based, which means the amount you get is based on your income level. Some grants you may be eligible for include: 

Federal Pell Grant 
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
WV Higher Education Grant
The West Virginia Promise Scholarship

Direct Loans

Direct loans are amounts of money that you borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education. They usually have lower interest rates than private loans, i.e. borrowing from a bank—over time, the amount to pay back beyond what you borrowed is less.

These include:

  • Subsidized Interest begins to accrue once you are out of school.
  • Unsubsidized Interest accrues while you are in school.
  • Parent PLUS – The parent, not the student, is responsible for repayment (plus interest). These loans are subject to credit approval.

More About Direct Loans

How much you should borrow

Each student meets privately with a Financial Aid Advisor to complete personal reference information and review how much that student is eligible to borrow.  At that time, the student is encouraged to borrow only what is needed because each dollar borrowed is a loan against future earnings.

Requirements

You must be enrolled at least half-time (6 hours per quarter). Borrowing through the Direct Loans program requires payment of an origination fee (covering the cost of processing the loan) charged by the Department of Education. Students receive a loan disclosure statement showing the net amount of each loan disbursement.

Thirty-day delay

All first-time borrowers at Amerion College are subject to a thirty-day delay on their first disbursement of student loan funds.

Student loan servicers

Student loan servicers are organizations contracted by the Department of Education to process the details and paperwork involved in student loan transactions.  Most documents students receive concerning their loans will come from these servicers, so it is important to learn which servicer is handling your loans.

Subsidized and unsubsidized

Subsidized Direct Loans are need-based and do not accrue interest while you are enrolled in school on an at least half-time (6 quarter hours) basis. Unsubsidized Direct Loans are not need-based and the interest begins accruing on the date the funds are disbursed.  Students receive a quarterly interest statement from the loan servicer, but are not required to make interest payments.  If students do not pay the interest each quarter, that interest is added to the amount of principal that the student has borrowed.  Current interest rates can be found at studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates.

Federal direct loan repayment

Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans go into repayment, whether the student graduates or withdraws, six months after the student ceases to be an at least half-time student. There are multiple repayment plan options available to assist students in managing their student loans successfully.  These options can be reviewed in detail by contacting the Amerion College Financial Aid Office or at studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans.

Sample loan repayment schedules

Examples of loan payments based on amounts borrowed, and how much students need to earn in order to repay loans can be found on the Loan Calculator at studentaid.gov/loan-simulator

Parent loans for undergraduate students

Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS Loans) require the parent to complete a Master Promissory Note and are subject to credit approval.  Specific details, including interest and repayment requirements for PLUS Loans can be found at studentaid.gov/plus-app.

Veterans Programs

Amerion College is approved by the West Virginia Office of Veterans’ Education and Training to enroll veterans and other eligible persons receiving U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs education and training benefits.

Amerion College is proud to participate in the President’s Principles of Excellence program. In participating in this program, Amerion College agrees to the following guidelines:

  • Provide students with a personalized form covering the total cost of an educational program
  • Provide educational plans for all military and Veteran education beneficiaries
  • End fraudulent and aggressive recruiting techniques and misrepresentations
  • Accommodate service members and reservists absent due to service requirements
  • Designate a point of contact to provide academic and financial advice
  • Ensure accreditation of all new programs enrolling students
  • Align institutional refund policies with those under Title IV, which governs the administration of federal student financial aid programs

Please contact the Financial Aid Office or a Veterans Certifying Official at Amerion College for more information.


Questions About Financial Aid?

Call us at 304-697-7550. Our financial aid team can walk you through options and answer your questions about the process.

We do all we can to help you understand exactly how much you’ll need to pay out-of-pocket for tuition, how much is paid for you, how much you’ll need to pay back over time, and how to make sure your payments are manageable.


Codes of Conduct

Requirements

Disbursement of federal and state financial aid funds to students will occur once the Office of Financial Aid has determined eligibility for funds and authorized the application of payments to student accounts. Financial Aid payments will be applied to charges such as tuition and fees. The difference between the amount owed to the school and the amount of financial aid awarded will be calculated. If funds are due to the student (a stipend), checks will be printed and mailed to the address on file for each student within 10 business days of receipt of funds from the US Department of Education. Disbursement of funds occurs each quarter after the add/drop period ends. Students may check their portal at https://amerion.edu/student-portal/

The following requirements apply to all employees and board members of Amerion College. Amerion College’s code of conduct prohibits employees and board members from: 

  • Refusing to certify or delaying the certification of an education loan based on a borrower’s choice of lender.
  • Assigning a first-time borrower to a particular private education loan lender through the student’s financial aid award or another means. 
  • Packaging a private education loan in a student’s financial aid award, except when the student is ineligible for other financial aid, has exhausted his or her federal student aid eligibility, has not filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or refuses to apply for a federal student loan.
  • Accepting impermissible gifts, goods, or services from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor. The institution may accept default prevention, financial literacy, or student aid-related educational services or materials, or other items of a nominal value.
  • Accepting philanthropic contributions from a lender, lender servicer, or guarantor that are related to the educational loans provided by the entity that is making the contribution.
  • Serving on or otherwise participating as a member of an advisory council for a lender, lender affiliate, or lender servicer.
  • Accepting from a lender or its affiliate any fee, payment, or other financial benefit as compensation for any type of consulting arrangement or other contract to provide education loan-related services to or on behalf of the lender.
  • Accepting fees or other benefits in exchange for endorsing a lender or the lender’s loan products.
  • Requesting or accepting an offer of funds for private education loans from a lender, in exchange for our promise to provide the lender with placement on a preferred lender list, or a certain number of volume of private education loans. 
  • This institution is committed to providing the information and resources necessary to help every student achieve educational success. To accomplish this goal the financial aid staff will consider each student’s individual needs.

Resources