The Office of Financial Assistance sends Additional Information Requests (AIRs) to students as part of the verification and follow up process. The AIR serves as a notice to students that their financial aid application is incomplete and advises them what they need to supply to our office. The success of the process depends upon Drew’s Office of Financial Assistance requesting all required information with the initial AIR and regularly monitoring responses, and the student returning this information in a timely manner.
Our computer system tracks the number of AIRs that have been sent to the student. When two AIRs have been sent, the system generates a Final Request indicating that the student’s financial assistance will be canceled if he or she does not comply with the request for additional information. If an acceptable response to the final warning letter is not received within two weeks, the student’s financial aid must be canceled. The Office of Financial Assistance prepares a letter advising the student that his/her financial aid has been canceled and routes it to the appropriate counselor. The counselor must review the file, cancel all financial aid, and send the cancellation letter unless verification can be completed.
Computerized AIRs are generated on a monthly basis. However, they can be generated on a bi-weekly basis, especially at the beginning of the academic year, when completion of student files for awarding of aid is critical. The computerized AIRs are generated in duplicate with one copy reflecting the counselor’s name and signature on the form.