Applying for Financial Aid

5 Tips for Applying for Financial Aid

Whether you are launching your first career or embarking on a mid-life career change, going to school can be a financial burden for anyone. The Soma Institute is dedicated to providing financial aid to all students who qualify. We want to set you up for success in order to have a thriving career and massage therapy practice, without being saddled in debt.

Our Financial Aid office works with all of our students to come up with a financial plan specific to their needs. There are many options Soma students may qualify for, including: monthly tuition payment plans, Pell Grants, Direct Loans, and Department of Veterans’ Affairs Educational Benefits.

In order to help you get the ball rolling, The Soma Institute has put together 5 tips when applying for financial aid….

Apply for financial aid as soon as possible: the early bird does get the worm! Many scholarship programs have deadlines throughout the year. The sooner you start searching, the better opportunity you have to apply & submit applications on-time.
Learn all you can about the college financial aid process. Be sure to meet a financial aid administrator and establish a relationship. Soma has a Financial Counselor to help students through the complex world of loan forbearance. The counselor also serves as a liaison with the U.S. Department of Education to find out all of the financial tools available to you. Soma's Financial Aid Counselor Services.
Use the Net Price Calculator to determine your eligibility for Financial Aid by matching the criteria used to award financial aid amounts. The calculator factors tuition costs, room & board costs, and books & supplies costs in order to come up with a realistic expense plan.
Investigate company-sponsored tuition plans. Many employers will invest in the education of their employees.
And finally, check out any institution’s Code of Conduct. The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 mandates all institutions of higher education enforce a strict code of conduct prohibiting conflict of interest. To find out more about The Soma Institute’s policy, visit: Soma's Financial Aid Code of Conduct.

Remember, school debt may be a good debt because it is an investment in your future! The Soma Institute wants our students to feel informed and understand a realistic cost to train for a new career and a new life. To find out more, visit Soma’s financial aid information page at: https://devsite.soma.edu/admissions/financial-aid/