Citizens of the United States of America are entitled to apply for financial assistance from the US federal government to pay for education at an eligible postsecondary institution.

There are three categories of federal student aid: full grants, work-study grants, and student loans. American College Dublin participates in the latter of these: the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (full grants, or ‘Pell grants’, are only available to institutions located in the USA).

Students who are availing of financial aid will require the American College Dublin institution code: G40214

The application process

There are 3 steps:

1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
For FAFSA on the web, click Federal Student Aid. FAFSA on the web is faster than a paper-based application. However, if a paper-based application is preferred, a form and instructions may be downloaded and printed from Federal Student Aid; they may also be ordered by telephone from the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

A FAFSA may be submitted from 1 January of the year of application up to 30 June of the following year (for example, a FAFSA for the 2023-24 academic year may be submitted from 1 January 2023 to 30 June 2024). Nevertheless, please note that the application process takes some time and that it is therefore good to start as soon as possible.

2. Review the Student Aid Report (SAR)

After submission of the FAFSA, a Student Aid Report (SAR) will be issued. The SAR contains the information reported on the FAFSA submission and will normally include the applicant’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is an index used to determine the applicant’s eligibility for federal student aid. The applicant should review the information on the SAR and advise any corrections or changes to FAFSA through the link Federal Student Aid.

3. Email American College Dublin

Once the SAR has been received, contact ACD immediately: email the financial aid officer by email through the link ACD financial aid, or call +353-1-676-8939. The financial aid officer will assess eligibility and contact the applicant to advise them on the application’s status. Once eligibility has been established, the financial aid officer will send an award letter indicating the type and amount of aid the College can offer.

Further advice

At any point during the process, please refer to the ACD financial aid officer for questions or general advice, by calling +353-1-676-8939 or emailing ACD financial aid. Alternatively, guidance is available from the federal government by calling the US Department of Education at 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or through the website, www.studentaid.gov.