Financial Aid is available for those who qualify.

Start with a Free Financial Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) with our school code 014752, or learn more about additional financial aid opportunities below before you begin.  Apply Here! Studentaid.gov

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We are pleased you are interested in Bene's Career Academy. The Financial Aid Office is committed to assisting you in obtaining the necessary financing to achieve your educational goals.

Financial Aid is awarded as grants, scholarships and loans from various federal, state, institutional and private sources, as well as through on-campus student employment. Financial aid is available to students with and without financial need.

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How is Financial Aid Determined?
The basis of determining a student’s financial need is an analysis of the financial status of the student's and/or the parents' income. This analysis is accomplished by completing a Free Financial Application for Federal Student Aid ( FAFSA) distributed by the U.S. Department of Education.

The FASFA helps to determine the Expected Family Contribution. (EFC)  
If you demonstrate need, you're eligible for need-based financial aid. 

Demonstrated need has a simple formula - it's each institution's cost of education minus the EFC. So the formula looks something like this:

Institution Cost - EFC = Aid Eligibility

If your aid award includes federal dollars, and most do, your total aid cannot exceed your demonstrated need.  Regardless of the portion of need that a school meets, here are six types of assistance to consider:

• Loans - Low-interest student or parent loans that will need to be repaid
• Grants - Federal or institutional awards that don't have to be repaid
• Work-study -Part-time campus employment subsidized by the Federal government.
• Scholarships - Scholarships provide money for education that doesn't need to be paid back. However, unlike grants, scholarships are often based on merit, not financial need
• ​VA Benefits- FAFSA veteran education benefits are available in addition to what is offered via GI Bill Benefit
• Payment Plans – If all else fails, try talking to the staff at the career school about flexible payment options.  A school like Bene's Career Academy will work with prospective students who truly want to be there. Often times, the staff at the school will work one-on-one with these students to figure out a manageable, interest-free payment plan so students can comfortably make the payments while they continue their education.

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The breakdown of funding in each financial aid package varies from student to student.  While grants are everyone's favorite type of financial aid, don't overlook work study and loan opportunities to meet your needs.

Federal law requires that you reapply for need-based financial aid each year. There are no exceptions.  If you don't qualify for aid in the first year, apply again in the second year. Circumstances change and so does aid eligibility. You may be surprised to find that you receive aid in the second year. 

Here is a nifty tool that will allow you to estimate your EFC without having to fill out the FASFA.  :   EFC Estimator


Citizenship Requirements
To qualify for federal need-based aid, the student must be either a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, including registered aliens, residents of certain U.S. protectorates and political refugees. Foreign students aren't eligible for federal financial aid.

FASFA Overview

What is the first steps

How do I fill out the FASFA?

What's Next?

Managing your information with the
​My Student Aid mobile app.

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Here's the link to started

1. Visit the federal financial aid website  at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
2. Complete your application using school code 014752 to have your application sent to Bene's Career Academy.
3. We automatically receive your information and research all available financial aid opportunities for you.
4. Print your confirmation page and bring it to your financial consultation

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Tuition Options & Financial Aid:

Bene’s Career Academy offers federal financial aid to those who qualify, as well as one-on-one assistance to help you understand and obtain the financing options that are best for you. Your education is your future. Start preparing for an extraordinary career at an extraordinary school. 

Federal Pell Grants                                                       Up to $6,345 NO Repayment

Pell Grants are the foundation of federal financial aid. Eligibility is determined by a standard U.S. Department of Education formula, which uses family size, income and resources to determine need. The actual amount of the award is based upon the cost of attendance, enrollment status, and the amount of money appropriated by Congress to fund the program. The Federal Pell Grant makes it possible to provide a foundation of financial aid to help defray the cost of a post secondary education. Unlike loans, the Federal Pell Grant does not have to be paid back. Pell Grants for 2020-2021 will range up to $6,345. Award amounts are unaffected by other aid sources.

Federal Stafford Loans                                                 Low Interest Must Repay

Federal Stafford Loans are available as subsidized, unsubsidized or a combination of both. The loan must be used to pay for direct and/or indirect educational expenses.
What is a Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans? 
 Subsidized Stafford Loans are awarded based on each student's demonstrated financial need, as determined by the FAFSA and Bene’s International School of Beauty Financial Aid office. These loans are interest free while the student is enrolled at least half-time at Benes or during authorized grace or deferment periods. Interest is charged when the loan is in a repayment or forbearance status. However, students may choose to make regular or interest-only payments while enrolled and are encouraged to do so to reduce future payments, be fiscally prudent and to be responsible for their financial lives.

What is an Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans?
Unsubsidized Stafford Loans are awarded regardless of each student's demonstrated financial need. These loans begin to generate interest charges immediately after disbursement. These charges may be deferred during at least half-time enrollment, grace, and deferment periods, but they will be capitalized (added to the outstanding loan balance).

How much can I receive? 
The amount available in Federal Stafford Loan funding will vary for each student. The type and amount of each loan is determined by Bene’s Financial Aid Office and is based on demonstrated financial need, program, other financial aid, and previous borrowing totals. 

Federal PLUS Loans                                                Based on Credit Score Must Repay

The Federal PLUS Loan is available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. These loans are not based on need but when combined with other resources, cannot exceed the student's cost of education. A credit check is required and either or both parents may borrow through this program. Repayment begins within 60 days of final disbursement of the loan within a loan period. Eligibility for this PLUS loan in based on the borrower's creditworthiness.

In order to qualify for a PLUS Loan, the student for whom the funds are intended must be attending school on at least a half-time basis in an approved program.

Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program               Awarded           No Repayment

Scholarship program offered through the Florida Department of Education, Office of Student Financial Assistance, to eligible Florida high school graduates who have met certain academic achievements at the high school level and meet specific criteria set forth by the Florida Department of Education. Students must apply for the scholarships through the state application process.

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How to fill out the FASFA for a Career Program

​What will you need to apply?

To correctly fill out the application, you will need certain records.  The most important record is your base year (usually the prior year) tax return.  You will need your tax return, your parents' tax return (if you are dependent), and your spouse's tax return (if you are married).  You may also need copies of your W-2's, mortgage information, social security benefit statements and other agency benefit records.  To find out specifically which records you need to fill out the application accurately, ask a financial aid representative. If your not sure if you are a dependent check out this video

When filling out the FASFA for a Career Program
Note #1:   Be sure to select the correct application year.  

Note #2:   Make sure the address you entered exactly matches the address on file for you with the IRS.

Note #3:    Be sure to select "Certificate or Diploma for less than two years" for the question of what degree are you pursuing.

Students are encouraged to apply as soon as possible.  You may have to confirm or correct information reported and return it to be reprocessed. This could cause a delay in the awarding process.  You may also have to verify some of the information you reported on the application.

Since your application is processed electronically, the school will receive an Institutional Student Information Report (ISIR) within a short time after the Central Processing Center receives your application.  The information given on this report will be used to determine your eligibility for Federal Student Aid (FSA).

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Coordinate FASFA with IRS

Do I need to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to complete my FAFSA?
While not required, if you are eligible to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT), we highly recommend using the tool for several reasons:

• It's the easiest way to provide your tax return information.
• It's the best way of ensuring that your FAFSA has accurate tax return information.
• It may eliminate the need to provide additional documentation to your college.

If you are ineligible or otherwise choose not to use the IRS DRT to retrieve your tax return information, your college may require your or your parents’ (if you are a dependent student) IRS tax return transcript

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We know the process and application might be confusing.  We are here to offer our assistance to you and your family when completing the necessary paperwork.  Simply call us at (727) 848-8415 or come into our Financial Aid office.  We look forward to serving you!

Federal Student Aid
Bene's Career Academy
Title IV Code: 014752

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