Financial Aid Award Offer Guide

As a financial aid recipient, you are responsible for the following:

Academic Requirements

• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
• Be accepted and enrolled in a degree or certificate program.
• Be enrolled in all courses by the drop/add deadline each term.

Applying for Aid

• Apply annually for financial assistance to demonstrate financial need
• Provide accurate and truthful information on all financial aid documents.

Reporting Changes

You must notify the Financial Aid Office if any of the following change:

• Withdrawal from the University
• Reduction in credits below full-time status
• Change in name or address
• Changes to financial information previously submitted
• Notification of outside scholarship or other financial resources
• Status involving default or owing a refund of Title IV federal funds at any institution

Use of Financial Aid

• Financial aid is intended solely for educational expenses
• You are responsible for managing your funds carefully
• Students understand that some or all aid may need to be returned if they partially or fully withdraw. Failure to repay may results in loss of future eligibility.

Loan Default

• Student who are in default on any educational loan will be denied financial aid

Your eligibility may include a combination of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans from various agencies. A general overview can be found on the SMSU website under Types of Financial Aid.

Aid begins applying to your bill starting on the 6^th day of the term.

To estimate what you owe before that time:

1. Review your bill for the term in e-Services
2. Subtract accepted and approved financial aid for the term.

Important: Work-study funds do not apply to your bill at the start of the term. These funds are paid as paychecks for hours worked, which help with personal expenses.

• Fall Semester: Mid-July
• Spring Semester: Upon registration
• Summer Session: Early March

Once charges are posted, you may view them in e-Services – Bills and Payments, and you can see updated balances as payments are made.

If your SMSU account balance reaches $0, any additional funds will be issued to you as an overage check by the Business Services Office.

• Direct deposit is the fastest method. If you have a Direct Deposit account set up in e-Services, funds will be deposited automatically.
• If you do not have Direct Deposit, a paper check will be mailed to your address of file (campus housing, local, or permanent address).

You can set up Direct Deposit or update your address in:

• e-Services – Bills and Payments
• e-Services – Account Management

Overage checks are issued twice weekly beginning on the 10^th day of the semester.

Yes! All enrolled, degree-seeking students may charge up to $1,000 per semester at the Barnes and Noble Campus Store. These charges will be added to your semester bill and will reduce any financial aid overage you may receive. The book charging period begins approximately three weeks before the start of each term and ends on the fifth class day.