Application Process

Question: How and when should I apply for aid?
Answer: For need-based financial aid it is recommended that you complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1 prior to the school year for which you seek financial assistance--you must reapply for financial aid each year. SFA recommends that you file your FAFSA online.The U.S. Department of Education's "Frequently Asked Questions" about the FAFSA may be viewed by clicking here.

Because BGSU awards need-based financial aid on a first-applied, first-awarded basis, SFA does not observe an application deadline. However, since many financial aid sources have limited availability, the sooner you apply after January 1 the better. Also, do not delay submission of your FAFSA because of incomplete federal tax information. Rather, you should provide your best estimate of family financial data and submit your FAFSA as early as possible. Finally, it is important to promptly submit all documentation requested by SFA. Your financial aid will not be available to pay for instructional, housing or other institutional charges until your file is complete and all forms are processed.

For University scholarships, you are encouraged to meet the deadlines announced with each scholarship source. If you are an entering student and wish to be considered for one of the University's entering student scholarships, you must submit your admission credentials by January 15 prior to the school year for which you seek admission.

See also: The Financial Aid Process

Question: What is BGSU's Federal school code to be entered on my FAFSA?
Answer: 003018 (You should enter this code if you seek financial aid consideration for BGSU's main or Firelands campus.)

Question: Can I apply for aid if I haven't yet completed my taxes?
Answer: Yes, you may complete the FAFSA using estimated income. However, if you report estimated financial information on your FAFSA, you may be selected for verification.

Question: What do I do if I don't have my (or my parent's) tax returns?
Answer: For a copy of federal tax returns, call the IRS at 1-800-829-1040 and ask for an "RTFTP". This is a summary of the tax information filed. For copies of W-2s, employers need to be contacted and copies requested.

Question: How can I check to see if my FAFSA has been processed?
Answer: You may check on the status of your FAFSA by using one of the following methods: 1) Review your my.bgsu.edu and click on "Financial Aid Status" to verify that BGSU has received your information, 2) Call the Federal Processor automated phone line at 1-800-433-3243, or 3) "Check the Status of Submitted FAFSA" on the Federal Student Aid web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

See also: The Financial Aid Process

Question: I have completed and sent the FAFSA, what happens next?
Answer: You will receive confirmation that your FAFSA data has been processed in the form of a Student Aid Report (SAR). The colleges/universities listed on your Student Aid Report (SAR) will determine your eligibility for financial aid and notify you in writing. The notification you receive is commonly known as an Award Letter. The college/university also notifies the student if any other information is required to complete the financial aid process .

Question: What is verification?
Answer: Verification is the process of checking the information reported on your FAFSA for accuracy. If your application is selected, SFA is required to collect certain financial documents (e.g., federal tax forms) from you and your parents or spouse, if applicable. Information from these documents is then compared to your FAFSA information and changes are made when required. Financial aid applicants are selected for verification by the federal processor. SFA may also select applicants for verification to correct any potential conflicts in information. Verification forms are available from SFA or you may download them from Downloadable Forms.

Question: When do I complete the Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)?
Answer: The Master Promissory Note (MPN) must be signed by all Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan borrowers. Once the Federal Loan Origination Center (LOC) confirms to SFA that a valid MPN is on file, additional MPN's need not be signed for new loan periods, a period of up to 10 years or until you contact the LOC to cancel the MPN. First-time loan borrowers may sign a new MPN as early as January 1 prior to the school year from which you seek financial assistance.

Question: What should I do if I have not received an Award Letter from BGSU?
Answer: Call SFA to verify that your FAFSA data was received. You should also check your SAR to make sure you have BGSU listed as one of the recipients of your FAFSA data. If BGSU is not listed, contact the Federal Processor at 1-800-433-3243 to add BGSU to the schools authorized to receive this information. BGSU's Federal school code is 003018. Be sure to have your SAR available when you call, you will need to give the representative the four-digit Data Release Number (DRN) assigned to your SAR.

Enrollment/Academic Status

Question: What is the definition of Academic Level?
Answer: For the purposes of financial aid packaging, SFA complies with University policy for determining your Academic Level.

Question: How is my enrollment status defined?
Federal and state financial aid is awarded based on the following enrollment statuses:

See the Understanding Your Financial  Aid Award Brochure (pdf) for specific information on the enrollment status required for each program.

Question: I plan to transfer to BGSU, what do I need to do to receive financial aid?
Answer:

At least 10 weeks before you expect to enroll at BGSU, transfer students should complete the following:

If you plan to transfer to BGSU from another institution and you have already completed the FAFSA, make sure that you have listed BGSU as one of the colleges and universities to receive the results. If BGSU was not listed, follow the instructions on your Student Aid Report (SAR) to add BGSU. BGSU's federal code number is 003018.

If you have been awarded a subsidized or unsubsidized Federal Stafford or Federal Direct Loan or Federal PLUS Loan, contact your lender or servicer to cancel the remaining disbursements and obtain a deferment form. Contact the financial aid office at your current institution for loan exit information.
If you have been awarded a Federal Perkins Loan, notify the financial aid office at your current institution of your plans to transfer and obtain a deferment form. A loan exit interview will be required.

Question: I am a BGSU student and plan to take classes at another university as a transient, concurrent or guest student, what do I need to do to use my financial aid?
Answer: Complete a Consortium Agreement form (pdf) at least one semester prior to enrollment at the visited institution.

Question: Is financial aid available for summer sessions?
Answer: Yes. To receive financial aid for the summer, you must first file the FAFSA for that school year (summer starts our financial aid year) and also complete a Summer Session Financial Aid Application. This form is available from SFA or you may download it from Financial Aid Forms. Additional information about summer aid is contained in the Important Notice Concerning Summer Financial Aid.

AID OPTIONS

Question: What is Federal Work-Study and how do I find a job?
Answer: Employment through the Federal Work Study (FWS) Program is based on financial need as determined from data reported on the FAFSA. If you are eligible for the FWS program, the maximum amount you may earn will appear on the Award Notification sent to you by SFA. To receive FWS funds, you must obtain a FWS job and be enrolled at least half time (undergraduate is 6 credit hours and graduate is 4 credit hours). Your FWS funds will be provided to you via a paycheck for the hours you actually work. Earnings are not applied to your Bursar billing account. FWS job opportunities can be viewed online through the BGSU Worknet. Students interview and are hired by prospective employers. Income earned through the FWS program can be excluded from total earnings on the subsequent year's FAFSA.

See also: Types of Aid @ BGSU
Career Services and Student Employment

Question: What happens if I do not find a Federal Work-Study job?
Answer: Receipt of Federal Work-Study (FWS) funds is dependent on receiving a job that pays with FWS money. If you do not find an FWS job, notify SFA to see if the FWS funds may be awarded to you through another aid source (usually loans). SFA will re-award your FWS to another student if it is unused.

All students may apply for a "regular" paid position whether they have been offered FWS funds or not by visiting the Career Center Worknet link.

Question: What other financing options are available besides federal, state, and BGSU financial aid programs?
Answer: Families who do not qualify for a full financial aid package or who seek alternate ways to meet expenses may wish to consider the following options:

BGSU's installment payment plan can spread costs over nine payments per year. Contact the Bursar's Office for additional information.

Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) are available for parents of undergraduate dependent students.

Alternative/Private Loans can help bridge the gap between college costs and traditional funding sources. Private loans are made in the student's name, usually with a cosigner. For the best rates, BGSU recommends the BGSU Student Signature Loan through Sallie Mae Corporation. Contact SFA for additional private loan options if the BGSU Signature Loan is not an option for you.

There are many part-time employment opportunities on campus for students who do not qualify for the Federal Work-Study Program. Contact the Office of Student Employment for additional information.

Bursar Terms and Transactions

Question: What is the definition of Deferments and Disbursements?
Answer: Deferments are the estimated or anticipated payments of a student's financial aid awards prior to the actual disbursement of those payments. Deferments appear on the student's Bursar account and assist in determining the remaining portion of the student's Bursar account to be paid by sources other than financial aid.

Disbursements are the actual payments of the specific financial aid awards to a student's Bursar account. Disbursement of the aid will occur no earlier than 10 days prior to the beginning of the semester for which it is to be used. A student's financial aid will not disburse until the application is complete and all requirements for each aid type are met.

Question: What is the definition of awards that do not disburse to my Bursar account through Student Financial Aid?
Answer: Most types of financial aid automatically disburse to your Bursar account through Student Financial Aid.The following types of financial aid do not disburse through the financial aid system and are applied directly to your Bursar Account upon receipt of payment from the donor or agency.We want to remind you that the funds received from external agencies and donors must be reported to Student Financial Aid and may result in an adjustment to your financial aid package.

Alternative Loans. Payments are forwarded to the Office of the Bursar from the loan provider(s) upon receipt of a completed application and an approved credit check. Contact your loan provider for additional disbursement information.

BGSU Graduate, Employee or Dependent Fee Waivers. Graduate students and BGSU employees and their dependents must complete the appropriate paperwork with their hiring department before waivers are applied to their Bursar account.

BGSU Departmental Scholarships. Some departmental scholarships require payment authorization from the BGSU Foundation/Development Office before the scholarship funds are disbursed to your Bursar account. Questions regarding payments should be directed to the awarding department.

External (to BGSU) Scholarships/Awards and Employee Reimbursements. BGSU receives notification of hundreds of external scholarships and employee reimbursement opportunities throughout the year with various disbursement requirements. Contact the donor or your employer for disbursement information.

Federal Work Study. To have Federal Work Study funds applied to your Bursar account, you must first obtain a work study job through the Office of Student Employment.Once you have obtained a job and begin working you will receive a paycheck for your services.The paycheck may be directly deposited to a checking or savings account ( for more details contact the Payroll Office at 419-372-2201 ) or obtain a direct deposit request form from the Bursar's Office. Arrangements for applying your paycheck directly to your Bursar account should be made with the Office of the Bursar.

Unique Situations

Question: What do I do if I or my parents will experience a change in income or benefits for the coming school year?
Answer: Click here for a Special Consideration Application and tell us about your situation. All requests for special consideration or adjustments to the student's aid package must be accompanied by appropriate documentation. You will receive a written request if additional information is needed to process the Special Consideration Application.

Question: What is the definition of Dependency Status?
Answer: To be considered an independent student for financial aid consideration, you must be able to answer "yes" to at least one of the seven questions in Section Two of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you cannot answer "yes" to at least one of these questions, you are considered a dependent student and must include parental information on the FAFSA form. However, if you feel you have extenuating circumstances and should be considered an independent student, click here to apply. At BGSU, the following situations are not usually considered to be valid reasons for independent student status:

• You do not reside with your parents
• Your parents refuse to pay for your college education
• Your parents are not financially able to pay for your education
• You were married after you applied for financial aid
• You do not want your parents' help and have decided to pay for your own college education.

Question: Will I receive the same amount of financial aid next year?
Answer: If your family situation remains the same with regard to income, number in the family, number in college, and assets, and as long as SFA receives your FAFSA by early March, you can expect that your federal and state need-based financial aid should be approximately the same amount. However, your loan limits will change depending on your academic level and your dependency status. In addition, you must reapply for financial aid every year you wish to be considered for aid.

Question: How do I apply for Ohio residency?
Answer: Questions about residency should be directed to the Office of Registration and Records.

Question: What are the office hours for BGSU Student Financial Aid?
Answer: The office is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Counselors are available until 4:30 PM daily and may be seen without an appointment.