Financial Aid Checklist

Create your FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/

Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or renew your FAFSA. Please note for the 2025-2026 school year, the FAFSA will open on or before Dec. 1, 2024. You will use your FSA ID to file the FAFSA at studentaid.gov. BGSU's school code is 003018.

Approximately two to four weeks after you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a FAFSA Submission Summary from the U. S. Department of Education that summarizes the data you reported on the FAFSA. Review your FAFSA Submission Summary for accuracy. If corrections are needed, use your FSA ID to log back into the FAFSA to correct your information. Keep the FAFSA Submission Summary for your records; do not submit it to SFA.

When required, SFA will notify you to request additional documents that are needed to finalize your financial aid. Most documents may be downloaded and printed.

For the 2025 – 2026 school year, newly admitted incoming freshman, transfer students, continuing undergraduate and graduate students, will all receive a BGSU Financial Aid Offer via their BGSU email account, in March and April. All students may view their financial aid offer and financial aid status here on their MyBGSU account.

Promptly notify SFA in writing if you receive any scholarships, grants, loans or other forms of financial aid that are not listed on your BGSU Financial Aid Offer. Award offers/letters may be uploaded on the SFA document upload.

Document Submission

New borrowers of a Federal Direct Loan are required to complete a Master Promissory Note and Direct Loan Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov.

Parents of dependent students who wish to apply for a Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) should annually submit the PLUS Loan Application beginning in May. The PLUS Application may be completed on the studentaid.gov website. A PLUS Master Promissory Note must also be completed by the parent prior to disbursement on the same website.

To apply for financial aid for the Summer session, in addition to the steps listed above, you must submit a Summer Aid Application. This form can be completed online when Summer registration begins in February.

If you have questions, you may visit or contact SFA from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday-Friday. The SFA Office is located in 227 Bowen Thompson Student Union and may be reached by telephone at (419) 372-2651 or by using Ask SFA.