Frequently Asked Questions

General Aid Information

• What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and how can it affect my financial aid eligibility?

  In order to receive the federal or state student financial aid (including the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships) for which they are otherwise eligible, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).

• How do I get UGA Financial Aid Information?

  Please review Application Process for financial aid application information

• For information regarding merit-based scholarships offered by the UGA Office of Undergraduate Admissions, please visit here

• How do I contact OSFA?

  OSFA contact information is here.

• What is Selective Service and who must register?

  Men ages 18 through 25 are required to register with the Selective Service System (SSS) to be eligible for Federal and State of Georgia financial aid funds. Any male students age 18 through 26 who have not yet registered with the SSS can do so when they complete the FAFSA or can register via the SSS Web site. Registration forms are also available at all local post offices.

• Where is info for Gwinnett students?

  Please go here for more information.

• Where is international student info?

  Please go here for more information.

• What is OSFA's fax number?

  Please go here for more information.

• What are the residency requirements for obtaining in-state tuition rates?

  See "Rules Governing the Classification of Students for Tuition Purposes" in the current University Bulletin.

• How can I receive Financial Aid for a Studies Abroad Program?

  Financial aid recipients may study abroad through either UGA or with approved programs sponsored by other schools or private organizations. Students must meet the normal requirements for the types of aid they receive. Students studying abroad through other schools or organizations must also complete the Office of International Education's Credit Approval Form.

  For both UGA and non-UGA study abroadprograms, the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) can adjust the student's Cost of Attendance (COA) to reflect the additional costs of studying abroad. Sometimes this will qualify a student for a subsidized loan rather than unsubsidized, or qualify the student for additional loan money if the student's loans were originally limited by his/her COA.

  Students should first contact OSFA to determine if including the additional costs would result in an increase in aid before submitting documentation of the expenses. To request an adjustment to their COA students need to complete the OSFA Study Abroad Expenses Request Form and provide the requested documentation. Please note that due to federal student aid program limits, the inclusion of Study Abroad expenses may not result in additional funds for the student.

• What happens to my financial aid if I withdraw from a class?

  Students must successfully complete 67% of the courses in which they enroll to continue to receive student financial aid, including HOPE. For more information, please see Dropping Courses vs. Withdrawing under Additional Student Aid Policies.

Important Dates

• What are the important financial aid dates for the current Academic Year?

  Please see deadlines.html.

• What is the application process and what does it mean to have it "complete"?

  Please see Completion of the Financial Aid Process Defined under Application Process.

Application Procedures

• I've filed my FAFSA, now what?

  Please see Application Process for the necessary steps to receive financial aid.

• How do I apply for federal aid/HOPE?

  Please see Application Process.

• What are the federal guidelines to be considered an independent student for the purposes of filing for student financial aid?

  For the 2012-13 FAFSA processing school year, a student is considered independent by meeting any of these criteria:

  1. if you were born before January 1, 1989,
  2. if you are married,
  3. if you are currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training,
  4. if you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces,
  5. if you are an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence,
  6. if you will be working on a master's or doctorate program at the beginning of the 2012-2013 school year (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, or graduate certificate, etc),
  7. if you have children who will receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2012, and June 30, 2013,
  8. if you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you, now and through June 30, 2013,
  9. if when you were age 13 or older, both your parents were deceased, you were in foster care or you were a dependent/ward of the court,
  10. if you are in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence,
  11. if at any time on or after July 1, 2011, your high school or school district homeless liaison determined that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless,
  12. if at any time on or after July 1, 2011, the director of an emergency shelter program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determined that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless,
  13. if at any time on or after July 1, 2011, the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determined that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless.

  If you have extenuating circumstances, you may contact our office and speak with a Professional Judgment counselor who will evaluate your situation.

• How long does the Professional Judgment (PJ) process take?

  Completing the Professional Judgement review process depends on the speed with which the student provides all necessary documentation. Once all requested documentation has been received, the student's situation will be formally reviewed and a decision will generally be made within two weeks (depending on the complexity of the PJ appeal/information).

  Students wishing information regarding their PJ review should contact a PJ counselor at OSFA. If the PJ approval necessitates changes to the student's FAFSA, it will take approximately 5 additional business days for us to receive the changed information from the Federal Processor.

• How will Independent and Distance Learning (IDL) courses affect my Financial Aid eligibility?

• To determine the impact on federal student aid, please see here.

• To determine the impact on the HOPE Scholarship, please see here.
• To determine the impact on the Zell Miller Scholarship, please see here.

• What is the UGA Federal School code?

  The University of Georgia Federal School Code is 001598. This information will be needed by students completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Awards

• How do I view my Award?

  Please go here for more information.

• When are Awards mailed?

  NO paper Awards are mailed; all Award notifications are e-mailed. See myfa-al.html for more information on Award Notices. When final tuition data for the upcoming Academic Year is received and processed, official electronic Awards will be available.

• How do I accept or decline aid on my award?

  Please see Awards on the Web

• How do I change my housing status on my Award?

  Housing status that is incorrect on your Award should be corrected. Changing the housing status may have NO effect on your aid. You should speak with an OSFA Counselor to determine the effect.

  You may request a housing status change by using your UGAMail to e-mail OSFA (osfa@uga.edu). The request for the housing status change should include your name, the last four digits of your SS#, correct address, and date of birth. Your housing status will then be corrected. This will not change your mailing address. You will have to do that in OASIS.

Computer Issues

• Where can I get help with OASIS?

  Please go here for more information.

• How do I get a UGA e-mail address?

  Please go here for more information.

• Where can I find information about the e-mail address that is being used by OSFA?

  Please click here.

• Where can I get help with OASIS?

  Please see the OASIS Web site at https://oasisweb.uga.edu for help using OASIS.

• Why won't OASIS recognize my Student ID?

  If your Student ID is not recognized in OASIS, go to the Record Services & Registration Office, 105 Academic Building, with a picture ID or call the Office of the Registrar at (706) 542-4040.

• Why won't OASIS load on my computer?

  First review the troubleshooting tips at https://oasisweb.uga.edu. If your problem persists, contact EITS at (706) 542-3106 or view their Web site at http://www.eits.uga.edu/helpdesk.

• How do I create a PIN in OASIS?

  The first time you access OASIS your PIN will be your birthdate in MMDDYY order. Then you will be required to create a new PIN. This PIN will be used each time you access OASIS so it is very important that you remember this number. (NOTE: If you forget your PIN, are unable to correctly answer the PIN Hint Question, or have your OASIS access revoked you will need to call the Registrar's office at 706-542-4040 during normal business hours.)

• Why won't OASIS recognize my PIN?

  If you forget your PIN or your access has been revoked, go to the Record Services & Registration Office, 105 Academic Building, with a picture ID and they will reset it to your birth date. You may also call the Office of the Registrar at (706) 542-4040.

HOPE Scholarship

• What is the book allowance for HOPE?

  There is no HOPE Scholarship book allowance after summer 2011.

• Must I be admitted to UGA before I apply for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship?

  No. A prospective student can complete the HOPE application at any time; financial aid will not be awarded until you are admitted to UGA.

• What is HOPE/Zell Miller Paid-Hour limit?

  In addition to the Attempted-Hour limit, there is now the Paid-Hour limit. All hours for which students received payment from Accel through Spring semester 2011 (Accel pays for college classes taken while enrolled in high school), HOPE Grant (Summer 2003 forward), and HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship programs are included in calculating the total Combined Paid hours.

  Effective Fall 2011, students are eligible for a maximum combined payment for 127 semester hours. If a student reaches the Attempted-Hours limit before reaching Combined Paid-Hours limit, he or she is ineligible to receive further HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship payment.

• Is my HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship GPA and attempted hours the same as my UGA Cumulative or Overall GPA and attempted hours?

  Not necessarily. See the UGA HOPE Scholarship Website.

• Are my transfer credit hours counted as attempted credits even if I never previously received the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship?

  Yes. ALL credit hours attempted in college following high school graduation are counted and do apply toward the 127 attempted credit hour limit whether or not you received the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship while attempting these credits. This includes all remedial courses (attempted prior to Fall 2011), transfer courses, and courses that do not transfer into a degree program at UGA.

• What does the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarships consider as attempted credit hours?

  HOPE and Zell Miller credit hours are not necessarily the same as the credit hours reflected on OASIS. All credit hours attempted at the college level are counted for HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship purposes, including those assigned "W", “WP” or "WF" grades, those attempted at other institutions (including Out-of-State institutions) whether or not the credit hours transfer to UGA. Prior to Fall 2011, hours paid for by the student, and Developmental Study hours, including English as a Second Language (if the student has been fully admitted as an undergraduate student) count as attempted hours for HOPE Scholarship purposes.

  If a student graduates high school as a HOPE or Zell Miller Scholar, then any degree credit hours attempted by the student prior to high school graduation, or equivalent, are not counted as Attempted hours.

• Does the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship Programs count my attempted or earned credit hours?

  All attempted credit hours (except remedial effective Fall 2011) are counted when determining eligibility. Please check with our office for correct attempted hours. OASIS may include other hours.

• When does UGA recheck my HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship Eligibility and what is a "benchmark"?

  OSFA is required to verify your HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility at the end of the semesters in which you attempt your 30th, 60th, and 90th credit hours. These checkpoints are referred to as benchmarks. For the HOPE Scholarship, you must have at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) each time you reach a benchmark; otherwise your HOPE Scholarship will be canceled for future terms.  For the  Zell Miller Scholarship, you must have at least a 3.3 grade point average (GPA) each time you reach a benchmark; otherwise your Zell Miller Scholarship will be canceled for future terms.  However, if you have at least a 3.0 GPA, you will qualify for the HOPE Scholarship. 

  If you lose the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship at 30 or 60 attempted hours, you can regain the scholarship if you meet eligibility requirements at the next benchmark. You can only lose and regain HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility one time beginning Fall 2011. If you do not have a 3.0 GPA at the 90 credit hour benchmark, you can never regain HOPE Scholarship eligibility.

  In addition to the 30, 60, 90 attempted hour benchmarks, there is also an End-of-Spring Semester Checkpoint for all HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship recipients. For continued HOPE Scholarship eligibility, you must have either a cumulative 3.0 GPA at the end of each Spring term and for continued Zell Miller Scholarship eligibility you must have a 3.3 GPA, except for Freshman recipients who enrolled less than 12 hours for each of their first three terms.

• Is the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship available for Graduate Study?

  Generally, no. There is an exception for students enrolled in a 5 year combined undergraduate/graduate program. You can receive HOPE if you are enrolled in one of these programs and have not received an undergraduate degree and you meet all other HOPE eligibility criteria. Examples of 5 year combined programs are PharmD and BLA.

• How much does the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship pay toward my tuition?

  See the UGA HOPE Scholarship Web page or the Zell Miller Scholarship Web page.

• Will the HOPE Scholarship pay for Transient Study?

  If you are enrolled in fewer than 15 hours at UGA during the same semester you are also attending another eligible school, you can receive additional HOPE Scholarship funds, not to exeed the HOPE award amount payable at UGA for 15 hours.

  If you are a UGA student enrolling in classes at another HOPE eligible school please complete our electronic HOPE Transient Form and transmit to OSFA. We recommend you print a copy for your records. Remember to keep track of the dates by which your academic transcripts must be received by UGA Undergraduate Admissions. Failure to comply with these deadlines will result in a cancellation/repayment request of HOPE funds.

• Must I complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to receive the HOPE Scholarship?

  No. If you wish to receive only the HOPE Scholarship, the FAFSA is not required. You should instead complete the appropriate HOPE Application. If you have other student financial aid and are not sure if the FAFSA is required each year, you should contact OSFA and speak to a financial aid counselor.

• Must I enroll full-time at UGA to receive the HOPE Scholarship?

  No. The HOPE Scholarship at public colleges and universities has no minimum enrollment requirement.

• Will the HOPE Scholarship reimburse me for my Independent Study courses If so, how?

  See the information provided on the UGA HOPE Scholarship Web page regarding Independent and Distance Learning (IDL).

• Will the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship assist with Study Abroad and National Student Exchange (NSE) courses?

  Generally, Yes. The HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship award amount will be based on the number of total hours enrolled during the semester, not to exceed 15 hours.

• Must I reapply for the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship every year?

  Please go here for more information.

• Does the HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship pay for audit classes?

  No.

Loans

• Where can I get information on the federal student loan programs?

  Complete information on the eligibility requirements and process of applying for student loans is available on our Web site.

• How do I increase, reduce or cancel my student loans after they've been awarded?

  Please complete the Change in Aid Request form.

• I did not accept any of the Federal Direct Loans I was offered on my current financial aid Award, but now I would like to receive them. What should I do?

  Please complete the Change in Aid Request form.

• Can I return my loan funds if I decide I don't want or need them anymore?

  Yes. If you have received a disbursement, you can return these funds within 120 days of the disbursement date without penalty; however, we recommend these funds be returned within 30 days of the disbursement date so that the repayment can be processed by both the University and the Direct Loan Servicer in a timely manner. Please contact the UGA Student Accounts Office at (706) 542-2965 for further instructions.

  To cancel or reduce future disbursements, please complete the Change in Aid Request.

• Do I have to be a full time student to get a loan?

  To receive Federal Direct loans you are only required to be enrolled half-time.

• How do I add the Federal Parent PLUS loan to my financial aid award?

  To request the Federal Parent PLUS loan to be added to your financial aid award, complete the Change in Aid Request form on the Student Aid Forms section of our Web site.

• Can I defer payments on a Federal Parent PLUS loan?

  For Direct PLUS Loans that were first disbursed on or after July 1, 2008, parent borrowers have the option of deferring repayment if the dependent student on whose behalf the PLUS Loan was obtained is enrolled on at least a half-time basis, and during the 6-month period after the student ceases to be enrolled on at least a half-time basis.

  Parent borrowers must call the Direct Loan Servicing Center at 800-848-0979 to request a deferment based on the dependent student's enrollment status.

• What is the difference between a subsidized loan and an unsubsidized loan?

  There are two types of Federal Direct Student Loans:

  • The Federal Direct Subsidized Loan
    • For a subsidized loan, the U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on the loan amount while you are in school at least half time.
    • The amount of subsidized loan offered depends on your financial need (determined by your FAFSA results), your grade level and other aid you receive.
  • The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
    • For an unsubsidized loan, you are responsible for the interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it's paid in full. You can pay the interest as you go along or allow the interest to accrue.
    • The amount of Unsubsidized Loan depends on your grade level and when added to your other aid cannot exceed your Cost of Attendance (COA).
• What are the current interest rates/origination fees?

  Please click here.

• I have accepted my loan on my Award, now what?

  First time borrowers will have to complete the Entrance Counseling and sign the Master Promissory Note, if necessary, through the Student Accounts office. In order to complete Entrance Counseling or the Master Promissory Note, you should visit the Bursar's Web page and choose the links under "Loan Entrance Counseling" and "Master Promissory Note-Direct Loan".

• When do I have to start repaying my student loans?

  Repayment begins six months after you graduate, leave school or drop below half-time status. For more information visit http://www.dl.ed.gov.

• Loan Consolidation - what, when, who, how?

  Please visit consolidation.html.

Scholarships

• Where can I find scholarships?

  See the Scholarship Announcements on the OSFA Web site at UGA. Many academic departments administer their own scholarship programs; contact your department for more information.

• Where should I send my Scholarship check?

  Send Scholarships checks to:

  The Office of Student Financial Aid
  University of Georgia
  220 Holmes/ Hunter Academic Building
  Athens Georgia 30602-6114

  Please be sure that the student's name and Social Security Number appear on the check and/or documentation.

• What scholarships are available for International students?

  Please review international.html.

Federal Work-Study (FWS)

• What is Federal Work-Study?

  Please go here for more information.

If you are unable to find an answer to your question in our FAQ section, please contact us via e-mail, by phone, or just stop by our office.