Letter From The Director

Dear Student:

Welcome to the University of Georgia website for the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). Our information is designed to assist both new and returning students in learning about available resources to fund their attendance at our institution.

In 2011-2012 UGA undergraduate students received more than $263 million in financial aid from grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study funds. Most of these funds are based on the student’s demonstrated financial need for assistance as determined from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The most important thing you can do is to complete the electronic FAFSA application process as early as possible and preferably by our March 15 priority consideration date. We encourage you to review the financial aid Application Process on this Web site. Your completing the FAFSA process enables us to determine your eligibility for federal and state need-based student financial aid programs. While the first responsibility for paying for college expenses belongs to students and their families, there are a number of financial aid programs available to assist with those costs.

If you are eligible for the HOPE or the Zell Miller Scholarship and wish to apply, please refer to the HOPE and Zell Miller Scholarship Programs on this Web site for specific instructions.

In order to provide you more timely responses regarding your financial aid application, we will use your University assigned e-mail address to inform you when new information is available for your review on the Application Status option under the Student Financial Aid menu of the University’s OASIS System. Until you establish your UGA Mail account, we will use the private e-mail address you provided on your admission application. It is important to regularly check your e-mail for messages from us and other University departments.

OSFA counselors are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time to answer your questions. If you are on campus, you may visit us in the Holmes/Hunter Academic Building beside the Arch on North Campus, or telephone (706) 542-6147 (press 1) and ask to speak with a counselor. Visitors with disabilities who are unable to visit our main office on the second floor may go to the Office of the Registrar and ask the staff person to call us. One of our counselors will come and meet with you on first floor. If you are enrolled at UGA Gwinnett, Tifton, Griffin or Buckhead, please call us at (706) 542-6147, press 1, and ask to speak with a counselor.

Our staff looks forward to providing assistance as you plan for this very important part of your educational experience. Please feel free to contact us by phone or in person as indicated above or by email at osfa@uga.edu.

Sincerely,

Bonnie Joerschke, Director

Student Financial Aid

THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN APPLYING FOR AID IS TO APPLY EARLY!