Applying for & Receiving Financial Aid

Read this before you apply for aid:

Apply early! Because of complex federal requirements, it can take four to eight weeks to process an accurate application. (In some cases an applicaion can be processed in one to two weeks.) Errors will delay your award even more. Campus-based funds are awarded according to need to the earliest applicants. Once these limited funds have been awarded, applicants will be considered for Pell Grants and Stafford Loans only. Make sure you apply in time to meet end-of-term financial aid deadlines.

Apply for a PIN online at www.pin.ed.gov. This can save you time by allowing you to complete your entire application online. Your parents can also get a PIN online so they can sign your FAFSA if needed as well.

Apply for admission. You can't be awarded until you are fully admitted (matriculated) into a USU degree-granting program. Regional campus students are eligible for financial aid only if they are fully admitted into a USU degree-granting program.

Check your email. That's where we will notify you if you have unmet requirements, and it is where you will be notified of your award. To give us your email address, log onto USU Access and enter the email address you wish USU to use.

Getting Married is Tricky: If you are planning on getting married, you are usually better off waiting to file until you are actually married - but not always! Contact your financial aid counselor for more details.

Be Aware of Privacy Restrictions: You must give USU written permission, if you want your parents, spouse, or a third party to have access to your financial aid information.

Application Checklist - to do each year you wish to receive aid:

  1. Collect the documents you need.
    You may print a pre-application worksheet before you begin the FAFSA. If you don't have a copy of your federal tax form, you can request a transcript of your return from the IRS by calling 1-800-829-1040.

  2. Complete the FAFSA on the web.
    FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The USU school code for the FAFSA is 003677. You will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) - by email if you provide an email address. Keep this for your records.

    Paper applications are available through the Financial Aid Office, but applying through the mail is much slower and more prone to error and delay. You must re-apply for Financial Aid (FAFSA) each academic year that you want assistance. When completing your FAFSA:

    • Be sure to correctly report your housing status (on/off-campus or living with relatives).
    • Be sure to list your class status correctly. List it according to the number of credits you will have earned before your first semester in 2009-10.
    • Select all the types of aid you are interested in. You can always turn down a loan or work-study later.

  3. Complete other requirements.
    If you are selected for verification (a routine review of your FAFSA), you will be notified by email or letter. You will need to complete a verification form and submit copies of your federal taxes (if you filed.) Once verification is complete, we will submit any necessary FAFSA corrections before awarding you.

  4. Review & accept your awards.
    Once you receive your award notice, log into USU Access to review and accept your awards. If you are accepting a student loan, be sure you have completed the additional steps noted below.

What to do after you've been awarded:

  1. Register for classes.
    You must be enrolled in classes to receive financial aid. Loans require at least six credits of enrollment. Year-long independent study classes do not qualify for financial aid. USU approved study abroad programs may qualify for aid.

  2. Check your charges - Don't lose your classes.
    Your accepted financial aid funds will be automatically applied to your charges. Check your account summary on USU Access after you accept your awards. If you owe more than the estimated financial aid, you must pay the balance before fee-payment deadline to prevent your classes from being dropped. Please note: loans require additional steps.

  3. Receive remaining funds by mail or direct deposit.
    If you have remaining financial aid funds, a check will be sent to your mailing address during the first week of class. Or, you can arrange to have the funds deposited into your checking account by setting up direct deposit on USU Access (after you login select "Personal Information" then select "Update Direct Deposit" - provide the requested information and save.)

Additional Steps to Receive a Student Loan

After you accept your Stafford or Perkins loan on USU Access, you must complete a few more steps:

  • Enroll in at least six credits in a degree-seeking program.
  • Complete loan Entrance Counseling. You only need to do this one-time at USU.
  • Choose a lender for your Stafford loan and complete a loan promissory note each
    time you choose a new lender (see below).
  • For Perkin Loans: If you were awarded a Perkins loan and need to sign a promissory note with USU, you will see a requirement on USU Access under your Financial Aid Status (look for "Unsatisfied student requirements.") Click on the link to download the promissory note, complete the form and submit it to the Registration/Cashiers Office.

For Stafford Loans, you have several lender and promissory note options:

Option One: UHEAA Lenders

USU does not have a preferred lender list, however, many USU students choose lenders who work with the nonprofit UHEAA - Utah Higher Education Assistance Authority. Students can choose from from local lenders when they sign their Master Promissory Note. All lenders associated with UHEAA offer similar terms and borrower benefits. UHEAA is now a Stafford loan lender.

If you wish to choose a UHEAA lender, simply accept the loan on USU Access. We will certify the loan and UHEAA will notify you if you need to sign a promissory note.

Option Two: Other Lenders

After you accept your Stafford loan on USU Access, please contact the financial aid office to set up your Stafford loan with the lender of your choice. Not all non-UHEAA lenders process loans electronically which may delay the receipt of your loan funds. You may also need to contact your lender directly to sign a master promissory note.

Does it make any difference which lender I choose?

Completing the UHEAA promissory note.

If this is your first loan with UHEAA, you should receive a notice within 10 days (see note below) of accepting your loan. The notice from UHEAA will give you instructions for going on-line to complete your promissory note. This is where you will select a lender. If you have borrowed a Stafford loan previously and your lender has a valid Master Promissory note, you will not need to sign another promissory note to receive a loan.*

UHEAA sends notices for the upcoming school year starting in mid July.

*Update: Students who borrowed loans through Zions Bank or Mountain High Federal Credit Union will need to sign a promissory note with a different lender. US Bank, Chase, Key Bank, and Wells Fargo are no longer UHEAA partner lenders. Students who still wish to use these lenders will have to contact them directly to sign a new promissory note.

During the school year you can complete the promissory note online.

  • 5-7 business days after accepting your loan on USU Access, go to uheaa.org.
  • Click on “Account Access,”
  • Click on “Create an Account.” Review the instructions and click on "Continue to Account Access"
  • Provide the requested information to set up your account.
  • Select “Your Stafford MPN is available for completion.”
  • Follow instructions to completion.
  • To sign electronically, you’ll need your FAFSA PIN number
    For problems, phone UHEAA toll-free at 877-336-7378.

On the first day of class, or 7-10 business days after completing your promissory note, your Stafford loan should be able to pay toward what you owe the school and then USU will forward any remaining funds to you.

Parent/Graduate PLUS Loans

  • Your parent can submit a Parent PLUS application. This form can be downloaded here. Even if you are pre-approved for a PLUS loan through your lender, you must complete this form and submit it to our office.
  • Graduate students who wish to apply for a Grad PLUS loan should contact their financial aid counselor.

Private Education Loans (Alternative Loans)

If the federal programs are not sufficient to cover all of your school-related expenses, you may also consider a private eduation loan.