General Information

Financial Aid Basics, Determining and Awarding Aid, and Other Information:

What is Financial Aid?

Financial aid is any source of funds available to assist students pay for the costs of a college education. If you think you will need assistance, you are encouraged to apply for financial aid. Whatever your family situation, you can be sure that you will be treated fairly and equitably with respect to students in similar financial circumstances as your own.

Most assistance is based on demonstrated financial need; however, some is based solely on merit. Merit programs, including most scholarship programs, help students who have special abilities. Often, you do not have to show financial need to receive money through merit-based programs.

Financial Aid Award Letters

Note to Incoming First-Year and Transfer Students

You must be admitted to Pittsburg State University before your financial aid application can be processed.

All Students

In March, the Pittsburg State University Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) begins sending Award Letter (financial aid packages) to applicants who submitted their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms to the federal processor by March 1st. Later applicants are notified on a rolling basis, as the OSFA receives their FAFSA information from the federal processor. It takes several weeks to complete the financial aid process; therefore, you are encouraged to complete and submit it early so you will be notified early.

Receiving Your Financial Aid (Disbursement)

General Disbursement Information:

• When will I receive my financial aid?
• How will I receive my financial aid?
• Work-Study
• Private Scholarship Checks

When will I receive my financial aid?

Financial aid funds are paid at the beginning of each term upon completion of:

1. All requests for additional information, including Award Letter, from the Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA).

2. Verification of Enrollment for Disbursement of Funds.             

   All students receiving financial assistance are required to complete Verification of Enrollment On-line.

   Instructions
   Note:
   From the GUS page select Verification of Enrollment (or click on the above link):

   Note:

   • Enter your Student ID # and GUS PIN # (You can request a GUS PIN # at 157 Kelce Hall, Office of Information Services)
   • Select "Verification of Enrollment for Disbursement of Funds"
   • You MUST resolve all University "HOLD" before you verify your enrollment
   • Select the semester to be verified
   • Review class schedule to make sure you are enrolled correctly
   • Choose the method for disbursement of your refund check
   • Update/confirm your e-mail address
   • "End Verification"
3. All applicable promissory notes (Stafford, Perkins and Nursing Loans). Look for correspondence from OSFA by mail or e-mail about how to complete the promissory notes (some loan programs require that promissory notes be completed online while others have paper promissory notes for you to sign). If you previously signed a Master Promissory Note at PSU, you do not need to complete/sign another one to continue to borrow funds from the Stafford Loan Program. Students borrowing a student loan for the first time at PSU must participate in Entrance Loan Counseling before their first loan check can be disbursed.

Entrance Interview Counseling Instructions         

ENTRANCE COUNSELING ON THE WEB
***You must do this before you can receive your student loan!***

• Go to the PSU homepage at www.pittstate.edu. Click on the "Financial Assistance" link.
• Click on "Entrance Interview Counseling", which is located in the ‘Quick Links’ box
• Enter your social security number, date of birth, first and last name, and e-mail address. Then click the entrance counseling button at the bottom of the page.
• Read each page and answer the review question at the bottom of each page.
• When you have read through all of the screens, click on "Time to Take the Quiz"
• Take the quiz and click "OK" at the bottom of the page when all questions have been answered.
• If you are satisfied with your quiz score, click on the "Continue" tab at the bottom of the page. REMEMBER: YOU MUST ANSWER 17 OUT OF THE 22 QUESTIONS CORRECTLY TO PASS THE QUIZ. IF NOT, YOU MUST RETAKE THE QUIZ UNTIL A SCORE OF 17 OR BETTER IS ACHIEVED.
• Your score will be electronically submitted to the Financial Assistance Office. It would be to your benefit to print the screen showing your quiz score and bring it to the office. The electronic submission of your score can take a couple of business days.

COMPLETE MASTER PROMISSORY NOTE (MPN)
***You must do this before you can receive your student loan!***

• Once PSU certifies your loan, the lender/disburser will send you directions on how to complete your MPN via an electronic/web or traditional/mail process.

How will I receive my financial aid?

Your financial aid may be disbursed (released) to you in the following ways:

Direct Application to your University Student Account Charges:
Grants, scholarships, and loans administered by the Office of Student Financial Assistance are first applied directly to your University account to pay charges for tuition, fees, University housing, and other University charges.

Aid That Exceeds Your University Student Account Charges

Release of Funds to You
Students whose financial aid exceeds the charges on their University Student Account will receive these funds to pay other educationally related expenses. You may choose to have these excess funds mailed as a check to your address of choice or held at the Cashier's Office for personal pick-up. This choice is indicated through GUS during Verification of Enrollment prior to each semester.

Work-Study

Work-Study awards are earned as wages in positions with eligible employers. Employers pay 25% of students' wages while federal or state fund pay 75%. Wages are typically paid bi-weekly through the employer's payroll system. Students who are interested in community service jobs may find a number of positions available through the Work-Study program. Student Employment maintains listings of eligible Work-Study jobs and posts them on the web.

Private Scholarship Checks

If your scholarship check is sent to the University, it will be directly applied to your University Account, one-half in the Fall Term, one-half in the Spring Term, unless otherwise specified by the scholarship sponsor. If the payment creates a credit balance on your student account, the credit will be released by check.

If your scholarship check is sent to the University, but is made co-payable to you AND the University, you must endorse this check before it will be directly applied to your University Account. The proceeds will be applied one-half in the Fall Term, one-half in the Spring Term, unless otherwise specified by the scholarship sponsor. If the payment creates a credit balance on your student account, the credit will be released by check.

If your scholarship check is sent directly to you, endorse the check and submit it to the Office of Student Financial Assistance for processing.

What if My Family's Financial Circumstances Change? (Financial Aid Professional Judgment)

If you have any special circumstances that you feel were not considered when you filled out your FAFSA, please contact our office to see if you are eligible to process an appeal.

Possible special circumstances include:

• Loss of income or benefits
• Death of parent or spouse
• Divorce or separation of parents (or student from spouse)         
• Excessive medical or dental out of pocket expenses
• Change in assets (other than cash or savings)
• Secondary or elementary tuition
• One-time income

Study Abroad

All students interested in study abroad need to first check in with International Programs and Services. Students with financial assistance will then be required to visit with a financial assistance representative for a complete work-up of the costs of the trip verses the amount of financial assistance available to them. Students will need to submit to the Financial Assistance Office written proof of all costs concerning the trip including:

• Travel
• Tuition
• Books
• Fees
• Housing or Room and Board
• Meals
• Other incidentals including excursions or field trips required by study.

Students studying abroad not on the standard terms of PSU may have their financial aid delayed until enrollment at the foreign school begins. Please see Financial Assistance for more details concerning Study Abroad.