Financial Aid Policies Governing the Administration of Awards
• Applicants must be accepted for admission to Middle Georgia State University before financial aid funds can be awarded.
• Applicants for financial aid must be enrolled at the university before financial aid funds can be applied to institutional charges.
• Applicants must enroll in coursework pursuant to their degree program. Coursework not required cannot be considered in awarding financial aid or determining eligibility.
• Enrollment hours at the University are locked at a designated census date each semester to ensure proper reporting of enrollment and accuracy of aid awarded. Students must register for all courses in that semester before the census date to have pro-rated aid adjusted. Coursework added after this date may not be eligible for an adjustment/increase of the student’s award.
• Financial aid is awarded on the basis of full-time enrollment. For financial aid purposes, students enrolled in 12 or more semester hours are classified as full-time; students enrolled in 9-11 semester hours are classified as enrolled three-quarter time; students enrolled in 6-8 semester hours are classified as enrolled half-time; students enrolled in 1-5 semester hours are classified as enrolled less than half-time. Awards will be adjusted for less than full-time status.
• Federal student loan recipients must enroll and maintain an enrollment of at least six (6) or more semester hours.
• Payment of Awards: Eligible financial aid awards are authorized to the student's Middle Georgia State University account each semester after registering. Students may use these funds to pay institutional charges, i.e. tuition, fees, housing, food, and book charges. Student financial aid funds which remain after all MGA obligations have been satisfied are disbursed through Bank Mobile or the method chosen by the student. Generally, funds are disbursed three weeks after the end of drop-add and weekly thereafter. The initial refund date will be published each semester.
• Federal financial aid regulations require students to begin attendance to be eligible for funds. Students reported as "no shows" will have their aid reduced.
• Ordinarily, financial assistance is awarded for two semesters of the regular academic year. Summer semester will be treated separately from the regular academic year. Students should plan ahead to use annual funds to pay for summer classes.
• Financial Aid awards are made for Fall and Spring semesters. If a student intends to begin in the Spring or Summer semesters, they should notify the Office of Student Financial Aid so that their award may be adjusted to complement their enrollment period.
• Students in default or who owe for an overpayment of federal or state student aid programs will not be considered for any financial aid program at Middle Georgia State University unless the default or overpayment has been satisfied. • Students enrolled as transient students at Middle Georgia State University from a University System of Georgia (USG) School only can receive aid through a consortium agreement. All other students should check with their home institution. Students eligible for HOPE or Zell Miller Scholarship who are transient from another HOPE eligible institution should have their home school send Middle Georgia State University a HOPE Transient Eligibility Certificate.
· All awards are subject to be cancelled or reduced based on updated information received from federal or state aid resources.