Financial Aid

The Financial Aid Process:  Six Easy Steps

  1. Complete the financial aid application.
    To be reviewed for federal and state student aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov between January 1st and April 20th for enrollment in the following fall semester. You must list Georgia Southern's Title IV school code (001572) on the form. It is important to apply early, as some financial aid funds are limited and are administered on a first-come, first-served basis. If you are only interested in receiving the HOPE Scholarship, visit the Georgia Student Finance Commission website and complete the GSFAPPS.  Remember you should fill this out ONLY if you want HOPE and do not want to be considered for any other grants or loans.  If you choose to complete the FAFSA, you must complete a FAFSA or a Renewal FAFSA for each academic year that you want to receive aid.
  2. Review your Student Aid Report.
    Three to four weeks after completing your FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR.) If you do not, check the status of your report online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. The SAR summarizes the information you provided on your FAFSA. If all the information is correct, keep the SAR for your records. (If you listed Georgia Southern on your FAFSA, we will receive a copy of your SAR electronically). If information on your SAR is incorrect, mail in corrections to the appropriate address, or make them online.
  3. Georgia Southern Correspondence.
    Within three to four weeks after you receive a complete, correct SAR, the Georgia Southern Financial Aid Office will email you an award notification via EAGLEGRAM OR a request for additional documents. (If you don’t receive an e-mail, please contact us.) Submit additional documents as soon as possible or your aid may be delayed.
  4. Your award notification.
    Your EAGLEGRAM advises you to visit My Georgia Southern to log into WINGS, which describes your financial aid award. Review the information.  If there are corrections, please notify us by e-mail. You may have to sign and return a promissory note before loan proceeds will be released. The Georgia Southern Office of Student Loans will mail the promissory note to you, if necessary. 
  5. Pay your bill.
    The University’s Office of Student Fees will send you an EAGLEGRAM to notify you that you have new charges on your student account each semester.  You must then go to WINGS and select "Student Services and Financial Aid" and then "Registration Invoice and Web Payment" to view your charges and credits.  Financial aid applied to your account will be subtracted from the amount due. Read the EAGLEGRAM and webpage carefully and follow all instructions.  YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A PAPER INVOICE!
  6. Get your refund.
    If your aid awarded exceeds the amount you owe the University, a refund check will be mailed to your Georgia Southern campus post office box or to your local or permanent mailing address if you do not have a campus post office box. Keep in mind that federal regulations require attendance verification before your refund can be paid to you.