Contact
Who should I contact if:
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I need help completing the FAFSA or need to check the status of my federal application?
Contact the Department of Education at 1-800-4-FED-AID, or visit their web site. -
My funds did not transfer to my account.
Contact the AU Financial Aid Office at 334-844-4634 or by email at Finaid7@auburn.edu. -
I didn't receive my financial aid refund.
Contact the AU Financial Aid Office at 334-844-4634 or by email at Finaid7@auburn.edu. -
I need to change my address.
Address changes can be made on AUAccess.
Application
Visit our Forms web page for current forms and more information. There are paper copies of these forms available in our office in Room 203, Martin Hall.
There are questions on the FAFSA which you must answer to determine your dependency status for financial aid purposes. Keep in mind that your dependency status for financial aid purposes is not based upon the IRS tax filing criteria but is based solely on your responses to the dependency status questions outlined on the FAFSA.
Verification is the process whereby we review the information you reported on your FAFSA and compare the figures to your and/or your parents' tax returns. The Federal Processor selects about 30% of our financial aid applicants to be verified. It does not mean that you made a mistake or that you are suspected of mis-reporting. It simply means that you were picked as part of a sample to be reviewed. If your file is chosen to be verified, it is important for you to submit any requested documents as quickly as possible. Financial aid cannot be offered to you until verification has been completed.
Not necessarily. You will know when you receive your FAFSA Submission Summary each year if you have been selected to be verified.
Eligibility
You must reapply for financial aid each year. The new FAFSA is typically available beginning October 1.
If you have been notified by our office that you are not making Satisfactory Academic Progress and you feel that there are extenuating circumstances that you wish us to consider, you may submit an appeal to our office. Your appeal will be reviewed and a decision made within 3-5 working days as to whether you will be given a conditional exception to these standards.
Federal regulations require that federal aid funds are used to pay for courses that apply to a student’s program of study. Courses that apply to a student’s program of study are considered eligible courses for financial aid purposes. Courses that do not apply to a student’s program of study are not considered eligible for financial aid purposes and therefore do not count in the minimum credit hours requirements for federal aid. Taking courses that are not required to complete your degree may result in receiving less or no federal aid. For additional information, please visit our Course Program of Study page.
If you resign or drop below full time status, you may have to repay all or part of your loans and/or grants. Contact the AU Financial Aid Office before you decide to drop a class or resign completely.
Graduate students working on thesis/dissertation must register for at least 1 hour thesis/dissertation and GRAD7AA0 (MST) or GRAD8AA0 (PHD) in order to be considered sufficiently enrolled to qualify for financial aid. The form is on the Graduate School website.
Billing / Aid Refund Checks
Billing statements are sent monthly and are available on ebill for all currently enrolled AU students. Email notices for fall bills are generally scheduled mid July with a due date of early August. Email notices for spring bills are generally scheduled mid November with a due date of early/mid December. Email notices for summer bills are generally scheduled mid April with a due date of early/mid May. If your financial aid as shown on your bill is not enough to cover the amount due, you must pay the difference by the due date or your class schedule is subject to cancellation.
Paper bills are NOT mailed, emails are sent monthly re: Ebill activity. See question above for Ebill information. The majority of financial aid correspondence is sent via AU email. Refunds are direct deposited, please provide your bank account information for Direct Deposit on AU Access > My Finances.
No, you cannot pick up a check in person. Direct Deposit of refunds is available.
Some types of financial aid reflected on your financial aid offer notice are not disbursed to your student account. Federal Work Study aid is an example. These funds must be earned over the course of the term. The figure reflected on the financial aid offer notice is the maximum potential earnings you are allowed per semester. AU Work Study students receive payment bi-weekly for the hours worked.
Please contact the Billing Office at studentbilling@auburn.edu or 334-844-4634.
Summer Financial Aid
There is no separate application for summer financial aid. To establish eligibility for federal grants and loans for the summer of 2024, students are required to complete the 2023-24 FAFSA. Summer financial aid eligibility is reviewed after students have registered for summer term classes in April.
The minimum credit hour requirements for summer term are the same as for other terms. For federal loan eligibility, students must be enroll at least half time (minimum 6 degree-applicable credit hours for undergraduates and minimum 5 degree-applicable credit hours for graduate students). Federal Pell Grant disbursements are prorated based on enrollment status. Students who received Federal Pell Grant for full-time enrollment in fall and spring must enroll at least half time during the summer to receive any Federal Pell Grant funds.
Eligible students who have fulfilled all application requirements and have remaining eligibility will be notified through AU email approximately one week after registering for summer classes.
Not necessarily. Continuing and new transfer students who have utilized their annual loan limits for the preceding fall and spring semesters will not have remaining loan eligibility for the summer term. Eligible students must also continue to meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
For students seeking additional financial support, there are options to supplement their aid package through credit-based loans. Please refer to the PLUS Loans and Non-federal Alternative Loans sections available on our website.
Summer financial aid is disbursed a few days before classes begin. If your aid exceeds the amount owed, ensure you provide your banking account information on your My Finances tab for timely refund processing. However, if your aid does not cover your AU charges, you are responsible for paying the difference by the due date to avoid cancellation of your schedule.
Students enrolled only half time for the 2nd summer mini session will have their funds disbursed shortly before the start date of the session. If you enroll for 3 credit hours in the first or full session and 3 credit hours in the 2nd session, your funds will be disbursed at the beginning of the 1st session. If you drop your class for the 2nd mini session and fall below half-time status, you become ineligible for the funds. Consequently, the funds will be billed back to your account, and immediate payment to AU will be required.
