Office of Financial Aid
Priority Dates/Deadlines for Financial Aid Application and Completion

•  2009/2010
•  Summer 2010

Priority Dates for the 2009-2010 Academic Year

The FAFSA should be completed as soon after January 1, 2009 as possible for the approaching Fall 2009 to be considered for all types of aid.

January through April is the ideal time period to complete your financial aid to ensure funding will be available at the beginning of the Fall semester.

March 1st is our priority date for the approaching Fall - the date by which we would prefer you to have applied. Funds are awarded for the nine month academic year - you are expected to save for summer enrollment from your fall/spring award. If you have any funds unused, these may be awarded for summer.

If your FAFSA information is received prior to May and your file is complete in May, your funds (assuming you complete the MPN with your lender after we certify the loan) should be ready to be placed on your account at the end of free/drop add period.

Financial aid that has been processed and awarded will count toward the one-third payment. Students, who are awaiting a financial aid award, that is, financial aid is in process, will be required to pay one-third of their related charges. If you have not received an award letter by August 1 for Fall or December 10th for Spring, you should make arrangements to pay the first one-third on your own.

If you have a sponsor paying funds toward your account or a private scholarship you will be bringing to the institution, those funds must be here by August 1st for Fall or December 10th for Spring to count towards the one-third. If your signature is required before the scholarship, is paid to your account, it will not count toward the one-third until it is signed; it would be better to pay the one-third and be reimbursed by the credit balance, once the scholarship is processed.

When you register for classes, you assume the responsibility for all actions related to your enrollment. That is, should you decide to withdraw or not attend classes, the burden is on you to notify the university of your decision. Registration for classes indicates your intent to use our educational services. We will act accordingly to facilitate that action. Notify the Records Office, in writing, within the first week of registration of your decision to withdraw to avoid paying full semester charges and/or having your financial aid cancelled. You should not count on being automatically withdrawn for non-payment to relieve you of your responsibility to withdraw.

Work Study funding is first come first serve. Money is not saved for students who have worked previously. The same is true for most other funding except for the Pell Grant and Stafford Loans.

Priority Dates and Deadlines for Summer Session 2010 (requires a 2009-2010 FAFSA)

April 1, 2010 is the priority date for Summer 2010; July 1, 2010 is the deadline to have a complete file for Summer 2008. Otherwise you gamble you will not be selected for verification, a gamble that you can quickly put your hands on any additional forms that might be needed, a gamble that you will complete the MPN in time for loans to disburse. You are trying to begin an application process with an 18 month window in month 17. Every year there are students who do not make it and the Federal processing time runs out before funds are actually here.

The drop dead federal deadline (June 30th at midnight Central Daylight time is the last possible moment you may submit a FAFSA for the 2009-2010 academic year. Our last missing information letters would probably be July 5th. The last day to have paperwork turned in to us would be July 9th.

Click here for the Financial Aid Calendar

Office of Financial Aid
134 Adams Administration Building
Troy, Alabama 36082
Phone: 1-800-414-5756
Assistance Available 24 Hours A Day/7 Days A Week