Financial Aid

Office of Student Financial Aid

Heidi Pinney, Regional Executive Director
119 C. V. Troup Administration Building
478-825-6363

The primary purpose of the federal student financial aid programs at Fort Valley State University is to provide monetary assistance to eligible admitted students who will benefit from post-secondary education but would be unable to without financial assistance. Student aid programs are administered in conjunction with nationally and locally established practices and philosophies of Title IV and state funds for education.  The basis of this philosophy is the belief that, “the family is the primary source to help students pay for their education.”  Consistent with an equitable approach to awarding student financial aid, a systematic method of deterring a student’s need is based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and the Cost of Attendance (COA). 

By accepting financial aid awards, students are agreeing to be liable for all tuition, fees, and/or other monies paid on their behalf or directly to them should the financial aid source fail to provide adequate funds or should the student prove to be ineligible for financial aid.  To decline awards or if the student does not agree to the previous statement, he/she must come to the Office of Financial Aid and decline the awards in writing or thru their MyFVSU account.

Available Financial Aid

• Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
• Federal Graduate PLUS Loans
• Federal TEACH Grant
• Private Loans
• Institutional Scholarships
• Graduate Assistantships
• Other Financial Resources

To Apply For Financial Aid

All students are required to complete the FAFSA at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid

Deadlines

In October, students can begin applying for Financial Aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid. Application for financial aid is completed once each year.

Financial Aid expires on June 30^th and must be renewed every year.

The financial aid processing deadlines are:

          Fall              March 1^st, Priority Processing

                             April 30th, FAFSA Processing

                             June 1^st, Verification Documents

          Spring         October 1^st, Priority Processing

                             November 15^th, FAFSA Processing

                             December 15^th, Verification Documents

          Summer       May 1^st, FAFSA, Verification & Documents

Federal Unsubsidized Loan

A Federal Unsubsidized Direct loan is a non-need based loan, which means the amount you may be eligible to borrow is not based on your financial need. If you receive an unsubsidized Direct Loan, you will be responsible for all interest that accrues on the loan from the date of disbursement forward. All students are required to complete Online Entrance Counseling, and a Master Promissory Note that includes Fort Valley State University at: https://studentaid.gov/h/manage-loans.

Loan Eligibility Requirements

• You must be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen;
• You must be accepted for enrollment or enrolled at least half-time at a participating school in an eligible program leading to a degree;
• You must maintain satisfactory academic progress in your course of study according to your school’s standards and statutory requirements;
• You must not be in default on an educational loan or owe a refund on an educational grant;
• You must have a high school or G.E.D. diploma or pass an independently administered test, determined by your school, that demonstrates your ability to benefit from the program of study;
• You must meet all of the other Federal Direct Loan program eligibility requirements prescribed by law at the time your loan application is processed;
• You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Federal Direct Loan Limits

Awards are based on enrollment status. Graduate students enrolled less than half time (less than 5 semester hours) are not eligible to participate in most student loan programs. Awards are made based on full-time enrollment and cost of attendance. If students’ eligibility changes after the initial award has been made, the award will be adjusted accordingly.

Students must also meet and maintain all program eligibility requirements, have established financial need, and be enrolled in an eligible degree program. Additionally, aid recipients are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.

Federal Graduate PLUS Loan

A Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan is a low-interest loan for graduate and professional students. Graduate PLUS loans help pay for education expenses up to the cost of attendance minus all other financial assistance. A credit check is conducted by the U.S. Department of Education to establish eligibility and will remain valid for 180 days. Please visit https://studentaid.gov/h/manage-loans to complete your Graduate PLUS application, Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note.

Federal TEACH Grant

A Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing or plan to complete course work needed to begin a career in teaching. As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, you must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve in which you agree to (among other requirements) teach

• In a high-need field;
• At an elementary school, secondary school, or educational service agency that serves students from low-income families; and
• For at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant.

Graduate Assistantships

Fort Valley State University makes graduate assistantships available to selected full-time graduate students who are pursuing studies leading to a master’s degree. The Assistantship Program is administered by the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Extended Education.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements are contained in three sections of the regulations:  Section 668.16(e), 668.32, and 668.34.  Section 668.16(e) specifies that in order to be considered administratively capable, a school must establish publish, and apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is maintaining SAP.  Reasonable standards are the same as or stricter than the schools’ standards for students enrolled in the same program who are not Title IV recipients, and contain both qualitative (grade-based) and quantitative (pace) standards.  In order to comply with the federal regulations governing SAP, Fort Valley State University has established, published, and will apply the following standards to ensure students are satisfactorily progressing toward degree completion.  Fort Valley State University’s (FVSU) Summer semester is considered a trailer term with Fall and Spring being the primary academic year.

Satisfactory Academic Progress must be maintained to remain eligible to receive Title IV aid.  Title IV aid includes but is not limited to Federal Pell Grants (PELL), Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), TEACH Grants, Federal Work Study (FWS), Federal Direct Loans and Federal Perkins Loans.  SAP is determined by measuring the student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) and the student’s rate of progression (PACE) toward degree completion.

Qualitative Component (GPA)

All financial aid recipients of Title IV aid will be reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid at the end of every term (fall, spring, and summer).  Students not meeting the below standards will be placed on financial aid suspension.  Students may submit a formal appeal for reinstatement of aid.

Graduate students must maintain a 3.00 GPA throughout their enrollment at FVSU.

Quantitative Component (Pace)

All financial aid recipients are expected to earn a minimum percentage of their total hours attempted (including learning support attempted hours and all attempts for courses repeated), and must complete degree requirements within the maximum allowable time frame (MATF). This quantitative measure is called Pace.

Graduate students must maintain a minimum 67% completion rate and not exceed the maximum allowable timeframe of 150%.

SAP standards are monitored at the end of every semester. Any graduate student found in violation of the standards will be placed on suspension with an opportunity to appeal.

For more information regarding Satisfactory Academic Progress, refer to the SAP Policy on the Office of Financial Aid website at http://www.fvsu.edu/sap/.