Financial Aid FAQs

Applying

• How do I apply for financial aid?

  To be considered for Grants, Scholarships or Federal Loans, you should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. Complete your FAFSA as early as possible to be considered for the most potential financial aid.

  Our FAFSA school code is 009841. If you have any questions about filling out a FAFSA, you may contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) via phone at 1-800-433-3243.

  It generally takes about 10 business days for UNF to receive your FAFSA results (called a Student Aid Report or SAR) from the Department of Education. Once we receive your reject-free SAR we evaluate it and post your financial aid award to your myWings account. UNF generally begins posting estimated financial aid awards in myWings in mid-December preceding the fall for which you filed the FAFSA. Please remember that we will not award you any financial aid until you are admitted to a degree-seeking program at UNF. However, you can, and should, complete your FAFSA prior to being admitted.

  Please Note: Students who are admitted to UNF for the Summer 2024 term must file two FAFSA applications. For instance, if you are admitted to UNF for the Summer 2024 term, you'll need to file both a 2023-2024 FAFSA (to receive summer financial aid) and a 2024-2025 FAFSA (to receive aid for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025).

  A new FAFSA must be filed each year to determine eligibility, based on the prior year’s tax return. Completing your taxes and FAFSA in a timely manner will allow sufficient time for financial aid processing and ensure that any aid you accept will be available to defer (pend) your tuition charges.

• When do I submit the FAFSA?
  You should complete the FAFSA every year as soon as possible, as most financial aid is available on a first-come, first-served basis. You can maximize your financial aid eligibility by completing the FAFSA every year before the priority deadline. The 2024-25 FAFSA should open early in the year (check the FAFSA website for updates).
• What can I do if my FAFSA does not reflect my current situation?
  If you feel that you have special circumstances that are not being reflected on your FAFSA, you may be eligible for an Appeal for Special Circumstances. Although considerations for specific situations are limited, we offer you the ability to provide us with this information.
• How can I have access to my child's account?

  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a federal law which affords applicants and students certain rights with respect to their educational records. We encourage positive communication between students and their parents/guardians and appreciate those parents who want to be involved in their student’s educational experience. Students who decide to release information to a parent will first identify the parent through myWings.

  UNF Parents Portal

• Can I receive financial aid if I’m a non-degree seeking student? Are some programs ineligible to receive aid?

  Typically students in a non-degree-seeking status and most certificate programs are not eligible to receive financial aid (including Federal Direct Student Loans).

  • General Non-Degree, Learning for a Lifetime, Continuing Education and Post-Baccalaureate Non-Degree-Seeking: Ineligible to receive aid
  • Certified Public Accountant (CPA) Certificate: Ineligible to receive aid 
  • Graduate and Post-Master’s Certificate Programs: Ineligible to receive aid
  • Teacher Re-certification: Ineligible to receive aid 
  • Teacher Certification (initial): Eligible to receive Federal Direct and Private Loans only
  • Post-Master’s Nurse Practitioner: Eligible to receive Private Health Professions Loans only (requires application to a private lender, credit approval, and school certification; contact your lender for application and eligibility information)

  If you do not see your program listed above, or have further questions, please contact One-Stop Student Services.

• I’m starting classes at UNF in the spring or summer term. What do I need to do to get financial aid?

  If you haven’t already filed a FAFSA, that’s your first step. See the previous question about the FAFSA for more information. Keep in mind that the FAFSA results allow us to award aid for one academic year (fall-spring-summer).

  If you are beginning in the summer, you should file both the current year’s FAFSA to determine your financial aid eligibility for the summer and the new year’s FAFSA for the fall term (and beyond).

  Once students register for course work, the cost of attendance will be updated and students will automatically be reviewed for financial aid eligibility. 

Awards

• Where can I see my financial aid award letter and my College Financing Plan?
  In an effort to be environmentally and fiscally responsible, we post financial aid award information online. Your financial aid award letter and your College Financing Plan are available through myWings.
• Why didn’t I receive grants?

  There are many factors that affect the awarding process including a student's EFC, demonstrated unmet financial need, GPA, satisfactory academic progress, degree applicability, enrollment and the availability of funding.

  Many times eligible students miss out on receiving federal, state and institutional grant funding because they filed their FAFSA too late and all available grant funds have already been awarded to students who filed earlier.

• How many credit hours do I need to take to receive my award?

  You must be enrolled in a minimum of six degree-applicable credit hours, in standard grade mode, to receive most financial aid.

  Classes that are not required to complete your degree program, credit hours taken in audit or other non-credit modes will not count toward financial aid eligibility.  

  Grants are initially awarded as estimates, assuming full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credit hours for undergraduates, nine credit hours for graduates). Some grants require full-time enrollment and most institutional grants require minimum enrollment of 15 credit hours per term. If full-time enrollment is not required, the grant will prorate as follows:

  Undergraduate Students

  Credit Hours	Status	Percentage of Award Offered
  1-5	less than half-time	0*
  6-8	half-time	50%
  9-11	three quarter-time	75%
  12+	full-time	100%

   

  Graduate Students

  Credit Hours	Status	Percentage of Award Offered
  1-5	less than half-time	0
  6-8	half-time	50%
  9+	full-time	100%

   

  *Some Pell Grants can be prorated to 25% of the offered award for undergraduate students enrolled in less than half-time.

  Grant programs with end of fiscal year expenditure deadlines cannot utilize a student's Summer B courses to determine enrollment.

  Loans require a minimum enrollment of six degree-applicable credit hours.

  Scholarships are subject to the enrollment requirements specific to the signed Scholarship Agreement.  

  If you drop or withdraw below the required credit hours for your aid type, those funds may be reduced after disbursement, which will result in a balance owed to UNF.

• How does financial aid work if I am taking classes at another school?

  If you wish to concurrently enroll (degree-seeking at UNF, taking courses at another college or university for a term) you must complete a Transient Student Admissions Application online. Your Academic Advisor must approve the course(s) as applicable toward your degree to be eligible for financial aid.

  Get more information on concurrent/transient enrollment and your financial aid award.

Disbursement

• When will my financial aid be disbursed?

  As a rule, the first available financial aid disbursement date is typically three weeks after classes have begun each term. Your individual disbursement date may be later depending on the status of your financial aid file. For example, if you are selected for verification and have not submitted the requested documents, your disbursement will be delayed.

  The summer term at UNF is a bit more complicated as there are multiple terms (A, B, C, 10 and 12 week) and two separate add/drop weeks. Enrolling in fewer than six credit hours during the summer A and/or C term could delay, or even prohibit, disbursement of your financial aid. As an example, if you have accepted a Federal Direct Student Loan, you are required to enroll in a minimum of six degree-applicable credit hours in a term to receive those loan funds. If you choose to take three credit hours in summer A (or Summer C) and three credit hours in summer B, your student loan would not disburse until after summer B add/drop has ended.

  To avoid disbursement delays, remember to monitor myWings and your UNF email in the weeks leading up to disbursement. Respond to any request for documentation promptly, read emails from financial aid thoroughly, and ask questions well in advance of the start of classes!

• How do I defer my tuition and fees until my financial aid is disbursed to UNF?

  UNF will automatically defer (pend) your billed charges against financial aid you have accepted in myWings prior to the start of the term.

  You are responsible for checking your online bill in myWings prior to the payment deadline each term. If your online bill shows a balance owed, this means your estimated financial aid is not enough to cover all of your charges and you must pay the difference prior to the payment deadline.

  UNF Student Financial Services allows students to defer tuition charges for approximately five weeks. If your financial aid has not disbursed by then, you are responsible to pay your balance in full. Failure to pay your balance in full after the deferment period ends will result in a $100 late payment fee. This does not mean your financial aid has been canceled! You can still receive a financial aid disbursement after paying your balance in full.

  Please be advised that the following financial aid awards cannot be used to defer charges:

  • Federal Work-Study
  • The State University System Minority Scholarship
  • The Delores Auzenne Fellowship

  If you only receive aid from the above programs, you must pay your tuition and fees prior to the payment deadline posted on the UNF Academic Calendar.
• Can I use my financial aid to pay for books before the term begins?

  If you have sufficient financial aid to cover your UNF bill with funds left over, you may qualify for a UNF Bookstore Authorization. If you qualify, you will receive notification via email to your UNF email account. This notification will provide you with instructions on where to locate your Bookstore Authorization in myWings. You can monitor your transaction history and amount remaining on the authorization in your myWings account.

  Bookstore authorization amounts will vary according to your balance due and accepted aid, up to a maximum of $600.

  Please be advised that a Bookstore Authorization is not additional money for books. Learn more about bookstore authorizations.

• Can my financial aid cover my housing charges?

  The Department of Housing and Residence Life will automatically defer all or a portion of rent against any posted and accepted financial aid provided there is enough for housing rent after meal membership and tuition/fees. If there is enough to cover all expenses, you will be cleared for move-in. If there is a portion of housing rent not covered by accepted financial aid, the portion not covered must be paid by the housing rent due date.

  Please contact the UNF Housing and Residence Life Office to confirm when housing fees are due or if you have any additional questions regarding housing or paying for housing: by phone at (904) 620-HOME (4663) or via email at housing@unf.edu.

• Can my financial aid cover my meal membership charges?

  Yes, in some cases financial aid can be used to defer meal membership costs.

  Please contact Chartwells if you have questions about payment due dates or if you have questions regarding the different types of meal memberships offered. Chartwells can be reached by phone at (904) 620-2543.

Loans

• How do I get a student loan?

  William D Ford Direct Loans are awarded automatically to students who file a FAFSA and indicate on their application that they are interested in student loans. If eligible, you will be offered Federal Direct Loans, Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized, up to your maximum eligibility for the year. You will need to log in to myWings to accept or decline student loans. You may also accept a partial amount in the blank box provided.

  Learn more about student loans on our Loans webpage.

• Do I need to complete Entrance Counseling?

  Yes! Entrance Counseling is required by the federal government to make you aware of your rights and responsibilities as a borrower.

  If this is your first time borrowing a Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan at UNF, you must complete Entrance Counseling.

  If you are a graduate student (masters or doctoral degree program) and have accepted a Direct Grad PLUS Loan, you must complete a separate Entrance Counseling specific to the Direct Grad PLUS Loan program.

  If you completed Entrance Counseling at a previous school or have broken continuous enrollment at UNF, we require you to complete Entrance Counseling again.

• Do I need to complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN)?

  All borrowers are required to complete a Master Promissory Note. Failure to complete your MPN will result in a delay of your loan disbursement. Federal Direct and PLUS Loan borrowers can e-sign the MPN at the Federal Student Aid website using their FSA ID. Private loan borrowers should contact their lender directly to sign the MPN.

• What is Exit Counseling?

  Exit Counseling is required by the Federal government to remind you of your rights and responsibilities as a borrower and, most importantly, to educate you about loan repayment options.

  Students receive an Exit Counseling requirement when they drop below half-time status (including withdrawals), graduate (this includes submitting a graduation application) or leave school. All of these events can trigger the repayment phase of your federal student loans.

  If you are not enrolled in at least six credit hours at UNF, but you are concurrently enrolled, make sure that One-Stop is aware of your credit hours at the host institution by submitting a Financial Aid Consortium Agreement.

  In the meantime, don't worry! Completing Exit Counseling alone will not force you into repayment status or prevent you from receiving future disbursements of student loans. However, failure to complete Exit Counseling when required to do so will prevent future disbursements of financial aid awards and also prohibit you from receiving official UNF transcripts.

  Exit counseling is completed online at studentaid.gov/exit-counseling. Email reminders are sent to students who do not complete and clear this requirement in a timely manner.

• How do I complete Exit Counseling?
  Exit Counseling is completed online at studentaid.gov/exit-counseling.
• What is an EFT? Does that mean direct deposit to my account?

  EFT stands for Electronic Funds Transfer. The federal government sends all Direct Loan proceeds to UNF via EFT. UNF then disburses those funds to individual student bills to pay for tuition, fees and other charges.

  Direct deposit is the method UNF Student Financial Services uses to transfer any financial aid refunds to students' personal bank accounts.

  Students may enroll in direct deposit via myWings. Learn more about Direct Deposit for Student Refunds.

• Is there a limit to the amount of loan funding I can receive?

  Yes. Federal statutes limit how much Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans debt a student is allowed to incur:

  • Annual Limits: Students are limited by grade level on how much they can borrow in one academic year (which includes fall, spring and summer terms).
  • Aggregate Limits: Restricts the maximum total outstanding loan debt a student may accrue for both the Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans. There are different Aggregate Limits for undergraduate and graduate level students.
  • Subsidized Loan Lifetime Limit: The FAFSA Simplification Act repeals the 150% Subsidized Usage Limit Applies (SULA) requirements. The repeal is effective for all Direct Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2021. It is not limited to new borrowers; it is loan-specific. Therefore, for the 2021-2022 academic year, it is possible for a student that has reached the 150% Subsidized Usage Limit to regain Federal Subsidized Loan eligibility for the 2021-2022 academic year as long as the student has not reached the $23,000 total borrowing limit for Federal Subsidized Loans. SULA still applies to Direct Subsidized Loans first disbursed before July 1, 2021, but the U.S. Department of Education will retroactively restore the subsidy and remove accrued interest on the older loans, even if those borrowers don't borrow again. For more information, please visit the Federal Register

  Learn more about student loan limits.
• How do I receive my Federal Direct loan?

  To receive loan funding each academic year, you must first remember to renew your FAFSA for each academic year.

  If you have room in your Cost of Attendance, have not met aggregate loan limits or lifetime eligibility requirements, and are making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), you will be awarded Direct Loan funds. You may be offered Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized funds, depending on your Cost of Attendance, demonstrated financial need, grade level and dependency status.

  Federal Direct PLUS Loans and private loans require new loan applications each year. These applications will be subject to credit checks and will be approved up to the amount your need and Cost of Attendance allow for the specific aid year.

  We recommend you check your myWings well before the payment deadline to ensure your student loans are awarded and accepted. Contact One-Stop Student Services if you have any questions.

• How do I defer my loan?

  For Direct Loans, and Direct Grad PLUS Loans borrowed at UNF, you are automatically deferred while you are enrolled at least half-time in a degree-seeking status. If you need to provide proof of enrollment for a loan you borrowed at a prior institution, you can print an official Enrollment Verification from myWings as soon as the add/drop period has ended each term and provide this to your loan servicer.

  For Private and Parent PLUS Loans, deferments are not automatic. Please contact your lender for deferment information. If your loan has entered the repayment period and you are seeking deferment, you are advised to continue making payments until your deferment has been approved.

Verification

• What is verification? Why was I chosen?

  Verification is a process to confirm that the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is accurate. Each year, the federal government randomly selects approximately 30% of ALL students submitting the FAFSA for verification. Most applications are selected at random; others because of inconsistent information. The Office of Student Aid reserves the right to select students for verification, if there appears to be a conflict of information received.

  Failure to submit verification documents will result in your financial aid being delayed or cancelled. If any of the data reported on the FAFSA is found to be incorrect, your financial aid eligibility will be recalculated.

  Learn more about verification.

• How long does verification take?

  Once you submit the requested documents, your file will go through an initial review. After this initial review we may be able to complete verification, or we may identify items that require clarification.

  If clarification is needed, additional documentation will be added to the Financial Aid section of Banner Self Service (accessible via your myWings account). Until all clarification documents are satisfactorily submitted, your verification cannot be completed. We recommend you monitor myWings daily throughout verification and submit any new requirements as soon as possible. The clarification process may add time to the processing of your verification.

  After all of your requirements are satisfied and evaluated, the documents will be compared to the answers you provided on your FAFSA. If there are any discrepancies or errors, we are required by federal regulation to make those corrections and resubmit your FAFSA to the government. Your verification cannot be complete or your aid disbursed until UNF receives the corrected Student Aid Report (SAR) from FAFSA. This generally takes a couple of weeks from the time UNF submits the corrections.

  Please Note: DO NOT CHANGE your FAFSA data after we have verified your file! Doing so could result in the reduction or cancellation of financial aid that we disburse to you after we complete verification.

  Depending on the information included in your individual file and your specific situation, the verification process generally takes several weeks.

• How can I order a Tax Return Transcript or Letter of Non-Filing?

  IRS Transcripts and Letters of Non-Filing may be easily obtained.

  To get Transcripts online or by mail, visit the IRS website.

  For verification purposes, the student’s N number must be written on all documents submitted to ensure timely processing.

  Upload your documents in myWings or submit copies to One-Stop Student Services in person, via mail or by fax (904) 620-2414.

• Can I submit a copy of my income tax return instead of the IRS Tax Return Transcript?
  Yes! Please remember the income tax return must be signed and the student N number must be written on the form to ensure timely processing.
• Financial Aid already has my tax and verification information from last year. Why do you need it again?

  Each financial aid (academic) year is based on a new FAFSA, which requires information from a specific tax year.

  A student’s financial information can change from one year to the next. Changes in income and other financial issues are reported on each year’s FAFSA, potentially resulting in changes to the types and amounts of financial assistance a student is eligible to receive.

  You could be selected each year, requiring you to submit verification information and tax documents each year.

• What is the student marital-tax filing mismatch form?
  The student marital-tax filing mismatch form is a form that the U.S. Department of Education has indicated that your 2023-24 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may contain conflicting information with regard to your parent(s) current marital status and their 2021 federal tax filing status.

Scholarships

• When will I receive the eRefund from my scholarship program(s)?
  Once tuition and fees have been covered, Student Financial Services disburses any balance of scholarship dollars to students after the payment deadline each term. You can usually expect to see payment beginning in the third week of the term. For the fastest access to your refund, please set up your eRefund account in myWings. Visit Student Financial Services for instructions on setting up direct deposit.
• If I take classes at UNF and another college or university, will I still be eligible for my scholarship?

  Only in some cases. For UNF scholarships, you should refer back to your scholarship agreement before making that decision as many UNF scholarships will not pay for credit hours taken at another institution. Additional questions may be answered by emailing unfscholarships@unf.edu. If you have a Foundation Scholarship, please send your email to foundationscholarships@unf.edu.

  For non-UNF scholarships, check the program website or with the scholarship donor.

  If you do decide to take classes at another school, remember you must obtain permission from your Academic Advisor. See, "How does financial aid work if I am taking classes at another school?" above.

  To receive aid at UNF, students attending an out-of-state or Florida private institution must submit the following:

  • a paper UNF Concurrent/Transient Enrollment form
  • Consortium Agreement
  • Paid Fee Slip from Host institution which shows your name, courses enrolled for the term and balance paid

  The Consortium Agreement does not guarantee straight reimbursement, but will ensure you receive aid for which you are eligible based on total enrollment. For more information, please visit the Financial Aid Consortium Agreement.

  Please Note: Your scholarship and/or financial aid may be jeopardized if you are not properly enrolled at UNF. Do your research before making this kind of a decision. If you have done your research but still have questions, contact One-Stop Student Services for assistance.

• How do scholarships affect my Federal Financial Aid award?
  Scholarships count toward your financial aid; therefore, other need-based aid (grants, subsidized loans, etc.) may need to be reduced so you are not over-awarded beyond your cost of attendance. A Cost of Attendance is determined for each student and, according to federal regulations, the sum of your awards cannot exceed this amount. Additionally, if you are an athlete, the NCAA has regulations and guidelines that must be followed. It is imperative you notify One-Stop Student Services if you are receiving additional funding as this may affect your federal financial aid.