Federal Aid at USU

Submit your 24-25 FAFSA now! It's not too late to submit your FAFSA for the 23-24 academic year.

Federal aid is financial assistance provided by the federal government through grants, work-study, and federal loans. The amount you are eligible for in each category is determined by the information you provide on your FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Please take time to review the information and steps on this page which will help you navigate the FAFSA and federal aid. 

All students are encouraged to apply for the FAFSA. Some scholarships require the completion of this federal aid application to determine eligibility.

Apply for Federal Aid

Eligibility

As long as you are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen who is admitted into a degree-seeking program at USU, you are eligible for federal financial aid. If you are not seeking a USU degree or certificate, please contact us to evaluate your eligibility for aid. Additionally, the U.S. Department of Education has prepared an online eligibility checklist and a student aid estimator.

Submission Deadline

The FAFSA needs to be completed each year you wish to receive aid. The next year's FAFSA is always available a year prior on October 1st. For example, to apply for aid for Fall 2023, Spring 2024 or Summer 2024, the 2023-2024 FAFSA application opens on October 1st, 2022. Apply early! Because of complex federal requirements, it can take several weeks to process your application. (In some cases an application can be processed in one to two weeks.) We recommend applying at least two or three months before you plan to start school to avoid any delays. However, you can still submit your FAFSA during the semester you are seeking aid for.

Transfer Student

If you borrowed Federal Direct Loans at your previous school, your loan eligibility may be limited for the current academic year. Please be aware of federal student loan limits. Federal Pell Grants also have a lifetime limitation.

Getting Married Soon?

If you are getting married and need help updating or filling out the FAFSA as a married student, please contact us.

Submit Your FAFSA

Visit Federal Student Aid to submit your FAFSA. The USU school code for the FAFSA is 003677. In some cases, portions of the FAFSA may already be filled out if you applied the year before. You will need to update only financial information respective to the tax year requested and review the rest for accuracy. Paper applications are also available through Student Financial Support. Applying through the mail may be slower and more prone to errors.

Lastly, don't pay for FAFSA! Our office offers help with FAFSA preparation and submission for free. Don't let the FAFSA intimidate you. We are here to help you!

Submit My FAFSA

Learn how the 24-25 FAFSA has changed and improved!.

After submitting a FAFSA, follow these steps to receive your aid:

1

Review your Student Aid Report

After submitting your FAFSA, a Student Aid Report (SAR) will be available.

If you provide a valid email address, you’ll receive an email from noreply@fafsa.gov with instructions on how to access an online copy of your SAR. Please review this report for any processing problems.

If you don't provide a valid email address on your FAFSA form, you will receive either a paper SAR or a SAR Acknowledgement via postal mail.
2

Check Your Email & Text Messages

Emails come from financialaid@finaid.usu.edu and SMS text messages come from (855) 711-0017. 

Incoming Aggies: 
Please check the email you used to submit your FAFSA and any emails you have provided to USU. 

Continuing Aggies: Please check your 
USU student email

We will email and text you:
  • If there is information on your FAFSA that needs to be verified.
  • Your Federal Aid Offer.
    • Review your Federal Aid Offer. If your family's financial circumstances have changed due to extenuating circumstances or if you have unusual expenses, please contact your Federal Aid Counselor to discuss an appeal
3

Accept Your Aid

After you receive your Financial Aid Offer, visit the following pages to learn which steps you need to take to accept your aid:
4

Update Your USU Preferences

  • Assign delegates - Privacy restrictions require that you set up your parents, spouse, or someone else as a delegate if you want them to speak on your behalf or have access to your financial aid information.
  • Set up Direct Deposit - This will facilitate the process of refunding money to you in the future.
  • Set up your Security Phrase - When you call our office, a security phrase is required to access information about your account.
  • Update your mailing address – a valid mailing address is required for important notifications.
5

Requirements To Maintain Your Aid

Receiving Federal Aid (grants, work-study, or federal loans) comes with Rights and Responsibilities. The Department of Education requires certain Academic Standards and Progress to remain in good standing.

If you have any questions or need clarification on any of these terms, please don't hesitate to contact us or meet with your Federal Aid CounselorWe are here to help!
6

Apply For Scholarships

Visit the Student Financial Support scholarship page to apply for scholarships.

Additional Federal Aid Resources


Federal Aid Deadlines
Federal financial aid is time sensitive. Familiarize yourself with FAFSA processing deadlines to increase your access to federal aid.


Cost of Attendance
Your cost to attend USU will vary on factors such as your degree program and housing. Review the estimates USU uses to estimate your individual cost to attend USU.


Consortium Agreement
A consortium agreement allows two or more schools to share enrollment and credit information to qualify for federal aid at USU.


Federal Aid Appeals
Financial situations happen! If your federal aid offer no longer reflects your current financial situation, visit this page to learn about available federal aid appeal options.


Summer Aid
In some cases, federal aid can be applied towards summer semesters at USU.


Private Loans
Learn about private education loans, including the application process, loan comparisons and available lenders.


Federal Aid Rights & Responsibilities
Summary and outline of your rights and responsibilites as a federal aid recipient.


Academic Requirements for Federal Aid
Understand what it means to be in good standing for federal financial aid. These standards are different than USU's academic requirements. 


Participation Requirements for Federal Aid Recipients
Federal aid policies require that aid recipients academically participate. Learn how USU documents participation and steps you need to take if you have been asked to document your avademic participation.



Withdrawing Early
Students who drop all of their classes or fail all of their classes are may need to return a portion or all of the federal aid they received for that semester. 


Consumer Information
USU is required to be in compliance with federal regulations to remain eligible in U.S Department of Education Title IV federal student aid programs.


College Financing Plan
Your financial aid offer is also viewable as a college financing plan, a standard format prescribed by the U.S. Department of Education which allows you to make informed decisions about where you choose to attend school.