Applying for Aid

Financial aid is money provided to you in order to pay for college expenses. There are several types of financial aid, and most of our students are eligible to receive at least some form of financial aid.

This page will help you understand how to apply for financial aid and your financial aid is processed. You can check whether or not your Financial Aid Award Letter is ready by logging into your Petrel Portal or OASIS.

Steps for Applying for Financial Aid

The FAFSA is used for all types of financial aid, including federal and state aid. Keep copies of all federal income tax returns, etc., as these documents may be required in order to verify the information provided on the FAFSA.

The 2024 – 2025 FAFSA is available as of January 1, 2024.

  • Use the information from your 2022 income tax return.
  • Before filing the 2024 – 2025 FAFSA, students and parents should create an FSA ID.

Resources

School Code

Be sure to include Oglethorpe’s school code, which is 001586

Beginning in mid-March 2024, you should receive a notice by email with instructions about how to access your FAFSA Submission Summary (FSS) online. 

If you listed Oglethorpe University on your FAFSA, we will receive a version of your FSS called an ISIR electronically as soon as it is processed from mid-March forward. Please note that your ISIR will try to link with your Oglethorpe record and it is extremely important to make sure all your demographic information (full name, address, SSN, etc.) on your FAFSA matches what you entered on your Oglethorpe Application otherwise we might not be able to link your records and we won’t be able to award you.

You will be notified by email or mail if additional documentation is needed. Some of our students may be selected for Dependent Verification. Don’t panic if you are selected for verification; selection is at random and about 30% of students are selected. If you are selected, you will just need to submit the appropriate forms and tax returns directly to Oglethorpe University. 

You will receive an email notification with a link to view and respond to your financial aid award online. Follow the instructions in the email to:

  • View financial aid package
  • Accept/decline awards if you have any

Please note, your financial aid award is based on full-time attendance for one academic year (fall and spring semesters). The total aid is divided equally between semesters; one-half for fall expenses and one-half for spring expenses. The amount of your award is based on your financial need, which is determined by:

  • A federal process that calculates your SAI, based on the FAFSA result
  • An assumption that you will be enrolled full-time

If you do not receive notification that your financial aid award is available, check with your Admission Counselor to ensure that we have received your FAFSA. 

If you accepted a Federal loan(s) you will need to complete all required promissory notes, counseling, and disclosures before the loans can be disbursed. A promissory note is the legal agreement that you will repay your loan(s).

If your parent(s) wants to borrow a PLUS loan, they will need to complete the PLUS loan application at StudentLoans.gov and the PLUS Master Promissory Note before the funds will disburse to your student account.

If you are applying for an alternative loan, you will need to complete all necessary documents required by the lender you have chosen. 

If you have done everything required above, you should receive your financial aid disbursement to your student account approximately one week after the start of the semester.

If your financial aid exceeds the university charges, you will have a credit balance on your student account. That credit will be posted to your account and a refund check will be generated. You will receive an email from the HUB once your refund check is available for pick up.

You should apply as soon as possible after your parents have completed their federal tax returns. In most academic years, FAFSA forms become available every October 1 for the academic year beginning that fall (for instance, a FAFSA available October 1, 2022 is applicable to the 2023 Fall Semester). For freshman applicants, this means that you should begin to work on the FAFSA in the fall of your senior year of high school.

Oglethorpe encourages all applicants for financial aid to file the FAFSA by February 15, although FAFSAs filed after February 15 will still be considered.