Student Financial Aid and Tuition Exemptions

Early Awareness - Apply Now

The 2012-2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is currently available. This application is effective for the Fall 2012, Spring 2013 and Summer 2013 semesters.

1. Summer 2012: Students will need to complete the 2011-2012 FAFSA to be considered for summer aid.  Summer aid is generally residual funding that students did not receive during the Fall and Spring semesters.  In order to be considered for Summer Financial Aid, you will need to complete a Summer Financial Aid Request Form.  This form will be available effective March 15, 2012. Access forms online >>  
   
   The 2012-2013 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available for submission effective January 1, 2012. This application is effective for the Fall 2012, Spring 2013 and Summer 2013 semesters.
   
2. 2012-2013: The Federal Processing Center usually mails previous FAFSA applicants the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) “Renewal Applications” in November and December.   However, if a Renewal Application has not been received, it is recommended that students file their FAFSA beginning January 1, 2012, or once the 2011 Federal Tax Return has been filed.  The priority application date is May 1, 2012.
   
   APPLY EARLY! To avoid long lines and delays in your financial aid being processed it is recommended that you apply by December 1, 2012.

Financial Aid Credited to Your Account

If you have been awarded and submitted your accepted Award Notification into the office, then the Office of Student Financial Aid will automatically credit anticipated aid funds directly to your Account Statement. If your Financial Aid Award is less than the total amount owed to the University, you will need to complete a University Promissory Note and/or make the required payment with the Bursar's Office in order for your class schedule to be held. Otherwise, your schedule will be purged and you will not be considered registered. Your Financial Aid Award may include Pell Grants, SEOG, and Taylor (Tuition) Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS), Perkins Loans, and Direct Loans for students who are eligible. If you decide not to attend and therefore do not want your classes locked-in, then you must OFFICIALLY resign from the University through WebSTAR. Failure to follow this procedure will result in grades of "F's" for the semester, possible financial obligations to the University, and the loss of future financial aid.

Please note if your loan funds are received from your lender in the form of a "Paper Check" it must be endorsed before your funds are credited to your Account Statement (i.e., Parent Plus and all types of Private Loans).

*If your financial aid award does not credit to your account or if the credited amount does not cover your total amount owed, your class schedule will be purged and you will no longer be registered for the semester. You must otherwise meet your total amount owed by the appropriate fee payment deadline in order to complete your registration. If you need to see a Financial Aid Counselor, come in person to the Financial Aid Registration Station during the appropriate Fee Payment/Registration period before your deadline to pay fees for the semester.

Audit hours do not count toward financial aid eligibility, and funds cannot be released based on audit hours. In most cases, your financial aid award package is based on full-time enrollment (12 credit hours or more in the fall and spring; six credit hours or more in the summer). Therefore, enrollment less than full-time will require an adjustment to your financial aid cost of attendance. Subsequently, Pell Grants will be reduced and an adjustment to other financial aid programs may also be required.

If your financial aid is reduced or canceled after Account Statements are mailed, you are responsible for paying the total amount owed that your adjusted financial aid award does not cover. Failure to do so will result in your class schedule being purged, and you will no longer be registered for the semester. You are strongly urged to monitor your account balance through WebSTAR.

General Information

Please visit the Office of Financial Aid website for the following topics:

1. Federal Pell Grants and  Federal SEOG
2. Federal Perkins Students Loans
3. Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, PLUS loans & Private Loans
4. Special Billings to Third Tuition Agencies
5. Louisiana State Teacher Tuition Exemption
6. Graduate Assistantships
7. National Guard Tuition Exemption
8. "Overaward" of Federal Financial Aid
9. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
10. Re-admit Returning Students
11. Resignations

Federal Pell Grants and Federal SEOG

If you have received a UNO Financial Aid Award Notification confirming your Pell Grant and/or Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), these funds should appear as a credit on your Account Statement. If your Fall, Spring, or Summer Semester Account Statement does not reflect this credit by the appropriate fee payment deadline, you must make the total amount owed in order to complete your registration. If you need to see a Financial Aid Counselor, come in person to the Financial Aid Registration Station during the appropriate Fee Payment/Registration period, before your deadline to pay fees for the semester.

Note: Your class schedule will be purged if your minimum fee payment is not satisfied by the appropriate deadline. Please be sure to check your Account Statements prior to your fee payment deadline in order to ensure that the necessary credits appear on you student account. You are strongly urged to monitor your account balance through WebSTAR.

Federal Perkins Student Loans

If you have been awarded a Perkins Loan, you must sign a Perkins Promissory Note in the Office of Accounting Services (Administration Building, Room 1006) or at the Perkins Loan Registration Station (University Center Ballroom) during the appropriate Fee Payment/Registration period. Your Perkins Loan cannot be credited to your Account Statement until you have signed your Perkins Promissory Note.

If your Account Statement does not reflect your Perkins Loan credit by the appropriate fee payment deadline, you must make the total amount owed in order to complete your registration. If you need to see a Financial Aid Counselor, come in person to the Financial Aid Registration Station (University Center Ballroom) during the appropriate Fee Payment/Registration period before your deadline to pay fees for the semester. 

NOTE: Your class schedule will be purged if the total amount owed is not satisfied by the appropriate deadline. Please be sure to check your Account Statement prior to your fee payment deadline in order to ensure that the necessary credits appear on your student account. You are strongly urged to monitor your account balance through WebSTAR.

Federal DIrect Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans, PLUS Loans & Private Loans

The Federal Government disburses Federal Direct Loan funds electronically to the University. The actual loan funds are posted to your Student Account after Centralized Enrollment Services. Prior to receiving the actual loan funds, if you ACCEPT your award(s), your Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized) will show as "Anticipated Aid" on your Account Statement and Customer Account. You may view your account online through WebSTAR. The PLUS and Private Loans are NOT posted to the account as "Anticipated Aid." The Bursar's Office will review a roster of eligible PLUS and Private Loan recipients to determine if the student's class schedule could be held based on the PLUS and Private Loan funds. Please contact the Bursar's Office for instructions.

If you receive Private Loan funds and your lender does not participate in the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT), then you must endorse your loan check (s) at the Bursar's Station during the appropriate loan disbursement periods. In order for the loan to be negotiated and credited to the student's account. If you are using your loan check (s) to pay the total amount owed, you must endorse your check (s) prior to your fee payment deadline.

Once your loan funds are posted to your account and your enrollment/enrolled hours have been confirmed, the Bursar's Office will release any excess funds to your bank account, or mail the excess funds to you if you have not authorized an electronic credit of funds to your bank.

Please be aware that Private Loan Checks received from your lender must be endorsed by the student no later than 30 days after the checks are delivered to the University from the bank. All checks that are not endorsed within this timeframe must be returned to the bank and canceled.

Requirements for Crediting Financial Aid to Your Account Statement:

1. You must formally accept the award by logging in WebStar to review and Accept/Decline your award.
2. Upon logging in WebStar, you must select the appropriate academic school year to Accept or Decline your offered Award. Note: The UNO Financial Aid Award is located on the main page of WebStar under Finances>> Financial Aid.
3. You must be enrolled in an eligible degree- or certificate-seeking curriculum.
4. You must be enrolled at lesat half-time to be eligible for student loans: A minimum of six (6) credit hours (Undergraduates) and five (5) credit hours (Graduates) during a Fall and/or Spring semesters. During a Summer semester, three (3) credit hours is considered half-time.
   
   Audit hours do not count toward financial aid eligibility. Loan funds cannot be disbursed to your Student Account if you are enrolled below half-time.
   In most cases, your financial aid award package is based on full-time enrollment (12 credit hours or more in the fall/spring; 6 credit hours or more in the summer). Therefore, enrollment less than full-time may result in an adjustment of your financial aid award.
   
5. You must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress.
6. You must complete a Federal Direct Master Promissory Note and Loan Counseling if you are a first time borrower.

Louisiana State Teacher Tuition Exemption

To participate in the Teacher Tuition Exemption program, the Bursar's Office must have an agreement on file with the parish school board where the teacher is employed. Additionally, each teacher will be required to complete a Receivable Form and submit it to the Third Party Billing Coordinator. For further information, contact the Third Party Billing Coordinator at (504) 280-6505.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate assistantships provide a salary, tuition exemption, and a waiver of non-resident fees. Holders of an academic year (nine months) assistantship are eligible for the exemption of fees in the Summer Session, providing the assistantship was held for both the Fall and Spring semesters of the same academic year. Graduate assistants who resign or who are terminated from the University will be accountable for all tuition and fees for that semester.

National Guard Tuition Exemption

Full-time and part-time students who are members of the Louisiana National Guard are required to come IN PERSON in order to have their eligibility verified by a Financial Aid Representative.   However, it is recommended that students first check with their STEP Coordinator to confirm their names are on the National Guard eligibility roster.   This can be done in the Office of Student Financial Aid (Administration Building, Room 1005) prior to the Fee Payment/Registration period once final grades are posted for the current semester, OR at the Financial Aid Registration Station during the appropriate Fee Payment/Registration period, before your deadline to pay fees. The National Guard tuition exemption will NOT be credited to the student's Account Statement if this procedure is not followed and may result in your class schedule being purged.

National Guard tuition exemption eligibility must be confirmed each semester. Recipients must maintain a cumulative 2.0 or higher grade point average (GPA) in order to retain eligibility on all coursework accepted by the University.

"Overaward" of Federal Financial Aid 

he Office of Student Financial Aid initially award students their maximum eligibility in Pell, SEOG, College Work-Study, Perkins and Direct Subsidized Loans.   Any scholarship, tuition waiver, fee exemption, stipend, or other type of award that is processed after the initial financial aid award is packaged may create an "Overaward". If these funds (SEOG, Perkins, Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and/or Plus Loans) have already been disbursed to the student, the student will be required to repay the "Overaward" portion upon notification of the "Overaward" status.

You may be able to avoid an "Overaward" status by CAREFULLY reviewing your UNO Financial Aid Award Notification immediately upon receipt. If you will be receiving any type of scholarship, tuition waiver, fee exemption, or stipend that is not reflected on your Award Notification, you should contact a Financial Aid Counselor immediately in order to have your award reviewed and possibly revised.

Also, if you have been awarded a scholarship, tuition waiver, fee exemption, or stipend for the fall semester only and anticipate receiving the award for the spring, you should contact a Financial Aid Counselor immediately in order to have your award reviewed and possibly revised.