Financial Aid Eligibility

All federal financial aid recipients must meet the following requirements:

  • Demonstrate financial need (for most programs);
  • Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen;
  • Have a valid social security number;
  • Have a high school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate;
  • Be admitted to Albany State University, paid the application fee (if applicable), and be enrolled as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;
  • Be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds;
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress requirements;
  • Not be in default on a student loan and not owe money on a federal student grant received at any school;
  • Agree to use federal student aid for educational purpose only;
  • Provide all necessary documentation required/requested1
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Federal regulations mandate that a school must have a system of identifying and resolving discrepancies in all FSA-related information received by any school office. A school must resolve discrepancies for all students, not just those selected for verification. Resolution includes determining what information is correct and documenting the school’s finding in the student’s file. Conflicting information must be resolved before disbursing aid or making a professional judgment adjustment. If conflicting information arises after a student’s aid was originally disbursed, the school may remove any disbursements of aid from a student’s account and require resolution of any conflicting information before disbursing any further aid. If this occurs, the student may be liable to the college for any balances owed as a result of receiving aid that they weren't eligible for based on the conflicting information.

All students should also be aware of the following information regarding financial aid eligibility:

  • Financial aid will only pay for classes required for a student’s major as identified by the Office of the Registrar. Students should refer to the major course requirements before registering for classes.
  • All financial aid recipients must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Coursework used to evaluate SAP for degree programs includes all attempted hours at Albany State University, including repeat courses, as well as most transfer hours, regardless of whether or not a student received financial aid for those courses. Coursework used to evaluate SAP for certificate programs includes all attempted hours required toward that specific program only. Students who do not meet the SAP standards are not eligible for financial aid, with the exception of those students in a WARNING or PROBATION status as described by our Financial Aid SAP Policy www.asurams.edu.
  • Financial aid will pay up to 150% of Albany State’s programs of study. For example: If an Associate Degrees is 60 credit hours, financial aid will pay for a total of 90 attempted credit hours (60 x 1.5 = 90); For a Bachelor’s Degree that is 120 credit hours, financial aid will pay up to 180 attempted credit hours (120 X 1.5=180). Students in a certificate program are allowed to attempt up to 150% of the hours required for that specific certificate program.
  • Financial aid recipients enrolled at two or more colleges/universities at the same time cannot receive duplicate federal financial aid at both schools. If it is determined that a student is receiving duplicate aid at two schools, ASU will remove the aid and the student may owe a balance as a result.
  • Students must be attending at least 6 credit hours applicable toward their major to be eligible for a student loan.
  • Students who register for a second half semester course (B-term) have fees due at the regular published fee payment deadlines, even though in some cases federal student loan funds may not be available until B-term has actually begun.
  • Enrollment for federal and state grant recipients is “frozen” each semester at the end of add/drop period. Students must be registered for all parts of term before the freeze date to receive aid for any class(es).

All financial aid recipients are strongly encouraged go to Albany State’s website at www.asurams.edu, under the Financial Aid section, for additional or updated information on financial aid requirements, procedures, and frequently asked questions, and to view the Student Rights & Responsibilities.

Conflicting Information

Conflicting information occurs when information reported, either verbally or on any documentation submitted to any office at the University, does not match the information being reported on the FAFSA or supplemental forms/documents and the discrepancy affects eligibility or is of sufficient magnitude to materially affect the amount and types of aid a student is eligible to receive. 

Federal regulations mandate that a school must have a system of identifying and resolving discrepancies in all FSA-related information received by any school office. A school must resolve discrepancies for all students, not just those selected for verification. Resolution includes determining what information is correct and documenting the school’s finding in the student’s file. Conflicting information must be resolved before disbursing aid or making a professional judgment adjustment. If conflicting information arises after a student’s aid was originally disbursed, the school may remove any disbursements of aid from a student’s account and require resolution of any conflicting information before disbursing any further aid. If this occurs, the student may be liable to the University for a balance owed as a result of receiving aid that they weren't eligible for based on the conflicting information.