General Questions

A student can determine the status of the financial aid by reviewing the UAH account at https://my.UAH.edu. A student should review specific areas of the UAH account:

  • Student Requirements - Are all requirements complete?
  • Award Offer - Are the funds accepted?
  • Academic Progress - Is the student meeting Student Academic Progress?

 

Initially, the cost of attendance is set for full-time enrollment.

If the number of credit hours is different than what the award was based on, the Cost of Attendance of the student must be recalculated and a new determination made of financial aid eligibility based on the new enrollment status. Any ineligible aid must be returned, possibly leaving the student with a balance.

It depends on the type of program that you will participate in as well as the type of aid that you’d like to receive. Depending on the semester and the type of program you participate in you may be eligible to use your merit scholarship and or federal aid. Please contact our office for more information.

To determine a student’s eligibility for the Summer term, a student is required to report the number of hours the student will be attending. The Office of Financial Aid will then determine the student eligibility for the Summer term. Click here for additional information.

Students should contact Career Services for co-op and internship opportunities. https://www.uah.edu/career-services/internships-coops.

Information on how co-op and internships affect financial aid can be found at https://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/financial-aid/co-op-internships.

UAH merit scholarships are for tuition only. Other awards typically do not stipulate a specific use and can be used for any college expenses.

Contact the Office of Registrar:

Student Services Building, Room 120
301 Sparkman Drive Huntsville, AL 35899
256.824.7777
256.824.7780 (fax)
registrar@uah.edu

Contact the Office of Registrar:

Student Services Building, Room 120
301 Sparkman Drive Huntsville, AL 35899
256.824.7777
256.824.7780 (fax)
registrar@uah.edu

The Office of Registrar submits enrollment reporting monthly to a clearing-house for your lender to verify enrollment. This process replaces the need for a deferment form. Loans require at least half-time enrollment for deferment.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) https://www.uah.edu/admissions/undergraduate/financial-aid/policies

After grades post, the SAP notification email will include information on how to submit a SAP appeal online. The following is required for the appeal process:

  • Explanation of the reason(s) or circumstance why satisfactory progress was not met
  • Description of corrective action taken to resolve the situation
  • Documentation that supports the explanation or circumstance referenced in your appeal

Funds (checks) or notifications should be delivered to the UAH Office of Financial Aid in Suite 124 of the Student Services Building Huntsville, AL 35899. Upon receipt, the award will appear on your Financial Aid summary. Usually, within 5 days and after the first day of the semester, the funds will be applied to your bill.

Notifications should be delivered to the Office of Financial Aid in Suite 124 of the Student Services Building Huntsville, AL 35899 or via email to finaid@uah.edu. Upon receipt, we will award the funding and it will appear on your Financial Aid summary. We do not bill the third party until the drop/add period has expired.

https://www.uah.edu/admissions/graduate/financial-aid/assistantships - For questions about graduate assistantships at UAH, please contact the Graduate School.

All students will see applicable tuition charged to their bill. Merit tuition scholarships will appear as a payment of that charge once funds are disbursed.

 

  • Step 1: Log into my.uah.edu
  • Step 2: Under the "Financial Aid" heading, select "Financial Aid Self Service"
  • Step 3: Select the Award Year
  • Step 4: Click on "Award Offer"
  • Step 5: Under "Take Action" select Accept or Decline
  • Step 6: Click "Submit"

 

Renewal requirements vary based on the scholarship that has been offered. Students should review the award description linked on their my.UAH account for renewal information specific to their award.

 

Payments & Refunds

All tuition, fees, room and board charges are due on the first day of the semester. Late fees will apply to unpaid balances unless you have an installment plan.

UAH offers installment plans through a third-party. For more information go to: Installment Plan

Refunds of credit balances are processed by the Bursar. More information is available at: https://www.uah.edu/bursar/refunds

If you have a credit balance on your account, you can choose to move a portion of that balance to your Charger Card Flex account for use around campus including the bookstore: Complete the Transfer Funds Form.

If you have a credit balance on your account, you can choose to move a portion of that balance to your Charger Card Flex account for use around campus including the bookstore: Complete the Transfer Funds Form.

Negative balances usually reflect that you have received funds or paid in excess of your charges. The first thing you should do is check to see that your account reflects all of the expected charges. Then calculate the financial assistance and payments toward your account balance. If the financial assistance and payments are more than the charges, then you are due a refund. More information is available under the question regarding Financial Aid Refunds.

A $50.00 late payment fee will be charged to any account not paid in full by the first official day of each semester.

 

FAFSA, Pell Grants & Loans

An FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to log in to certain U.S. Department of Education (ED) websites. Your FSA ID identifies you as someone who has the right to access your own personal information on ED websites such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) at fafsa.gov.

If you are a parent of a dependent student, you will need your own FSA ID if you want to sign your child's FAFSA electronically. If you have more than one child attending college, you can use the same FSA ID to sign all applications. Please note: Each FSA ID user must have a unique e-mail address.

Your FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. It has the same legal status as a written signature. Don't give your FSA ID to anyone—not even to someone helping you fill out the FAFSA. Sharing your FSA ID could put you at risk of identity theft.

When students are selected for verification, the university is required to verify that the information on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid application matches their income tax, financial, and other household information. Please respond to any request in a timely manner.

UAH does not require the FAFSA for scholarships but if you are requesting federal aid (grants and/or loans) you must complete the FAFSA each year.

A student can receive a Pell grant for 6 years or the equivalent if they qualify. Loans have both annual and aggregate loan limits:

Annual Maximum Loan Limits

Grade LevelDependent StudentIndependent Student
Freshman: 0 - 30 credit hours $5,500 (no more than $3,500 subsidized) $9,500 (no more than $3,500 subsidized)
Sophomore: 31 - 60 credit hours $6,500 (no more than $4,500 subsidized) $10,500 (no more than $4,500 subsidized)
Junior/Senior: 61+ credit hours $7,500 (no more than $5,500 subsidized) $12,500 (no more than $5,500 subsidized)
Graduate Professional N/A $20,500

Aggregate Maximum Loan Limits

StatusAmount
Dependent Student $31,000 (no more than $23,000 subsidized)
Independent Student $57,500 (no more than $23,000 subsidized)
Graduate/Professional $138,500

The FAFSA determines a student’s eligibility for need based Federal aid. The eligibility of Pell Grant funds and other need based aid is determined by the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined by the FAFSA

  • The parent/student income level may be too high to qualify for grant
  • A student who has received a bachelor’s degree or the equivalent of a bachelor’s degree is not eligible for Pell Grant Funds
  • Pell Grant funds are also prorated based on a student’s enrollment (some grant eligible students must be full-time to receive their grant)

 

  1. Accept loan at https://my.UAH.edu
  2. Complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
  3. Complete Entrance Counseling

 

 

  • Complete the FAFSA each year www.FAFSA.ed.gov
  • Accept your loan each year http://my.UAH.edu
  • Master Promissory note once every 10 years unless funds never disbursed then the MPN would expire after one year
  • Entrance Counseling once every 10 years - unless funds never disbursed then the counseling would expire after one year

 

The FAFSA is available for students to apply for assistance for paying educational expenses. Based on a student’s and parent’s income eligibility and the student’s enrollment, housing, etc. Federal aid may not cover all expenses.

 

  • Step 1: Go to my.uah.edu
  • Step 2: Log in using your ChargerID and Password
  • Step 3: Under the "Financial Aid" tab, select AWARD
  • Step 4: Click on: AWARD FOR AID YEAR
  • Step 5: Select Aid Year
  • Step 6: Go to the tab labeled "Accept Award Offer"
  • Step 7: At the top of the page it will say “click here for loan adjustment.”

 

Complete the form that opens in that link and add a comment in the box provided to clarify your request.

Aid is applied to students account the first day of classes each semester or once the student ‘s requirements have been met and the student’s level of enrollment and eligibility for funds have been verified. If the student’s file is not complete by the beginning of the semester, time delays will be experienced. Generally, refunds occur at least once a week. If you are expecting a refund after your balance has been paid, check with the Bursar’s Office to inquire about your refund.

In order to be considered independent for financial aid purposes you must meet one of the following criteria:

  • You must turn 24 before January 1 of the academic year that you are applying for.
  • Be a Graduate/Professional student.
  • Be married.
  • Have children who receive more than half of their support from you.
  • Have dependents (other than your children/spouse) that live with you and receive more than half of their support from you.
  • Be an orphan or ward/dependent of the court.
  • Be a veteran of the United States Armed Forces.
  • You are or were an emancipated minor as determined by a court in your state of legal residence.
  • You are or were in legal guardianship as determined by a court in your state of legal residence.
  • If your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless in the year before you apply for financial aid.
  • If a director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless in the year before you apply for financial aid.
  • If a director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless in the year before you apply for financial aid.

If you do not meet any of the criteria listed above, but can document extreme family circumstances that prevent you from obtaining your parents information/support, please contact the Office of Financial Aid for a possible reevaluation of your status.

 

 

Private loans are credit based loans for students to assist with educational expenses. As a result the student must be credit worthy or have a credit worthy cosigner. These loans are not administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Each lender can set the interest rates, loan fees and terms of his/her program based on lender parameters. Most lenders have online applications to expedite the process. Once the lender approves the loan the lender will require a certification from UAH to verify enrollment and eligibility. The amount the student is eligible to receive is based on cost of attendance and enrollment for the loan period or periods requested.

A parent plus loan is a credit based loan that a parent takes out on the student’s behalf. The parent must be credit worthy or have a credit worthy cosigner to be approved. - If the parent loan is applied for and turned down, we can offer the student additional funds in their name ($4,000 for a freshman/sophomore and $5,000 for junior senior). The parent plus loan amount may be up to the student’s cost of attendance based on the students enrollment and the loan period requested.

The parent loan will go into repayment after the loan is fully disbursed for the loan period. Example: a disbursement would occur for fall in August and a second or final disbursement in January for the spring term. Repayment would begin in approximately 60 days after the final disbursement or in March of the same year.

Exception: when completing the parent plus loan application, the parent can check the box “defer” which will allow the loan to defer the repayments while the student is enrolled.

Please note when applying for the parent plus loan the parent must use their FSA ID to submit the parent plus loan at https://studentaid.gov

A graduate plus loan is a credit based loan available for graduate or professional level students. As a result the student must be credit-worthy or have a credit-worthy cosigner to be approved.

Applications are available at https://studentaid.gov. The student may borrow up to their cost of attendance based on enrollment for the loan period requested. We suggest that a student use their annual loan limit in the federal unsubsidized loan before using graduate plus loans.. (The graduate plus loan interest rate is higher than the unsubsidized loan).

 

Competitive Scholarships

Great news! You don’t have to apply for individual UAH competitive scholarships! Our competitive scholarship application is comprehensive for all awards that fall under this program.

Our competitive scholarship application is comprehensive for all competitive scholarship offers. Students do not need to indicate interest for a specific award. We will review all eligible candidates based on the comprehensive application.

Students selected for a competitive scholarship will receive an email to their UAH email account letting them know there was a change to their financial aid offers. Students should check their UAH email on a regular basis and review their financial aid listings any time they receive an email stating their offer has changed.

Competitive scholarship selections begin in the spring for awards that start in the fall. Most scholarships for the following academic year will be offered by May 1. However, additional offers may be made throughout the year as additional scholarship funds become available. Students offered a competitive scholarship will receive an email to their UAH email account letting them know that a change was made to their financial aid offers. Due to the on-going nature of awarding, UAH does not send “regret” emails to students not selected for an award.

Students who submit their scholarship application by the priority date will be considered in the first round of scholarship recipient selection and will be considered for all scholarships awarded for that academic year. Submitting an application by the priority date is probably the most important action a student can take to maximize their chances of being selected to receive a UAH competitive scholarship.

Selection committees for competitive scholarships vary based on the scholarship’s donor agreement. These committees may include college deans, department chairs, representatives from various offices on campus, college administration, or even members of campus-based or outside organizations.

Yes, and the sooner, the better! There are a number of scholarships that are awarded after the first round of recipient selection. Students submitting applications after the priority date will be considered for any remaining scholarships.

Absolutely! Although most scholarships do take academic merit into consideration, there are many scholarships that also look at other factors such as leadership, citizenship, community services, membership in certain organizations, and a host of other criteria.

Renewal evaluations occur after grades post each semester.