Office of Student Financial Aid

If you were selected for verification, these user guides will help you navigate the process. 

• Setting up your StudentForms account
• Completing Requirements
• Uploading Documents
• Parent Instructions

See the How To Accept Financial Aid Offer through AppalNet document (PDF, 727 KB). 

See the Granting Parent Access through AppalNet document (PDF, 625 KB). 

See the Checking Outstanding Financial Aid Requirements through AppalNet guide (PDF, 577 KB).

Information on VA Benefits and how to apply is available on our website here: https://financialaid.appstate.edu/apply/veterans-and-military-education

You may also be interested in other resources available to our VA students! Appalachian is pleased to offer a dedicated VA Resource Centerin the Plemmons Student Union. Information on VA-specific scholarships can be found here:  https://militarystudents.appstate.edu/scholarships

See Completing the FAFSA for more information. 

The U.S. Department of Education recently announced changes to streamline the process of accessing and submitting a 2024-25 FAFSA form for individuals without a Social Security number (SSN). 

We are aware there are still challenges making it difficult for a small number of those without an SSN to complete the FAFSA. We’ve released additional guidance on how to address some common issues.

In some cases, applicants have invited contributors without an SSN to access their FAFSA form, but the contributor cannot see their form when they log in to their own StudentAid.gov account.

These applicants should make sure the personal information they entered when inviting the contributor to fill out the FAFSA form exactly matches the information they provided when creating their StudentAid.gov account. If it does not match, they will need to send the contributor a new invite with the correct information. DO NOT use an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) on the invitation in place of an SSN. An ITIN will begin with a “9”, if the student is unclear whether their contributor has an ITIN or SSN.

 If the contributor’s information on their invite and their StudentAid.gov account DO match and they still do not see the form:

There was another error on the contributor’s StudentAid.gov account. The most common scenarios are the use of an ITIN number in the place of the SSN number, an incorrect date of birth, or multiple accounts created for the same individual. If there is an error, your contributor must invalidate their current account and create a new one.  

The Department has taken steps to invalidate any StudentAid.gov accounts that were created with an ITIN. These users can skip the steps below and proceed directly to creating a new account that does not use an ITIN.  

To invalidate the current account, the contributor must complete these steps:

1. Log in to StudentAid.gov and navigate to “Settings”
2. Find the Personal Information page and delete the last name entry.
3. Select “Apply Changes,” and then select “Yes” from the warning message about continuing with the blank last name. 
4. On the contact information page, update the information:
   1. Replace the email address with another valid email address. The same email cannot be used on the invalidated account and the newly created account.
   2. Uncheck “Yes, I would like to use my mobile phone for account recovery,” and delete the mobile phone number.
   3. Check the box to agree to terms and conditions, and then select “Apply Changes.”
   4. On the next screen, follow prompts to verify the new email address.
   5. Click “Continue to complete the changes.” 

After a contributor’s account is invalidated, they must create a new StudentAid.gov account with correct personal information.

• DO NOT enter an ITIN in place of an SSN. An ITIN is a tax processing number issued by the IRS that has 9 digits beginning with the number 9.
• DO NOT enter an incorrect date of birth and correct it after creating an account. 
• DO NOT use the same email address as the invalidated account.

If the contributor has a foreign mailing address, there are some additional steps, which can be reviewed here. Once the new account is created, they can log-in with their new username and password. If they are completing the manual identity validation process, they will still have access to your FAFSA form while they complete it.

Once a contributor’s account is invalidated, it cannot be associated with any FAFSA form, and may be deleted.

Applicants and contributors still experiencing issues with contributor accounts can contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center for additional assistance.

See the Loans section for more information.

See the Scholarships page for more information. 

Click here to watch a video tutorial from the Department of Education.

In order to receive federal student aid, a student must meet all of the eligibility criteria in the requirements outlined by the US Department of Education.

If you are deemed ineligible for federal financial aid, you may still qualify for state or institutional assistance.
If you have questions about your eligibility or the criteria outlined by the U.S. Department of Education, please contact our office. 

The FAFSA form Step Three requires students to answer seven questions which determine if the student is considered to be independent or dependent for financial aid purposes. To view these seven questions or more information on this issue, please visit the FAFSA Website.

Financial aid can only be awarded to courses that are required for a student's degree. If at any point in the semester, our office determines you are receiving aid for courses that are not required, your aid will be recalculated which may result in a balance owed to the university.

Students who have already graduated with their first bachelor's degree are not eligible for state, federal, or institutional grants. If you are pursuing a second bachelor's degree, you will be eligible to receive federal student loans through the FAFSA. We highly recommend researching scholarship options to fund your program of study! See more information on scholarships here. 

Note: Pursuing a second undergraduate degree is different from double-majoring! If you are a student who plans to double-major, you must not complete one major before the other.  Please talk to your academic advisor to plan your course of study and reach out to our office if you have any concerns about remaining eligible for financial aid. 

The following are responsibilities you must take in order to receive communications from the Financial Aid Office:

• Check your Appalachian State University e-mail account daily; and
• Set your AppalNet preferences to receive Financial Aid announcements; and
• Check the Financial Aid tab of your AppalNet account weekly for updates to requirements, messages, and awards (the Financial Aid tab will appear once we have processed a FAFSA for you)
• Update your contact information via your AppalNet account; and
• Read The Appalachian newspaper; and
• Check your ASU post office box each week, if you have not opted out of using an ASU box

New students receive financial aid offers in March while continuing students receive offers for the upcoming year in April. 

There are a few things that can hinder your award. If you are concerned that Appalachian has not received your FAFSA, log into AppalNet and go to the Financial Aid tab. Click on "My Eligibility" and "Student Requirements". Use the drop-down menu to select the appropriate aid year. If the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid" is satisfied, then we have received your FAFSA!

• If the requirement is not listed or if it is not satisfied, we have not received your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) information.
  • Did you list Appalachian as a school that could receive your FAFSA? Log back into your FAFSA at FAFSA.ED.GOV or call the Federal Student Aid Center at 1-800-433-3243 to have your information sent to Appalachian State University by adding school code 002906.
    Learn how to make a FASFA correction here. 
  • If your name, Social Security number or birthdate on the FAFSA don't match the same information on your student record at Appalachian then your FAFSA can't be processed. Check these items on both your FAFSA and your student record (you can use MyMountaineer or contact the Registrar), and fix anything that is not correct. The Financial Aid office cannot make changes to your student record - only Admissions or the Registrar can do that for you.

• How to check for Outstanding Requirements.

Students with financial aid may be eligible for a refund if their financial aid for the semester exceeds their bill.

Generally, refunds are available during the first week of classes if:

• You have completed the FAFSA;
• You have submitted all the necessary documentation and have no outstanding requirements. (Log onto your AppalNet account and click on Student Requirement" under Financial Aid);
• You are registered as a full-time student;
• AND
• You set up a direct deposit account through TouchNet. (Instructions linked here)

Your refund may be delayed or removed if you are not registered as a full-time student, if you have a prior term balance that has not been paid, or if your outstanding requirements have not been satisfied. Failure to meet academic standards can also impact your financial aid eligibility. To learn more about Satisfactory Academic Progress, please click here. 

Financial aid amounts may change for several reasons. If your financial aid has changed, we encourage you to contact our office with your questions! A few common reasons for aid adjustments are as follows:

Over-Awards: Federal regulations do not allow students to be awarded financial aid that exceeds their Cost of Attendance budget (for the semester or for the year). Occasionally a scholarship will be added to a student's account after their financial aid has been packaged. If the new total aid exceeds the Cost of Attendance, financial aid is adjusted. Whenever possible, the Office of Student Financial Aid will move to reduce student debt first! 

Credit Hours: Your courses must be required for your degree program in order to be covered by financial aid. Students must be enrolled in at least 6 credit hours in order to receive any state or federal financial aid (including loans).  Scholarships and grants often have minimum credit hours requirements as well. If you are not enrolled full-time (12+ credit hours for undergraduate students and 9+ credit hours for graduate students) then your financial aid will be reviewed and adjusted based on your enrollment. You can find more details by reading the Terms and Conditions.

See the Loans section for more information.

When you take out a loan, you must sign a loan agreement contract with the lender. This contract is called a " Master Promissory Note" (MPN).

The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document that explains the terms and conditions of the loan. It is also your agreement to repay the loan (and any accrued interest and fees) to the U.S. Department of Education. 

Because the promissory note is a legal document, you should read it very carefully and make sure you understand all the information before you sign. The details will include the terms and conditions under which the loan is made as well as your rights and responsibilities as the borrower. If there are errors on the promissory note, contact your lender before signing it. A promissory note for a student loan is also an agreement between the borrower, the lender, and the school that authorizes the school to credit the funds to the student's account, to use the borrower's Social Security number, to report to credit agencies, and to share information about the loan.

To complete your MPN please log on to studentaid.gov and sign in using your FSA ID number. When a parent needs to complete the MPN for a PLUS loan they will need to sign in using their own pin number, not the student's pin number.

Loans may only be canceled within the first 21 days after the loan has been credited to your Student Account. If the loan was credited to your Student Account more than 21 days ago, you must repay any loan amount directly to your loan servicer. 

See the Loan Cancellation Form (PDF, 277 KB) for more information. 

Student Loan Consolidation, also called a Consolidation Loan, combines several student or parent loans into one larger loan from a single lender, which is then used to pay off the balances on the other loans. Consolidation loans are available for most federal loans, including FFELP (Stafford, Grad PLUS, PLUS and SLS), FISL, Perkins, Health Professional Student Loans, NSL, HEAL, Guaranteed Student Loans and Direct loans. Some lenders offer private consolidation for private education loans as well.

Completely understand your rights and responsibilities for loan consolidation before you begin the process of consolidating your loan. A good place to start is with the U.S. Department of Education Loan Consolidation website.

Use the U.S. Department of Education Consolidation Loan Checklist to determine if loan consolidation is right for you.

Another good resource for loan consolidation information is the FinAid website.

If you wish to consider loan consolidation after reviewing the websites above and the completing the checklist, click on your lender as listed below for your lenders loan consolidation procedures.

If your lender is not listed, go to www.nslds.ed.gov to locate your lender. Your will need your U.S. Department of Education PIN to access your data. If you do not know your PIN, go to www.pin.ed.gov.

For more information on the Federal Student Direct Loan Program, such as interest rates, forbearance, deferment, loan consolidation or repayment, click here.

See the studentaid.ed.gov website for more information. 

See the Consent to Release Records page for more information.

See the Consent to Release Records page for more information.

FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act)
Please be aware that our office will only discuss financial aid information with the parent(s) whose information is included on the student's FAFSA. You may be asked to provide your Social Security number and date of birth in order to verify the parents whose information is included on the student's FAFSA.

Financial aid must be reapplied for every year.
FAFSA forms can be completed on or after January 1 each year. Appalachians priority deadline is always March 1. Please note that the earlier the FAFSA is completed, the more chance your student has of receiving federal and state need-based grants, if they are eligible. If the FAFSA is completed after March 1st, the financial aid may not be available by the time bills are due or when classes begin.

Financial Aid Counselors
Information on contacting a Financial Aid Counselor.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
All students must maintain satisfactory academic progress (PDF, 27 KB) in order to receive financial aid.

Communication From the Office of Student Financial Aid
All communication from our office will be sent to the attention of the student. Communication will be mailed to the students ASU post office box during periods of enrollment. Only during periods of non-enrollment will information be mailed to the permanent home address.

Students are responsible for checking their ASU post office box and their ASU e-mail account at least twice a week. Additionally, students should read The Appalachian and set their AppalNet Personal Announcements to receive financial aid information.

Parents are invited to Orientation!
For more information about Parent Orientation, please visit the Admissions website.

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate designed to help students determine what it may cost to attend Appalachian for an academic year. The COA (sometimes referred to as a “budget”) is not a final bill but is an estimate of education expenses.
This budgeting tool is based on full-time enrollment and is made up of direct and indirect costs. 

• Direct costs are the expenses that are billed to the university directly to the student. These expenses include:

  • Tuition and Fees

  • On-campus Housing

  • Meal Plans

  • Book Rentals

• Indirect costs are expenses a student will likely incur, but will not pay to the university. Indirect costs vary from student to student and may include:

  • Off-campus housing (after your freshman year)

  • Books and Supplies

  • Transportation to campus and returning home 

  • Personal expenses (examples include: clothing, food, and personal hygiene items)
    

How do I find my COA?

Your COA is listed on your AppalNet Self Service account. Once you log into your account, follow these steps to view your COA:

1. Click on the Financial Aid tab.
2. Click on My Award Information.
3. Click on Accept Award Offer by Aid Year.
4. Choose the award year from the drop-down list.
5. Click on Award Overview.
   

Why Does the COA Matter?

Every student who applies for aid is assigned a cost of attendance. The COA serves two purposes:

1. To help you budget and prepare by providing an estimate of the cost to attend Appalachian State University for one year.
2. To serve as a guideline for the amount of financial aid we can award. Federal Regulations require that universities set a limit to the amount of aid awarded - this means that the total amount of your financial aid—including scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study—cannot exceed your COA.

Can I Change my Cost of Attendance?

The COA includes the expenses that most Appalachian students incur however, you may have additional expenses not accounted for in the average Cost of Attendance. If you have extenuating circumstances not reflected in your COA and you find that you need to request additional financial aid, please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid directly to find out your eligibility. Increasing your COA may qualify you for additional loan funding, it will not increase your grant or scholarship aid.
Some examples of some educational expenses that are not automatically included in the COA are:

• Student health insurance.
• The purchase of a computer.
• Travel to and from campus, if you commute from out-of-town.
• Costs associated with childcare for your dependents while you are in class.
• Additional required materials or supplies for your classes.

For more information on your Cost of Attendance at Appalachian State University please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid.

• All questions concerning your bills should be directed to the Office of Student Accounts at 828.262.2113.
• ASU Office of Student Accounts sends e-mail bills only. Bills will be e-mailed to the student ASU e-mail address, and an e-mail notice will be sent to parents or guardians that have been given Student Accounts access by the student and have provided an e-mail address. For instructions on granting parent access go to www.registrar.appstate.edu/ferpa.html. Students will be able to view and print the bills on AppalNET and parents/guardians (with Student Accounts access) will be able to view and print the bills on the Parent Portal.
• If the student has enough financial aid to completely cover all institutional charges, a bill will not be sent.
• The financial aid will be identified on the bill as a "MEMO" or an "AUTHORIZATION." The "MEMO" or "AUTHORIZATION" amount is the lesser of the institutional charges for the semester or the net financial aid. The MEMO" or "AUTHORIZATION" indicates to the Office of Student Accounts that the amount of the anticipated aid is the amount that should be credited to the student's account to pay for some or all of the institutional charges. Financial Aid will only cover tuition and fees, room (if on campus) and meal card charges. All other university charges are your responsibility to pay. The Current Due" amount must be paid by the payment date. The student's classes may be canceled if they do not have enough financial aid to cover the institutional charges and the balance is not paid by the due date.
• Keep in mind that the Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized and Federal Direct PLUS may charge fees, and these fees will be deducted from the gross award amount listed on the award letter.
• Also keep in mind that Federal Work-Study earnings are not credited to the students account to pay the bill but are paid directly to the student for the hours worked.

A financial aid refund may be due if the total financial aid (excluding FWS) is greater than the University charges of tuition, fees, and room and board (if contracted with the University).

Refunds are not available until registration day of each semester. Refunds are available 3 to 5 business days after financial aid has been credited to the student's account, but not prior to registration day.

The Office of Student Accounts handles all financial aid refunds. For information on the methods available to receive the financial aid refund, please visit the Student Accounts webpage.

See the Distance Education website for more information.

See the Consortium Agreement page for more information.

Click here for more information on distance education.

If you are considering withdrawing from the university or dropping courses, please select the appropriate link below to determine how this decision will impact your financial aid award. Please contact the Registrar's office for more information on officially withdrawing from the university.

Dropping to Zero Hours

If you withdraw from the University, you must contact the Registrar's Office to begin the official withdrawal process and establish your withdrawal date. If you stop attending all of your classes, you are required to officially withdraw from the University. If you stop attending all of your classes but fail to complete the official withdrawal process, you will be considered as an unofficial withdrawal.

Please note that you may be considered a withdrawn student for financial aid purposes if:

1. You enroll in one or more courses that do not span the entire length of the semester; and
2. You enroll in one or more courses that do last the entire semester; and
3. You drop the course(s) that lasts the entire semester after you have completed the course(s) that does not span the entire semester.

The Financial Aid Office will be notified when you drop courses and are no longer enrolled in any other courses. Based on the Return of Title IV funds calculation, you may be required to repay all or a portion of the financial aid you received.

Dropping Hours Before or During the Drop/Add Period:

If you are an undergraduate student, your financial aid is based on an enrollment status of 12+ credit hours per semester during the academic year (6+ credit hours for summer terms). If you are a graduate student, your financial aid is based on an enrollment status of 9+  credit hours per semester during the academic year (5+ credit hours for summer terms). If you drop below your respective enrollment status during a drop/add period, your financial aid will be adjusted based on the number of credit hours you are enrolled in at end of the drop/add period.

Dropping Hours After the Drop/Add Period:

If you drop one or more classes after the drop/add window closes but are still enrolled and attending your other courses, your financial aid will typically not be adjusted. Because certain circumstances do result in an adjustment, please contact our office to review your award package before making changes to your enrollment. 

Be advised, if you have utilized federal student loan funding at any point during your academic career, dropping below half-time enrollment* will cause you to enter your 6-month loan repayment grace period.

*(6 credit hours for undergraduates or 5 credit hours for graduate students)  

Unofficial Withdrawal

A student is considered to have unofficially withdrawn if they do not successfully complete any of their courses (receives all F grades or U grades), stopped attending classes, and did not complete any coursework as of the 60% point of the semester (or summer term) without filing to officially withdraw from the University, as required. A student who unofficially withdraws may be required to repay up to 50% of the financial aid received for the term.

Students who never attended any of their classes and did not complete any coursework are required to repay 100% of the financial aid received for the semester or summer term.

Students who stop attending all of their classes are required to officially withdraw from the University.

Be sure to review Appalachian's Withdrawal Policy.

See the Study Abroad page for more information. 

Can I apply for financial aid to cover the costs of a study abroad program?
Students who are enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree program at Appalachian State University may apply for financial aid assistance. Students applying for study abroad financial aid must also meet all financial aid eligibility criteria.

Note that there is no guarantee that you will receive enough financial aid to completely cover the total costs of the study abroad program.

What study abroad programs are approved for financial aid?
All study abroad programs must be approved through the Appalachian State University Office of International Programs to be eligible for financial aid.

What financial aid is available for study abroad programs?
The Office of Student Financial Aid does not have special grants or scholarships to award students who wish to study abroad.

Financial aid will be awarded based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the student's financial need.

For summer, generally, only the loan programs will be offered. If the aggregate or annual maximum Federal Direct Loan limits have already been received for a dependent student, the only alternative is for a parent to apply for the Federal PLUS loan. If the aggregate or annual maximum Federal Direct Loan limit has already been received for an independent student there will be no additional Federal Direct loan eligibility. Graduate students who have already borrowed their maximum amount of Federal Direct Loan eligibility may apply for the federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan.

It is the student's responsibility to apply for scholarships through outside sources.

Several publications which list additional scholarships and financial resources for international study are available on the Office of International Programs Website.

How many credit hours do I have to take to be eligible for financial aid?
For the semester study abroad programs an undergraduate student must be enrolled in at least twelve (12) credit hours and a graduate student must be registered for at least nine (9) credit hours to be considered full-time for financial aid. If you do not maintain full-time status, awards may be canceled or adjusted.

For summer undergraduate students must be in a study abroad program that is no less than six (6) credit hours and a graduate student must be in a study abroad program that is no less than five (5) credit hours.

Will financial aid cover my deposit and airfare?
The student is responsible for paying any deposits required for study abroad programs. If the airfare is not included in the study abroad costs that are charged to the student account, the student will responsible for buying their airplane ticket. Keep in mind that financial aid funds may not be disbursed to your student account until ten days prior to the beginning date of the study abroad program. Generally, you will need to plan to pay from these expenses from your own resources.

When will I get my financial aid refund?
You must work with International Program and the Office of Student Accounts to obtain any funds that are not applied to the study abroad charges on your student account.

*It is highly recommended you complete the Direct Deposit Authorization Form in the Office of Student Accounts to have the remaining funds automatically deposited in your checking account.

For details about the types of aid available in the summer and eligibility criteria, please see our page https://financialaid.appstate.edu/apply/summer-aid 

For additional information about Summer Sessions at Appalachian, visit http://summersessions.appstate.edu/.

Tuition and Fees for Summer 2020 can be found on the Student Accounts website. 

See the Terms and Conditions page for more information.

About 1 in 3 FAFSA applications are selected for verification. Verification is the process used by schools and the Department of Education to confirm that the data collected by the FAFSA is accurate. If you are selected for verification, the Office of Student Financial Aid will request additional documentation, including taxes and household information. All selected students must complete the verification process in order to receive financial aid. 

See the Verification page for more information.

See the Verification page for more information.

Appalachian Commitment to a College Education for Student Success (ACCESS)

The ACCESS program offers low-income students from North Carolina a four-year university education at Appalachian debt-free. Specifically, the ACCESS program supplements federal financial aid grants, state financial aid grants and scholarships, and other forms of financial assistance with sufficient funds to cover the cost of institutional charges (tuition, fees, room, board) and possibly an on-campus job for personal expenses for up to four years (eight semesters).

To be eligible for the ACCESS program, a student must enter Appalachian as a first-time freshman, attend full-time, be a resident of North Carolina, make satisfactory academic progress (as defined by federal regulations), and be from a family with an income at or below the Federal Poverty Level (indexed by family size).

2015 Poverty Guidelines for the 48 Contiguous States and the District of Columbia