WHAT IS AN OVER AWARD?
An over award exists when a student's aid package exceeds their total costs or their need. Some examples include:
- We award a student when they are ineligible for a specific program, or they are ineligible for any Federal Student Aid program assistance.
- A student’s award in an individual program exceeds the regulatory maximum, e.g., the annual or aggregate loan limits, the annual limit on Federal Supplementary Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) awards, or a Pell award based on the wrong payment schedule/enrollment status.
- A student’s aid award exceeds their need; including when their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is revised upward after initial packaging.
- A student’s award exceeds their cost of attendance (COA)
HOW DID I GET OVERAWARDED?
While we take care not to over award you when packaging your aid, circumstances may change after you have been awarded that result in an over award. For instance, you may receive a scholarship or grant from an outside organization, or your EFC has increased as a result of verification. Regardless of the reason for the over award, we are bound by Federal regulation to correct the over award. Exceptions cannot be made for anyone.
CORRECTING AN OVERAWARD
When an over award situation arises, we may have to adjust the awards in your aid package to eliminate the over award.
Here are the steps that the Office of Student Financial Aid Office will take to correct an over award:
- We will determine whether or not the student has increased financial need that was not anticipated at the time of the award and/or loan application.
- If no increased need is demonstrated, and/or the student’s total aid still exceeds his or her need, we will cancel any undisbursed loans and/or return loan funds to the lender if the disbursement has already been made.
- If the student has no loans or the student’s aid still exceeds the student’s need after all loans have been canceled, we will reduce institutional grants and/or scholarship aid.
