There are multiple offices that help process your financial aid, apply payments to your account, and process financial aid refunds. The offices responsible for handling financial aid funds are heavily regulated and have numerous guidelines to follow as we process your financial aid. We want to explain the processing cycle so you have a better understanding of how and when your money is received as well as how it is processed once it is received by the university.
Below outline the steps of the financial aid process and how they can impact financial aid being applied to your account.
We are required to send information to the Department for Pell Grants, Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans, Direct Parent PLUS Loans, as well as Direct Graduate PLUS Loans before we can release your disbursements. Once we have confirmation from the Department of Education we are able to release disbursements to be applied to your student account.
Once your disbursements are applied to your student account, if you are eligible for a refund, the Office of the Bursar will process the refund and notify you via e-mail when that is complete.
The aid offer notification is the first step in the financial aid process. The student is required to review and accept or decline all aid programs offered for each academic year. Once students have accepted their aid offer, just before the start of each semester, the financial aid office send begins work with the Department of Education to finalize your federal financial aid awards for disbursement.
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY AWARD OFFER?
When your FAFSA is received, and processing has been completed by the financial aid office you will receive an e-mail notification that your awards are available to review and process on OneCampus.
For admitted new freshman and transfer students we will begin processing applications and sending award notifications by March 1. These notifications will be posted to your applicant portal with a notification sent to the e-mail address that was provided on the admissions application.
For returning students we will begin the awarding process after the conclusion of the spring semester. Returning students must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy to determine aid eligibility for the upcoming academic year. All award notifications for returning students are sent to your radford.edu email address.
Can my award offer change?
Yes. Your awards that are listed on OneCampus shows your current offer of aid. Radford University reserves the right to adjust or cancel financial aid awards based on changes in eligibility, funding deficits, enrollment changes, receipt of outside scholarships etc. If your award offer changes you will receive a revised award notice.
How do I ACCEPT my current award offer?
You will need to accept, adjust, or decline your award by signing in to OneCampus. Instructions are provided on the general information tab of your financial aid awards. These will step you through all required screens to accept your award(s). If you have received scholarships, stipends, or other aid/awards that are not listed on the award tab (in OneCampus), please provide us with this information. If you receive an award after you have accepted your awards, please list them on a separate sheet of paper and submit to our office or email the information to us. Your award letter requires you to inform us of money or aid you receive but is not listed on your award notification. If you receive money from other sources at any time during the year, your awards may be adjusted at that time.
Radford University is an active confirmation school, which means that a student must actively accept the financial aid award package that has been offered to them by the financial aid office. Once the student has completed the award acceptance process in the portal, the account will be reviewed and finalized for payment. If the student fails to complete the award acceptance process the offered awards can be cancelled.
The total amount of your financial aid as shown in the Financial Aid Awards section in OneCampus will be paid in installments. Generally, one-half of each award will be disbursed to you each semester upon completion of all application requirements.
The financial aid office disburses funds on a daily basis. This automated process is done prior to the start of each business day. Students must meet various criteria, including completion of all application requirements, completion of all award requirements, and enrollment before funds will be disbursed. If a student does not meet all the specified criteria the funds will continue to be held until all requirements are met.
Payment of Grant and Scholarship Program Funds
All of the federal and state grant program and scholars program awards are credited to your university student account. State Student Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, and Nursing Student Loans are also credited to your account after these awards have been verified and the student has completed and returned the promissory note. Students will be notified, via email, when their grants scholarships funds have credited their account.
Payment of Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan Funds
Typically, these loans are disbursed in two payments, once at the beginning of each semester. Direct Loan funds will be credited to the student's university account after enrollment has been verified at the beginning of the semester. Students will be notified, via email, when their loan proceeds have been credited to their account.
Payment of Alternative/Private Education Loan Funds
Typically, these loans are disbursed in two payments, once at the beginning of each semester. Alternative Loan funds will be credited to the student's university account after the funds have been received by the lender and enrollment has been verified at the beginning of the semester. Students will be notified, via email, when their loan proceeds have been credited to their account.
Payment of Outside Scholarships
Outside scholarships that students receive often taken longer to be received by the university. If you are utilizing these funds to help pay university charges you should follow up with the organization that has awarded the scholarship to find out when they plan to send the money to the university. Because the financial aid office has no capability to govern or regulate these organizations we cannot confirm these as payment towards your balance due.
If a student is due a financial aid refund, they may request a bookstore voucher to purchase their books, at the on-campus bookstore or the online campus bookstore, prior to the start of the semester. All bookstore voucher requests must be completed online in OneCampus. Simply log on to OneCampus and search Bookstore Voucher.
Students may request up to $600/semester in a bookstore voucher to assist with the purchase of books. The bookstore voucher request will provide you with the maximum amount that you are eligible to request each semester.
The bookstore voucher will open to request four Monday's prior to the start of the fall/spring semesters and two Monday's prior to the start of summer semesters. The bookstore voucher application will be open to new request up until the first Friday of the start of each semester at noon.
If you are approved for a bookstore voucher you can begin using the voucher within one business day after submitting your request. You will simply need to provide your Radford University ID at the time you checkout at the Campus Bookstore to use your voucher as a form of payment.
Once you have completed the application. You are eligible to use your bookstore voucher for three weeks after the start of the semester. Once the deadline for using vouchers has passed any unused portion will be refunded to you.
All university charges are billed through the Bursar's Office office. Prior to the start of each semester students and authorized payers will receive a copy of their bill at their radford.edu email address, or designated email address. This statement will show the amount that needs to be paid prior to the start of the semester. Bill due dates can be viewed on the Office of Bursar site.
The billing statement will include all estimated financial aid that has been awarded to the student at the time of billing. The financial aid awards showing as memoed can be deducted from the university charges.
Account balances can also be viewed from the One Campus App.
If your bill has a negative balance then you have enough estimated financial aid to cover your charges. Students with an excess amount of financial aid may be eligible for a bookstore voucher. You can begin applying for a bookstore voucher one month prior to the start of the semester, using the application on OneCampus, simply search bookstore voucher.
If your bill has a positive balance then you have a remaining balance that is owed to the university. These charges need to be paid by the payment arrangements by the payment deadline. If you need assistance in paying the remaining balance you can review the information on the payment plan, a Parent PLUS loan, or a Private Education Loan.
If you are receiving a private scholarship, it is up to you to work with the scholarship organization to make sure that the money is sent to Radford University (via the Office of the Bursar) on your behalf.
Radford University Office of the Bursar in partnership with Nelnet is able to offer an automatic payment plan. You must enroll each semester in the payment plan and a $45 non-refundable enrollment fee will be charged. To learn more about the Payment Plan please visit the Office of the Bursar website or the Finances page on OneCampus.