General FAQs


Who receives need-based financial aid?
To determine who receives need-based financial aid, we first calculate how much financial aid you need. We do this by subtracting the amount your family will be expected to contribute (EFC) according to the results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) from the cost of attending (COA) Miami University for the year:

Cost of Attendance (COA) minus Expected Family Contribution (EFC) equals Financial Need.

Any family demonstrating need in this way will be considered for financial aid.

What is Expected Family Contribution (EFC)?
Although family income is obviously an important consideration, many factors are examined when assessing what your family can afford to contribute. These factors include assets, family size, and the number of children in college.

What is being measured is your family's financial strength.  Miami expects students and parents to be in this together; the expected family contribution includes contributions from both the student and the parents.  In addition to the parents' contribution, the student's contribution includes a portion of prior year earnings as well as money from personal savings and assets.  

I just received my Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor. Do I send it to Miami University?
No. We are electronically linked with the federal processor and will receive the same information from your SAR as long as you have listed Miami as a recipient in the school section. Our federal school code is 003077.

I need to correct information on my Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). What do I do?
If the FAFSA application is incomplete due to a missing student or parent signature, you and/or your parents may either sign the FAFSA electronically with your FAFSA PINs or print and sign the signature page and mail it directly to the Federal Student Aid Programs.

If you are changing income information on your FAFSA, you must update your FAFSA with the correct information under the FAFSA Follow-up section. Then you must also notify Miami's Office of Student Financial Assistance of the corrections in writing. We will need a signed copy of your federal tax return (plus a signed copy of your parents' federal tax returns if you are a dependent student) and a completed verification worksheet appropriately signed. We will make the corrections electronically.

When will I hear about my financial aid package for next year?
First-year students: If you have filed the FAFSA and listed Miami as a recipient in the school section, you should receive an award notification in mid to late March.

Returning students: The award information for returning students will be available on BannerWeb by June 1. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will send email notification to students at their Miami email account when their financial aid information is available.

When will I get my bill? How do I let the Office of the Bursar know I have financial aid?
Notification will be sent to your Miami email account when your electronic bill (eBill) is ready to view. You will receive this notification in mid-July for your fall semester invoice and mid-November for your spring semester invoice. The invoice will include any previous billed balance, new charges and payments since your last invoice, and anticipated credits including Miami University aid awarded and finalized, as well as any payment plan payments we expect to receive on your behalf. Finalized aid is aid for which you have met all requirements, including entrance counseling, promissory notes, and appropriate credit hour enrollment. Federal Work Study is excluded because it will not be applied directly to your bursar account. It is important to realize that the eBill is a snapshot of a student's account as of the date the eBill is created. The billing approach that is used is much like a credit card billing statement. Up-to-date information (charges and payments that have been added to the student's account since the last billing cycle) is available on BannerWeb: select Student Services and Financial Aid, Student Records, and then Account Summary by Term.

If your bursar account shows a balance due, you will be required to pay the balance due by the due date shown on the eBill or provide sufficient information about additional resources (such as scholarship awards from other agencies or loans from private lenders) prior to the due date to avoid late fees and potential class cancelation.

If your eBill shows a -0- or credit balance due (indicated by parentheses), and you have been billed at the appropriate credit hour level, and your aid is finalized and will not change, and you are making any payment plan payments on time (if applicable), you will avoid a late fee and potential class cancelation.

A paper invoice will not be mailed to you. For payment options and questions concerning your eBill, contact the Office of the Bursar.

How do I get my excess financial aid?
If you have met all the requirements to qualify for the first disbursement of funds and your aid exceeds your university-billed charges, the Bursar will directly deposit the excess funds into your bank account or send a check for the excess funds to your local address close to the first day of school.

Make sure you have updated your local address with the university in BannerWeb.

If you have excess funds that are the result of a PLUS loan, a refund check will be sent in your name to the parent borrower's address, unless the parent requests on the Initial Federal Direct PLUS Loan Application that the refund be issued to the student. If your primary campus is Miami University Hamilton or Miami University Middletown, your financial aid will disburse for fall semester (term 201110) no earlier than Sept. 14, 2010 and for spring semester (term 201120) no earlier than Feb. 1, 2011.

Can I use excess financial aid funds to buy my books?
If your aid has disbursed prior to the beginning of school and you have received a check for the excess financial aid, you can use those funds to buy your books. If your aid exceeds university charges but has not disbursed prior to the beginning of school, you may be able to charge your books against your excess financial aid. Visit our office during the first week of school to see if you qualify.

I'm changing my enrollment. What will that do to my financial aid?
When we develop your financial aid package, we typically base the awards on the assumption that you will attend Miami as a full-time student for the fall and spring semesters.

You must inform us in writing of any change in your enrollment. If you drop from full-time enrollment to less than full-time, your eligibility for aid may be reduced. Usually, you must be enrolled for at least six hours to be considered for any type of aid. If you need to change your enrollment, you can complete a Student Information Change form.

If you change your enrollment prior to the end of the drop/add period, your grant and loan eligibility will be recalculated based on the information you submit. You will receive an email indicating that a revised award notification can be viewed on BannerWeb listing changes in your aid package.

At the end of the drop/add period for each semester, your enrollment will be frozen and your financial aid for the semester will be based on the number of credit hours for which you are enrolled at that time. Be sure you are enrolled for all the classes you intend to take for the semester by that date.

When a student withdraws completely from the university during a semester, the Office of Student Financial Assistance is required to calculate the amount of federal Title IV financial aid the recipient has earned for the semester. This formula is provided by the U.S. Department of Education. The Office of the Registrar will inform the Office of Student Financial Assistance of the date the student notified Miami of the intent to withdraw. This date is used to calculate aid eligibility.

If you are thinking about withdrawing, please contact our office for an estimate of how it will affect your financial aid.

Keep in mind that if you drop a class or withdraw from the university after the end of the drop/add period, you may risk suspension of your financial aid in future academic years.

I have a special family circumstance. What can be done for me?
Complete a Special Circumstance Appeal form (choose Dependent Student or Independent Student) and submit it to our office with the required supporting documentation. We'll review it and notify you if you qualify for additional financial aid.

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and what impact does it have on my financial aid?
If you receive federal financial aid, you are expected to maintain satisfactory progress toward your degree. Miami University's Satisfactory Academic Progress policy applies to the following federal financial aid programs:

  • Federal Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Perkins Loan
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
  • Federal Work Study
  • Federal National SMART Grant
  • Federal TEACH Grant
  • William D. Ford Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS)

You must meet the academic requirements necessary to remain at Miami University as a student as outlined in The Miami Bulletin, General Edition in the sections titled Other Requirements, Course Registration and Other Regulations, Grades, and Financial Aid, Awards, and Scholarships.

My direct loan money won't be available for another three weeks. What can I do for living expenses in the meantime?
Consider the following:

  • Students may need to provide proof to their landlord of the financial assistance that they will be receiving for the semester to sufficiently cover their rent. They may submit a copy of their Account Summary by Term from BannerWeb or provide copies of their Bursar bill and award letter indicating that an overage amount is expected. A student’s Account Summary by Term shows current charges and disbursed financial aid. Students with private loans can provide documentation directly from the lender verifying the loan amount and the loan period.
  • Special circumstances may warrant the issuance of a short-term loan beginning the second week of classes. The maximum amount for a short-term loan is $500. You must have a 2.0 g.p.a. or better and show that you have adequate means of repaying the loan. The loan must be repaid by the date set by the Bursar. Exceptions to these guidelines are rare. We may also decline your request for the short-term loan if loan funds are limited or depleted.

If I move off campus, how will it affect my financial aid?
When we calculate your eligibility for need-based financial aid, we use the same estimated expenses for living costs whether you are living on-campus or off-campus, as long as you are not living with your parents. If you are receiving financial aid in excess of your tuition charges, a check will be mailed to your local address or you may have the refund direct deposited into your bank account. To sign up for direct deposit, go to your Personal Information in BannerWeb.

If you have been awarded scholarships from Miami University for your Miami room and board charges and choose to live off-campus, you will not receive the portion of your scholarship that would have paid your Miami room costs. If you do not purchase a university meal plan, you will not receive the portion of your scholarship that would have paid your Miami board costs.

Will my budget be adjusted if I don't live in a standard double room on campus?
Your financial aid budget includes the cost of a standard double room on campus. If you choose to make other housing arrangements, your financial aid budget will still be based on the cost of a standard double room on campus. Your financial aid budget will not be changed.

How can I notify my landlord that I will receive an overage amount from my financial aid to pay my rent before my actual overage check is sent to me?
You may submit to the landlord copies of your Bursar bill and Financial Aid Award Notice for the semester. If you have a private loan, you can request a statement from the lender showing the amount approved for the semester/year. Once your semester charges and financial aid have been posted to your account, you can access BannerWeb, print out the current Account Summary by Term, and submit it to your landlord. They may request that you show your Miami I.D. Your landlord has the right not to accept these documents.

Can I receive financial aid for a computer purchase?
A computer purchase is considered an eligible educational expense and financial aid may be used to assist in purchasing one. If you have already received financial aid up to your cost of attendance (COA), you may request a one time COA increase for the amount of the computer with proof of purchase.

Receiving a COA increase does not necessarily mean you will qualify for additional aid. Consult with your financial aid counselor to determine what aid you may qualify for.

What happens if I withdraw from the University?
If you withdraw from Miami prior to the 40th day of any semester of attendance, the Office of the Bursar calculates a refund of your fees. You may be required to repay your financial aid and/or owe money to the university as a result of your withdrawal.

Miami University is required to determine the federal aid a student has earned as of the date the student ceased attendance based on the amount of time the student spent in attendance. The withdraw date is the date that notification was provided to Miami of the student's intent to withdraw. The calculation of federal funds earned by the student has no relationship to the student's incurred institutional charges. Up through the 60% point in each semester,  the regulations governing federal financial aid may require you to return a portion of your financial aid to the federal government if you withdraw. Contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance for more information.

If a student stops attending classes and does not notify the Registrar's office that they are withdrawing, an unofficial withdrawal is coded to the student's account. This takes place once grades have been posted and the record shows that the student received all (or a comination) of the following grades: F, I, N, W, and/or Y. A federal withdrawal calculation is performed based on the last known date of attendance provided by the professor. If a date is not given, the withdrawal calculation is based on the midpoint of the semester. Once the withdrawal calculation is performed, a portion of federal aid may be rescinded from the student's account and returned to the federal government. This typically results in the student owing money to the University. Written notification is sent to the student after the adjustments have been made. Adjustments may also be made to the student's state and/or University awards.

Can I receive financial aid for audited classes?
To receive financial aid for any class you must be earning academic credit for it. Though you are charged full fees for auditing a course, you do not receive academic credit. Therefore, you are not eligible for financial aid for any audited courses.

I know I am eligible for the faculty/staff or family tuition fee waiver. What steps do I need to take to get this benefit?
For more information on how to activate your fee waiver benefit, consult Benefit Services or the Office of the Bursar.

How will the faculty/staff or family tuition fee waiver affect my financial aid?
All financial assistance that students are eligible to receive must be taken into consideration when calculating need-based financial aid. As soon as the Office of Student Financial Assistance is notified that you, your spouse, or your dependent child will receive a fee waiver, we are required to recalculate the student’s eligibility for aid. If eligibility for any aid changes, the student will be notified within two to three weeks.

When employees and/or their families who are receiving the faculty/staff or family fee waiver are Oxford campus students and have been awarded an Ohio Leader Scholarship, the amount of the Ohio Leader Scholarship may change. However, the combined amount of the Ohio Leader Scholarship, Ohio Resident Scholarship, and fee waiver will still pay 100% of the instructional fee if you are a full-time employee.

If you, your spouse, or your dependent child had been awarded an Ohio College Opportunity Grant or an Ohio War Orphans Scholarship, the amount of these awards most likely will be lowered since these funds can only be used to pay for the instructional fee and the general fee.