Spring 2026 Financial Aid Information

Fees and Financial Aid Students

Financial Aid Payments & Refunds: When financial aid is processed to a student's account, the University first applies financial aid payments towards tuition and housing charges (and towards other charges as allowed) before issuing refunds. Financial aid is processed to accounts beginning with the published disbursement dates and continues through the semester. For more information and upcoming dates, visit https://studentfinance.fsu.edu. To receive your aid, you must comply with Financial Aid Terms and Conditions located at https://financialaid.fsu.edu/Terms-and-Conditions. You must also confirm that your financial aid file is complete prior to disbursement by checking your status and clearing any holds or to-do list items at https://my.fsu.edu. Financial aid refunds are sent by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to any US-based bank account, so students must designate a refund bank account and enroll in direct deposit to receive a refund of excess Financial Aid or a refund of financial aid that cannot be applied to University charges. Additionally, the University must receive written permission to apply federal financial aid to charges other than tuition, dining, books, and housing. Federal aid cannot be applied to excess-hours fees. For instructions on how to provide that permission, or for direct deposit enrollment instructions, see https://studentfinance.fsu.edu.

Federal aid cannot be applied to excess-hours fees. For instructions on how to provide that permission, or for direct deposit enrollment instructions, see https://studentfinance.fsu.edu.

If you have any questions, please call the Office of Student Finance at (850) 644-9452. For financial aid questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (850) 644-0539.

Deadline: If the financial aid payment is not sufficient (or allowed) to cover all charges, or if a student's schedule, university bill, or financial aid offer changes after application of financial aid, then the student is responsible for paying the balance by the tuition payment deadline, (see the “Academic Calendar” in the Registration Guide). After this date, a $100.00 late payment fee is assessed, and grades will be held at the end of the semester until fees are paid in full.

Note: Financial Aid students who are having their tuition paid by an agency, department billing, or Florida Prepaid College Program should submit the required documents no later than the fifth day of the semester (see the “Academic Calendar” in the Registration Guide). The basic Florida Prepaid College Program does not pay the full amount of tuition owed to the University, nor do Intern Participation Certificates. Students must pay the remaining balance due by the posted payment due date.

Deferments:Students must confirm their application is complete by the first week of the semester by going to https://my.fsu.edu/ and viewing their Financial Aid. Students may qualify for a deferment or extension of the tuition due date if they are awarded financial aid that is not disbursed by the published tuition deadline. Students who have been awarded aid (and in the case of loans, have accepted aid) sufficient to meet their tuition cost and who have submitted all To-Do-List items may receive an automatic extension of the tuition deadline if their aid is not disbursed by the published deadline. Students should review their Student Account Invoice after the end of Drop/Add and before the published tuition deadline to determine if all aid has been applied, or to check to see if the tuition deadline has been extended. If tuition is still owed by the initial published deadline and aid is still pending, students should contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to the tuition payment deadline.

Financial aid students who do not receive a financial aid deferment or extension must pay their tuition in full by the tuition payment deadline. See the dates published in the “Academic Calendar” included in the Registration Guide. Failure to pay by the published deadline will result in a late payment fee assessment.

Note: Financial aid deferments expire before the end of the semester. See the Registration Guide for the expiration date. Students must confirm that their financial aid has posted, and all requirements have been met by the deferment expiration date. Go to https://my.fsu.edu (from Student Account Quicklinks, click Account Statement). Students will then see courses and fees detailed. With a temporary deferment, the total balance may show ($0.00) for the Current Term Tuition. When financial aid posts, the screen will show how much has been paid toward tuition. Students must ensure financial aid pays tuition in full by the deferment deadline. If the student's financial aid is not available by the expiration date, it is the student's responsibility to pay tuition in full. Failure to pay by the expiration date will result in a late payment fee assessment of $100.00, and the schedule for the semester may be cancelled. Additionally, registration will not be permitted, and transcripts and diplomas will not be mailed until debts are paid in full.

Withdrawals and Return of Financial Aid

Per federal regulation (34 CFR 668.22), students who withdraw and have received financial aid will be required to repay to the program sources the amount of unearned financial aid funds disbursed to them as of their withdrawal date. The unearned amount of program funding is calculated based on the last date of academic activity which indicates the percentage of the term completed.

Both the University and students receiving financial aid are required to return unearned financial aid to the aid source. Title IV aid programs are repaid in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford/Direct Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford/Direct Loans, Federal PLUS/Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, FSEOG Program Aid, and Teach Grants.

The University is required to return the unearned portion of the financial aid funds it received from withdrawing students that was used to pay institutional charges such as tuition, fees, housing, and other education-related expenses assessed by the institution. The funds returned to the aid source by the University will be credited against the students’ total liability of unearned funds. However, the student will owe the University the amount returned to the aid source for institutional charges. In addition, any student who receives Title IV funds who does not receive at least one passing grade (either a Satisfactory, or any grade above an “F”) for the term in which they receive those funds and does not officially withdraw from the University prior to the end of that term, is considered an unofficial withdrawal according to Title IV federal regulations. The University is required to return unearned financial aid to the federal government for all unofficial withdrawals in the same manner as students who withdraw officially.

Students who owe grant and/or loan overpayments remain eligible for Title IV program funds for forty-five days, if, during those forty-five days the student: 1) repays the overpayment in full to the University; 2) enters into a repayment agreement with the University; or 3) enters into a repayment agreement with the Department of Education. Entering into a repayment agreement does not mean the student is eligible to register for additional classes, receive a transcript, diploma, etc. Students can lose financial aid eligibility if they do not comply with the options above and should consider their repayment responsibilities for these programs as part of any withdrawal decision. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for the most current restrictions on eligibility.

Bright Futures Repayment Requirement

For the 2025–2026 academic year, the Bright Futures Academic Scholars and the Bright Futures Medallion Scholarship award amounts are set by the Florida Legislature and may be adjusted each legislative session. Currently, at Florida State, the Bright Futures Academic Scholars scholarship is awarded based on a rate of $213.55 per credit hour and the Bright Futures Medallion scholarship is awarded based on a rate of $160.16 per credit hour. In each instance, additional fees such as Lab fees, Auxiliary fees, Excess Hour fees, and Student Facility Use fees are not included.

Florida Statutes require that students who drop or withdraw from any course(s) repay any Florida Bright Futures Scholarship disbursed for the course(s). Section 1009.53, Florida Statutes states that funds for any scholarship within the Florida Bright Futures Scholarship Program may not be used to pay for courses dropped by a student or courses from which a student has withdrawn after the end of the drop and add period. However, a student who receives an award under this program and subsequently drops one or more courses or withdraws from all courses after the end of the drop and add period due to a verifiable illness or other documented emergency may be granted an exception pursuant to s. 1009.40(1)(b)4 unless the institution’s policy is to refund the cost of the courses.

Loan Exit Interviews

Federal and University regulations require that all recipients of federal loans participate in an exit interview counseling session upon graduation, withdrawal from the University, or dropping below six semester hours. Counseling sessions can be completed online at https://studentaid.gov/h/manage-loans. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid at financialaid@fsu.edu or (850) 644-0539.

Policy on Refunds for Audited Courses

Refunds may be granted for courses in which a student has requested permission to audit and subsequently rescinds this request before the fourth day of class. Verification that the audit request has been discontinued must be received in writing by the University Registrar before the fourth day of class. After this period, no refunds will be authorized unless exceptional circumstances are documented in writing and approved by the University Refund Committee.

NOTE: The Refund Appeal Form must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar and requests to withdraw must be submitted to Withdrawal services within six months from the end of the term from which the student is withdrawing or appealing a refund.

Delinquent Accounts

Students who have amounts owed to the University greater than $499.99 may not complete their registration, receive a diploma, or receive an Associate of Arts degree until all amounts owed to the University have been satisfactorily settled. This includes, but is not limited to, library charges, health center charges, parking fines, and University debt. All payments will be applied to the current tuition first and then to the oldest outstanding debt. Nonrefundable collection fees, as well as legal fees and interest assessment through court judgments, are added to a student's account if the student has had an outstanding debt for 120 days or longer. When an account is sent to a collection agency, the customer must make payment arrangements directly with the agency. Payment arrangements do not permit student privileges such as registration, official transcripts, etc. Accounts must be paid in full to obtain further privileges.

Registration Stop for Outstanding Charges

A “stop” is placed on all academic progress for those students who have outstanding charges due to the University. Students owing an amount equal to or greater than $500.00, including current semester tuition, are not permitted to register for classes. The “stop” will not be removed, and such students will not be permitted to register or receive other University services, until the debt is cleared. A hold on diplomas will be placed on students for outstanding charges of any amount.

Dishonored Checks or Electronic Payments

Returned Check Charge/Stop Payment Charge: $25.00 or five percent (5%) of the amount of the check, whichever is greater (rate subject to change). A returned check/stop payment charge is assessed against the account of a student who has a check or electronic authorization for payment returned by the bank to Florida State University. Florida State University automatically submits all personal checks twice for payment if the check was returned once for insufficient or uncollected funds. This is an automated process, and the second submission cannot be stopped; however, there is no charge assessed by Florida State University for this second submission.

Returned check charges are assessed for all personal checks written and electronic payments authorized for tuition, fees, or any services provided by the University that are returned to Florida State University for insufficient funds, uncollected funds, and stop payments placed on checks. In addition to the returned check charge, if the initial payment is for tuition and redemption of the returned item is not made prior to the tuition payment deadline, a late payment fee is assessed to tuition and student may be subject to tuition cancellation. Florida State University places a hold on accepting any personal checks or electronic payment authorizations from anyone on the student's account for ninety days after redemption for any services, tuition, or fees that are owed to the University if a personal check or electronic payment is returned. Redemption must be paid online, by mail, or in person via certified funds such as a money order or cashier’s check.

If a second check is returned, or a stop payment is placed on it, no personal checks will be accepted from anyone on the student's account from that day forward.

Notification will be sent to the student via email the day that the item is returned. If not paid in a timely manner, a paper letter is sent to the address on the check or to the last maintained address in Florida State University's records. A copy of the notification letter will be sent to the maker of the check at the address on the check, if the student is not the person on whose account the funds are drawn. After notification that a check has been returned, redemption including the service charge must be made by seven working days with a money order or cashier's check. Florida State University reserves the right to forward returned checks to the State Attorney's office for redemption and prosecution after collection efforts are exhausted. After a returned check is forwarded to the State Attorney's office, redemption of the check will not prevent prosecution.

Cancellation of Student Schedules for Non-Payment of Tuition and Fees

In accordance with Florida State University Regulation 5.081 Tuition, Fees, Payment, students who do not pay tuition and fees or make arrangements to pay tuition and fees by the end of the established fee payment deadline may have their schedules cancelled and academic progress discontinued for the term. Student's whose schedules have been cancelled may not attend class or receive grades. Students will be notified using their FSU e-mail account concerning outstanding tuition delinquencies and given an opportunity to pay tuition and fees or arrange for tuition and fee payment with the Office of Student Finance prior to cancellation. For more information, please reference https://regulations.fsu.edu/sites/g/files/imported/storage/original/application/f63ce880bfa04fa18f1d2103e0fd4ec9.pdf.

Reinstatement of Student Schedules Cancelled for Non-Payment of Tuition and Fees

Students whose schedules are cancelled for non-payment of tuition and fees may submit a written appeal to the University Registrar for reinstatement and continuation of academic progress for the term. A written appeal must be submitted to the University Registrar no later than the end of the seventh week of classes as identified in the University Academic Calendar. Prior to a student's appeal being approved, the Office of Student Finance must verify that payment for the current term has been received or that appropriate arrangements have been made for tuition and fee payment. Students whose schedules are reinstated are subject to a $100.00 late-registration fee and a $100.00 late-payment fee. Check or credit card payments that are returned or refused will negate any tuition payment agreement for the reinstatement of a student's schedule. The University reserves the right to deny reinstatement when a demonstrated pattern of tuition delinquency over two or more terms has occurred.

Note: The appeal must be submitted by the seventh-week deadline for the term that was cancelled. Appeals received during the next term for a prior term's cancellation will be deemed to have missed the deadline and may not be considered.