Enrollment Freeze and Financial Aid Eligibility

Enrollment Freeze and Financial Aid Eligibility

If you are eligible to receive financial aid, and have satisfied all of your financial aid requirements, your grant and loan funds (if applicable) will be disbursed approximately 10 days prior to the start of classes for the semester (students enrolled in fully online programs offered in modules, see below). At the “enrollment freeze date” (which is the last day students are permitted to drop a course with a tuition refund), the OSFA will verify your enrollment. If you increase or decrease your enrollment between the disbursement date and the enrollment freeze date, your financial aid will be adjusted accordingly to ensure that it is the appropriate amount for your enrollment. If you are issued a refund, then ADD credits or other charges to your account, you will owe money on your account and must pay this from the refund proceeds you received.

Disbursement of Funds for fully online programs offered in eight week modules

Funds for students who have satisfied all financial aid requirements will disburse five days after the start of the term. For start and end dates of fully online programs offered in eight week modules, click here.

What This Means for You

On enrollment freeze date, your enrollment will be locked and your financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. If your financial aid award was originally disbursed on full-time status and you are not enrolled full-time at the enrollment freeze date, your financial aid may be decreased to match your enrollment and this adjustment could result in a balance owed to the University.

Financial aid refunds will be issued only to those students who have excess funds on their account. Be advised that no refunds will be issued based on pending financial aid. The easiest way to receive a refund is to submit a direct deposit authorization to the Student Accounts Office: http://studentaccounts.gmu.edu.

Enrollment Changes

If you change your enrollment after the enrollment freeze date, with the exception of students who stop attending, completely withdraw or drop a part of term course that begins later in semester, your financial aid will not be revised and you will be responsible for any additional charges. Students who are completely withdrawn, formally or informally, from ALL of their classes, may be responsible for returning financial aid they received prior to withdrawing from school, even if that determination is not made until the end of the term. This determination will be made by the OSFA through a process called Return to Title IV. For more information on Return to Title IV, visit the Withdrawing From Courses page.

Enrollment Requirements for Disbursement

Undergraduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of six (6) credits to qualify for the majority of financial aid programs.  Funds may be reduced if enrolled less than full-time.
 
Graduate students must be enrolled in a minimum of 4.5 credits to qualify for federal loan funds. Funds may be reduced if enrolled less than full-time.
 

Enrollment Status Definitions

Undergraduate Students

Graduate Students