Award Revision

Office of Financial Aid

Award Revision

Once an award notification is sent to the student, there may be instances which warrant a change to the original notification. A Financial Aid Administrator (FAA) may review a student's circumstances, make an adjustment to an award, and release a revised award notification. This revised award invalidates the original award notice.

1. Revision Initiated by the Office of Student Financial Aid

The Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) will automatically consider a revision in a student's aid package when the following occurs:

a. There is presence of conflicting information within the file.

b. There are changes resulting from verification.

c. There is a change in availability of funds.

d. There is an OSFA staff member error.

e. There is a change in eligibility.

The award notification and the terms and conditions of the award acknowledge the rights of the OSFA to make a change to any award. Students are sent a revised award notification as soon as possible. In the case of an office error, it is customary to contact the student personally, or send a personalized letter.

2. Revisions Initiated by Request from Student

Students may decline any portion of their award. If a student wants to add an award, the request will be referred to a Counselor.  Student wishing to adjust their aid package are asked to submit the Information Update Request Form.

It is the student's responsibility to notify the OSFA of changes in a student's resources. If the student makes an appointment with an aid administrator and reveals a change in circumstances which may affect the student's family contribution, the student should write a letter reiterating the conversation and including supportive documentation. If a change to the award is allowable, the aid administrator will release a revised award notification.

3. Overawards

An overaward occurs any time a student has been disbursed financial aid (federal, institutional, and outside aid) and other resources exceeds the cost of attendance and/or need for the award period by more than an allowable tolerance.

a. Eliminating an Overaward

Before reducing a student's aid package because of an overaward, the FAA should always attempt to alleviate the situation by reducing or eliminating the overaward. The method used is to adjust undisbursed funds (part or all undisbursed financial aid funds must be cancelled/reduced in the case of an overaward).

b. Causes of an Overaward and/ or Overpayment

There are several causes of an overaward:

1. Student wages - the student earns more than the awarded FWS allocation.

2. Change in the enrollment status - the student withdraws or drops below the projected enrollment status.

3. Reduction in cost of attendance - the student changes budget categories.

4. Additional resources - the student has resources greater than those used to calculate the award.

5. Administrative error - the aid administrator inadvertently makes an error.

6. Fraud - the student intentionally deceives or misrepresents information to obtain funds.

7. Treatment of an Overaward

If eliminating the overaward is not possible the aid administrator must reduce the overaward using the following sequence:

1. An overaward from an administrative error can be resolved by reducing any aid or by canceling next semester's aid. The FAA will notify the student via an award notification email or individualized letter.

2. If an overaward occurs due to fraud, follow the procedure outlined in the Fraud section of Policies and Procedures.