Selection, Notification, and Disbursement

All students must be admitted before they can be considered for financial aid. Once you have applied and it has been determined that you are eligible for financial aid, the Financial Aid Office will assemble a package to meet your needs and will notify you of the awards to which you are entitled. Most awards are made to those students whose forms are received in the Financial Aid Office by March 1. Late applications will be considered only as aid becomes available. The March 1 deadline does not apply to the Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Stafford Loan Programs.

You will be notified by mail of the awards you are eligible to receive and you must then notify the Financial Aid Office which awards you will be accepting.

All grant and loan awards will be shown as a financial aid credit on the student's account with the exception of the Federal Stafford Loan. Federal Stafford Loan checks, when possible, are given to the student on the first day of class. These financial assistances must first be used to pay the required university charges. Students will be told in the official award letter how their awards are to be distributed.

Federal Stafford Loan funds received by Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) will be credited to the student's account after enrollment requirements are met. Any additional Stafford loan funds remaining in the student's account after all charges are satisfied may be deposited directly to the student's personal checking or savings account at any bank through the University's RU Direct program.

Except in rare cases, all awards will be distributed in two equal disbursements over the course of the academic year.

See the following pages for additional information:

Undergraduate financial aid programs

Graduate financial aid programs

Your Financial Aid Award Notification Letter

Payment of Awards