 Office of Financial Aid
4202 E. Fowler Avenue, SVC 1102
Tampa, FL 33620
(813) 974-4700
https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/index.aspx
The University of South Florida makes every effort to ensure that all qualified students have access to an education. All student financial aid programs are administered or coordinated through the Office of Financial Aid (OFA).
OFA’s web site provides step-by-step guidance through the financial aid application process. USF’s Online Access Student Information System (OASIS) allows students to monitor the status of their financial aid from application to disbursement of funds.
All students wishing to receive financial aid are encouraged to start the financial aid process as early as possible. The first step is to complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. For more detailed guidance and information, log onto the OFA website https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/apply/ or stop by the Office of Financial Aid. Use our Contact Us page at https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/questions/ to reach our offices. Save time and use our Chatbot ‘Finn’ to find answers to common financial aid questions.
Get a head start on a financial plan to attend USF by using our Cost Calculator (http://usfas.forest.usf.edu/cc/cc.html). The Cost Calculator will give you an estimate of how much it will cost to attend USF. By inputting your costs and financial aid, you will know if you have the financial resources to pay your USF bill.
The Student Accounting Services Office, located in Student Services (SVC 1039) is responsible for all charges on the student account (bill), payments , Florida Pre-Paid, third party payments, and refunds. Visit their website for more information: https://www.usf.edu/business-finance/controller/student-services/index.aspx.
Financial Aid
In addition to finding a wealth of information on the web regarding your financial aid, you can monitor your aid application status via OASIS: https://myusf.edu/.
The first step in obtaining financial aid is filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply for-aid/fafsa. Be sure to list the University of South Florida, school code #001537, as a school in order for us to receive your FAFSA information and award financial aid funds.
Since many programs are funded on a limited basis, it is to your advantage to apply early. Priority application dates and detailed information regarding financial aid are provided each year on the OFA website. Check out USF’s scholarship information at https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/. OFA communicates important information regarding aid exclusively via the student’s USF e-mail account; check your USF email frequently!
Tuition deferments are automatically provided for qualified financial aid applicants. More information can be found at https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/deferments/.
If you withdraw from USF, either officially or unofficially, before the end of a semester, you may be required to repay all or a portion of the aid you received. For detailed information on the Federal Return of Title IV Funds requirement, go to https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/know-this/withdraw.aspx.
Each USF campus has financial representatives available to assist you:
- Tampa: (813) 974-4700
- Sarasota-Manatee: (941) 359-4459
- St. Petersburg: (727) 553-4128
Financial Aid Application Procedures
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can be filed electronically at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa:
- Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) found within the FAFSA is the most accurate and secure method of providing the required federal tax information.
- If selected for verification, applicants who use the unchanged data generated by the IRS DRT will not be required to provide federal tax return transcripts from the IRS to the financial aid office. More information about verification can be found at https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/verification/index.aspx.
- Students who are selected for verification who did not use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, or changed data after using the tool, may be required to submit IRS tax return transcripts to verify tax information.
- Students selected for verification are advised to submit all requested documents within ten business days of being notified what requirements are needed. Students should have a completed financial aid file no later than 60 days prior to the beginning of a semester.
- Late or incomplete submission of documents can result in delayed disbursements or possible loss of eligibility for aid.
Information provided on the Student Aid Report (SAR) should be reviewed thoroughly;
- Review all correspondence, follow instructions on the SAR, and follow through within 5 – 10 business days. Delays can be costly as well as frustrating.
Student Eligibility Requirements and Conditions for Receiving Financial Aid
Financial Aid Terms & Conditions
Financial aid award offers are based on full-time enrollment and reflects your eligibility based on your grade level, residency status and other program specific criteria at the time of the award offer. If you enroll less than full time, your cost of attendance will be reduced to reflect your enrollment status and award amounts adjusted accordingly. Award amounts may be revised starting 30 days prior to the start of each semester, based on your credit hour enrollment and the length of your courses.
NOTE: If you received an aid offer after these adjustments started in a given semester, your cost of attendance and award amounts may already reflect your enrollment.
If you do not enroll in the fall semester, your initial offer is void and you will be re-awarded if you enroll in the spring. This may result in a loss of previously awarded aid funds.
Your eligibility for financial aid funds requires you to satisfy the following terms and conditions:
- Enroll as a degree seeking student.
- Meet the specific enrollment requirements (https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/enrollment-status.aspx) and academic requirements to receive funds for each financial aid program you have been awarded. More information about the requirements for your specific awards is available in OASIS (https://bannersso.usf.edu/ssomanager/c/SSB) after you accept these Terms and Conditions.
- Report funds you expect to receive from sources not shown on your award notice to minimize delay in your aid being paid. Examples of such sources include tuition waivers, fellowships, scholarships, veteran’s benefits, or vocational rehabilitation benefits. Notify us immediately via OASIS. Choose ‘Financial Aid,’ then ‘My Award & Loan Information,’ then ‘Resources/Additional Information’ tab. Enter the resource information and submit. Your financial aid offer may need to be reduced and aid repaid.
- Attend class. Attendance is required to receive financial aid (including student loans). If you drop some classes (https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/know-this/drop-credits.aspx), stop attending all classes, or totally withdraw (https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/know-this/withdraw.aspx) you may be required to immediately repay some financial aid (including student loans).
- Check your financial aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status (https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/sap/index.aspx) each semester in OASIS. Under the Financial Aid tab, click ‘My Award and Loan Information’. Your SAP status each semester must be eligible at your degree level in order to receive funds from most financial aid programs.
- Check OASIS each semester to see that you have satisfied all requirements to receive financial aid. Choose ‘Financial Aid,’ then ‘My Requirements, Bookstore Authorizations and Deferments.’
- Verification (https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/verification/) must be completed and your FAFSA (https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa) information updated (if required) before your aid can be disbursed. If you do not complete verification promptly when requested, aid previously offered may be cancelled.
Academic Scholarships
The Office of Financial Aid (OFA) provides prospective and currently enrolled students with a central location to access scholarship information. The office administers the Florida Bright Futures Scholarships, and a variety of privately-funded scholarships made possible through the generosity of friends and alumni of the University of South Florida. OFA also manages the scholarship renewal process for students who have been awarded scholarships through the Office of Admissions (https://www.usf.edu/admissions/). An online search for USF scholarships may be found at https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/scholarships/.
The Office of Admissions offers a number of scholarships based on academic merit to students planning to enter USF for the first time as a freshman or upper-level transfer student. These scholarships are highly competitive. The criteria noted for the various scholarships are used as minimum starting points for consideration; meeting or exceeding the minimum requirements will not guarantee selection.
To be considered for Florida resident merit-based scholarships from the Office of Admissions, students must submit a complete admissions application prior to the application deadline. For additional information about the awarding process, please visit https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admissions-scholarships/index.aspx.
For non-Florida residents, a limited number of out-of-state tuition waivers are available based on academic performance. See https://www.usf.edu/admissions/freshmen/admissions-scholarships/nonflorida.aspx for more information
The individual colleges of USF administer some scholarships directly through the Dean’s Office in each college.
Financial Aid Dates and Deadlines
Make sure you meet all deadlines and respond promptly to requests to submit additional documents.For a Checklist and Priority Dates, see https://www.usf.edu/financial-aid/checklist.aspx.
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