Financial Aid Policies - Shorter University

Please review the following policies and procedures regarding the receipt of your financial aid. In the Shorter University financial aid office, we use the Shorter University email system as our official means of documented communication. If you prefer to receive printed correspondence, please let us know. Upon being awarded, we will email a notification to you stating that your financial aid awards are ready for your review. Afterwards, please accept or decline your awards within 10 days. Should we not hear from you within 10 days, we will assume that you approve of your financial aid awards package.

Financial aid is offered subject to the following conditions :

  • Your financial aid award is available to view at https://finaid.shorter.edu and supersedes any previous award notification. Please contact the Shorter University Financial Aid Office if you have any questions. Our email address is financialaid@shorter.edu.

2. Because of the demand for financial aid, be sure to promptly log on to https://finaid.shorter.edu and accept/decline awards offered to you by the Office of Financial Aid.

3. The Financial Aid Office reserves the right on behalf of the university to review and revise or cancel a financial aid offer at any time because of changes in financial, marital, or academic status; changes of academic program; change of residence (on campus to off campus); or misuse of federal or institutional program guidelines and regulations.

4. The total of grant and scholarship funds from all sources may not exceed direct education costs (ie: tuition, room, board and books). For students living off campus the total of HOPE and Shorter University grants and scholarships may not exceed the cost of tuition and books.

5. Students receiving Institutional financial aid are expected to enroll as full-time students. For purposes of definition, a minimum of 12 academic hours (undergraduate) or 9 hours (graduate) is considered full time. Courses taken as audit do not count toward establishing full-time status. Institutional aid is not available to be used during summer terms.

6. Financial assistance is contingent upon students making satisfactory academic progress and remaining in good standing with the university. Students who change their enrollment status (full-time to part-time) or withdraw from the university may violate the university’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and forfeit future financial aid. Refer to the Shorter University Catalog for additional information or check with the Financial Aid Office before you add or drop classes .

7. Students must notify the financial aid office of other expected financial assistance not listed on this financial aid notice. The receipt of assistance from other sources may result in an adjustment to this offer. Private scholarships will not be applied to the student account until the funds are received by the university.

8. Traditional and online financial aid is awarded on an academic year (August to May) basis. College of Adult & Professional Programs students are awarded based on the student’s individual award year. Students must re-apply for financial assistance each academic year, as well as for summer enrollment.

9. Federal Perkins Loan recipients must sign a promissory note as well as attend an entrance counseling session with the business office before receiving their first disbursement and an exit counseling session before leaving the university.

10. If a federal education loan (Direct or PLUS) is included as a part of this financial aid offer, a Federal Master Promissory note MUST be submitted for approval before funding is available. These funds are not credited against your charges until your continued eligibility has been verified. The link to your MPN can be accessed through https://finaid.shorter.edu and follow the link under forms to apply for student loans.

11. First-time recipients of Federal Direct Loan Programs at Shorter must complete entrance counseling before the funds can be disbursed. Go to https://finaid.shorter.eduand follow the link under forms for entrance interview or go to www.studentloans.gov. All borrowers must complete exit counseling before leaving the university.

12. The university reserves the right to release to the U.S. Department of Education and state agencies, institutional offices, scholarship donors, and university scholarship selection committees any information requested pertinent to this award (i.e., enrollment status, address, grade-point average, and financial need). However, the university believes the application for and the receipt of financial aid is a confidential matter; information will be released only to the above mentioned offices and committees unless written permission is granted by the student for such release.

13. Federal/state awards are contingent upon appropriations for those funds and their receipt by the university.

  • During the academic year, some of the Shorter scholarship funds in your financial aid package may be replaced with a named scholarship. While a named scholarship may not add to the total amount of aid received, it does recognize your abilities and achievements.
  • The HOPE scholarship award requires a 3.0 GPA as determined by the GSFC. All HOPE awards are tentative pending verification of eligibility requirements. HOPE is available for a maximum of 127 total university attempted hours (taken at any university you have ever attended). GTEG awards are available to Georgia residents enrolled full-time. HOPE and GTEG awards are established by the state of Georgia and are subject to change.
  • All financial aid, except student work, will be disbursed by being credited to your student account. Student work is paid monthly by direct deposit or check. Financial aid will be disbursed to student accounts in two payments, one for each payment period. Disbursements will occur within the first month at the beginning of each student’s payment period once all financial aid documents have been completed. Beyond the first of the payment period, financial aid will be disbursed within 3 weeks after all financial aid requirements have been completed.