How to Accept, Decline, or Reduce Your Awards

After you receive your award notice and have become familiar with your financial aid awards, what should you do? If you want to use all of the financial aid you have been awarded, there is nothing you need to do. The Office of Financial Aid will assume that you have accepted all of your aid awards and your aid will be applied automatically to your university charges. However, if you want to accept or decline specific awards or reduce the amount of your awards, follow the instructions on this page.

On This Page Sections
Rights and Responsibilities of Accepting Financial Aid
How to Decline or Reduce an Award
Accepting Admission to the University

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ACCEPTING FINANCIAL AID

Accepting financial aid entails certain rights and responsibilities. When you are awarded financial aid, it is assumed that you will read and understand the terms and conditions of your aid and your rights and responsibilities. We strongly encourage you to learn as much as you can about the aid you are accepting and to know in advance what is expected of you in terms of your enrollment and academic progress. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.

HOW TO DECLINE OR REDUCE AN AWARD

NEW/CURRENT STUDENTS: You may not decline or reduce awards until you have received an official award notice. Once you have an official award notice, you may contact the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships and request in writing the acceptance or rejection of your award or specific programs on the award letter.

A Note about Loans: If you want to reduce or decline a loan AFTER you have already received the funds, contact the Office of Financial Aid right away. (Students must personally decline or reduce their awards; parents cannot do this on a student’s behalf. Parents of students with a PLUS loan may send an email or letter to the Office of Financial Aid requesting that the loan be reduced or canceled.)

ACCEPTING ADMISSION TO THE UNIVERSITY

Accepting the FMU financial aid award offer listed on your award notice is not the same thing as accepting admission to the university. In order to accept your admission to FMU, you must notify the Office of Admissions at FMU.