Stony Brook University - HSC Student Services

RECEIVING AID - YOUR AWARD GUIDE

You can view your financial aid awards or the status of your application on SOLAR. You can also view your billing charges and refunds.

Financial Aid Eligibility and Your Award Letter

Upon receipt of the data you provide on the FAFSA, your application for financial aid will be reviewed and considered for all financial aid programs for which you are eligible. Eligibility is based on financial need, individual program requirements, academic progress, availability of funds and having met application deadlines. Also, certain assumptions are made about your enrollment status and estimated cost of attendance as indicated on the electronic financial aid notice. If your or your parents' financial circumstances have changed since the FAFSA was completed, contact our office to see if you should complete a Re-Evaluation Form

The financial aid awards listed cover the Summer, Fall and Spring terms. Summer financial aid is processed separately and requires a separate application available on SOLAR.

What You Need to Do

Accept/decline your awards on SOLAR.
Report other aid you are or will be receiving for this academic year that is not already listed.
Take immediate action on any financial aid item(s) listed under "My To Do List Items" on SOLAR.
Do not submit any documents unless we specifically ask for them.
If you accepted Federal Work Study you can begin your campus job search on SOLAR
If you accepted loans, complete the required Master Promissory Note (MPN)

Verification Process

Verification is a process required by the U.S. Department of Education, in which specific items reported on your FAFSA are verified through other documents. If your application has been selected for Institutional Verification, the required documents will be listed on your SOLAR "To Do" list.

Your awards will not be finalized and funds will not be released until we receive the necessary documentation and your file is verified. As a result of verification or new information such as scholarships you are receiving, changes can be made to your financial aid amounts or awards. In this case, you will receive a SOLAR message advising you of the changes.

Changes in Enrollment

Changes in enrollment may affect your eligibility for financial aid. Please consult with an advisor in the HSC Office of Student Services before you change your enrollment status or withdraw from the University. Aid is generally awarded based on the assumption that you will be full- time. If you enroll for less than full-time, your awards may be adjusted. In order to be eligible for a Stafford Loan, you must be enrolled for at least six (6) credits.

For financial aid purposes, students are considered full-time with 12 or more credits, three-quarter time with 9 to 11 credits, half-time with 6 to 8 credits, or less than half-time with 1 to 5 credits. Please be aware that in order to be eligible for TAP or other NYS grants, you must be enrolled for at least 12 credits.

In case of withdrawal from the University, federal regulations require a review of all student aid received in order to determine if the student is still eligible for the full amount. This determination is based on the withdrawal date as processed by the Health Sciences Center Office of Student Services and on the amount of time the student spent in academic attendance. After 60% of the semester has passed, students have earned 100% of the federal financial aid awarded to them. Please note that this federal refund calculation is separate and different from the refund calculation of institutional charges done by the Bursar's Office.

Your eligibility for New York state aid may also be affected depending on your date of withdrawal.

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Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress

Please see link: http://www.stonybrook.edu/finaid/receiving/sap.shtml

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University Tuition and Fees

Information regarding tuition and fee charges is available on the Bursar/Student Accounts website.
You can view your awards, billing charges and refunds on SOLAR using the "Account Summary/What Do I Owe" link.

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Bookstore Campus Account

The Bookstore Campus Account is a prepaid, taxable debit account. This account offers the convenience of purchasing textbooks and school supplies in the University Bookstore on East and West Campus by using your University ID card. This plan is charged to your student account and may be deferred against financial aid or paid in monthly installments using the University's Time Option Payment Plan (TOPP). For more information, call (631) 632-6517 or visit www.stonybrook.edu/bca.

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Payments and Anticipated Aid

All students, after registering for classes, will be sent a billing statement with instructions for making payments. You can 'opt-out' of receiving a paper bill by joining "Operation Greenbill" on SOLAR. Each billing statement will list University charges less any anticipated aid. Anticipated aid is any award that has been accepted but has not yet been disbursed to your University account. Please note that award estimates, stipends, Federal Work-Study, and student reported awards are not recorded as anticipated aid. Only charges for tuition, fees, campus room and meal charges (not charges for graduate campus apartments), and Bookstore Campus Account may be covered by anticipated aid. In addition, anticipated aid that is not disbursed after a period of time will expire and will no longer be taken into account against any outstanding university charges.

If the current bill does not reflect anticipated aid, you must pay the amount due by the date indicated. If financial aid is received after the bill is paid, you will receive a refund. Failure to apply for financial aid in a timely manner does not relieve you from the obligation to meet all payment deadlines or late payment fees. All university charges for tuition, fees, room and meals must be paid in full before you are allowed to register for classes for the next term. Visit University Billing and Payment for details.

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Time Option Payment Plan

In addition to financial aid, Stony Brook offers the Time Option Payment Plan (TOPP). This program allows you (and your parents) to make equal and consecutive payments throughout the term, rather than paying the total balance of the bill.

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Financial Aid Disbursements and Refunds

During the first week of the term, most federal and institutional financial aid awards are disbursed and credited to your University account upon successful clearance (e.g., appropriate enrollment, no outstanding holds). New York State awards are disbursed after 100 percent tuition liability and upon successful clearance. Any resulting excess credit is refunded to you within 14 days.

Once the disbursement has been applied to your University account, any resulting excess credit is refunded to you (or sent to your parent, if it's a PLUS loan refund) within 14 days by the Bursar's Office.

The Bursar's Office now offers direct deposit for student refunds. Electronic deposits are secure, fast and convenient and you can avoid waiting to receive your refund check at the Bursar counter or in the mail. Refunds through direct deposit are processed daily and appear in your account within 3 business days. Enrollment for direct deposit is done via the SOLAR system.

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Cancellation of Disbursed Federal Loans

You have the right to cancel all or a portion of your Federal Stafford or Perkins Loan, even after the loan funds have been disbursed and credited to your University account. If you wish to cancel or reduce an already disbursed loan for the current term, you must submit a written signed request to Financial Aid prior to the end of the term.

The parent borrower has the right to cancel all or a portion of the Federal PLUS, even after the loan funds have been disbursed and credited to the student's University account. If the parent wishes to cancel or reduce an already disbursed PLUS, the parent borrower must submit a written signed request to Financial Aid prior to the end of the term.

Adjustments to Already Disbursed Aid

If changes are made to your financial aid package, you may be billed for aid already disbursed and credited to your University account.

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