Financial Aid FAQs

FAU Office of Student Financial Aid

Q:  How does my son/daughter apply for Financial Aid?

A:  Students can apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA application.
More information about applying for Financial Aid and the application can be found at the FAU Office of Student Financial Aid website.

Q:  What types of aid are available?

A: Grants (if eligible), Scholarships (if eligible) and Loans. More information can be found at the FAU Financial Aid website. Once at the Financial Aid website select Types of Aid from the left side of the page.

Q. What happens if my son/daughter doesn’t perform well in his/her classes?

A: Financial aid regulations require that they maintain satisfactory academic progress. Generally, your son/daughter must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and successfully complete 67% of their classes. If they do not, they may be placed on probation or denied future assistance. Refer to the Financial Aid website and click on the Policies/Rules & Regulations link to view the Satisfactory Academic Progress page.

Q: How can my son/daughter receive assistance to purchase books for college?

A: If your son/daughter is receiving a financial aid award, he/she may complete the short-term advance application electronically located on the Money Matters! tab on MyFAU. In order to receive an FAU Short Term Advance, students must have a bank account with Direct Deposit Authorization. Funds will be directly deposited into the student’s bank account.

For more detailed information, visit the Other Loans Available link on the Financial Aid website and go to the Short Term Advance page. The Short Term Advance page will provide you and your student the basic requirements needed to qualify for the advance as well as availability and when the money will be dispersed.

If your son/daughter does not have an account, they may sign-up anytime with Bank Atlantic. Direct deposit of funds is preferred to go to Bank Atlantic accounts. However, FAU is able to directly deposit your student’s Short Term Advance or financial aid refund into their existing financial institution.

FAU Short Term Advance applications are available to be used for the two weeks before the start of classes.

Q: How would I be able to calculate/estimate college cost for my son/daughter?

A: Online calculators are available to figure out college costs, loan payments, financial aid payment estimations. Please refer to the Financial Aid Disbursement Estimator.

Q: How can my son/daughter track their financial aid award information?

A: Your son/daughter is encouraged to access their financial aid information online via MyFAU. Please keep in mind that their award(s) may change each semester due to changes to enrollment/housing. Please be aware of the Terms and Conditions of Awards on the Financial Aid website. Also check your FAU email on a regular basis for any communication regarding Financial Aid status.

Q:  How do I find out information about Financial Aid scholarships?

A:  Information about Financial scholarships can be found at the FAU Financial Aid website. Once at the Financial Aid website, select the Scholarships link from the left hand side.

Q. What should I do if my son/daughter wants to take courses at another institution?

A:  There are two different options to receive financial aid assistance:

• Concurrent Enrollment Form: For students taking classes at both FAU (Home school) and another eligible institution (Host school) in the same semester may have their financial aid disbursement from FAU based on their total combined enrollment (FAU + Host Institution) for the semester.
• Consortium Enrollment Form: For students only taking classes at another institution (Host school) but would like to receive their scheduled FAU Financial Aid Award.

Q: Am I allowed to inquire about my son’s/daughter’s financial or academic record?

A: Only certain information can be released to parents regarding their son’s/daughter’s financial or academic records. The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) exists to protect your son’s/daughter’s right to confidentiality and limits our release of information about their file or award(s).

Students may give the Registrar Office written consent to release the information to their parents by completing the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act - Authorization to Release Financial Records form. The completed form authorizes the offices at Florida Atlantic University to disclose student education records as defined by FERPA. 

Reminder: All students must complete the FERPA form to give access to student records to a third party (parents, etc).