Accepting Your Financial Aid Package – GradPlan

The 2024-25 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), is now open. Learn more here.

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Accepting Your Financial Aid Package

What to know and be aware of

So you have decided to attend college, and you’ve made your choice as to where you’re going to enroll. Congratulations!

The next step is to accept and/or reject your financial aid from that college. Here’s how it works:

Log into Your Student Portal

Once you login, go to your financial aid page. Find the link or heading for Accepting/Rejecting each part of your award. This may also be written directly on your financial aid award letter, make sure you read the entirety of those letters carefully.

Review Your Financial Aid

Review each type of aid and the amount and accept what you need. Remember, You do not have to accept every part of your financial aid offer letter, but definitely accept the grants and scholarships; that’s FREE money! Then, carefully determine if you will accept any loans. If you decide to accept loans, determine how much of each loan you want to accept – you do not have to accept the full loan amount offered.

Tip! It can be tricky figuring out how much money you will need for college. Before you make any decisions on your students loans, we recommend you talk to your counselor, or call the college’s financial aid office for help.

Submit and Follow Up

Once you have completed the award acceptance process, be sure to log back into your financial aid page in a few days to make sure there are no new notifications. Some schools require you to accept and/or reject all parts of your financial aid offer before you can receive your funding. Check with the financial aid office at your school if you need support with any of this.

Something to consider! About a third of FAFSA applications are selected randomly each year for a review process called FAFSA Verification. The purpose is to make sure there are no errors on your original FAFSA. Learn more about common reasons why someone’s application may be flagged for verification here.

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Looking for More? 

You can find more information about FAFSA, student loans, and budgeting your money in our Financials Section»

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"Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today."

Malcolm X, human rights activist