Financial Aid Award Offer

The term "award" refers to any monies on account that helps pay educational related expenses. Financial aid consists of all awards – not just free money. These can include grants, scholarships (SVSU scholarships and scholarships from other sources), waivers, loans, work-study, and college saving plans. 

Awards are submitted at various times to the Financial Aid Office. Continue to monitor your account through mySVSU Portal and your SVSU email for updates. If a student is expecting a renewed scholarship be certain to review the renewal requirements. If you did not meet the renewal requirements the award is forfeited and will not be added to the award offer.

When your FAFSA is processed you will receive an Award Offer notification through your SVSU email.

Saginaw Valley State University utilizes email as the official method of communication with students to conduct business thus reducing paper waste, saving money and communicating efficiently and effectively. NO PAPER BILLS WILL BE ISSUED.

Upon acceptance to SVSU, each student is issued a complimentary personal university email account (an “SVSU account”) for their use while enrolled at SVSU. Official university correspondence will be directed to the SVSU account, and it will be the student’s responsibility to monitor this account regularly and to read all posted University correspondence.  

All the following communication noted below will be sent to the SVSU student email account:

• Detailed information needed to complete their financial aid file
• Award Offer notifications
• Enrollment status and renewal requirements for scholarships
• Loan information
• Other award requirements and eligibility information
• Payment due dates
• Billing notifications
• Direct deposit advice notification
• Other special reminders

Email Addresses Carbon Copy Feature
Students and/or parents may wish to have SVSU communications sent to other email addresses in addition to their SVSU email account. 

Please be aware, not all offices utilize this function. Some emails will ONLY go to the SVSU email address and not be carbon copied.  Please refer to the complete Student Email Communication Policy for more information.

How to Set-up Carbon Copy Email Addresses:

• Log-into my.SVSU.edu with your SVSU username and password
• Under the Quick Access dropdown, select Self-Service
• Under User Profile Select Add New Email
• Select Carbon Copy Email

Once carbon copy email addresses are established, that access will remain in effect until it is removed by the student.

A number of options exist within Self-Service allowing students to view up-to-date information regarding their student account, including access to the following financial aid features:

Financial Aid Missing Information

This feature allows students to view the status of their financial aid file, including where they are in the process. Up-to-date information will appear when SVSU receives a student’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) results, and what other information SVSU may need to collect from the student. Log-in to my.SVSU.edu > Quick Access > Self-Service and review your missing information after you have filed your FAFSA!

Financial Aid Opt-In

This allows students to view, accept, and reject their scholarships and financial aid online and for SVSU to accept the student’s signature electronically for any documents pertaining to scholarships and financial aid. The electronic signature binds the student to the terms and conditions of scholarships and financial aid. Once opting to receive this information electronically, the student will remain "opted-in" for any future semesters.

How to Set-up the Financial Aid “Opt-in” Feature:

• Log-in to my.SVSU.edu with your SVSU username and password
• Under the Quick Access dropdown, select Self-Service
• Select Students
• Select My Financial Account
• Select Financial Aid Opt-in

Once opted-in to this feature, the student will remain opted-in for future semesters.

Financial Aid Award Offer – Accept/Reject Awards Online

If a student has opted in for electronic acceptance of their financial aid, they will be able to view their award offer online. Information will be sent to the student email account when their award letter is available to view.

IMPORTANT! If you have not set up your SVSU credentials, log into your Application Portal and complete Step 1: Activate Your SVSU email" within Next Steps.

Financial resources are applied evenly between Fall/Winter terms. Federal loans and grants, as well as most institutional aid, cannot be placed all in one term. Not only is this an awarding requirement but it helps the student/parent plan appropriately for upcoming term balances. 

If your financial aid awards do not cover the total of your expenses there are additional resources available. They include Parent PLUS Loans, Alternative Loans, Other Scholarships or a Payment Plan.  

Spring & Summer aid eligibility is based on annual award limits minus any awards used during Fall and Winter semesters.

Students who wish to apply for their remaining financial aid eligibility need to submit the E-Form Spring/Summer Financial Aid Request Form available in February each year.  If unable to access the E-Form students may complete the PDF version of the form which can be found on the SVSU website HERE.

If a student chooses not to accept a loan that was awarded they can reject the full amount electronically through their student financial account.  To decrease the loan by a specific amount the student should complete the E-Form Fall/Winter Financial Aid Request Form.  A pdf version of the Fall/Winter Financial Aid Request Form is also available. The Form must be signed, dated and submitted to the Campus Financial Service Center via email cfsc@svsu.edu; fax (989) 964-2492 or mail at SVSU Attn:  CFSC, 7400 Bay Rd, University Center, MI 48710.

To make a custom selection of your Fall/Winter awards the student should complete the E-Form Fall/Winter Financial Aid Request Form.  A pdf version of the Fall/Winter Financial Aid Request Form is also available. The Form must be signed, dated and submitted to the Campus Financial Service Center via email cfsc@svsu.edu; fax (989) 964-2492 or mail at SVSU Attn:  CFSC, 7400 Bay Rd, University Center, MI 48710.

If you are a first time student borrower at SVSU, you will have to complete Entrance Loan Counseling before federal loan funds can be credited to your account or sent to you. You may complete this requirement on line here.

You must have a Department of Education FSA ID in order to complete the entrance loan counseling. If you forgot your FSA ID or do not have one, go to FSA ID.

As a first time borrower you must complete a Direct Loan Electronic Master Promissory Note (MPN). The electronic MPN site allows you to complete and sign a MPN over the web as an alternative to using a paper MPN. Please do not go to the site to complete the process until we have sent you correspondence to do so.

To complete your electronic MPN, you will need to provide the following information: your social security number, your permanent address and telephone number, your driver's license number and state, and names, addresses, and phone numbers for two references.

Go here to complete the electronic MPN. Allow enough time to complete the MPN process in a single session. You cannot save your work and return to it at a later time. Once you are at the website, be sure to review the "What You Need", and then select the type of loan that you have and proceed through the process.

You must have a Department of Education FSA ID in order to complete the electronic MPN. If you forgot your FSA ID or do not have one, go to FSA ID.