You must accept your award each year. Your financial aid will not be applied to your tuition and fees until you complete these steps.

NOTE: Awards amounts presented are for the entire academic year, not for a single term. When you accept an award, you are accepting it for the entire academic year.

1. Log into SWORDS
2. Click on FINANCIAL AID
3. Click AWARD
4. Click on AWARD BY AID YEAR
5. Choose the AID YEAR, which is the academic year you plan to attend MGA.
6. Select ACCEPT AWARD OFFER Tab.
7. For all AWARDS you wish to accept in the full amount, click ACCEPT.
8. If you wish to decline an award, choose the DECLINE button.
9. If you wish to accept a partial amount, click ACCEPT then ENTER THE AMOUNT you want to accept.
   

   Example: To receive $800 from a $1000 award, you will click ACCEPT and ENTER $800 in the field provided.

10. AFTER ACCEPTING and/or DECLINING all offered awards, Click SUBMIT to finalize your acceptance.
11. After you have accepted your award(s):
    • If you accepted a loan award, proceed to the STEPS FOR LOAN RECIPIENTS below.
    • Otherwise, proceed to the steps seen below, titled CHECK STUDENT ACCOUNT DETAILS

Your acceptance of the required MGA Financial Aid Terms and Conditions via SWORDS constitutes an agreement to abide by all policies and conditions of federal and state student aid programs rules and regulations. If you wish to reduce or cancel any of your award(s), you must submit written notification within fourteen (14) days.

Once you have been awarded and accepted a loan you must complete the following steps:

• Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Borrowers: New borrowers must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance to loan counseling by logging into StudentAid.gov.

• Direct PLUS Loan Borrowers (note: this is a two-step process): Parents of undergraduate students and graduate students must complete a Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) at StudentAid.gov. The U.S. Department of Education will perform a credit check for pre-approval.

To receive federal student loans, a borrower must be enrolled at least half-time: For undergraduate students, this is at least six (6) credit hours and for graduate students four and a half (4.5) credit hours.  

Federal regulations require that all first time, first-year borrowers wait a minimum of 30 days into the loan period before the first disbursement is released to the borrower. However, MGA will authorize aid on approved loans to apply towards tuition and fees and the purchase of books at MGA Bookstore.

Once you have completed these steps proceed to CHECK STUDENT ACCOUNT DETAILS.

1. Make sure you have done the following (see steps above):
   • Accepted your AWARDS and submitted the ACCEPTANCE
   • Completed the STEPS FOR LOAN RECIPIENTS, if applicable
2. Log into SWORDS
3. Click on the STUDENT tab
4. Click on STUDENT ACCOUNT
5. Click ACCOUNT DETAIL by TERM
6. Select TERM
7. Click SUBMIT

Review the information presented and verify that everything is correct. Email if you have questions or need to make a correction.

Tuition and fees payment: Once you have completed the steps for loan recipients, the Financial Aid Office will authorize all eligible aid to your MGA Student Account. The Bursar’s Office will then apply ‘Authorized Aid’ to your tuition and fees for the payment period. If your enrollment status changes due to withdrawal, dismissal, graduation, or course load changes (ex. adding/dropping classes, repeat classes, etc.), your awards may be changed or canceled. You are responsible for charges not covered by financial aid funds by the published deadline.

Books: Financial aid funds in excess of tuition and fees may be used for books and supplies in the Middle Georgia State University Campus Store, up to applicable limits. NOTE TO LOAN RECIPIENTS: Your loan proceeds will not be authorized until the lender approves the loan and the Master Promissory Note and entrance loan counseling must be completed (see Steps for Loan Recipients, above).

Refunds: After your attendance in all classes has been confirmed, the remaining credit balance amounts will be refunded in the manner you have authorized and in accordance with the Bursar’s Office refund distribution schedule.

Please note: If you borrow a federal direct loan, and enroll in multiple sessions within a semester, your loan funds will not disburse until half time attendance has been confirmed in all sessions. Example: A graduate student enrolling in one first session course and one second session course can have their student loan funds authorized; but the funds will not disburse until after verification of attendance and no-show reporting period in the second session course has been finalized.  You should plan accordingly for the disbursement based on the Bursar's Office refund distribution schedule. 

In addition to the Bursar's Office refund distribution schedule, for all student loans, refer to your Loan Disclosure Statements (https://studentaid.gov) for the most comprehensive information related to loan origination fees, interest rates, and loan disbursement schedules. 

• Federal Pell Grant: Money awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Grants, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid, except in some cases when you withdraw from school. You cannot receive Pell Grant funds from more than one college at a time during the same enrollment period. Funds will authorize/disburse to your MGA account based on the number of hours enrolled.
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG): A grant for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need who have not earned a bachelor’s or professional degree. Federal Pell Grant recipients take priority and awards depend on the availability of funds at MGA.
• Federal Direct Subsidized Loan: For undergraduate students. No interest is charged on these loans while you are in school at least half-time and during deferment periods. Borrowers may not receive this type of loan for more than 150% of the length of their program of study.
• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan: For undergraduate, graduate, and professional degree students. Interest is charged on loan during all periods.
• Federal PLUS Loan: For graduate, professional degree students, and parents of dependent undergraduate students. Interest is charged during all periods.
• Georgia HOPE Scholarship/Zell Miller Program: Merit-based scholarships to assist students with educational costs of attending a HOPE eligible postsecondary institution located in Georgia. Funds are authorized/disbursed on a per credit hour rate established by the Georgia legislature. MGA award amounts per credit can be reviewed at GAfutures. NOTE: HOPE/ZELL awards for 2018 high school graduates are tentative awards. All Final HOPE/Zell scholars will be reported to the state agency by June 30, 2018.