Overaward & Stacking Awards

Overaward Policy
 

An overaward is financial aid that exceeds a student’s financial need and/or cost of attendance. When a student receives aid, the University of Louisville is required to adhere to all regulations associated. All aid, including scholarships, grants, loans, tuition remission, awards, and prizes must be counted as estimated financial assistance in a student’s total aid package.

It is the student’s responsibility to report all sources of estimated financial assistance including departmental scholarships, employee tuition remission, outside scholarships, third party assistance, and Metropolitan College benefits, to the Student Financial Aid Office. To report estimated financial assistance not already included in your aid package, complete the Report Other Aid form. Reporting this information to the Student Financial Aid Office early will help prevent changes in eligibility that can result in reductions to financial aid.

When the Student Financial Aid Office identifies an overaward, adjustments will be made to the student’s aid package to ensure compliance with regulations. When allowable, self-help aid, such as loans and work-study awards, are adjusted before grant or scholarship aid is affected. If an overaward occurs after aid has been disbursed, the student may be required to repay all or a portion of their financial aid to the University.

Undergraduate Stacking Policy
 

The sum of all institutional aid received cannot exceed the university’s total standard direct cost of attendance plus a stipend. Items in the standard direct cost include regular on-campus tuition charges*, average room**, average board***, and average book costs***.
 

The following chart shows the stacking limit with 2024-2025 academic year costs.

* Subject to the approval of the Board of Trustees and the Council on Postsecondary Education
** average

Any funding paid by the University of Louisville may be considered institutional aid. Some examples are admission-based scholarships, departmental awards, employee tuition remission, housing benefits, KRS benefits, 22% of UL Health tuition benefits and athletic scholarships.  Additional costs, on a case-by-case basis, may be factored in the stacking limit when a student participates in a university-approved study abroad program, or presents extenuating circumstances. Stacking appeal requests, along with pertinent documentation, may be submitted in writing to the Student Financial Aid Office via email, postal mail, or office visit.