The following steps will help assist you in understanding the "big picture" of the financial aid process. Each step will provide you with information and resources to help where you are in the process.

1. File the FAFSA
2. Verification
3. Award Notification
4. Billing
5.  Establish Your Refund Method
6. Maintain Eligibility
7. Renew My FAFSA

Step 1: File the FAFSA Online
https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
University of Louisville's school code is 001999

Step 2: Verification
We receive the results of your FAFSA application electronically. In some cases, the U.S. Department of Education requires us to collect additional information from you. This may be to resolve conflict between the FAFSA data and information with student records at UofL. It may also be to resolve conflicting or missing data on your FAFSA. Sometimes all the information is correct, but the U.S. Department of Education selects 33% of applicants to verify some of the FAFSA data. Medical students that provided parental data to be considered for Primary Care Loan (PCL) or Loan for Disadvantaged Students (LDS) will have the data verified.

We will notify you by email (or mail if no email is on file) if additional information is required to complete your application*

*In most cases, the requested documents will be available on your ULink To Do List. View our ULink tutorials for assistance on how to access these forms.

• We begin requesting this additional information from the applicants as early as February for the upcoming fall and spring.
• Your Student Aid Report (SAR) will advise you to verify information on your FAFSA and could also indicate that your school may request tax documents.

Step 3: Award Notification
Once your financial aid file is complete and you are admitted to ULSOM, our office will review your eligibility for all federal student aid programs. Each year, federal award notifications are scheduled to be emailed in mid-June. Scholarship award letters are sent earlier by the Admissions Office. We award students assuming they are attending medical school at full-time status (10 credit hours for medical school).

Your award notification will direct you to your ULink account to review, accept, reduce, or decline your financial aid awards. Acceptance is not required for grants and scholarships. View the ULink Tutorials for assistance on navigating that website. 

Step 4: Billing
Billing is handled by the Bursar's Office. In some cases, you will receive your bill notice prior to being awarded. This can occur if you do not file the FAFSA early or do not complete and submit requested documentation. For more information on billing, visit the Bursar's Office website. At any time, you can view your updated bill and anticipated financial aid on ULink*.

It is important that your bill be settled by the due date designated on your bill, but your bill does not have to be paid on that date. It is important that you have enough financial aid (also called anticipated aid) on your bill with the Bursar's Office for the appropriate semester. Financial aid disburses at various times according to regulations, processing guidelines and methods.

• *Your Account under the section Tuition, Fees, Payment Options on ULink will show your charges, disbursed financial aid, residual funds, and undisbursed financial aid (called anticipated aid).

Step 5: Establish Your Refund Method: Via ULink

SELECT YOUR OPTION NOW
The University of Louisville has contracted with Nelnet, an outside company that specializes in student refund payment services. All residual funds are delivered to students through Nelnet. With Nelnet, you can request direct deposit of your residual funds to a personal checking account or savings account, or deposit to a Reloadable Debit Card.  The transaction to your personal bank account is called an ACH transfer. The School of Medicine recommends the ACH transfer to your checking account.

• DIRECT DEPOSIT (3-5 business days)
• Reloadable Debit Card (3-5 business days)

• Log in to the Student Portal via ULink
• Click on the Financial Account Tile
• In Financial Account tile click Nelnet icon labeled “Student Refunding.” This will direct you to the Nelnet site.
• On your first visit, follow the prompts to Create an Account with Nelnet.
• After creating an account, select “Manage Refunds” to Enroll in a Refund Method.
• Fill in the necessary information. Your refund will then be sent using the option you selected.

Fall and Spring Aid Disbursement

Once the Student Financial Aid Office completes a final review of your eligibility, we will disburse all available financial aid funds to the Bursar's Office. The Bursar's Office will the post that aid to your account. Disbursed financial aid that exceeds your balance owed the university is considered residual funds. Subsequent disbursements of available financial aid to the Bursar's Office are scheduled to occur at least twice a week.

Questions?

 Please contact University of Louisville's Bursar's Office if you have any questions regarding setting up your refund method at 502-852-6503 or bursar@louisville.edu.

Step 6: Maintain Eligibility
Students need to review the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy. The Student Financial Aid Office is required to review academic progress each year.

Step 7: Renew My FAFSA
The FAFSA becomes available October 1st each year, please renew your FAFSA each year by March 1st following the October it becoming available, for the upcoming fall and spring terms.  You will fill out the FAFSA using “prior-prior” year financial data, (example: 2022 taxes used for 24-25 FAFSA). You can easily use the Data Retrieval Tool to pull in your tax information directly from the IRS.  If you did not work, nor file taxes, then you would select ‘Did Not File’ under tax filing status.

• Keep your email and mailing address up to date on your FAFSA and on the FSA ID website. The U.S. Department of Education will use these to send you important announcements and reminders.