Frequently Asked Questions

The federal school code for USA is 001057. To find others, check online at https://fafsa.ed.gov/  and select "Find My Schools Codes".

It may take 6-8 weeks after you complete your file at USA before you'll find out what aid you're eligible to receive. Ensure the fastest processing time by turning in all requested information in a timely manner. Check your PAWS account and JagMail regularly for updates. 

You must enroll at least half-time to receive student loan funds. As an undergraduate student, half-time is 6 hours. For a graduate student, half-time is 3 hours. The classes you take must be required for your declared program and major.

Federal student aid regulations have defined that a student who completely withdraws or stops attending prior to completing 60% of a term has not earned 100% of the federal student aid that was received. If you drop all of your classes the Office of Financial Aid may be required to return a portion of the federal student aid that was applied to your student account. More information can be found here on the Return to Title IV Funds Policy.

You must also make satisfactory academic progress towards your degree in order to maintain federal student aid eligibility, and any classes dropped or failed may affect your progress. For more information, refer to the Academic Progress Policy.

To apply for scholarships here at South you must use JagSPOT, USA's Scholarship Program Opportunity Tracker– found on the Office of Scholarship Services' website. Freshmen students are automatically considered for the Freshman Admission Scholarship Program, provided they complete the admission process by Dec 1st. But additional opportunities are available!! All current and incoming students should use Jag$POT to fill out their General Application - which in turn will help match them to potential scholarship and award opportunities. However, take note, students desiring to be considered for need-based scholarships must complete the FAFSA by March 1. Additional deadlines vary by scholarship award.

The deadlines vary by scholarship. Prime months for most scholarship deadlines are January through April, for awards starting the following fall term. But, keep in mind that many scholarships are only awarded once a year, so missing a deadline can mean missing out until the next cycle. Please refer to the specific information for each scholarship to verify actual application deadlines.

Your initial award is based on full-time enrollment. Census occurs at the end of the day on the last day to drop/add courses for the semester (typically the Friday of the first week of classes). Your aid will not disburse at less than full-time status and your enrollment will be evaluated for aid purposes at that time.  

If eligible, exceptions for Institutional Scholarships can be completed in JagSPOT. For other scholarships and awards, distributed through the colleges, schools, and programs, please contact the Office of Scholarship Services directly.  

Additional courses registered for after the census date will not be taken into consideration with regard to your scholarship and aid eligibility.

If you have earned any outside scholarship funds, you are required to notify the Office of Scholarship Services so the information can be used in calculating your financial aid award package. If your current scholarship opportunities have met 100 percent of your demonstrated need and subsequently you receive an outside scholarship, one or more of your financial aid sources may need to be adjusted. Loan assistance is adjusted first, wherever possible.

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information about aid adjustments.

University of South Alabama
Office of Scholarship Services
Meisler Hall, Suite 1225
390 Alumni Circle
Mobile, AL 36688

The donor must include the student's name and Jag Number (Student ID) on the check or on attached documentation. Donors should specify what semester(s) and aid year the check should be applied to in addition to minimum enrollment hours for disbursement (full-time, half-time, less than half-time).

Some USA courses require special course fees (ex. Computer Lab Fee, Accounting Fee, etc.). Please refer to the Schedule of Classes on PAWS.

You can sign up in the USA Payment Plan through PAWS, by selecting “Student Account Access” under the “Student Records” section. Select “Payment Plans” to begin the enrollment process.

If you are unable to charge your books to your student account, you have either not been awarded financial aid at USA or you did not have sufficient aid available to allow for a bookstore charge.

If you have not received your refund (check or EDD) after 7 days from the refund process date on your student account, contact the Office of Student Accounting. It takes approximately 10 days for check refunds to be received back by mail and approximately 5 days for financial institutions to return EDD resulting from closed accounts.

Students can view and pay for their charges each semester through PAWS, by selecting "Student Account Access" under the "Student Records" section.  You can view the breakdown of charges and aid on your account by selecting "View Activity," or you can simply select "Make Payment" to pay on your balance. 

Students can add users to their account so that a family member may view their charges and make payments. In your PAWS account, select "Student Account Access" under the "Student Records" section. Then on the left side of the screen, select "Authorized Users" to add another user to your account.