Office of Financial Aid & Cashier Services

Frequently Asked Financial Aid Questions

How do I apply for Financial Aid?

You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and use FSW school code 001477 to determine if you are eligible for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA and the FSW scholarship application must be completed every year.

Which FAFSA do I need?

A FAFSA must be submitted each academic year; the 2025-26 FAFSA is used for the Fall 2025, Spring 2026 and Summer 2026 semesters. The 2026-2027 FAFSA will be used for the Fall 2026, Spring 2027, and Summer 2027 semesters. Please ensure you are completing the correct FAFSA for the relevant year.

Where will I receive information about my financial aid at FSW?

Information will be sent to your Bucs (student) email from noreply@fsw.edu and will be available in your FSW Student Portal. Make sure to add noreply@fsw.edu to your safe senders list and forward your student emails to your personal email account if you will not be regularly checking your Bucs (student) email. Information can also be viewed by visiting: https://banxe.fsw.edu/StudentSelfService/ssb/financialAid#!/dashboard/home/2324

Where is the Scholarship application for 2026-2027?

The scholarship application can be completed at https://fsw.awardspring.com. You must be accepted to the college to complete the scholarship application. Not an FSW student yet? Visit www.fsw.edu/admissions to get started!

How do I know if my Scholarship application was approved?

Students will receive an “application submitted email” to their BUCS email from noreply@mail.awardspring.com. Please add this email to your safe senders list. Students can also log onto their application at https://fsw.awardspring.com and view their status.

How will I know if I am awarded Federal Aid or an FSW Scholarship?

Students will receive an award notification via their Bucs (student) email with a link to view their offer. Sometimes the email might be in your junk mail folder, so please add noreply@fsw.edu and noreply@mail.awardspring.com to your safe senders list.

How and where do I submit my requested Verification documents?

All your documents and tasks can be completed by registering at https://fsw.studentforms.com. You can also mail your documents to:

FSW – Office of Student Financial Aid, 8099 College Parkway, Fort Myers, FL 33919

How long does it take to get my Financial Aid offer?

Once FAFSA processors have successfully processed your FAFSA application, it is sent electronically to FSW, typically within 7 days. FSW will assess your aid eligibility and provide a financial aid offer shortly thereafter. The notification email will be sent to your Bucs email. If you have additional tasks/requirements to complete, this process will take an additional 14 days to process, once we have received your last document.

When will I get my Refund?

Financial aid funds will be applied to a student’s account after attendance has been verified by your professors after the add/drop period (see the current academic year Official College Calendar for semester dates at https://www.fsw.edu/calendars.)

Once your financial aid funds pay to your account, any credit balance refund will be sent within 14 days. Funds will be released only if the student has attended and been verified for attendance in all classes.

Can I enroll in a course at another school?

Yes, you can. However, Federal regulations only allow students to receive financial aid at one school at a time in the same semester. With a consortium agreement, students can enroll in a course at another state college or university as a transient student. A college consortium agreement is a formal, written contract between two or more institutions that allows a student to take courses at a "host" school while remaining enrolled at their "home" school, ensuring credits transfer and federal financial aid covers the combined enrollment. Please be aware, students are generally required to pay out of pocket for courses at the “host” institution. Students will be reimbursed when their financial aid is disbursed which is often after payment deadlines and add/drop periods. If you are already enrolled in a state college or university, Florida makes it easy for you to take a course at another state college or university as a transient student. Please visit Florida Shines for more information and to apply. Additionally, we can accommodate agreements with out-of-state colleges or universities. Please contact your financial aid specialist for more information.

Why was I selected for verification?

Approximately 10% of our students who submit the FAFSA each year are randomly chosen for verification by Department of Education or the college has information that must be verified.

Why do I have an attendance hold?

You did not complete the attendance verification assignment in Canvas. For more information please review https://www.fsw.edu/financialaid/atthold

My financial situation has changed since filing the FAFSA. What are my options?

If you have experienced a loss of a job, a reduction in income, or extraordinary medical expenses, please request our "Professional Judgment: Special Circumstance - SAI Calculation Appeal" found at https://fsw.studentforms.com to have your financial aid status reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

What is the best form of communications to have my questions answered?

Email us at financialaid@fsw.edu from your Bucs email account. Please include your Student ID for the quickest response time.

Why did I not receive my full Pell award?

The federal Pell Grant is always assumed at full time enrollment which is at least 12 credits per semester. If you are not attending full time, your Pell grant will be pro-rated according to your enrollment.

How do I ensure that I am meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain financial aid eligibility?

You must maintain good Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue to be eligible for Financial Aid. This means a GPA of at least 2.00 and successfully completing at least 2/3 of all your attempted classes. Your completion rate is calculated by dividing all your earned credit hours (Ds and above) by your attempted credit hours (F’s, W’s, etc.) and multiplying by 100. The resulting percentage should be equal to or greater than 66.666%.

For more information, please go to https://www.fsw.edu/financialaid/sap.

Why is the "Cost of Attendance" on my financial aid award portal more than the charges on my student account?

"Cost of Attendance" is a term that is often confusing. A student’s cost of attendance is composed of both direct costs (tuition, fees, and other costs billed by FSW) and indirect costs (transportation, books, course materials, supplies, equipment, living expenses, etc. representing average amounts students spend but are not billed by FSW). The cost of attendance is used to help determine aid eligibility, but it’s not the amount you’ll pay to FSW. FSW will only charge you for actual tuition and fees for your courses each term (and for dorm charges if you've chosen to live in on-campus housing).

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