Graduate Checklist

Guide Me

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Where do I Start?

1Complete the FAFSA each year beginning October 1st.

2Know Your Costs.

3Be admitted to Sam Houston State University.

4Be enrolled in and maintain at least half-time enrollment at SHSU.

5Move on to How do I Receive Financial Aid?


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Hand with Money

How do I Receive Financial Aid?

1Complete the FAFSA each year beginning October 1st

What You Need to Do

Submit your FAFSA by our priority date of November 1st.

  • Determine your eligibility to complete the FAFSA.
  • Request FSA ID, if needed.
  • Complete the FAFSA online and include SHSU’s school code - 003606 and be sure to apply for the correct aid year.
  • Look for your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the Department of Education.

What We Do

  • Starting Mid-November of each year, we begin downloading FAFSA information and review student eligibility for Financial Aid.

2Apply for Scholarships

What You Need to Do

Scholarships4Kats opens September 1st each year for the following school year and we prioritize applications received by the submission date of November 1st.

  • Complete scholarship application at Scholarships4Kats.
  • Review your recommended opportunities and complete requested supplemental applications.

What We Do

  • All scholarship applications are reviewed.
  • Selections begin in December of each year.
  • If you are selected for an institutional scholarship, we will notify you of your award through your SHSU email.

3Meet SHSU Eligibility Requirements

What You Need to Do

What We Do

  • For new students, we verify you are admitted to SHSU.
  • For continuing students, we review your SAP.
  • We verify you are in an eligible, degree seeking academic program.

4Check Your Status

You may be selected for verification.

What You Need to Do

  • Check your SHSU email account to determine if any additional information has been requested.
  • If documentation is requested, log into your MySam account for instructions, to view requested documents, and check status of your file.
  • If no documentation is requested by SHSU, skip to Step 5: Financial Aid Notification.

What We Do

  • Review documentation provided to determine if any corrections are required.

5Financial Aid Notification

Aid will begin posting by March of each year.

What You Need to Do

What We Do

6Choose your Aid Option(s)

What You Need to Do

What We Do

  • Approximately 2-3 days after you accept your awards, we begin processing your accepted awards for disbursement.
  • For accepted loans, we submit information to the US Department of Education.

7What’s the Hold Up?

What You Need to Do

What We Do

  • Confirm completion and update your MySam account.

8Check for Disbursed Funds

What You Need to Do

  • Understand the difference between disbursements and refunds.
  • Check your MySam account for disbursed funds.
  • Once all funds are disbursed, continue to Step 9.

What We Do

  • Verify your Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status is still in good standing.
  • Verify your enrollment meets disbursement requirements for each award.
  • Disburse your financial aid.

9Your Refund


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Still Owe a Balance?

  • Once aid has applied, check your Fee Statement for remaining balance.
  • Plan how to pay your balance before the payment deadline.
  • Enroll in the Payment Plan, if needed.
  • If you are still waiting on financial aid to be processed, apply for Semester Loan


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