The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is used to apply for federal financial aid including grants, work-study, and loans and is used by most schools and scholarship providers to award non-federal aid. The application is free – you should never pay to apply for federal financial aid.
RSU uses your FAFSA information to award all state, federal, athletic and institutional aid. You must complete a FAFSA each year to receive financial aid, unless you are considered federally ineligible (i.e. not a U.S. citizen). Be aware of all deadlines.
Steps to Apply for Financial Aid
- Step 1: Apply for Aid
- Step 2: Follow Up
- Step 3: Submit Additional Information to the RSU Office of Financial Aid
- Step 4: Financial Aid Awards
- Summer Financial Aid
- Have Special Circumstances?
- Need Help Applying?
Hints & Helpful Information:
- Be sure you meet application deadlines for OTAG (Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant).
- 10 Common FAFSA Mistakes to Avoid.
- Use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to electronically transfer your IRS tax return amounts needed to complete or correct your FAFSA.
- You can list up to ten schools to receive your FAFSA. The school code for RSU is 003168.
- Students, parents, and borrowers are required to use an FSA ID to confirm their identity when accessing their financial aid information and electronically signing federal student aid documents.
Need help completing the FAFSA?
Contact us or try one of these self help options:
- Call 800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
- FAFSA: Apply for Aid
- 8 Easy Steps to the FAFSA
Your application will be processed by the Department of Education and you will receive an email message with a link to your Student Aid Report (SAR) within 3-5 days. The SAR summarizes all the information you provided when filling out the FAFSA; it must be confirmed before you can receive federal aid.
If you did not provide an email address, you will receive your SAR by mail within 7-10 days.
The results are sent electronically to the schools you listed on your application.
If you do not hear from FAFSA within three weeks go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and select “Check the Status of a Submitted FAFSA.”
Once you get your SAR, review it for accuracy. A complete SAR will contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the index number used to calculate your federal student aid eligibility and your Data Release Number (DRN), a four digit number assigned to your application by the U.S. Department of Education.
If you discover you made a mistake entering information into your FAFSA you should log back in using your FSA ID and make the necessary corrections.
Once the RSU Office of Financial Aid has received your SAR, we will send you a letter requesting any additional information that may be required to complete your financial aid file. You can also check for required documents on MyRSU. Typical items requested include an IRS Tax Return Transcript, W-2s and a Verification Worksheet.
- Order a copy of your tax return transcript online at www.irs.gov; click on “Get Tax Record.”
- Select Get Transcript Online or Get Transcript by Mail.
- Order a Tax Return Transcript by phone using the IRS Automated Service at 800-908-9946.
- Verification Forms
After you have provided all the necessary information to the RSU Office of Financial Aid your financial aid counselor will review the file and determine your eligibility for financial aid.
Your financial aid award will be based on the number of credit hours in which you are enrolled and your eligibility, as determined by the U.S. Department of Education, based on the information you provided on your FAFSA.
Once we have received all the necessary information and determined your award eligibility you will be notified by mail or email. Some scholarships and grants may not appear on your initial award letter but may be added later, based on when we receive the notification of eligibility.
You will need to log into the financial aid portal from your MyRSU account to view, accept and/or decline your aid.
A separate aid package is created for students who have remaining financial aid eligibility and will be attending the Summer session. Students enrolled in Summer coursework will receive an updated Financial Aid Offer by email or a notification if funds are not available.
The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), allows financial aid administrators to make professional judgement decisions for special or unusual family or student circumstances. Circumstances requiring professional judgement decisions must be determined on a case by case basis and must relate to your special circumstances. Professional judgement decisions may be made to adjust eligibility for all institutional, Title IV and campus-based aid. Special circumstances include things such as a change in your family’s income due to job loss, homelessness, and unusually high medical or childcare expenses.
Federal Student Aid Information Center:
- 800-433-3246 (800-4-FED-Aid) or
- 800-730-8913 (TTY) for the hearing impaired
- 8 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Contact FAFSA
RSU Office of Financial Aid:
Monday - Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm
918-343-7553
800-256-7511
[email protected]
FAFSA Helpful Tips & Tools
The federal government regulates the application process for students seeking aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be completed in order to qualify for any financial assistance.