Accepting Awards on myPurdue: What do I need to do?

Hey, freshman! Transitioning from high school to college is exciting, but can also get a bit overwhelming with all of the tasks you need to complete. Many students and parents call and email us each day, wanting to know how exactly that financial aid is going to get to where it needs to be. Here is a breakdown of what you need to do (in the form of frequently asked questions):

How do I view my award offer again? Most of you have probably done this at least once by now but if you need a refresher, log in to your myPurdue account, and navigate to the Financial Aid tab. Here, you will choose Award for Aid Year under the Financial Aid Awards section. Then, select the academic year you need to view (2019-2020 currently), and you will see your aid displayed under the Award Overview. This includes grants, scholarships, and federal loan eligibility.

How do I accept awards? Is there a deadline? There are two important things you need to know about accepting your awards: Not every award has to be accepted, and there really isn’t a hard deadline for accepting awards. Grants and scholarships (awards that are gift money to you, and something you do not have to pay back) are automatically put in Accepted status, so there is no action required on your part. The only awards that need to be actively accepted on myPurdue are self-help awards, like loans and Federal Work Study (FWS). To accept (or decline) an award, just toggle over to the Accept Award section, and you can select Accept or Decline. When you select Accept, a box will pop up, and you are able to put in a partial amount if you would like. If you want the full award, just leave it blank.

I’m unsure if I want to accept a loan. Do I have to accept or decline along with my other awards? You do not have to accept or decline awards right away. While you should accept what you know you will use before the semester starts so it can credit your invoice, there is no harm in leaving an award in Offered status if you are unsure. You are able to still go back and make the decision on it, even if you have previously accepted and declined other awards. Maybe come October you see how everything has worked out and decide you do need that loan money – just accept it then. The only time it really becomes a problem is when the academic year is ending. Otherwise, awards are free to accept throughout the year.

I declined something I wanted to accept! What do I do? Simply give us a call at 765-494-5050 or email facontact@purdue.edu, and we can put that award back in Offered status for you.

If I have accepted an award, is there anything else I need to do? Be sure to check if you have any outstanding requirements. This is a very important step that some people miss, and it can make you panic if you are near the start of classes and not seeing your financial aid credit your invoice! When you are in the Financial Aid tab in myPurdue, navigate to the Financial Aid Requirements section. This will list anything outstanding you need to do before your aid can be disbursed. Typically, this will be a requirement attached to a specific loan or scholarship. For example, first-time borrowers of federal loans must sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and go through loan entrance counseling. Both are done online, and fairly simple to complete. Other requirements may be a thank-you note for a scholarship, additional documentation the department may need, etc. Moral of the story: Just check the requirements, and there will be instructions and a link explaining exactly what you need to do, and exactly where you need to go to do it. Emails are often sent as well to remind you of outstanding requirements.

We hope this crash course in accepting awards on myPurdue was helpful. Stay tuned this summer for posts about applying for additional loans, payment options, the details of federal loans, and more. If there is a topic you would like covered, let us know in the comments!