Important Financial Aid Changes
With recent changes in federal student aid and Columbus State’s transition to Workday, there are some important changes in financial aid effective Autumn Semester 2026.
Thanks to changes in federal regulations, some significant changes to student federal aid will take effect for the 2026-27 academic year. In addition, you’ll now handle financial aid (and many other student tasks) in Workday. But don’t worry, we’re here to break it all down.
Here are some major changes to check:
- Financial aid moves to Workday: You will now use Workday to view and manage your financial aid information. Learn how to access your financial aid.
- Estimated Financial Aid: After July 6, estimated aid for the upcoming semester defaults to your actual enrolled credit hours. If you haven’t registered yet, your aid may not show. But don’t panic. Read more.
- Important Grant Deadline: Students must register by July 6 to keep their Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (if offered). Read more.
- Processing Times: Financial aid updates will take a little longer in Workday. Wait 1–2 days (or 3–5 days for loans) to see adjustments after schedule changes. Read more.
- Payment Plans: Payment plans have changed for Autumn 2026. Read more.
- Changes to federal aid. Loan amounts will now be adjusted based on your enrollment. Pell eligibility is also changing. Read more.
- New timeline for financial aid payouts. Starting this autumn semester, financial aid will be paid out after your instructors confirm that you are participating in your courses. Read more.
Access your financial aid in Workday.
You’ll log in to Workday to handle all your financial aid tasks.
Review your financial aid in Workday
- Log in to Workday.
- Click the Financials Hub icon.
- Click on the Financial Aid tab on the left.
- Click “View Financial Aid” and pick the current Award Year (2026-2027), and then click “OK.”
- Your total estimated aid is at the top. Scroll down to the Financial Aid Overview to see your aid by semester.
- You can print your offer letter and college financing plan from this page as well.
Accept your financial aid in Workday
- Navigate to the Financial Aid Overview and click “Accept/Decline Awards.”
- Grants are automatically accepted. Loans must be accepted or declined in the “Decision” field.
- You can accept the full loan amount, or part of the loan amount. You can also decline loans you don’t need.
- Once you hit “OK,” these changes can’t be undone!
Workday Info | Workday Guides & Help Videos
Financial aid amounts will be adjusted based on enrollment.
July 6 is an important date for the Autumn 2026 semester! Our new system, Workday, uses a financial aid processing step where, on a specific date each semester, your financial aid offer changes from a Potential amount to an Actual amount. For the Autumn 2026 semester, that date is July 6.
Potential Aid Date - the date through which financial aid offers are estimates of potential financial aid you're eligible for if you register for a full-time course load (12+ hours)
Actual Aid Date - the date when your financial aid offer reflects the actual aid you are eligible to receive based on the number of credit hours you've registered for.
Pro tip: We encourage you to register early! Register for classes before July 6 to maintain your financial aid and see how much you are eligible to receive based on your enrollment.
At midnight the next day (July 7), estimated aid for the upcoming semester defaults to your actual enrolled credit hours. Here’s what that means:
- If you have not registered for any autumn semester classes by July 6, your estimated aid for autumn will not show. Your Autumn aid will temporarily disappear until you register.
- Some types of aid require that you register at least six credit hours or more to receive the award. If you do not register for six credit hours or more, your student loans and some scholarships and grants may not be shown.
- If this happens to you, don't panic! Your estimated financial aid will repopulate once you register for courses. (It takes at least 24 hours to process financial aid updates, and up to five days for student loans to update.)
Register by July 6 to keep your Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant.
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) provides additional support to students with exceptional financial need. Like other grants, these funds do not need to be repaid.
If your financial aid package includes FSEOG money, you must register for classes by July 6 to keep your FSEOG grant!
Here’s what you need to know:
- Columbus State awards FSEOG funds to students with the greatest financial need based on their FAFSA application. These funds are given on a first-come, first-served basis.
- On July 6, estimated financial aid for the upcoming semester defaults to your actual enrolled credit hours.
- If you do not register for classes by July 6, your FSEOG money will be repackaged and offered to the next eligible student.
Why does the FSEOG work this way?
The short answer: federal rules. Columbus State receives a certain amount of FSEOG funds each year from the U.S. Department of Education’s office of Federal Student Aid. Once the full amount of the FSEOG funds has been awarded to students, no more FSEOG awards can be made for that year. This system works differently from the Federal Pell Grant Program, which provides funds to every eligible student. You can learn more at the federal student aid website.
What if I need registration help?
We’re making it easy to register with workshops and extended hours. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. You can find registration support at cscc.edu/FallForward
New processing times for financial aid updates.
Many changes in Workday are updated in real time. Course registration and billing changes should be shown in your account right away. However, financial aid updates take longer. It takes at least 24 hours for financial aid information to process.
If you adjust your course schedule, for example, you will need to wait 1-2 business days for your financial aid award to update in Workday based on your new number of credit hours. Loan changes may take 3-5 business days.
Federal aid changes.
Enacted in 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act changed many federal student aid programs. Some of those changes just took effect on July 1.
Here are a few key changes that may impact you.
- Federal student loans will be adjusted in proportion to your credit hours. If you enroll in fewer than 12 credit hours per semester, you may qualify for a smaller loan amount. (You still need at least six credit hours to be eligible for federal loans.)
- Parent PLUS loans have new limits for new borrowers. All parents (combined) may borrow $20,000 per year per dependent student and a $65,000 aggregate limit per dependent student.
- Some students who previously qualified for Pell Grants may no longer be eligible. For the 2026–27 academic year, students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) above $14,790 cannot receive a Pell Grant.
- You cannot receive a Pell Grant if your non-federal grants and scholarships already cover your school's full cost of attendance, even if you otherwise qualify for Pell funding.
New timeline for financial aid payouts.
Starting this autumn semester, financial aid will be paid out after your instructors confirm that you are participating in your courses.
What does this mean for you?
- If you accept your financial aid offer, you will not be dropped for nonpayment on the fee payment deadline.
- You can use up to $1,000 of your accepted aid to buy books and course materials at the Columbus State Bookstore.
- Once classes begin, your instructors will verify that you are participating in each course. If you are eligible for more financial aid than you need to cover your tuition, fees, and Booksore purchases, financial aid overage funds will be sent starting the last week in September.
- If some of your classes start later in the semester, part of your financial aid will be paid later as well.
Note that this process applies to all types of aid except VA benefits or employer sponsorship programs.