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Student Loan Acceptance/Adjustments

Accept Student Loans

 First time loan borrowers will need to follow the below instructions:  

1. Log in to Unify at unify.gcsu.edu
2. Click on PAWS, then Student Services 
3. Select Financial Aid 
4. Go to the Offer Tab and scroll to Loans 
5. Click Accept by the loan to accept all, modify to decrease the loan, or decline to decline the full amount. 
6. Go to studentaid.gov 
7. Log in with your FSA ID 
8. Go to the In School tab on the Home page 
9. Complete Loan Entrance Counseling 
10. Complete a Master Promissory Note
 

Returning students who have borrowed student loans before will have a NEW requirement to accept their student loans for Fall 2024 and Spring 2025. You MUST complete this new requirement below:

1. Log in to Unify at unify.gcsu.edu 
2. Click on PAWS, then Student Services 
3. Select Financial Aid 
4. Go to the Offer tab and scroll to Loans 
5. Click Accept by the loan to accept all, modify to decrease the loan, or decline to decline the full amount. 

Should you change your mind about accepting the full loan, please email financialaid@gcsu.edu to request a change.

 

 

 

What to Do Next

Bookstore Authorization

Georgia College allows students to use credit balances from financial aid in excess of up to $1000 toward the purchases of textbooks at the GCSU bookstore for set days at the beginning of each term.  Students must complete an “authorization” from their PAWS account to utilize this option.  This authorization remains active for future semesters. Students can review their account in PAWS to determine if they will have a credit balance available from their financial aid after all institutional charges are paid.  Please note that late receipt of this authorization will cause your wait time at the bookstore to be affected. 

Only the student to whom the financial aid belongs is permitted to purchase the books and supplies at the bookstore. The student must be present for purchases made at Georgia College Barnes & Noble store.

As a reminder, refund checks will no longer be available for pick up at the Business Office.  Please sign up for Direct Deposit through Unify/PAWS to access your refund faster.  If you choose not to sign up for Direct Deposit, your refund check will be sent to your current mailing address on file.

To complete the authorization, please follow the instructions below:

  1.  Go to unify.gcsu.edu
  2.  Enter Unify/PAWS login
  3.  Select PAWS icon
  4.  Then select “Student Services”
  5.  Choose “Financial Aid Authorization” on the bottom row.
  6.  Read the authorization agreements, select “Authorize” from the dropdown menu, click “Submit Authorizations”
  7.  When the “Confirmation” appears, the process is complete

Direct Deposit

Students are encouraged to enroll in Direct Deposit through My GCSU/PAWS to access their refund faster.  Direct Deposit allows all refunds to be electronically deposited into the checking/savings account entered at time of enrollment.  If student has not enrolled in direct deposit, refund checks will be mailed to the current mailing address listed in PAWS.  Please note, Direct Deposits may be deposited into the account of the parent if the parent selected the option to have funds directly deposited to them.

  1. Log into my.gcsu.edu
  2. Click on the PAWS icon from the Service Apps
  3. Select the Pay Your Bill tile
  4. Select the Electronic Refunds link on the right side of the page
  5. Click the Set Up Account button and follow the on screen instructions 

For questions concerning Direct Deposit, contact the Business Office at 478-445-5254, or by email at businessoffice@gcsu.edu

Check Your Acceptance Status
  • Go to studentloans.gov
  • Select Log In in the top right box
  • Enter your FSA ID Username or E-mail Address and Password & click Log In
  • View your profile and check your records for completion of the loan entrance counseling and active promissory note
Decline All Federal Student Loans

(Starting Fall 2024) Decline All Federal Student Loans

  •  Login to Unify- unify.gcsu.edu
  •  Click on PAWS
  •  Click on the Financial Aid box, then Financial Aid Status
  •  Go to the Offer Tab, scroll to the Loans section
  •  Click Decline by the loan to decline the full amount of the loan.

If your loan disbursement has already occurred, within 30 days you will need to complete one of the following steps to finalize your request to adjust your loan:

1) If you received a direct deposit, the loan funds will be removed from your GCSU account. You will then be required to submit an electronic payment to your account to settle this account and have your loan cancelled. OR

2) If you received a paper refund loan check, you will need to submit the paper refund check to GCSU Financial Aid Office by the specified deadline so that the loan funds can be removed from your account and returned to the lender. If you are not cancelling the full amount of the loan and only returning part of it, you will need to deposit the check and return the amount you are cancelling either via electronic payment or personal check made out to Georgia College.

For further assistance, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Reduce Amounts of Student Loans

(Starting Fall 2024) Reduce Amounts of Student Loans

  •  Login to Unify- unify.gcsu.edu
  •  Click on PAWS
  •  Click on the Financial Aid box, then Financial Aid Status
  •  Go to the Offer Tab, scroll to the Loans section
  •  Click Modify by the loan to adjust the amount of the loan.

If your loan disbursement has already occurred, within 30 days you will need to complete one of the following steps to finalize your request to adjust your loan:

1) If you received a direct deposit, the loan funds will be removed from your GCSU account. You will then be required to submit an electronic payment to your account to settle this account and have your loan cancelled. OR

2) If you received a paper refund loan check, you will need to submit the paper refund check to GCSU Financial Aid Office by the specified deadline so that the loan funds can be removed from your account and returned to the lender. If you are not cancelling the full amount of the loan and only returning part of it, you will need to deposit the check and return the amount you are cancelling either via electronic payment or personal check made out to Georgia College.

For further assistance, please contact the Financial Aid Office.

Assistance with Student Loans

We are happy to help!  Stop by the GCSU Financial Aid Office, call or email.

107 Parks Hall
478-445-5149
financialaid@gcsu.edu