<p>To Current GW Parents: Can you "Deduct" any "Pending" FA from the July Student bill balance you receive. I know certain Loans - e.g. Stafford/PLUS loans are not disbursed until the 1st day of classes and are listed as "pending aid". It seems ridiculous to pay that amount from the bill in July up front just to have it credited in Early Sept.</p>
<p>Trying to get the finances in order!</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>CJ</p>
<p>Yes, we always deducted the ‘pending aid’ from the total bill. The loan disbursements (we also had a private one at times) scholarships, (school and outside scholarships) and any other aid coming through the school got posted the first day of classes or soon after that. Sometimes we missed by a little (music and/or science or language lab fees that I didn’t see coming) and then made an on-line payment to finalize her balance due. There was a two week grace period I think, before they started with the late fees and interest. Dear God, we never could have paid the whole semester charges up front!</p>
<p>Had some occasional trouble with the financial aid office, getting things straightened out (hope they’ve improved since D graduated in 09). But the Student Accounts Office was superb always helpful always accurate always pleasant and polite and always followed up in a very timely fashion.</p>
<p>Thanks CelloMom - a sigh of relief!</p>
<p>CJ - great question - thanks for asking it. </p>
<p>Cello - thanks for the response! That matches up with what I was told yesterday by the folks in the student accounts office. </p>
<p>CJ: Not sure if’ you’ve seen this yet:<br>
[COLONIAL</a> CENTRAL](<a href=“http://colonialcentral.gwu.edu/billing/about/]COLONIAL”>http://colonialcentral.gwu.edu/billing/about/)</p>
<p>Update - Colonial Central/Student Accounts said they are going to be “updating” the bills they send out this year for incoming freshman. They will be crediting ALL approved financial aid to the account, as opposed to only FA which actually had been received. Previously any “pending” FA was not credited to the account until recieved - usually the 1st day of classes. This made for a very confusing/concerning bill received in July with a very large balance.</p>
<p>This will hopefully give less “sticker shock” when they srnd the 1st bill sometime in July with a due date of Sept.</p>
<p>Personally, it’s about time! I’ve never heard of a college NOT crediting ALL approved FA to the respective bills and thus reflecting the true “balance” of the account. Who knows - we actually may have a + balance due to us with FA/Loans etc.</p>
<p>CJ - great news, thanks for sharing. </p>
<p>i liked the “sample” invoice (received in july) and bill (received just prior to the first day of class, if memory serves) available online.<br>
i actually made up one of my own - using my D’s financial info and sent it to someone in the accounting office, asking them if my estimates were correct and if there was anything noticeably missing. they were very nice and helpful. </p>
<p>so glad to hear that they’ll be crediting the student accounts right off the bat. takes some of the anxiety out of it for me. </p>
<p>still nervous about using an alternative instead of a PLUS loan as i’ve been told PLUS loans are more “user friendly” - they post directly from the government and so are handled in-house at GW, as opposed to third party loans which could have delays and snafus.</p>