Understanding ASU Scholarship Deferment Policy
Arizona State University (ASU) provides various scholarship opportunities to help students finance their education. However, circumstances may arise that require a student to interrupt their studies. ASU's scholarship deferment policy allows eligible students to postpone their scholarship under specific conditions. This article provides a detailed overview of the ASU scholarship deferment policy, outlining eligibility requirements, the application process, and the conditions for reinstatement.
Eligibility for Scholarship Deferment
Not all scholarships are eligible for deferment. To qualify for deferment, the student must have been awarded a scholarship that can be deferred.
Specific Scholarship Programs Covered
The ASU Deferment Policy pertains to the following scholarship programs:
- Academic Decathlon Scholars (first place team member or top score)
- All-Arizona Academic Team Scholars
- ASU College Attainment Grant
- ASU Next Generation Service Corps
- ASU Scholastic Award
- Dean’s Scholars
- Flinn Finalist Scholars (only applies to Flinn Scholarships awarded by Arizona State University)
- Leadership Scholarship program
- National Achievement Scholars
- National Merit Scholars (National Merit Finalist Scholars must contact the National Merit Scholarship Corporation and request a leave of absence in addition to completing ASU’s deferment process.)
- National Recognition Scholars
- President Barack Obama Scholars program
- President’s Scholars
- Provost Scholars
- Regents High Honors Endorsement Scholars
- University Scholars
General Requirements
Students must be meeting the criteria of the scholarship/program and be in good academic standing at the time of the deferment.
Incoming first time students who intend to defer their NAmU merit scholarship are requested to reach out to the Admissions Office prior to submitting a deferment.
Read also: Unlocking Potential: Posse Scholarship
Enrollment Requirements
Students awarded specific institutional merit scholarships and students participating in the President Barack Obama Scholars Program or ASU College Attainment Grant Program must begin study at ASU in the fall semester following high school graduation. Consecutive enrollment in fall and spring semesters is required for renewal. Institutional merit scholarships, President Barack Obama Scholars Program and ASU College Attainment Grant Program funds may be awarded for a maximum of eight semesters.
Renewal Criteria
To qualify for the deferment, students must meet specific scholarship renewal criteria:
- NAmU recipients: Must complete 30 ASU credit hours for the academic year with a minimum 3.00 ASU cumulative GPA. Those who attend for only one semester in the academic year must complete 15 ASU credit hours with a minimum 3.00 ASU cumulative GPA in the semester prior to departure.
- Obama Scholars and College Attainment Grant Program participants: Must complete 24 ASU credit hours for the academic year with a minimum 2.50 ASU cumulative GPA.
Reasons for Deferment
Students receiving scholarships or participating in one of the programs named above may apply for deferment for the purpose of taking part in activities that would interrupt their required continuous enrollment at Arizona State University. Each application for deferment will be considered independently according to the circumstances of that leave of absence.
Acceptable reasons for deferment include:
- Military service (in the event of a military crisis or when draft is in effect)
- Religious missions (can be approved for up to two and one-half years)
- Non-ASU-sponsored study abroad programs and non-ASU-sponsored internships (Scholarships may be used for ASU-sponsored study abroad programs and ASU-sponsored internship programs, but the student may defer their scholarship for these programs as well.)
- Other requests (i.e., medical leave and special learning experiences) are by special review.
- Catastrophic and extenuating circumstances such as medical situations and death in the immediate family are done by special review.
The Deferment Process
Deferment applications should be submitted no later than 30 days prior to the start of the semester of the requested leave of absence and must be approved prior to the planned departure.
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The deferment application with corresponding documentation should be submitted to the ASU Financial Aid and Scholarship Services office. Students must submit all required documentation for leave of absence with a deferment application request. Incomplete applications may be denied.
Key Steps
- Submit the Application: Complete the deferment application and provide all required documentation to the ASU Financial Aid and Scholarship Services office.
- Deadlines: Ensure the application is submitted at least 30 days before the start of the semester for which the leave of absence is requested.
- Documentation: Provide all necessary documentation supporting the reason for the deferment.
- Approval: Obtain approval from the Financial Aid and Scholarship Services office before the planned departure.
Important Considerations During Deferment
- Length of Deferment: The length of deferment will be based on the circumstances, not to exceed two academic years. Religious missions can be approved for up to two and one-half years.
- Enrollment at Other Institutions: Students may not attend another educational institution during the deferment period. ASU may check enrollment through the National Student Clearinghouse.
- Changes to Deferment: Any changes to the deferment that do not receive prior approval by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Services office may result in loss of the scholarship or participating program.
Returning to ASU and Scholarship Reinstatement
Students must return to ASU and enroll in the semester immediately following the completion of the approved deferment activity.
Reinstatement Request
In order to have your scholarship and/or program reinstated you must submit a reinstatement request along with appropriate documentation that supports the entire duration of the approved activity. It is recommended that you submit the reinstatement request at least 30 days before the start of the semester to ensure timely processing. For more information, visit tuition.asu.edu/forms/scholarship-reinstatement.
Scholarship Continuation
If your scholarship and/or program is reinstated, you will continue to receive this award until you reach the maximum terms allowed for your scholarship and/or participation in the program.
Financial Aid Adjustments
Be advised that if you have financial aid, it will be reduced if you have a change in residency or housing status. Check with Financial Aid and Scholarship Services in order to determine how these changes will affect your award(s).
Read also: Foundation Scholarship Details
Additional Financial Aid Information
Pell Grant
Pell Grant recipients are eligible to purchase textbooks at Sun Devil Campus Stores and have the book charges billed to the student account, up to $650. To be eligible students must submit all outstanding documents showing on their My ASU Finances tab. Students can begin to use the benefit approximately six weeks prior to the start of the session. The last day to take advantage of the online benefit is 6pm 15 days before the beginning of each session. Student's may use the benefit in person at a Sun Devil Campus Store up until the 12th day before the beginning of the session.
To purchase your books at one of the Sun Devil Campus Stores on campus, please follow these steps:
- Take your schedule of classes with you to a Sun Devil Campus Store.
- Find the books for your classes.
- Take your books to the cashier.
- Present your ASU ID and indicate you have a Pell Grant.
When you’re ready to check out, you will be taken to a Payment Methods box. Check the box next to Pell/Scholarship/Third Party Payer. After you click the box next to Pell/Scholarship/Third Party Payer, click Find Accounts. Your account balance will appear. Click Pay with this. You may only purchase textbooks, educational supplies and technology equipment with your Pell Grant benefit.
Once your financial aid is applied to your ASU charges, any remaining funds will be disbursed to you. View our calendar for disbursement dates of financial aid refunds. Enroll in direct deposit to have your remaining funds deposited into your bank account. Should your financial aid not cover all of your charges, you will be responsible for the remaining balance.
Direct Deposit
You can view your Direct Deposit information and status online at My ASU by selecting Finances then select 'Direct deposit enrollment' in the Tuition profile section on the right-hand side. If the bank reports a problem with the information you provide we will contact you prior to the enrollment becoming active. To deactivate your Direct Deposit Enrollment, login to My ASU, select My Finances in the Quick Links box on the left-hand side, then select Direct Deposit Enrollment in the Helpful Links section on the right-hand side.
Login to My ASU, and select Finances. Select the "Direct deposit enrollment" button in the Tuition profile box and then follow the instructions to set up or review your direct deposit banking information. If your financial aid is accepted and you have all financial aid items completed on your My ASU task list, fall aid will automatically disburse to your ASU Student Account charges first and then any excess will be refunded to you.
Your ASU Student Account will list all of your tuition, fees, on-campus ASU housing and food plan charges. Your ASU Student Account will also show your pending financial aid. If your charges are greater than your pending financial aid, you will owe a balance to ASU. If your pending financial aid is greater than your charges you can expect a refund after your charges are paid at the time of financial aid disbursement. Refunds are applied to your personal bank account if you enrolled in direct deposit.
Financial aid is first used to pay charges on student accounts, with any remaining balance being refunded to the student. At the beginning of the semester, Direct Deposit refunds are processed as frequently as financial aid becomes available. During the rest of the semester, Direct Deposit refunds are processed on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for deposit to your bank account two to three days later. Tuition credits are processed through Student Accounts. Tuition credits first pay outstanding charges on student accounts and any remaining balance is refunded. Your student account Direct Deposit enrollment will be active two weeks after enrolling.
Tuition, residential life charges, student health charges, library fines, and miscellaneous department charges are billed on student accounts. You may view unpaid student account charges and make payments online through My ASU by clicking on Finances. In the Charge summary box, click the drop down arrow under Current amount. Enroll a month before the semester begins to ensure that financial aid is deposited to your bank account. Maintaining current bank account information is very important. You can change your Direct Deposit information online by logging in to My ASU and select then select the 'Direct deposit enrollment' in the Tuition profile box. Financial aid disbursement begins no sooner than a week before the semester starts. If your pending financial aid exceeds your ASU charges due you can expect a refund. Aid disburses about seven days before the start of the semester. Your funds will be deposited to your account about 4 days after your aid is applied to your charges. The Routing Number is sometimes referred to as the Transit Number or the ABA (American Banker's Association) Number. Savings and Other Types of "Savings" Accounts - Deposit slips may not include the correct routing number. Yes, ASU has taken steps to safeguard the banking information stored on its computer systems.
Summer Financial Aid
If you received less than a full academic year of Pell Grant in the fall and spring semester(s), you may be eligible for the remainder of your Pell Grant scheduled award in the summer. The Obama Scholars Program does not provide aid for the summer semester. If you are enrolled in summer classes and have worked under the Federal Work-Study program for the preceding fall or spring semesters, you will automatically receive a summer Federal Work-Study estimate award. Once we receive a summer continuation of your job assignment or new hire form from your employer, we will change it to an actual summer Federal Work-Study award. If you are enrolled in summer classes, and you did not work under the Federal Work-Study program during the preceding fall or spring semesters, you can request for Federal Work-Study eligibility. Once we receive information about your summer job assignment from your employer, we will post an actual summer Federal Work-Study award. A completed FAFSA for the current and upcoming academic years on file with ASU. Be eligible for need-based financial aid for both academic years. Accept your awards on My ASU under Finances. There is no separate summer aid application.
Summer disbursement begins in May for students enrolled in session A or C. Students only enrolled in session B receive summer disbursements beginning early July. You can submit a cost sheet to the Financial Aid Office provided to you by the Center of Global Education Services to increase your summer costs of attendance.
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
We encourage every student to file a FAFSA, even if you think you might not be eligible. To be considered for federal student aid for the 2025-26 award year, you can complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form between Oct. Central time (CT) on June 30, 2026. CT on Sept. 10, 2026. However, many states and colleges have earlier deadlines for applying for state and institutional financial aid. Find your state’s deadline. If you have an FSA ID but do not remember your username, select Forgot Username.
Log in to fafsa.gov. Your FAFSA status can be found on the “My FAFSA” page, which displays immediately after you log in if you’ve already started or completed a FAFSA form. To make corrections to your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), click the Log In button on the home page and log into FAFSA on the Web, and then click Make FAFSA Corrections. Go to studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch and follow the steps to create an account. Watch this video for a step by step explanation.
Helpful Tips
- Login to My ASU and go to the Financial Aid tab to check if there are documents that are being requested on your priority task list.
- If your financial aid file is complete, and you do not have awards offered, visit any one of the four ASU financial aid office locations or contact our office at 855-278-5080.
- Please be aware that awarding for each semester does not start until the April before the fall semester begins.
- If your parent is attempting to accept the Federal Parent PLUS Loan, students must first grant their parents guest access to accept a Parent PLUS Loan. Your parent will need that validation code in order to complete the activation process. It is very important that all steps are completed in order for the Federal Parent PLUS Loan to process successfully.
- You may request an additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan by submitting a letter to Financial Aid and Scholarship Services in writing.
- If you were not offered enough financial aid to cover your summer costs, the following options may be available.
Additional Funding Opportunities
- Scholarships Opportunities: For links to national scholarship searches and other valuable ASU scholarship information, you may visit our scholarship information, you may visit our scholarship web site at students.asu.edu/scholarships or contact the ASU Scholarship Office at 855-278-5080. You may also visit your college to see if they have any summer scholarships available.
- Student Employment: There are student employment opportunities right here on campus. The ASU Student Employment Office is always ready to help a student find a job. Please visit the Student Employment web site at students.asu.edu/employment to view part-time, full-time, seasonal, on-campus, off-campus and work-study (if eligible) job listings.
- Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans: Parents of dependent students may borrow Parent PLUS Loans. See students.asu.edu/loans/plus for details.
- Private Education Loans: Private Education Loans are educational loans offered by private lenders, usually banks.
Contributors
Starting with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, a new term called “Contributor” has been introduced. A Contributor is someone who is required to provide information on a student’s FAFSA form. Yes - Contributors that do not have a Social Security number will still need to create a FSA ID.
Study Abroad
You may use your financial aid towards your costs for study abroad.
International Students
Although international students do not qualify for federal and state financial aid (unless you are an eligible noncitizen), there are still options to help fund your ASU education.
Parent PLUS Loans
There are several steps required to accept a Parent PLUS Loan. First you, the student, must give your parent guest access to accept a Parent PLUS Loan. Your parent will need that validation code in order to complete the activation process. It is very important that all the steps provided are complete in order for the Parent PLUS Loan to process successfully. Follow the instructions below for the type of loan you have accepted. Completing a promissory note for the wrong type of loan will result in a delay in the disbursement of your loan funds. Log in to your My ASU and check your task list. The specific task will be listed (e.g., 'complete Stafford Loan MPN'). Click on the item and a link will appear in a dialogue box. In general, you have until the end of the term you are enrolled in to accept your loans.
Student Loan Options
One example is a site hosted by a company called Simple Tuition, which is completely separate from and has no ties to ASU. As always, we strongly recommend you do your own research into your student loan options and verify all data you find directly with the student loan lenders you are considering. Only the lenders can verify the accuracy of any student loan data that is attributed to them. Yes, all students must complete a FAFSA before they can be awarded a Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan. Otherwise, the student may request an additional Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan by submitting a Parent PLUS Loan Denial Funds Request form to Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.
Loan Information
Subsidized loans do not accrue interest while you are in school while unsubsidized loans begin accruing interest from the time the loan is fully disbursed (i.e., if you have a fall/spring loan, the loan is fully disbursed once the spring amount is paid to your student account). Both types of student loans do not begin repayment until six months after graduation, you stop going to school or your enrollment drops below half-time status (i.e., 6 credit hours for undergraduate students and 5 credit hours for graduate students). A student’s private information will only be shared with individuals who need to know the information in order to process the request. The only exception to this relates to mandatory reporting of acts of sexual harassment, which includes sexual assault, dating/domestic violence and stalking. ASU takes all reports of such conduct seriously and is committed to taking appropriate action to hold violators accountable and to prevent any recurrence. You are required to re-enter eCheck payment information, unless you create a payment profile.
ASU Admission Deferment
The ASU Office of Admissions offers applicants the opportunity to request that their application be deferred from one term to another. This is a one-time courtesy. Each applicant is eligible for one deferment per application. Both terms must be active. Deferment requests are for one semester (excluding summer terms).
Deferment Process
- Withdraw from housing, orientation and classes:
- If you have not registered for classes: By deferring your admission, you also cancel: Your housing assignment, Your orientation appointment. You may still owe nonrefundable housing or other university charges. Check and pay any charges in My ASU.
- If you have registered for classes: You must withdraw from all classes before the refund deadline or you will owe full tuition. Registering means you agree to pay all tuition and fees. You will not be dropped for nonpayment. To withdraw, sign in to My ASU.
- Submit your deferment application: If you want to defer your admission to a later semester: Withdraw from classes (if registered). Submit your deferral request at least two weeks before the first day of classes. Requests received after the deadline will not be approved. You’ll need to submit a new application.
Important Notes
- You may not attend another school during your deferment. ASU may check enrollment through the National Student Clearinghouse.
- Each deferment is reviewed individually based on your reason for requesting it.
- Changes to deferment not approved by the Financial Aid and Scholarship Services may result in the loss of scholarships or program eligibility.
- You may still have outstanding charges or Priority Tasks.
- F-1 undergraduate international students: You may defer your admission for up to one year. You must obtain a new I-20 with updated program start date. You may be required to submit updated financial documents for re-issuance of your I-20.
Reasons for Admission Deferment
Acceptable reasons for deferment include:
- citizens on religious missions or military service
- Student Visa Denial or inability to obtain a visa appointment
- Financial or personal reasons
Fulton Schools of Engineering Scholarships
Fulton offers both merit-based and need-based scholarships. To be considered for need-based scholarships, students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Fulton Schools of Engineering General Scholarship Application includes opportunities open to most of our engineering majors, including both current and incoming students. The Del E. In addition to Fulton scholarships, Scholarship Universe also includes both ASU and non-ASU scholarships. Be sure to review posted deadlines for individual opportunities. Start looking for scholarships several months before you apply. Awarded scholarships are applied to the following academic year. Many scholarships are only awarded once a year, so missing the deadline means missing out until the next year.
Yes, students can apply for Fulton Schools scholarships before their FAFSA is received by ASU. Students are encouraged to submit their FAFSA by ASU’s May 1 priority deadline. Legitimate scholarship sponsors do not require an application fee. Letters of recommendation share your positive qualities and provide insight into who you are as a potential recipient. This can include an employer, an instructor or professor, volunteer coordinator, or an advisor. For most scholarship applications, you will need to write a personal statement, which addresses your academic and career goals. Most Fulton Schools scholarships require a 3.0 or better cumulative GPA for consideration. Other factors, such as changes in enrollment, may also impact aid eligibility. Receiving your scholarship money is called a disbursement. In most cases, Fulton Schools Scholarships are split evenly between fall and spring semesters.
Additional Resources
- View your advisor information, eAdvisorTM tracking status, academic status reports and progress reports.
- Counseling and mental health services are available to you at each ASU campus. Counseling staff have training and experience in issues facing university students and are committed to helping you adjust to campus life and meet your academic goals.
- The Student Success Center offers free academic support resources for all students including tutoring, writing support, structured study groups, coaching, success courses or a place to study on your own.
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