Title IV Authorization

MSU must comply with federal regulations for disbursement of Title IV federal financial aid (“Title IV aid”). Without a signed authorization, Title IV aid can only be applied to certain institutional/allowable charges.

Terms to Know

• Institutional/allowable charges: Tuition, course fees, room and meal plans
• Non-institutional/non-allowable charges: All other charges billed to your student account including health insurance premiums, health center charges, library fines, parking permits and fines, and lab printing charges, etc.
• Title IV aid: Refers to federal financial aid funds, including Pell Grants, Perkins Loans, Parent and Grad PLUS Loans, Stafford Loans, and other federal subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loans.
• Title IV authorization: Per federal regulations ((34 CFR 668.164), MSU cannot use students’ Title IV aid to cover non-institutional/non-allowable charges unless the student submits a Title IV authorization.

What Happens if I Don't Complete a Title IV Authorization?

• Your accepted Title IV aid will automatically pay for the “Institutional/Allowable” charges on your student account: tuition, fees, room & board.
• However, your excess aid WILL NOT automatically pay all other “non-institutional/non-allowable” charges.
• So, you could receive a refund (by direct deposit or by check) and still owe a balance on your student account for any of your “non-institutional/non-allowable” charges.

Example

WITH Title IV Authorization

• Amount refunded: $1,220
• Amount owed: $0.00
• All charges would be paid before a refund is issued to the student

WITHOUT Title IV Authorization

• Amount refunded: $2,100
• Amount owed: $880
• Non-institutional/non-allowable charges would not be paid before a refund was issued to the student, and the student would owe $880. The student would still have to pay the balance by the due date to prevent past due charges and registration holds.*

Complete Your Title IV authorization in the myState Portal

To avoid potential outstanding charges and registration holds, complete your Title IV authorization in the myState portal:

• Log in to your mystate.edu account
• Go to the Financial Aid section
• Select the Fall/Spring Change Request option
• Title IV Authorization questions
• Authorize by choosing ‘Yes’ and click the ‘Submit’ button
• Your authorization will then be submitted electronically and Account Services will make that change to your records.

Even if you have no Title IV aid at this time, we encourage you to review the authorization and consider signing it now. You might need Title IV aid for future semesters and, if you do, you will already have the authorization in place.

Title IV authorizations are valid through the date of graduation but can be rescinded by emailing studentaccounts@msstate.edu. Please note that if you rescind this authorization, it is NOT retroactive.

* If you have a balance that becomes past due, it is subject to a monthly late/service fee and you will have a hold put on your account that will prevent you from registering for a future term, receiving a transcript, and receiving your diploma until your balance is paid in full. Check your monthly e-Bills/e-Statements in your myState portal and pay any balance owed by the due date to prevent any penalties and registration restrictions.

For more information, contact Account Services at studentaccounts@msstate.edu or by phone at 662.325.2071