Who do I contact in the Samford One Stop; who is my adviser?

Samford provides "One Stop" service to assist with any questions or issues related to the business of being a Samford student. Please contact the Samford One Stop by visiting the ground floor of Ingalls Hall, calling 205-726-2905, or emailing OneStop@samford.edu.

Samford One Stop Team

• Meredith Haas - Adviser to undergraduate students whose last names start with A – D; graduate Pharmacy and Health Professions students and Samford Online students
• Sheri Garrett - Adviser to undergraduate students whose last names start with E – L; graduate Business and Law students
• Abby Howell - Adviser to undergraduate students whose last names start with M – R; graduate Divinity, Public Health, Social Work, and other School of Public Health students and Environmental Sciences students
• Christen Camp - Adviser to undergraduate students whose last names start with S – Z; graduate Education and Nursing students and graduate School of the Arts students
• India Rowe - Receptionist
• Kim Whatley - Administrative Assistant
• Nikki Bradbury - Director of Student Retention and the Samford One Stop

When are payments due?

Payments are typically due on the fifth day of each month. However, at the start of each new term, payment is due on the first business day after the drop/add period has ended (based on the undergraduate day calendar). Students may also review payment due dates on their statement at any time and online.

What types of payment are accepted?

Payment may be made online with e-check, Visa, American Express, Master Card, or Discover. Click here for a tutorial for making payments online. Payments made in person may be made by check. Credit card payments may not be made in person at the Samford One Stop. Payments may be mailed to: Samford University - Student Financial Services, 800 Lakeshore Drive, Birmingham, AL 35229.

How do I receive summer aid?

Students attending summer Term who wish to receive financial aid must have a valid FAFSA on file and complete the summer assistance form. The types of aid available will be based on the remaining annual amounts the student has not used for that aid year.

How do I know if I’m a citizen or eligible noncitizen in regards to receiving federal financial aid?

If you are an eligible noncitizen, you should include your eight- or nine-digit Alien Registration Number (INS# from your certificate of citizenship) on your FAFSA. Generally, you are considered an eligible noncitizen for federal aid purposes if you are:

1. a U.S. permanent resident with a permanent resident card (I-551);
2. a conditional permanent resident (I-551C); or
3. the holder of an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations:
   • “Refugee,” “Asylum Granted”
   • “Parolee” (I-94 confirms paroled for a minimum of one year and status has not expired), or
   • “Cuban-Haitian Entrant”

If you are in the U.S. on an F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa, or a G series visa (pertaining to international organizations), you are neither a citizen nor an eligible noncitizen, and are not eligible for federal student aid.

How do I notify the One Stop of my special or unusual circumstances (i.e. job loss not reported on the FAFSA, change in housing status, purchase of a computer, childcare expenses, etc.)?

You may contact your One Stop adviser by phone (205-726-2905), email (onestop@samford.edu), or walk-in (Ingalls Hall) Monday – Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Documentation of special or unusual circumstances may be submitted to Student Financial Services for review using the Petition for Independent Status, Cost of Attendance Adjustment Request, or Need-Based Aid Review Request, as applicable. All requests will be reviewed within 60 days of receipt. If additional documentation is needed, your One Stop adviser will contact you via your Samford email address or by phone.

What is a tax credit, and how can it help me?

The federal government has many rules and regulations, one of which deals with tax benefits for education. Learn more to see if you qualify for the Hope Credit, Life Learning Credit, or Loan Interest.

I love reading about financial aid. Are there some other links that will explain financial aid in depth for me?

There’s always more information on the web. The following links may be of use to you, too:

• Financial Aid Information
• Student Financial Assistance
• U.S. Department of Education

How do I apply for scholarships and other aid at Samford?

Any entering freshman desiring to be considered for merit scholarships must complete his or her application for admission by December 1 preceding their first fall semester of enrollment. Students who miss the December 1 deadline, but apply and are admitted on or before February 15 will be considered for some non-academic based scholarships. Some Samford scholarships will require an additional application. Transfer students should contact their Admissions Counselor for information about merit scholarships.

Need-based aid will be determined based on the results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), if received on or before February 15 preceding the fall semester for which you are applying.

All returning undergraduate and graduate students should contact their department to determine whether any applications or deadlines exist for obtaining institutional scholarship aid.

Are there any financial aid deadlines of which I should be aware?

Prospective Students

In order to be considered for merit scholarships, an application for admission must be completed by the first scholarhip deadline of December 1 or the second scholarship deadline of February 15 preceding the first fall semester of enrollment.

All Students

Some federal student aid funds are limited, and therefore are offered on a first-come, first-served basis to qualifying students. A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be submitted by February 15 preceding the fall semester for which you are applying in order to be considered for all Federal need based programs.

In order to receive federal loans and some other types of student aid, a student must file the FAFSA and other necessary documentation before the end of the term for which they are requesting the aid. It is recommended that a FAFSA be completed at least one month before the end of the term for which the aid is desired in order to provide adequate time for processing. If a student waits too long to file a FAFSA, he or she may become ineligible for certain types of aid for that term. It is certainly better to be early than late when it comes to filing the FAFSA.

Do I have to reapply for my aid every year?

Most Samford-funded scholarships are merit-based and do not require a student to reapply each year. However, there are certain GPA and other requirements that may have to be met in order to retain this type of aid. Although students typically do not have to reapply for a renewal of merit-based institutional scholarships, you should check mySamford for award messages associated with your aid or review your award letter in the portal for renewal requirements.

Graduate and undergraduate students receiving departmental scholarships should check with their academic department chair or dean for requirements associated with aid awarded through their offices.

Need-based aid, however, requires the FAFSA to be resubmitted annually. The FAFSA is available on October 1 of each year and remains available through June 30 of the calendar year that is two years out. For example, the 2026-2027 FAFSA will become available on October 1, 2025 and will remain available until June 30, 2027. It is recommended that the FAFSA be filled as early as possible.

How do I know the amount of my financial aid offer?

A financial aid notification packet is mailed to all prospective undergraduate students during the spring preceding their initial fall enrollment. Aid notifications are also emailed to all prospective and returning students through their Samford.edu email account. Students may receive an award notice at any point in the year, based on an initial award or due to a change in the aid offer. Email is the primary form of communication for Student Financial Services. Therefore, it is important to check your Samford email account regularly. Your award notification email will contain a link to mySamford, where you can view, accept or decline your aid offer. You may access the portal at any time.

I think I have completed all requirements to receive financial aid, but nothing has posted to my account. How can I find out what is going on?

More than likely there is a requirement that has not been fulfilled. Before contacting your Samford One Stop adviser, you should log on to mySamford and review any messages or requirements listed there. This information will guide you toward reconciling the situation. For further assistance, please contact our office at onestop@samford.edu or 205-726-2905.

For how many hours must I enroll in order to receive aid?

Federal regulations state an undergraduate is considered to be a full-time student with 12 or more hours of enrollment per semester. In order to receive the full amount of aid for which you are eligible, you must be enrolled in at least 12 hours of undergraduate classes. Some aid may be disbursed for enrollment as low as six hours per semester. All Samford funded aid requires a minimum of 12 hours for disbursement.

Some federal aid may be disbursed to undergraduate students with enrollment as low as six hours per semester. Undergraduate students who qualify for a Pell grant may retain eligibility for Pell funds only with enrollment below six hours. However, it is important to remember that in most cases, eligibility for Pell and other federal funds will be reduced with the student’s enrollment.

Enrollment status requirements vary at the graduate level. Graduate students should contact their Samford One Stop adviser for more information about enrollment requirements for their degree program.

What happens to my aid if I drop a class?

Depending on when you drop or withdraw from the class, your aid may be adjusted. Likewise, the amount of tuition and other fees may be adjusted when enrollment is reduced. One thing to keep in mind is drops will affect your ability to meet minimum standards for making Satisfactory Academic Progress.