GoldLink Financial Aid Guide

Step-by-Step GoldLink Guide

Step 1: Sign into the Goldlink Portal 

Step 2: Accept or Decline Your Financial Aid Offer(s)

  • Click on “Your Account & Awards”
  • Click on “Award for Aid Year View/Accept”
  • Select Aid Year
  • Click on “Accept Award Offer” tab
  • Accept full or partial awards or decline awards on this page according to the instructions
  • Check for any additional 'Unsatisfied Student Requirements' the next business day

Step 3: Check Student Requirements

  • You can view all of your student requirements on Goldlink in (Financial Aid) Requirements.
    • Unsatisfied Requirements= red x
    • Satisfied Requirements= green check
  • If the unsatisfied requirement is a form that you need to get from our office, the requirement will be listed in blue (hyperlinked) and you will be able to click on the link to access the form. Some forms can also be found on our forms page for you to print out, complete, and return.
  • Allow time for 'Student Requirements' to be satisfied; they are not satisfied immediately. Verification requirements submitted may take a few weeks to process and they will remain pending review until complete.
  • If there are no 'Unsatisfied Requirements' you will see all green checks greencheck.
  • All items marked as unsatisfied requirements must be completed before receiving financial aid.
    • Pending items will remain pending until they are reviewed and completed by our office.
    • Click on “Progress” to see status of submitted documents. 

Step 4: If You Need a Plus loan, Complete a Plus Application 

  • If you are requesting a Parent Plus Loan, your parent must log on to studentaid.gov to complete a Plus Application. If you are requesting a Graduate Plus loan, you must log in on studentaid.gov to complete the Plus Application.

The amount you wish to borrow must be listed on the Plus Application. 

  • You must submit a new application on studentaid.gov each time you would like to be evaluated for additional plus loan funding.
  • Check your "Financial Aid" frequently because new requirements can be added daily.

Step 5: Complete Entrance Loan Counseling 

Who needs to complete Entrance Counseling? 

  • Students accepting Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Direct Loans have to complete Direct Loan Entrance Counseling. 
  • Parents or Graduate Students accepting PLUS Loans must complete Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov annually if credit was denied and you have added a credit worthy endorser.

Step 6: Complete your Direct Loan Master Promissory Note 

Who needs to complete a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note? 

  • Students accepting Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Direct Loans have to complete an MPN if they have not borrowed a loan through the Direct Loan program previously through ETSU. Parent PLUS and GRAD PLUS Loan borrowers must complete an MPN each year.
  • For students requesting the Subsidized or Unsubsidized Direct Loans: go to the Direct Loan website studentaid.gov to complete the MPN using your Department of Education FSA ID.
  • For the Parent PLUS Loan: the parent must go to studentaid.gov and sign into "Manage My Direct Loan" using the parent's SSN# and FSA ID. 

Step 7: Confirm your Registration

You can confirm your registration through Goldlink by ONE of the following methods:

  1. Confirm with payment or Enroll in a payment plan
  2. Confirm with Financial Aid
  3. I will not be attending

If you have been offered enough financial aid to cover the student account balance and it is authorized on your Student Account Detail then you can:

  • Click on ‘Student’ Click on ‘Confirm Registration’
  • Select the appropriate term
  • Select "Confirm with Financial Aid"
  • You will see a conformation that your schedule is confirmed

Step 8: Sign up for Direct Deposit

  • Click on ‘Student’ in the GoldLink Portal
  • Click on 'Account’
  • Click on ‘Set Up Direct Deposit’
  • Use your banking account and routing number information.
  • Do NOT input a debit card number