Frequently Asked Questions

Financial aid is money made available through a variety of funding sources to assist students in paying for the cost of higher education. Financial aid funding comes from federal, state, institutional, and private organizations. Aid types include grants, scholarships, Work Study, student loans, and parent loans. Most of the government sponsored financial aid programs are based on demonstrated financial need. Many institutional and private aid programs such as scholarships are based on academic achievement rather than financial need. Federal Direct Loans are not based on financial need. Student eligibility for most of these types of financial aid at Western is determined through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) process.

The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students must file a FAFSA to be considered for most types of financial aid. By completing the FAFSA your eligibility for federal, state and institutional aid is determined (state and institutional aid for WA State residents). You can submit the FAFSA online at studentaid.gov. Make sure when filing to include Western's school code 003802.

All FAFSA applicants are encouraged to review their FAFSA data after submission.  If an error is noted, contact the Financial Aid Department to discuss how to make a correction to your information.  

The WASFA, Washington Application for State Financial Aid, is a state financial aid application for undocumented individuals.

The WASFA should be submitted by resident students who are ineligible to apply for FAFSA due to citizenship or immigration status.

To be considered a resident, students must meet all of the following requirements:

• Earn a high school diploma, GED, or diploma equivalent before their first term at the college determining residency.
• Maintain a primary residence in Washington for at least 12 consecutive months immediately before their first term at the college determining residency.
• Sign an affidavit saying they meet the above requirements and that they will file an application to become a permanent resident of the United States as soon as they are eligible to apply. And, that they are willing to engage in activities designed to prepare them for citizenship, including citizenship or civics review courses

The Priority Filing Date is the date students must file their FAFSA to receive priority consideration for limited types of need based aid.  Priority funding may include State, Federal and Western grants as well as Work Study funds. You may contact our office to verify the date the Federal Processor received your FAFSA.

For WWU, the Priority Date is January 31, of every year. 

Financial aid is disbursed to enrolled students in an aid eligible status throughout the quarter. Students who have financial aid requirements or who are not enrolled (or not enrolled at their anticipated enrollment status) may be ineligible to receive a financial aid disbursement. Disbursements may not occur on university holidays and during intercession periods.

Financial aid is applied first to the student’s Western Account Online and applied towards eligible charges and fees; any excess will be refunded to the student thereafter by the Student Business Office (SBO). Students are encouraged to set up a direct deposit account to expedite receipt of funds when refunds are issued. If a student believes that their financial aid should be disbursed but they do not see the funds applied, they should contact the Financial Aid Services Center to check the status of their financial aid.

Please review our Important Updates to Financial Aid regarding the Big Beautiful Bill page for information about the impacts to financial aid.

Verification is the process that schools use to confirm that your FAFSA information is accurate. The verification process is a federal regulation and must be completed in order for a student to receive federal aid and most other types of financial aid.

Learn more about Federal Verification

The term SAI (Student Aid Index) is an index value that determines federal, state and institutional financial aid eligibility.  

The SAI is created used a federal formula that takes into consideration the information that the student and their contributor(s) submitted on the FAFSA.  A contributor for a dependent student would include a parent or parents (if their parent of record is married or remarried; for an independent student it would include the student's spouse.   

Dependent students must include parent information on the FAFSA. Independent students do not include parent information on the FAFSA. In general, for financial aid purposes, the federal government considers you a dependent of your parents unless you are at least 24 yrs old before January 1st of the aid year, you are a graduate student, you have legal dependents, such as children, you are married when you file the FAFSA, you are an orphan or ward of the court or you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. As a dependent student, federal regulations require that your parent's financial information be reported on the FAFSA, except in unusual circumstances. You may discuss your unusual and unique circumstances with a financial aid counselor to determine if your dependency status is affected.

We recommend that you review the Dependency Override page of the financial aid website if you have any further questions.

Students must be officially admitted (matriculated) as a new or returning student in order for their financial aid application to be processed.

Students are ineligible to receive financial aid, including student loans, until they are admitted into a degree seeking program or an approved certificate program.

• Returning students without any financial aid requirements or review items are generally notified of their financial aid offer mid-late summer. Students will receive an email to their WWWU email with instructions on how to view their offer in Web4U.
• New students (starting fall quarter) will begin receiving Estimate Aid Offers on a rolling two-week timeline based on the date of admission in spring. The aid offer will be able to be viewed in the Web4U student portal and a paper offer will also be sent by mail to the address on file with the Admissions Office.  Students may contact the Admissions Office to check on the status of their admission to Western by phone at 360-650-3440 or by email at admit@wwu.edu. Additional information for New Students.
• All students should monitor their WWU email regarding notifications to view requirements or requests for additional information in Web4U that may be required to finalize their eligibility.
• Requirements and financial aid status can be viewed in Web4U for admitted and confirmed students at Financial Aid & Scholarships tab>Financial Aid & Scholarships tile>Student Requirements.
• Other important financial aid information or messages can be viewed in Financial Aid & Scholarships tab>Financial Aid & Scholarships tile> Notifications.

For assistance with any requirements contact financialaid@wwu.edu or 360-650-3470.

Residency status is determined through your Admissions process. If you wish to have your residency status re-evaluated, you must contact the Registrar’s Office. Information about the residency process is available on the Registrar’s website

Work Study is provided through the financial aid offer process by submitting a FAFSA or WASFA. If a student was not awarded Work Study but is interested, they may contact the Work Study Center to discuss eligibility requirements.  Work Study allows students to earn money by working a part-time job, usually at Western or at a nonprofit organization, to use towards their educational expenses. For more information, contact the Work Study Center.

Students who are not Work Study eligible or for whom may not have been issued Work Study as part of their financial aid offer, are encouraged to consider other WWU Student Employment options.

The WWU Scholarship Center is available to assist students and their families as they search and apply for scholarships. The awarding of a scholarship represents not only a significant source of financial assistance, but recognition of your special achievements and an investment in your potential. For more information contact the Scholarship Center.

The WWU Student Employment site is a great place to start your search for part-time employment.    

Those who have Work Study included in their financial aid offer can browse and apply for Work Study positions on or off campus. For more information, contact the Work Study Center or browse their jobs online.

Students are notified of their financial aid requirements via their email (admissions email for new students and official WWU Email once confirmed at WWU). 

Requirements can be viewed at any time by logging into the student portal, Web4U, and following this click path: Financial Aid & Scholarships (tab)→Financial Aid and Scholarships (tile)→Student Requirements.

Important Messages that may be associated with requirements, students can Notifications tab in Web4U using this click path:   Financial Aid & Scholarships (tab)→Financial Aid and Scholarships (tile)→Notifications.  Ensure the correct aid year is posted in the upper right hand corner when navigating to the messages.

For assistance with any messages or requirements contact the Financial Aid Department. Any required documents may be submitted using the Secure Document Uploader, email, in person, mail or fax.

If you are transferring to Western with fewer than 72 college credits that apply to a WWU degree or certificate program, you must provide documentation of high school completion or its equivalent to the Admissions Office. Federal financial aid regulations require that students demonstrate that they are qualified to study at the postsecondary level by providing appropriate documentation, generally a copy of a high school diploma or official high school transcript.

For more information about acceptable documentation, please contact the Admissions Office and ask to speak with a credit evaluator at (360) 650-3440 or email them at admit@wwu.edu.

Federal Direct Loans are offered to students who are eligible to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  Any student who has submitted a FAFSA and has completed all the requirements associated with their financial aid application may be eligible for a Federal Direct Loan. Students will be offered either a subsidized or unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan depending on their eligibility. See more information about federal student loans.

Parents of dependent students may also wish to borrow a Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) to assist in funding the student's educational costs.  See more information about Federal Direct PLUS Loans.

Student or parent borrowers may also wish to borrow a private educational loan to assist with educational costs. Information about the private loan process as well as a comparison chart for federal financial aid vs. private loans is available. See more information about exploring private educational loans. Students are not obligated to use the lenders referenced through the online tool FASTChoice; rather, it is a listing of the lenders we typically work with.

A Federal Direct Subsidized loan is offered on the basis of financial need. The federal government pays, or subsidizes, the interest while a student is attending school half-time or more. Students will not be charged interest on a subsidized loan during the grace period; they have until after they graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment before they must begin making payments.  

More information about the federal student loan grace period can be viewed at studentaid.gov under the Student Loan Repayment section.  

A Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan is a non-need based loan.  Borrowers are charged interest from the time the loan is disbursed until it is repaid in full.

If you choose not to pay the interest while you are in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, your interest will accrue (accumulate) and be capitalized (that is, your interest will be added to the principal amount of your loan).

Borrowers are encouraged to make payments on the interest even while their loans are in deferment.  

Students do not have to begin repayment on their loans until after they graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment.  More information about the federal student loan grace period can be viewed at studentaid.gov under the Student Loan Repayment section.  

The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s).

You may receive more than one loan under an MPN over a period of up to 10 years to pay for your or your child’s educational costs, as long as the school is authorized to use the MPN in this way and chooses to do so.

Borrowers must complete the MPN at studentaid.gov in order for their federal student loans to disburse (and Entrance Counseling for some federal student loans).

Federal student loans are offered based on dependency status as determined by the FAFSA and class level. 

If you have increased your class level during the academic year, you may be eligible to request an increase to your federal loan eligibility. See more information about annual federal direct loan limits. You may submit the Class Level Revision form to request an increase in your loan eligibility or to update your Subsidized Loan eligibility.

WWU offers an emergency loan program that is available in 30, 60, or 90-day repayment periods for a $5 fee to assist students with occasional cash flow emergencies. The loan will not pay charges on the Western Account Online, and borrowers must not have a past-due balance on their account.

Loan applications are reviewed to determine the applicant’s ability to repay the loan. Applications may be denied when loan repayment is in question, circumstances do not appear urgent, or the applicant appears to be over-reliant on the emergency loan program. The application is available online on the Financial Aid Website under Applying for Aid > Emergency Loans.

Any changes to an undisbursed loan is considered a revision. Undisbursed loans may be reduced or canceled and previously declined loans can generally be reinstated. To reduce or cancel an undisbursed loan, submit a revision form available on the forms page.

Revisions may take up to 2-4 weeks depending on the time of the year that the request is made. When complete, an email will be sent to your WWU email and you can view the updated information in Web4U.

For previously disbursed loans that you wish to return, you may use the Return of Disbursed Federal Loan funds form available on the Student Business Office website.

Borrowers are encouraged to manage borrowing by using some of the following tools available to them.

Students can view an estimate of their monthly payment for existing debt and existing debt in addition to their current year offered and accepted loans by logging into Web4U-->Financial Aid-->Loan Notification.  An estimate of 10-year total payments to pay off loans is also included.

Borrowers may determine who their loan servicer is (the company that will manage payments and repayment plans) by logging onto studentaid.gov with their FSA ID.  Once logged in, borrowers will see "My Aid" on the Account Dashboard. Select "View Details" to view the loan information including repayment options and consolidation information on the right hand side as well as your loan servicer and current loan status, which can be found by scrolling down to the "Loan Breakdown."

At studentaid.gov you may view important information about avoiding default or qualifying for various federal loan forgiveness plans by going to "Loan Forgiveness or Loan Repayment."

If you are on probation for Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), you must meet all SAP requirements during the warning quarter or you will be placed on financial aid suspension. Financial aid suspension is an aid-ineligible status whereby aid for future quarters is canceled and processing to calculate future aid eligibility is placed on hold until eligibility is regained. The academic progress of all financial aid recipients is measured on a quarterly basis. For more information referencing Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

At the end of each quarter, the status of each financial aid applicant is monitored for Satisfactory Academic Progress.  More information about the areas that are monitored and the requirements associated with each area is available by viewing the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.  If you have additional questions about your status, please contact our office to discuss your questions.

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To document changes in financial circumstances and request a re-evaluation of financial aid eligibility due to loss of income, benefits, change in marital status or extenuating medical bills, please contact the Financial Aid Department to discuss relevant documentation or forms that may be submitted for a Professional Judgement Determination. Not all re-evaluations will result in a change in a student’s eligibility. For other unique financial circumstances, contact our office to discuss how documenting these may impact financial aid eligibility.

Self-paced courses are available through the Extended Education Western Online program. These courses are listed in the WWU Catalog and are designed by faculty members to provide students an opportunity to complete classes at home.

Financial aid for self-paced coursework has two important limitations: Completion Time and Enrollment Level.

Completion Time: Review the FAQ How long do I have to complete a self-paced course to understand how a self-paced course may impact Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Enrollment Level: See the Self Paced Coursework page for further information about how a mix of self-paced coursework and main campus coursework OR enrollment in only self-paced coursework may impact financial aid eligibility.

Yes, under certain circumstances.

1. You must be eligible for financial aid by being an admitted (matriculated student at WWU) having a valid FAFSA on file, meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards, etc.

2. You must meet enrollment level requirements. The amount of self-paced credits counted toward a student’s enrollment level cannot be more than the number of credit hours of regular coursework in which the student is enrolled. Exception: if the student is taking at least a half-time credit load of self-paced courses (6+ credits), the student is considered to have at least a half-time enrollment. For example, fulltime enrollment (12 or more credits for undergraduates) requires at least six credits of regular coursework. The remaining six credits can be self-paced credits. An enrollment of two regular credits and four self-paced credits gives a less than half-time enrollment (fewer than 6 credits for undergraduate) since only two of the four self-paced credits can be counted.  A chart outlining the enrollment level requirements is available on our website.

Important Note: If you are enrolling in self-paced coursework only, depending on your credit load, you may be ineligible for federal and state aid.  The overall Cost of Attendance (COA) is limited as well when enrolling in self-paced coursework only.  Therefore, if you plan to enroll in self-paced coursework, to avoid unintended aid eligibility consequences, it is highly recommended that you contact the Financial Aid Department to discuss your financial aid.

Although students have up to 6 months to complete a self-paced course for purposes of posting a grade, students planning to receive financial aid for self-paced coursework or at any time in the future MUST complete the course during the quarter it was registered for. If the self-paced course is not completed within the quarter it was registered for, future financial aid eligibility could be jeopardized, and it may create a financial aid repayment circumstance. Contact Financial Aid at 360.650.3470 if you plan to enroll in self-paced coursework to avoid unintended aid eligibility consequences.

Financial aid will apply to self-paced course tuition just as it does to regular course tuition. If you register for a self-paced course after financial aid has paid out for the quarter, you will need to pay the tuition yourself.

Follow these steps:

1. Determine your enrollment level based on your expected regular and self-paced course enrollment. Review our Self-Paced Coursework page to estimate your expected enrollment level given your mix of regular and self-paced courses.
2. Contact the Financial Aid Department to verify how your financial aid status will be affected with the addition of self-paced courses to your credit load.
3. Visit the Western Online website for registration information, deadlines, and tuition.

Important Note: Financial aid will not disburse until you are registered for the required number of credits for the enrollment level on which your financial aid is based.

Review the Information Required to Complete the FAFSA video from Studentaid.gov to be prepared once the FAFSA is opened with the correct information and documentation.

• All required contributors must create an FSA ID to allow their tax information to be shared for FAFSA filing via the IRS Direct Data Exchange (IRS DDX).
• All contributors regardless of tax filing status for the applicable tax year will be prompted to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (IRS DDX) to transfer tax information if they have a Social Security Number (SSN) OR Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN).  If a contributor is unable to use the IRS Direct Data Exchange (IRS DDX) they may manually add tax information.
• Each contributor needs a unique phone number or email to use the multi-factor authentication (MFA) system when setting up an FSA ID.  A student and parent cannot use the same phone number or email for MFA.

Determine who your contributor or contributors are by watching the Preparing for the FAFSA Form video from Studentaid.gov.

For a dependent student

Any of the following may be required to be a contributor on the FAFSA: both biological parents if married, biological parents if unmarried and living together, a biological parent and their spouse (stepparent), a biological parent who is divorced or separated (and provides the most financial support to the student during the 12 months preceding the filing of the FAFSA.

• NOTE: The information above is effective beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA which represents a change from the previous definition and determination for parent of record.  
• A contributor is the parent from whom the student received the most financial support the 12 months prior to filing the FAFSA, regardless of with whom the student lives and/or for whom their parent claimed on a tax return.  
• Is a non-custodial parent required to be a contributor if they don’t claim the child on their taxes?  If a remarried parent and their spouse provide more support to the student than the other biological parent (and spouse if remarried) the remarried parent and stepparent who provide more financial support must each provide their tax information on the FAFSA.

For an independent student

A spouse of the independent married student (if the student and spouse did not file married filing jointly on their tax return for the tax year associated with the FAFSA).

The family size will be transferred from the IRS Direct Data Exchange noting the number of dependents claimed on the tax return associated with the filing of the FAFSA. This value cannot be seen when transferring the information. However, if the family size has changed since the tax return was filed, you will be able to manually adjust this number.

Wile the number of family members in college is no longer considered in the need analysis formula, it is still a required question on the FAFSA.

Most contributors will be prompted to report assets on the FAFSA.  The net worth of current investments is the amount left over after subtracting any debt rom the value of each investment.  Please review the current net worth help page at studentaid.gov to clarify which assets should be included and which should be excluded when completing the FAFSA.

Questions related to business or farm net worth may vary from year to year regarding reporting requirements on the FAFSA.  For the 2026-2027 FAFSA, please review the guidance regarding net worth of businesses and farms via the studentaid.gov help page.

For assistance or clarification with either of the above don't hesitate to contact the Financial Aid Department or Federal Student Aid.

• Parents who filed married filing jointly (one contributor must create an FSA ID and consent to the release of their tax information).
• Parents who filed taxes in the following instances must each create an FSA ID and consent to the release of tax information:
  • married filing separately
  • unmarried biological parents living together
  • re-married parent and stepparent who were not married in the tax year associated with the FAFSA
  • parents who are both non-tax filers
• Any spouse of an independent student who did not file married filing jointly with the student in the tax year associated with the FAFSA.
• Even if a student or contributor doesn’t have a Social Security Number, didn’t file taxes or filed taxes outside of the US, they must still provide consent to share their tax information.
• Parents without a Social Security Numbers will use their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) to create an FSA ID.
• For students whose parents who do not have a SSN or ITIN and/or live outside of the United States, instructions are available on the FSA ID Creation Website, or they should file the FAFSA and obtain their signatures on a paper FAFSA.
• There are two alternative options for contributors to provide consent who do not want to or refuse to create an FSA ID:
  • The student may submit the paper FAFSA and obtains wet (original) signatures from all required contributors including parents who affirm their consent.
  • The student completes their section and self-reports information for the parent section on the FAFSA. When the student submits their FAFSA without the parent signature, it will be placed in rejected status by the FPS (FAFSA Processing System). The parent can then provide their signature and consent on a paper copy of the FAFSA Submission Summary. This method is not recommended due to complexity and increased processing time.
• If a dependent student contributor does not allow consent for their tax information to be shared, the student will be eligible for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan only.
• A student whose contributor does not give consent is not eligible based on this information alone for a dependency override.  See the dependency questions noted above.

Only federal Work Study earnings are reported on the FAFSA and they are transferred electronically when the student files the FAFSA.

This represents a change to the federal aid eligibility formula from prior years. 

Students can check the status of their FAFSA by logging in to the Studentaid.gov account and selecting your FAFSA submission from the My Activity section of the account Dashboard. Once the FAFSA is processed, students or parents can make any required or voluntary corrections. The How to Correct or Update your FAFSA Form page at studentaid.gov has additional helpful information.

Review FAFSA Pro-Tips regarding documents, contributor information, how to avoid errors, order of completion, helpful definitions and processing timelines.