Post Baccalaureate Students
Post-baccalaureate students (students who have already earned their first bachelor’s degree) who are matriculated in a degree program or approved certificate program may be eligible for Federal Direct Loans if they have not already reached the aggregate maximum federal loan amount. PLUS loan funding may also be available for dependent students. Most other types of financial aid cannot be used for post-baccalaureate programs.
Post-baccalaureate students enrolled certain preparatory programs for admission to an undergraduate, certificate, or graduate degree program may also be eligible for Federal Direct Loan funding.
How to Apply for Financial Aid
- Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly called the FAFSA, by Western's priority filing deadline of January 31st for the upcoming academic year (for the 2024-2025 school year the FAFSA Priority Filing Deadline is extended to April 1, 2024 due to the late FASFA opening).
- See the Financial Aid Checklist for additional important steps applying for financial aid.
- Complete an application for admission to WWU.
- Review your FAFSA data via the Student Aid Report (SAR) (for the 2023-2024 aid year) or the FAFSA Submission Summary (for the 2024-2025 aid year) for accuracy. If there is incorrect information, contact our office before making corrections and submit them to the federal processor. You can contact the federal processor at 800.433.3243 for additional information.
- Respond promptly to any requests for information from the Financial Aid Department and include student name and ID number on all documents submitted.
- Review the Offer of Financial Aid once available in Web4U, the student portal, and accept or decline aid as needed.
- Maintain a personal financial aid file for your records and keep copies of all documents.
- Keep your address current with the Registrar’s Office. You can be updated on Web4U or by contacting 360.650.3432.
- Always be prepared to begin classes with some of your own funds even if you expect to receive financial aid.
General Eligibility Requirements
To be considered for financial aid, post-baccalaureate students must meet the following criteria:
- Have a valid FAFSA for the aid year
- Be admitted into a degree or certificate-granting program at WWU, or be approved for preparatory program for admission to an undergraduate, certificate, or graduate program
- Be enrolled in at least 6 credits each quarter of required coursework
- Not owe a refund on a previous grant and not be in default on a previous educational loan
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress
To learn more about your financial aid eligibility please contact us.
Emergency Loans
Financial Aid offers short-term loans ranging from $50 - $900. The eligibility criteria varies and there is a processing fee on each loan. The Emergency Loan application is available on the Financial Aid website.