UW Colleges Money Matters
Frequently Asked Questions
- Applying for Aid
- Verification Process
- Awarding Financial Aid
- Financial Aid Disbursement
- Special Circumstances
- Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Applying for Aid
Q. How do I apply?
To apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form can be obtained at any high school or university. You can also complete it online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. When filing the FAFSA you should list the University of Wisconsin Colleges school code of 003897. This will ensure that UWC receives the results of your FAFSA and processes your financial aid according to your eligibility. Allow plenty of time for processing the FAFSA as it can take up to six weeks to process.
Q. What are the deadlines?
The University of Wisconsin Colleges must receive the results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by our priority deadline of April 15 preceding each award year in order for you to be considered for all available financial aid. This is not the date by which you must mail the FAFSA or submit it online. We must have already received your FAFSA results in order for you to be considered first-priority. If you file a paper FAFSA, you should allow up to six weeks for processing. If you file online, you should allow up to four weeks.
Q. What is a Student Aid Report (SAR)?
The Student Aid Report (SAR) is a report of the information you provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You should review this information carefully for accuracy. If it is correct, do not send it back. File it for your records. If you find incorrect information or you originally used estimated information and need to report actual figures, make your changes on the SAR or online SAR report.
Q. How can I be considered Independent?
To be considered an independent student when completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you must meet one of the following criteria: be married at the time you are filing; have a child or other legal dependents for whom you, personally, provide more than 50% of the support for that child or legal dependent and be able to document that support; be an orphan/ward of the court; be a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or currently serving on active duty. A student is an orphan only when both biological parents are deceased. A ward of the court is someone whose guardianship has been placed with a court system or government agency, not necessarily someone who has a legal guardian or has been in foster care. A ward of the court must also have had that status until age 18.
There is a Dependency Appeal process; however, only appeals with well-documented parental estrangement are approved. Being financially independent of your parents does not allow you to be independent for financial aid purposes. Contact your Student Services Office to obtain a Dependency Appeal Form.
Q. What is the UW Colleges Federal School Code?
The University of Wisconsin Colleges' school code is 003897. This code must be entered in question 86 on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Q. How much does it cost to attend the UW Colleges?
For up-to-date information on tuition and fees, click here
Verification Process
Q. What is the verification process?
Verification is a process that all universities receiving federal aid are required to complete. Students must complete verification in order to be eligible for need-based financial aid. The verification process is completed by collecting various tax information and comparing it to the information reported on a student's Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This is not done to find fraudulent FAFSA applicants, but to find and correct common mistakes made by students and parents. When an error is found, we make a correction to the student's FAFSA information. The UW Colleges completes the verification process for those students selected by the U.S. Department of Education's Central Processing System.
Q. Why was I selected for Verification?
The Central Processing System (CPS) selects students for verification using pre-set criteria. This means that your Student Aid Report (SAR) may say that you have been selected to complete the verification process. You will receive notification shortly after we receive the results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you are selected to complete verification at the University of Wisconsin Colleges.
Q. What do I need to do?
If you have been selected for verification, you must return all required documents for that process. If you refuse to complete verification, you will not be eligible for any need-based financial aid.
Q. How long will it take?
We will notify you via a letter or email telling you what information we need in order to complete verification. This notification is typically sent when we receive the results of your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We will then send a second notification after 30 days and a third notification 30 days from that point. Once we receive all documents needed, we will compare your tax information to your FAFSA. If the information is correct, verification is complete and your aid will be awarded. If we need to make corrections to your FAFSA, the processing/packaging will be delayed until the correction is processed by the Federal processor and sent back to UW Colleges. Verification will typically only take a few days once you have submitted all of the required documentation (if all of the FAFSA information was correct).
Awarding Financial Aid
Q. Do I need to return my Award Offer?
You do not need to return your Award Letter to accept grants/scholarships. You DO need to return your award offer if you wish to accept Federal Work Study or loans.
Q. Why is my aid package different from last year?
Each year students are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA reflects the prior year's tax information. As your or your parent's income and asset information changes from year to year your financial aid eligibility may change. Another factor could be the time that you filed your FAFSA. Students who meet the UW Colleges' priority deadline April 15 preceding each award year are considered for all financial aid the UW Colleges offers. If you filed by the deadline in a previous year and filed after the deadline this year, you may not have been offered certain grants and loans that you previously received. If that is the case, you can contact or visit our office and asked to be put on a waiting list for additional aid. It will be awarded to the neediest students as it becomes available.
Q. What is financial need and how is it determined?
A student's financial need is determined by using the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) derived from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The EFC takes into account the number of people in a student's household and the number of people in college. It considers the student's income and assets as well. For a dependent student, the EFC considers the income and assets of the student's parent(s) also. Need-based aid consists of grants, scholarships, Perkins loans, and subsidized Stafford loans. The remainder of the student's budget may be covered by a Parent Loan (PLUS), alternative loan from a private lender, or an unsubsidized Stafford loan depending on the student's eligibility.
Q. Who can receive financial aid?
To receive Title IV federal aid (Federal Pell Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, or Federal Stafford Loan) a student must meet the following requirements: be a U.S. citizen, a national, or permanent resident of the U.S., or be in the U.S. for other than a temporary purpose (U.S. citizenship is required for the Academic Competitiveness Grant); comply with U.S. Selective Service registration requirements; be enrolled or accepted for enrollment in a degree program (teacher certification or preparatory coursework cases should be discussed with a financial aid administrator); be making Satisfactory Academic Progress as defined by the UW Colleges; not be in default on a Federal Loan; not owe any repayment on any Title IV funds; and have a valid Social Security Number. Students who have earned enough credits for the UW Colleges Associate of Arts and Science degree or who have already completed a bachelor's degree are not eligible to receive financial aid from the UW Colleges.
Q. Why is the financial aid offered from the UW Colleges different from XYZ College?
Financial aid offers can be different from one institution to another for many reasons. Some types of financial aid are awarded based on criteria established by the institution, such as institutional financial aid. Funding for some federal programs is limited. Institutions receive an allocation, or set amount, for each of the campus based aid programs (Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loan, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant) from the U.S. Department of Education. Since schools receive different allocation amounts, institutions will have different rules and methods for awarding their allocation of limited funding. Institutions also have different costs of attendance which can change a student's eligibility for need based financial aid funding and can affect the total amount of financial aid offered from one institution to the next.
Q. Can I have more financial aid?
A student's award package can include scholarships, federal grants, state grants, loan assistance, and employment. Not all students receive all types of financial aid. If you meet the priority deadline April 15 preceding each award year, you may receive a more attractive award package than if you apply later. If additional financial aid becomes available throughout the award year, the UW Colleges Student Financial Aid Office re-awards that financial aid. If you do not receive a particular type of aid which you thought you should qualify for, you can contact us to discuss the eligibility criteria.
Financial Aid Disbursement
Q. When will financial aid credit my UW Colleges account?
Financial aid funds are credited against your account on the 6th day* of the term. If you applied, were offered, and accepted aid prior to the start of school, your aid will normally be available in this time frame.
*Note: Students who plan to receive financial aid at the UW Colleges should have their class schedules set by 6:00 pm on the sixth day of the term in order to avoid having to repay financial aid for class schedule changes made after the sixth day of the term. Students who add credits after the sixth day of the term will not receive additional financial aid for these credits.
Q. What if I have more financial aid than what I owe the UW Colleges?
When calculating your financial need, the Student Financial Aid Office takes into consideration tuition and fees, room and meals, books and supplies, transportation and personal miscellaneous expenses. Once your tuition and fees are paid, excess funds will be mailed to your current mailing address; these funds are available for your other educational expenses. To determine if you will receive a financial aid refund, you should compare your university charges with your anticipated financial aid. In most cases, this is evident on your university account statement accessible via PRISM. You can also use your award letter to review your financial aid. If you have financial aid on your award letter that is not appearing as an anticipated credit on your account statement, you may need to complete additional paperwork, register for additional credit hours, or complete an online process for that award. Requirements for each award are explained on the award letter.
Q. What happens if I drop a class after financial aid has been credited to my account?
You need to finalize your class schedule by 6:00pm of the sixth day of classes in a given term (September 11 for fall 2007 and February 4 for spring 2008). Fluctuations in your credit load on days 7-10 of each term may result in changes to your financial aid eligibility and in your having to repay some aid. Your aid may be reduced if your status changed to three-quarter or half time during the timeframe indicated above. If you have dropped below half time status all of your aid, except for Pell grant, will be deleted. Your university fees will be reassessed based on your new enrollment and you will be billed for any refund amount that you were paid for the higher enrollment status. You may have difficulty meeting the requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy.
Q. What happens if I withdraw from the UW Colleges after I've received my aid?
If you completely withdraw from all of your courses, the UW Colleges is required to perform a calculation called the Return of Title IV Funds which will determine the amount of financial aid you earned and, quite possibly, the amount of financial aid you need to return/repay. If you withdraw from the UW Colleges during the first 60% of the semester, your financial aid will be adjusted based on the calculation. The Student Financial Aid Office will review what charges you are responsible for and what financial aid you are eligible to receive at the time of your withdrawal. Your aid may be reduced or canceled based on this process and you may have owe a balance to the UW Colleges. You will be notified by the Student Financial Aid Office as to the outcome of this process. You will most likely have difficulty meeting the requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy.
Special Circumstances
Q. My financial situation has changed since I filed my FAFSA, what can I do?
If your financial situation has changed since you filed the FAFSA, you can request an adjustment based on your most recent financial information. You should contact the Student Services Office at your campus at the end of September to pick up the required form(s). The Student Financial Aid Office will review this information and will notify you once the information has been processed. There is no guaranty that you will be eligible for additional financial aid.
Q. What can I do if my parents have divorced/separated since filing the FAFSA?
If your parents divorced/separated AFTER you filed your FAFSA, you can pick up the request for adjustment form(s) from the campus Student Services Office. The form(s) will be reviewed by the Student Financial Aid Office and will notify you once the information has been processed. There is no guaranty that you will be eligible for additional financial aid.
Q. I have other special circumstances I would like considered, who do I speak to?
While there are always exceptions, only some circumstances can be considered when evaluating a student's financial aid eligibility. Many monthly expenses (mortgage, vehicles, etc.) are already taken into consideration in the federal formula used to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). Although these will vary in families, extraordinarily high expenses cannot be taken into consideration for additional eligibility. Contact your local Student Services Office to discuss your situation. The UW Colleges Student Financial Aid Office will review exceptions on a case-by-case basis and will notify you of any changes in eligibility.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
Q. What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), is a requirement for ALL students (whether you receive financial aid or not) based on certain Federal guidelines to ensure you are making progress toward finishing your degree. SAP is made up of three components; maximum timeframe, cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA), and completion rate. For more information access the UW Colleges SAP Policy.
Q. I received notification indicating I'm not meeting the requirements of SAP, what do I do now?
If you are not currently meeting the requirements of the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy, you will not be eligible to receive further financial aid from UW Colleges. You will need to pay for your courses on your own, without the help of financial aid, until you have once again met the SAP requirements. If you feel you had an extenuating circumstance that prevented you from achieving the SAP requirements, you need to appeal your standing and contact the Student Services Office at your campus immediately. For more information access the UW Colleges SAP Policy.
Q. The SAP Appeal process... how do I appeal and how long does it take?
Once you have received notification that you are not meeting the requirements of the SAP Policy, you will need to contact your Student Services Office immediately. You have the right to appeal your SAP standing if you had extenuating circumstances that prevented you from meeting the SAP requirements. The processing time will vary based on how quickly your appeal is submitted to the Student Services Office. The sooner you appeal your standing, the sooner the campus SAP Committee can review your appeal and give you a decision. For more information access the UW Colleges SAP Policy.