University College | Arts & Sciences

Financial assistance is available to part-time and full-time University College students in the form of grants, loans, and scholarships.

APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID

Follow the steps below to apply for financial aid. The steps include filling out several forms. They include federal forms, University College forms, and forms from Washington University's Student Financial Services (SFS) office. Students may register after completing all of the following steps successfully.

1. To obtain financial aid you must first be OFFICIALLY ADMITTED to a University College degree or certificate program. For information on programs and admissions, click here.

2. Fill out the federal form called the FAFSA, online at www.fafsa.ed.gov every year. You will need the code for Washington University; it is 002520. The FAFSA takes four weeks to process. You may submit the FAFSA before you are officially admitted to University College. After you submit the FAFSA, you will receive from the U.S. Department of Education a Student Aid Report. *Please note that the FAFSA form will generate for you what it calls the "Estimated Family Contribution" figure. This number does not indicate what you will have to pay in tuition, or what you might receive in aid. It is used for our office to gain insight into your eligibility for need-based aid, such as Pell Grants and Perkins loans.

3. Turn in a University College Evening School Profile Form every year.

Summer: For the Summer financial aid application form, click here.

Once Steps 1-3 have been completed, Washington University's Student Financial Services (SFS) office will send you a financial assistance award letter, telling you how much you are eligible for in federal Stafford loans, Perkins loans, Pell Grants, or Missouri state grants.

Next steps:

NOTE: You must complete steps 4-7 (if applicable) prior to registering.

4. Complete the "Award Letter Response Form" you received and return it to Washington University Student Financial Services. The address is 75 North Brookings, Campus Box 1041, St. Louis, MO 63130. Questions? Call the Student Financial Services Office at (314) 935-5900.

5. If you are using Stafford loans: You must fill out a Master Promissory Note and complete on-line entrance counseling once (not annually).

6. If you are using a Perkins loan you must go to the Student Financial Services office in North Brookings Hall and sign a "Perkins Note" during the first week of classes.

7. Your Student Aid Report will tell you if you have been "selected for verification." If so, submit a copy of your most recent tax return and a U.S. Department of Education Verification Worksheet to Student Financial Services.

Register:

Once all of the previous steps have been completed successfully, Undergraduate students must register for at least six units of course work at University College for both the fall and spring semesters and 3 hours for the summer semester. Graduate students must register for at least 4.5 units for both the fall and spring semesters and 3 hours for the summer semester.

Contact Student Financial Services at (314) 935-5900 to determine when your financial aid will be disbursed.

TO REMAIN ELIGIBLE AND RETAIN DISBURSED federal and state financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress by completing a minimum of six units of course work during the fall and spring semesters and 3 hours during the summer semester with a C (2.0) minimum grade point average for undergraduates; a minimum of 4.5 units during the fall and spring semesters and 3 hours during the summer semester with a B (3.0) for graduate students. Failure to complete the required six units of course work within a given semester will jeopardize a student's financial aid. Washington University may be required to return disbursed financial aid to the lender, which could result in an outstanding balance for the student. Any balance would be due immediately and would be subject to a late fee of at least $50 and up to 5% of the outstanding balance each semester until resolved. A hold will also be placed on your account. Non-payment of tuition and other expenses due the University will be cause for exclusion from class or refusal of graduation, further registration, or transfer of credit. In addition, you are liable for any costs associated with the collection of your unpaid bills, including but not limited to collection agency costs, court costs, and legal fees. Past due amounts will also be reported to a credit bureau.

Students in poor academic standing will be notified in writing and placed on financial aid probation. If a student returns to good standing by the end of the following year, he or she will be released from probation. If, however, that student does not return to good standing by the close of the following year, no further aid will be processed until the student's record once again is satisfactory.

Students should apply for financial aid as early as possible in the semester prior to enrollment. Financial aid applications frequently take eight or more weeks to process.

FINANCIAL AID SOURCES

Federal, State, and Local Government Financial Aid: Federal (Pell) Grants, Federal Stafford Loans, Missouri Gallagher Grant Program, the Missouri Marguerite Ross Barnett Scholarship. The FAFSA is the application for all these. There is an additional form for the Marguerite Ross Barnett Scholarship. It is also available from Student Financial Services or University College.

The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit: The Lifetime Learning federal tax credit may reduce the cost of tuition and fees for college-level courses taken to improve or acquire job skills.

Company-Sponsored Tuition Payment Plans: If the employer agrees to pay all or a portion of the student's tuition directly to University College, a written statement to that effect from the company must be presented at the time of registration. Washington University employees and Postdocs may be eligible for tuition benefits.

Half Tuition for Those 60 and Over: People 60 years of age and over may enroll for credit in most University College courses at one-half the regular tuition except for Applied Music, Independent Study, courses taken as Special Audit, and courses in which enrollments are limited. A birth certificate or other official verification of age is required at the time of registration.

University City Teachers: Individuals teaching in the University City school district can take University College courses at a significant discount. Contact us at (314) 925-6700 for more details. Documentation confirming eligibility must be remitted prior to registration.

Veterans: University College provides assistance for veterans seeking educational benefits through the Veterans Administration. The necessary application forms are available in the University College Office of Admissions and should be completed at registration. To be eligible for benefits, a veteran must be enrolled in a certificate or degree program and comply with attendance regulations. University College does not certify veterans for advanced payment; they must first register for courses. Specific questions about eligibility for VA benefits should be directed to the Veterans Administration's tuition benefits website at http://www.gibill.va.gov, or telephone toll-free 1-888-442-4551.

HOW MUCH CAN I GET IN FINANCIAL AID?

If you were born before 1/1/84, are not currently in default on a student loan, and have not borrowed up to your lifetime student loan limit, you can get the following amount in federal student loans, regardless of your income:

• $7500 per year if you are a first-year student (0-26 units complete)

• $8500 per year if you are a sophomore (27-56 units complete)

• $10,500 per year if you are a junior or senior (57 or more units complete)

If you were born on or after 1/1/84, are not currently in default on a student loan, and have not borrowed up to your lifetime student loan limit, you can get the following amount in federal student loans, regardless of your income:

• $3500 per year if you are a first-year student (0-26 units complete)

• $4500 per year if you are a sophomore (27-56 units complete)

• $5500 per year if you are a junior or senior (57 or more units complete)

If you are a graduate student, are not currently in default on a student loan, and have not borrowed up to your lifetime student loan limit, you are eligible for:

• $10,000-$20,500 per year (regardless of age or income)

If you are an undergraduate or graduate student, and it is determined by the information you put on your FAFSA that you have financial need, you might also be eligible for up to $4000 per year in Perkins loans. Undergraduate students with need might also be eligible for up to $4310 per year in Pell Grants.

Federal student loans are low-interest loans that don't have to be repaid until six months after you graduate or stop attending.

WHOM DO I CALL ABOUT...?

Information on University College scholarships and advising on the financial aid process: Maggie Sullivan - University College Financial Aid Coordinator. January Hall, Room 20, (314) 935-6742, maggiesullivan@wustl.edu.

Federal award packages: Anita Radcliffe - Student Financial Services Manager of Compliance and Awarding. She creates federal award packages for University College students. Student Financial Services, 75 N. Brookings, (314) 935-5944.

Student Billing and Refunds: Vicki Ruh - University College Student Billing Coordinator. January Hall, Room 100, (314) 935-6701, vruh@artsci.wustl.edu.

Stafford Loan disbursements to your account: Carrie Nelson - Student Financial Services Loan Coordinator. Student Financial Services, 75 N. Brookings, (314) 935-5996.

General Financial Aid Information Online

www.studentaid.ed.gov - This is the Web site of the Federal Student Aid office of the U.S. Department of Higher Education.

www.finaid.org - A good collection of financial aid tools and links.

www.dhe.mo.gov - Click on "Students." This is the Missouri Dept. of Higher Education Web site. You can also link to the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority, also called "Mohela."

www.nasfaa.org - Click on "Parents and Students" to link to resources for understanding the financial aid process.

St. Louis Scholarship Foundation - Grants and interest-free student loans available to permanent residents of St. Louis city and county, the Missouri counties of Franklin, Jefferson, Lincoln, St. Charles, or Warren; the Illinois counties of Clinton, Jersey, Madison, Monroe, or St. Clair. Need-based: deadlines for application are April 15 and Nov. 15.

Scholarship Resource Center at Washington University - the Student Financial Services officed (SFS) here at Washington University maintains this database of scholarships that Washington University students have used in the past.

Other choices: www.fastweb.com - A personalized scholarship search engine; and www.collegenet.com - Click on "Scholarship Search." This is another scholarship search engine, plus a wealth of other information on colleges and financial aid.

University College Scholarship Information

Click the name of a scholarship to see its eligibility requirements, application deadline, and printable application form(s). Washington University employees are not eligible for University College-sponsored scholarships or fellowships.