adult students in a classroom

Federal, State, and Local Government Financial Aid

Students who are admitted to degree and select certificate programs* and take a minimum number of credit hours each semester may be eligible for federal, state, and local government financial aid. Learn more about how to apply for financial aid.

Complete the FAFSA to apply for federal grants (Pell) and loans (Stafford), and the Missouri Access Program.

* The Post-Baccalaureate Premedical and Geographic Information Systems certificate programs are eligible for financial aid.

Employer Tuition Reimbursement

Many companies in the St. Louis area pay all or part of their employees' tuition. If your employer has a tuition reimbursement plan that pays all or part of your tuition, you can defer all or part of the tuition until the end of the semester. Learn more about the program on our Tuition & Fees page.

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.

Tuition Assistance & Remission Programs

  • WashU Contractor Services Scholarship Program
    Contract employees who work full time on WashU's campuses are encouraged to take classes at University College for free or reduced cost. This program allows employees to earn a degree, certificate, or simply explore their interests in a stimulating academic setting. Learn more about the Contractor Services Scholarship program.
  • Half-tuition for Individuals 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. Exceptions include Applied Music, Doctor of Liberal Arts, Independent Courses (i.e. Independent Study, Directed Research, Master's Thesis), Special Programs (i.e. M.S. Biology for Science Teachers), and courses in which enrollment is limited. This discount cannot be combined with the WashU Tuition Assistance benefit, University College scholarships or military benefits. A birth certificate, driver's license, or other official verification of age is required at the time of registration.
  • St. Louis Area Civic & School District Tuition Assistance
    Clayton City, St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and University City employees and school district teachers are eligible to take classes at half the standard University College tuition. Learn more about the St. Louis Area Civic & School District Tuition Assistance program.
  • WashU Tuition Assistance
    Full-time WashU employees and their families are eligible for University College tuition remission. Learn more about WashU's Tuition Assistance program.

University College Scholarships

Students who are admitted to degree and select certificate programs* and take a minimum number of credit hours each semester may be eligible for both merit and need-based scholarships. Learn more about available University College scholarships.

* The Geographic Information Systems certificate program is eligible for financial aid.

Veterans Benefits

Veterans are eligible for University College tuition remission including the Yellow Ribbon Program. Learn more about available University College veterans benefits.

resources at your fingertips

Nothing should get in the way of your education. That's why we've created a database for resources, so you spend less time on paperwork and more time building your future. Here are a few to get you started, or search all of our resources.

Academic Calendar

See dates for semester, finals, holidays and more.

Scholarships

Find and apply for student scholarships.

Student Financial Services

Receive personalized, confidential assistance to make your dream a reality.

Other Financial Aid Resources

Federal Student Aid

An office of the U.S. Department of Higher Education.

FinAid.org

A good collection of financial aid tools and links.

Missouri Department of Higher Education

The Missouri Department of Higher Education carries out the goals and administrative responsibilities for the state system of higher education, which serves more than 360,000 students through 13 public four-year colleges and universities, 19 public two-year colleges, one public two-year technical college, 25 independent colleges and universities, and 152 proprietary schools.

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrations

NASFAA provides professional development for financial aid administrators; advocates for public policies that increase student access & success; serves as a forum on student financial aid issues, & is committed to diversity throughout all activities.

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.

St. Louis Graduates 

A collaborative network of youth-serving college access provider organizations, K-12 education, higher education, philanthropic funders and businesses, all working together to increase the proportion of low-income, first generation and African American students in the St. Louis region who earn a postsecondary degree. It offers an online centralized scholarship application website called Scholarship Central.

Fastweb.com

A personalized scholarship search engine.

Collegenet.com

This is another scholarship search engine, plus a wealth of other information on colleges and financial aid.