FAQ - Frequently asked questions
General financial aid information
2. Where is the Financial Aid Office located?
3. What does the Financial Aid Office do?
4. What are some of the commonly used financial aid terms?
5. How do I determine if I qualify for federal financial aid?
6. How do I determine if I am eligible for financial aid?
7. What does it cost to go to Western Oregon University?
Applying for Financial Aid
8. How do I apply for financial aid?
9. When should I apply?
10. What is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
11. What is the Student Aid Report (SAR)?
12. How is my financial aid package determined?
13. What is verification?
14. How will I be notified about my financial aid package?
15. What are some other helpful financial aid web sites?
16. Do I have to claim my financial aid as taxable income?
17. What is a PIN?
18. What is a DRN?
19. Are there grade requirements to receive financial aid?
20. Are there any other payment options at Western Oregon University?
21. When will I get my money?
22. Can I pay my school bills with a credit card?
23. How do I receive a student loan?
24. I plan to get married in June. Can I file my FAFSA in January before I am married and update my marital status after my marriage?
- Would it be better for me to file before or after I get married?
- Can I get an estimate of my expected family contribution?
25. Is my financial aid information secure and confidential?
1. Financial aid can be made up of a combination (package) of grants, loans, scholarships and work study employment. Funding for these programs comes from a variety of sources including federal, state, private and institutional. Undergraduates can receive all types of financial aid. Graduate students are only able to receive Federal Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans and Federal Work Study if they qualify. There are other helpful sites on the Internet to help you fully understand what financial aid is. The U.S. Department of Education has a Student Guide that provides more detailed information regarding Federal Student Aid.
2. The Western Oregon University Financial Aid Office is located in the Administration Building on the third floor, Room 310.
5. To qualify for federal financial aid you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
- Have a valid Social Security Number.
- Have a high school diploma, an approved Associate of Arts degree, a General Education Development (GED) Certificate, or a passing score on an approved examination. GED tests are available at local community colleges.
- Be registered with the Selective Service, if required.
- Be formally admitted to WOU and be admitted and enrolled in a degree or certificate program, or be taking required preparatory coursework for admittance into a degree or certificate program. Students working toward a teaching endorsement only are not eligible for federal aid.
- Meet federal financial aid guidelines concerning convictions regarding the sale or possession of illegal drugs.
- Be making satisfactory academic progress.
- Not be in default or owe a refund on a federal student grant or federal student loan.
- Demonstrate financial need (except for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans and Federal Direct PLUS Loans).
- Have a valid, federally calculated Expected Family Contribution (EFC) on file with WOU's Financial Aid Office. The EFC is determined by a formula established by the U.S. Congress.
- Submit all required paperwork (signed award letter, etc.) before the end of the enrollment period. For more information check out the WOU financial aid calendar.
6. Your financial aid eligibility is based on a number of factors including, but not limited to: WOU's cost of attendance, the WOU packaging policies, availability of funds, expected family contribution (EFC), student's need, year in school and whether the student is a graduate or undergraduate.
The following formula is used to determine your need: cost of attendance - expected family contribution = student's financial need.
For more information on eligibility: click here
Cost of attendance - First, the cost of attendance (or budget) at WOU is established. Budgets are based on tuition and fees, expenses for meals and housing, books and supplies, and miscellaneous personal expenses. Part of your budget is established according to the following factors:
- Whether you pay resident, nonresident or Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) tuition.
- Whether you pay undergraduate, graduate or staff tuition.
- Whether you live on- or off-campus or at home with your parents.
- Whether you attend full-time or part-time.
- Whether you have additional costs that you have requested to be added to your budget. In some instances, expenses such as commuting, childcare, or computer costs may be added to your budget.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Your family contribution is based on your previous year's income and assets as listed on your FAFSA. The need analysis system is a method of evaluating a family's ability to meet educational expenses and is determined by federal formulas established by the U.S. Congress. The family contribution may be adjusted for the number of family members (other than parents) attending an eligible college at least half-time for at least one term and working toward a degree or certificate.
Other eligibility issues to consider: To receive Title IV federal and state financial aid, the student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, be registered with the Selective Service (if required), be working toward a degree or certificate, be making satisfactory academic progress and not owe a refund on a federal grant or on a federal educational loan or be in default on a federal loan.
Federal law states that if a student has been convicted of any offense involving the possession or selling of illegal drugs, the student may be ineligible for Title IV aid. Eligibility for federal financial aid can be restored when a student completes an acceptable drug rehabilitation program or the eligibility date has arrived.
10. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You will need to file your FAFSA each year by sending in a paper application, a Renewal FAFSA, or applying electronically by using FAFSA on the Web. The (FAFSA) is available in high school counseling centers and college financial aid offices. You may also apply electronically by using FAFSA on the Web. Be sure to list WOU as a recipient of your financial aid information; our Title IV school code is 003209. You must send your FAFSA to the federal processor, either electronically or by mail. Do not send your FAFSA to the Financial Aid Office. You can fill out your FAFSA anytime between January 1st and June 30th of the following year. However, there is a March 1st priority deadline that Western Oregon University has set. For more information check out the WOU financial aid calendar.
11. The (SAR) is the Student Aid Report. The SAR summarizes the information you reported on your FAFSA, FAFSA renewal, or FAFSA on the Web. The SAR will also indicate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). You will receive a SAR from the central processor after you have submitted your FAFSA. Your SAR may come by U.S. mail or by email if you provided an email address on your FAFSA. If you do not receive a SAR, or want to request a duplicate copy, call the U.S. Department of Education toll-free 1-800-433-3243. When you receive your SAR, make sure that all of the information reported is accurate. If there are no corrections that need to be made, simply file it with the rest of your financial aid information. If corrections are necessary, make them directly on the SAR. Then sign the SAR and send pages back to the processor (the address is listed on the SAR.) Always keep a copy of the SAR for your records.
12. It is the policy of the Financial Aid Office to provide you with a financial aid package to meet your calculated eligibility whenever possible. Providing you with financial aid to the full extent of your eligibility is contingent upon federal, state, and institutional funding and individual aid program limits. Aid applicants are rank ordered based on level of expected family contribution. Those students whose FAFSAs are received by the federal processor by March 1, whose files are complete, and who have applied for admission to Western Oregon University are awarded first. The amount of need based aid you are eligible to receive is determined by subtracting your expected family contribution (EFC) from the cost of attendance at WOU.
13. Verification is a process required by the federal government and is used to verify the information provided by students and parents of the FAFSA. Certain applications are selected for verification by the federal processor due to federal edits or random selection. Other applications may be selected by the Financial Aid Office to clarify information. Verification documents may include federal income tax returns, W-2 Wage and Tax Statements and verification worksheets. If a student is selected for verification, the award letter will be sent after the verification process is complete.
14. After the financial aid counselor reviews your file and your aid package has been determined, you will receive an award letter from WOU's Financial Aid Office. If you applied by the priority deadline, completed the requirements for your file and applied for admission, you will be sent an award letter in late spring or early summer stating the types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive. You need to read the conditions of the award on the back of the award letter and the Facts on Financial Aid and return one signed award letter to the Financial Aid Office. You will have a two-week period in which to sign and accept or decline the aid offer. Failure to return a signed award letter within the given time may result in cancellation of your aid without further notice.
Requesting revisions If you want your financial aid package revised, you may note that on the back of your award letter. Your request will be reviewed by a financial aid counselor and you will receive a response only if the change is possible. You may request revisions at any time during the academic year. Aid offers may be adjusted during the year by the Financial Aid Office due to non-university factors such as changes in federal regulations or insufficient federal or state funding.
Declining Loans If you choose to decline your loans, you may do so in writing at any time up to the time of disbursement or you may choose to repay your loans at anytime.
Full-time or part-time attendance Full-time attendance at WOU for every term including summer is at least 12 credits per term if you are an undergraduate or post baccalaureate or 9 credits per term if you are a graduate student.
If you plan to attend school less than full-time, notify the Financial Aid Office and indicate the number of credits you plan to take each term during the academic year. To receive assistance from the Federal Direct Loan program, you must be at least a half-time student (6 credits per term for undergraduate or post-baccalaureate students and 5 credits per term for graduate students). If you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, it will be prorated in accordance with the Federal Pell Grant payment schedule for part-time attendance. Students attending less than half-time may be eligible for the Pell Grant.
Summer Session Summer Session is considered the last term of the academic year for financial aid purposes at Western Oregon University. Full-time summer session attendance is the same as any other term: 12 credit hours for undergraduate and post-baccalaureate students, and 9 credit hours for graduate/master's students. Summer Session is awarded based on the student's completion of a Summer Session Financial Aid Request Form available in the spring.
Changes in resources Additional resources (such as outside scholarships, stipends, tuition remissions, veteran's benefits, vocational rehabilitation benefits, etc.) must be reported to the Financial Aid Office so that any necessary adjustments can be made. Additional resources must be reported to avoid an over award situation whereby financial aid repayment could be required.
Special circumstances If the situation has changed for you or your family and you are unable to provide your expected family contribution, contact the Financial Aid Office about your special circumstances. Your file may be reevaluated. If you have unusual circumstances that would make you independent even though none of the independent criteria apply to you, contact your financial aid administrator.
Adjustments to your budget A financial aid counselor may adjust your budget to include items that are directly related to meeting your educational expenses such as:
- Childcare expenses for the student that are not covered by an outside person or agency.
- Extra costs related to a student's disability not covered by another agency.
- Commuting expenses for students who live outside Monmouth/Independence.
- Computer expenses (this can only be adjusted once while attending Western Oregon University).
15. Helpful financial aid Web sites include:
FAFSA on the WEB This site allows you to complete, renew or correct your FAFSA and submit it for processing on-line.
- Fast Web (Scholarship Information) This free scholarship search site allows you to search on-line for scholarships for which you may be eligible.
- The Admissions Office
- The Financial Aid for Students site contains information about financial aid programs. It includes the Student Guide, Guide to Defaulted Loans, FAFSA on the Web and much more.
- The Financial Aid Information Page contains an Estimated Family Contribution Estimator, a college cost projector, an educational Savings Plan Designer, scholarship information, and much more.
- The Student Guide site was developed by the U.S. Department of Education and explains the types of financial aid that are available.
- Direct Loan Entrance Counseling
- Financial Aid Glossary
- Scholarship Scams
- Get a Personal Identification Number (PIN) to complete the FAFSA
Hope Scholarship Tax Credits and Lifetime Learning Tax Credits:
Information can be found on The Smart Guide to Financial Aid, The Internal Revenue Service Web site, or on the WOU information on the tax credit site.
16. In some cases, part of your financial aid may be considered taxable income. Contact the Internal Revenue Service,or your accountant for further information. You may also click here for more information on the Hope Scholarship Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit.
17. A Personal Identification Number (PIN) is a code that you need to:
- Sign your FAFSA Electronically
- Retrieve your Renewal FAFSA information
- File your Renewal FAFSA
- Access the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) site and view information about other federal student aid you may have received.
A PIN is similar to your PIN that you use at a bank. To protect the privacy of the information you are submitting, you must keep your PIN secret. If you need a PIN, have lost or forgotten your PIN, or if you think someone else knows your PIN, you can request a new one at www.pin.ed.gov.
18. Your Data Release Number (DRN) is a four-digit number assigned to your FAFSA application by the U.S. Department of Education. This number is printed in the top right hand corner of your Student Aid Report (SAR). Anyone who wants to change or receive information on your SAR must have your DRN in order allow the change to be made. Do not give out your DRN to anyone unless you have agreed to give them access to your FAFSA information.
19. YES. There are academic progress requirements to receive financial aid. You must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
As a financial aid recipient, you are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress and complete your degree requirements or educational objectives in a timely manner according to institutional and office policies. You must meet WOU's academic requirements outlined in the Western Oregon University catalog. Satisfactory Academic Progress is monitored at the end of every term and annually. The annual review is performed each June after the end of spring term. Summer session is monitored separately. Summer session credit hour requirements are the same as for all other terms.
Letter grades of F, W, N, I, X and AU do not apply toward the satisfactory completion of the credit hour minimums. You may not use credits by exam (credits earned by challenging an individual course) or College Level Equivalency Test (CLEP) credits to meet your minimum credit requirements.
20. The Business Office and cashiers at Western Oregon University handle fee payment. If you have any questions about payment options, or other issues regarding your account, contact the business office at 503-838-8201.
Every WOU student will sign a Revolving Charge Contract with the Business Office. You may defer payment of school charges after applying your financial aid. You will be charged $12 each term to use the plan if anything less than full payment of your account is remitted. All charges that you incur at WOU are covered under this plan. These include tuition and fees, housing and meals, library fines, health service, parking fines, etc. Past term debts must be paid prior to release of current term aid. All financial aid will be applied to any amount due WOU for the current term before any monies will be released to you at the time you pay your tuition. Any unpaid balance will accrue interest (12% annually) until paid.
If you do not have enough financial aid or personal resources to pay your first third of your account balance during the first week of the term,, you can apply for a short-term deferment. For emergency financial needs, you can apply for an emergency loan.
For more information about the Revolving Charge Program, short-term deferment or emergency loans, contact the Business Office at 503-838-8201. For other emergency financial needs, you may contact the Vice President for Student Affairs Office at 503-838-8221.
21. If you have been awarded financial aid for the regular academic year
(fall, winter, spring terms), your award is divided into equal portions and released to you at the beginning of each term during fee payment in the Instructional Technology Center (ITC) Annex. Financial aid that is not available during fee payment will be disbursed in the Business Office later during that term. Your aid must first pay for your tuition and fees and other institutional charges for the current term.
If there is remaining aid a check will be prepared for you. You must plan on budgeting the remainder of your money so that it will last through the term until the next fee payment period. Financial aid is not applied to your account until you go through the fee payment process in person. If you are unable to pick up your financial aid in person, you may contact WOU's Business Office for an alternative disbursement method.
The funds from Federal Direct Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) will be applied to your account upon coming to the cashier's window. If the amount of the PLUS exceeds the amount due, the Business Office will prepare a refund to you or your parent borrower based on an authorized release signed by your parent. If you have been awarded Federal Work-Study, it is your responsibility to obtain a work-study job in order to earn the amount awarded. For assistance with the availability of job openings contact the Student Employment Office located on the third floor of the Administration Building. Your paycheck is disbursed at the end of the month from the Payroll Office based on the number of hours you worked during the pay period.
All new student employees must complete federal I-9 verification with the Payroll Office (Administration 305) within the first three business days of hire. The I-9 verification establishes your identity and employment eligibility.
22. WOU accepts only MasterCard and Echeck.
23. The general process for borrowing a Direct Student Loan at WOU is as follows:
- Step 1 - The Award Letter Process - WOU determines your eligibility for federal student aid (including loans) and you receive a financial aid award letter. The amount and type of loan is on your award letter. You must sign and accept the first award letter sent to you. You can request reductions or cancellations of your loan on the back of your award letter or in writing at any time during the year up until the time of the term's disbursement.
- Step 2- Promissory Notes - (If you accept your loan offer) The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a promissory note that can be used for one or more Direct Loans for multiple years. If this is your first time borrowing from the Direct Loan Program, you will need to complete a MPN. If you have already signed a MPN,you may not need to sign a new MPN. The MPN, if necessary, will be mailed to you after you return your signed and accepted award letter.
- Step 3- Disclosure Statement - Just prior to the first disbursement of the loan(s), you will be sent a disclosure statement from the Common Origination and Disbursement Center. The disclosure statement will include specific information about the loan type(s), loan amount(s), anticipated disbursement date(s), and instructions on how to cancel the loan(s).
- Step 4- Entrance Counseling - If you have not previously borrowed a Direct Student Loan at WOU, you must complete an entrance loan counseling session prior to loan disbursement. Loan counseling sessions will be scheduled during New Student Week or you may complete loan counseling on the Web. If you do entrance loan counseling on the Web, you must complete the test on the Web site and list WOU as your school. Contact the Financial Aid Office if you are unable to attend the loan counseling sessions or complete loan counseling on the Web.
- Step 5- Receipt of Funds - Loan proceeds minus the loan origination fee will be disbursed to you at the beginning of each term as indicated on the award letter if you have completed all the requirements. Students must go in person to the WOU Cashiers for disbursement of aid. If you are participating in distance education or a study abroad program, you should contact the Business Office to make arrangements for disbursement of aid.
24. No. Federal regulations do not allow you to update your marital status
(from single to married) after you have submitted your FAFSA. You must list your current marital status as of the day you complete the FAFSA. You also cannot update your family size or number in college (due to your marriage) after you have submitted your FAFSA.
- That depends on your circumstances. If you file before you are married, you must file according to the dependency status questions on the FAFSA that determine whether you are independent or dependent (need to provide your parents' information) for financial aid purposes. If you file your FAFSA after you are married, you will need to include information about your spouse (even if you were not married in the previous calendar year).
- Yes. There is a calculator on the Web that will provide you with an estimated family contribution based on the information you provide.
25. Yes. Information contained in financial aid applications (as well as conversations with the student and family) is considered confidential and will not be released to the public.
- No information
concerning the student's application,
award, eligibility, etc. (identifying
the student) will be made public
except as follows. Information
may be released:
- To specific parties with the student's written permission.
- To a university office, the U.S. Department of Education, educational loan servicing centers, the Oregon Student Assistance Commission and other university or college Financial Aid Offices, on a need-to-know basis, without the student's permission.
- To an auditor designated to audit the Financial Aid Office without the student's permission.
- To any other agency (e.g., the Justice Department) without the student's permission by court orders.
- For any other allowable reason stated in the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974.
- Statistical information that does not personally identify the applicant(s) will be released to any university department, governmental agency or other outside agencies that have a valid need-to-know.
- To ensure that information is not released to the public before discussing any information concerning a student's application, awards, etc., the person requesting the information must provide positive identification.
- To ensure that only authorized personnel can access student aid applicant data in the Financial Aid software program (PowerFaids) and BANNER Student Information System program, a username and personalized password is required to log on for both programs. Student employees who must have access to the computer records are closely supervised and can only access the system with the assistance of an authorized staff member.
For more information