Financial Aid
Financial Aid Calendar
January
The FAFSA/WASFA has no submission deadline
Begin gathering tax documents for income taxes (W2 forms, 1098-t forms, etc.).
If you haven’t already completed the FAFSA at studentaid.gov, set a goal to fill it out. You’ll need your social security number, driver's license, income tax return, bank statements, and investment records. Dependent students will need their parents' records as well. Use this FASFA worksheet (pdf) to gather personal and parent data.
CWU applicants who plan to apply for federal or state financial aid MUST include their Social Security number (SSN) on their admissions application. To receive aid, your name, birthday, and SSN in CWU admissions records, the FAFSA, and the Social Security Administration database must be an exact match. Use your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card.
February
Check on the status of your FAFSA at studentaid.gov Make any required changes promptly.
Respond promptly to any request for additional information from the Financial Aid Office. Monitor your To Do list on MyCWU.
April
April 1st: Deadline to submit the Scholarship Central application
Aid notices to Continuing Students begin. All communications from Financial Aid are via email.
- Apply for Summer Aid. Instructions for applying for Summer Aid will be posted on the Financial Aid page.
June
June 1st: Be fully admitted to be considered for recruitment scholarships. Complete documents needed before an aid offer can be extended uploaded by May 1 are guaranteed to be processed for an on-time fall financial aid payment.
- If you are accepting a PLUS loan, a parent must complete an Application for Plus Loan at studentaid.gov. If this is your first Plus Loan the parent must also complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN).
If you are a returning student, monitor your Satisfactory Academic Progress.
First-time borrowers complete online Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note.
July
July 15th: final priority deadline for income and other complex revision requests. Late requests will not be reviewed until October.
- Notify the Financial Aid scholarship office of any outside scholarships you will receive. Notify outside donors to make scholarship check out to "CWU for benefit of Your Name and ID."
- New students should attend Orientation.
August
If you are accepting a PLUS loan, a parent must complete an Application for Plus Loan at studentaid.gov. If this is your first Plus Loan the parent must also complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN).
Incomplete to-do list items are now late. Please submit documents as soon as possible, they may still be processed in time for a late payment during fall quarter.
September
Aid offered assumes full time enrollment; enroll in sufficient credits to receive the aid you are expecting.
You must be enrolled at least half-time to receive loans (half-time is defined as 6 credits for undergraduates and post baccalaureates, 5 credits in 501 level or higher for graduate students). Most grant aid will be reduced for less than full time enrollment (12 credit undergrad).
October
Next academic year’s FAFSA opens and can be completed:
- Fill out your FAFSA
- Begin your scholarship search for the next academic year. Visit Scholarships.
- Study hard! Most gift aid has a GPA requirement.
November
Next year's Scholarship Central application opens. Know scholarship deadlines and submit applications promptly.
The FAFSA website provides a FAFSA Worksheet that can be used to gather personal and parental data. Remember the FAFSA is a snapshot in time and must be accurate as of the day you apply. To electronically sign the FAFSA you (and a parent if applicable) must have a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID). Applying for the FSA ID can be done at Federal Student Aid and should be done before completing the FAFSA.
December
Incoming students who have submitted the FAFSA and any additional required documents will begin receiving aid notices. Other than your first aid notice and first bill, communications from Financial Aid and Student Accounts are via email. Regularly check your CWU email account.
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Questions? Contact Us.
Financial Aid
Bouillon Hall 106