Adjustments to federal, state, and institutional need-based aid are regulated by federal law. Please note that CWU will follow federal law when adjusting an award for any student who files a FAFSA and is offered need-based aid.

• The Pell Grant is an entitlement and will be awarded to any eligible student. Pell eligibility is based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as determined on the FAFSA. In addition, eligibility requires maintianing Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Beginning 2012: The Pell Grant has a lifetime limit of 6 years or 18 quarters.
• Subsidized loan, grants, work study, and most gift aid are limited to covering Financial Need.
• Students may receive merit aid that exceeds need and still receive non-need based loans such as unsubsidized student and parent loans, TEACH grants, etc.

Please note:  All aid is limited to Cost of Attendance (COA) and Central’s policy is to offer funding up to COA.  Therefore, students may be offered unsubsidized loans, parent loans (PLUS), graduate PLUS or, upon request, an Alternative Loan to cover EFC and unmet need.

When adjusting the original offer of aid for additional resources or scholarships, Central will reduce institutional need based aid if institutional aid plus state aid exceeds $3,600 and then the least desirable aid will be reduced first. If a PLUS loan has been offered to fill Need, it will be reduced, then unsubsidized loan (if it is filling Need).  After that, the order of reduction will usually be Perkins Loan, subsidized loan, state gift aid, federal gift aid.  If you have outside resources that exceed Cost of Attendance, we will contact your donors for permission to carry funds over to summer term or the next award year.