• Who is eligible for federal aid? Most federal student aid is not based on college or high school grades or upon the student's major or career choice. Generally the student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, and must be enrolled in an educational program that leads to a degree or certificate. See the U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid website to check your eligibility for federal student aid.
  
  
• How do I apply? To apply for federal aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). See our Apply for Federal Aid page for more information.



• What is the fastest way to apply? The fastest and easiest way to apply is with FAFSA on the Web at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov . Your first step should be to visit http://www.pin.ed.gov to get yourself a Federal Student Aid Personal Identification Number (PIN). If you don't provide a working e-mail address your Federal Student Aid PIN will be mailed to you through the U.S. postal system. Your PIN serves as your electronic signature on FAFSA on the Web and may be useful for other purposes later. Because most high school students need to report their parent's information on the FAFSA, one of your parents will also sign the FAFSA. So if you plan to fill out FAFSA on the Web, one of your parents should obtain his or her own Federal Student Aid PIN. If you (or your parent) are unable to obtain a PIN to sign FAFSA on the Web, you will have to provide your (and your parent's) signature on a paper called a signature page. FAFSA on the Web gives instructions on printing out, signing, and mailing the signature page.



• What is the advantage to applying online? FAFSA on the Web can save you several weeks in the application process because it is more likely to be correct on the first try. FAFSA on the Web checks for errors and inconsistencies while you're filling it out, so that those mistakes can be fixed before the application is processed.

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• When should I apply? Some federal aid is limited in funding, so don't put off applying. The FAFSA is available every year on January 1st, prior to the start of the upcoming aid year. Wright State University has a FAFSA priority deadline date of February 15th. This deadline is for campus-based aid programs (e.g., Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, etc.). The FAFSA will ask for data from your federal income tax return. You can estimate income if you have not filed your IRS form yet. You do not need to send your tax return to the IRS before you fill out the FAFSA.



• How do I make sure I am considered for all types of federal aid? By filling out the FAFSA, you are automatically applying for grants. The FAFSA will ask you whether you also want to apply for loans and work study. Answer yes. It's perfectly acceptable to turn down loans or work study later without affecting other aid. Also, be sure to apply by WSU's FAFSA priority deadline date of February 15th, prior to the start of the academic year.



• What if I miss WSU's FAFSA priority deadline? Can I still apply? Yes, you can still apply. WSU's FAFSA priority deadline is for campus-based aid programs only (e.g., Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, etc.). Three of the largest federal programs, the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Stafford Loan, and Federal PLUS Loan, can be awarded at any time during the aid year, provided that the student is still enrolled at the school when the money is disbursed.



• Is there an income level cutoff to apply? You can apply for federal aid regardless of your family's income level. The family's income level, however, does play a role in determining the types of federal aid the student will be eligible to receive. All eligible students can apply for loans.



• Do I have to apply every year? Yes. The FAFSA is an annual application. It is made available every year on January 1st, prior to the start of the upcoming aid year.

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• Do my parents have to put their information on the FAFSA? That depends on your answers to the questions on the FAFSA. Generally, the parents' financial information must be reported if the student is not yet 24 years old. The FAFSA lists several other exceptions, including students who are orphans or wards of the court, who are working on a master's degree or higher, who are married, who have served in the military, or who have legal dependents.



• My parents do not support me. I support myself. Does that make me an independent student? Not necessarily. When completing the FAFSA, you will be prompted to provide parental data if necessary. Students with unusual circumstances should speak to the Office of Financial Aid. Unusual circumstances do not include parents who don't want to contribute to the student's education or who don't want to provide information on the FAFSA or a student who is not claimed as a dependent on his or her parents' income tax return. See our Dependency Status Appeal page for more information.



• If I estimate my income on my FAFSA, do I have to update my FAFSA later if my estimates are wrong? Yes. The advantage to estimating is that you'll get the FAFSA in by the deadline. Once tax forms have been completed, compare the income and tax information reported on the FAFSA with the actual information on the tax forms. If it doesn't match, make any corrections on the Student Aid Report (SAR) or on Corrections on the Web or ask the Office of Financial Aid to assist in making the corrections. The SAR needs to reflect the accurate information.



• Why does the FAFSA ask for income from last year instead of the current year? Over the years, studies have shown that complete information from the previous tax year provides a better estimate of the family's financial strength than incomplete information from the current year.



• What should I do if my family's income is going to be much less than it was last year? You must still report the previous year's financial information as required on the FAFSA. If there are significant changes to your family's financial situation since the tax year used on the FAFSA, you should contact the Office of Financial Aid. See our Extraordinary Expense Petition page and Loss of Income Petition page for more information.

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• What is WSU's school code? Wright State 's Title IV School Code is 003078 .



• What is a Student Aid Report (SAR)? The SAR contains a summary of the information you provided on the FAFSA, as well as an explanation of how to make corrections. It also tells you whether you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. Check all the information carefully and make any corrections. The SAR information will also go to each school you listed on the FAFSA. If you complete your FAFSA online, sign using PIN(s) for you (and your parent), and you provide an e-mail address, you'll be e-mailed a link to your SAR information within a few days. If you apply online but sign using a signature page, you should receive a SAR Acknowledgement, a document similar to the SAR, within two weeks of mailing the signature page. If you submit a paper FAFSA and provide a working e-mail address, you'll be e-mailed a link to your SAR information within a couple of weeks of mailing the FAFSA. If you submit a paper FAFSA, but no e-mail address, you'll get a paper SAR in three to four weeks.



• What is a Data Release Number (DRN)? The DRN protects the privacy of the student's information and is only given to the student. It is a four-digit number that appears on the Student Aid Report (SAR).



• What is an Expected Family Contribution? The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount that the student's family is expected to contribute toward the school's costs. It is calculated by the U.S. Department of Education's Central Processing System (CPS) and appears on the Student Aid Report (SAR). The EFC is used by schools to determine student's eligibility for federal aid based upon the school's costs.



• Is there any way to change my EFC if my family has extraordinary expenses or if our income has decreased? Schools have the authority to make changes to the EFC calculation on a case-by-case basis; however, they are not required to do this. The school's decision is final and cannot be appealed to the U.S. Department of Education. For more information on WSU's policies for families with special considerations, see our Extraordinary Expense Petition page and Loss of Income Petition page.



• What is verification? A percentage of FAFSA applicants and others based on certain edit criteria are selected for data verification. Schools must verify certain data elements reported on these FAFSAs, using documentation provided by the student. Some schools choose to verify additional applications beyond those selected by the U.S. Department of Education. See our Verification page for more information.

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• How much is tuition? See WSU's Office of the Registrar's website for current tuition rates.



• How much is housing? See WSU's Office of Residence Services website for current housing rates.



• Will my financial aid cover my costs? Financial aid is awarded to meet WSU costs, however, in most cases loans may be the majority of types of aid offered to the student and family. It is extremely important to know your costs before attending a school. Financial Aid Advisors are available within WSU's Office of Financial Aid to discuss your financial aid and WSU costs. See our WSU Cost Calculator to determine estimated costs to attend WSU. To save money, some students go to a two-year college and then transfer to a four-year college.



• How do I pay my bill? Bills are issued and fee payments collected by the Office of the Bursar. Your accepted financial aid is taken into account when determining any out-of-pocket expenses owed to WSU. For more information about billing and fee payment, see WSU's Office of the Bursar's website.

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• Do I have to repay my loan? Yes. Even if you do not graduate or find a job, student loans still have to be paid back with interest. Before you sign for a loan, be sure you understand the terms of the loan contract and how much you'll eventually repay. The total repayment amount will be much higher than the original loan amount due to the interest. Because of this you should be careful not to borrow more than you actually need. There are several repayment options. For instance, you might pay the same amount every month until the loan is paid off or your payments might be based on your income. Your loan contract will describe the repayment options that apply to your loan.



• How do I find my total loan debt? Throughout the life of your loan, it's important to know what company holds your account and to contact them if you have any questions about anything. Don't get behind on your payments because you could eventually end up with a bad credit record, preventing you from buying a car or a house or getting a credit card. Keep all the information about your loan(s) in a folder or box, including the original contract, proof of your payments, and any correspondence with the holder of the loan. You can view your federal loan history, including your current lender and loan servicer for a loan, on the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) at http://www.nslds.ed.gov. The Office of Financial Aid can also assist you in finding your lender or loan servicer.



• How do I get more information about getting my loans cancelled/forgiven for public service? All or a portion of federal student loans (including interest) may be cancelled if the borrower makes application and meet specific public service requirements set by the U.S. Department of Education, such service as a special education teacher or a teacher in a low-income school or in a field designated as a teacher shortage area (such as math, science, foreign language, or bilingual education), a law enforcement or corrections officer, or as a nurse or medical technician. Borrowers must contact their loan servicer or loan holder for more information about loan cancellation provisions for public service.



• What is loan consolidation? Loan consolidation is the combination of multiple student loans with various repayment schedules into one loan, making a single monthly payment. For more information about loan consolidation, see the U.S. Department of Education's Repaying Your Student Loans page or borrowers can contact their lender or loan servicer.

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