Federally Funded Financial Aid for Graduate Students

Application Procedures for Financial Aid

1. Wilmington University requires all financial applicants to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year and strongly urges all students to do so online at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. If not already done, students must request a FSA ID as the first step in completing the FAFSA on-line. When accessing the FAFSA web site, students who do not have a FSA ID are directed to apply for one. The FSA ID allows students to electronically sign the FAFSA, which reduces federal processing time to days instead of weeks. The data required on the FAFSA is based on the federal income tax information from two years prior.
2. Upon receipt of students’ FAFSA data, Wilmington University will send an email communication to students indicating what additional requirements are needed to complete processing. Students must be fully admitted into an eligible degree or certificate program and complete all requirements before financial aid awards will be made.
3. Upon completion of all requirements, a determination will be made by Wilmington University as to the applicant’s aid eligibility. Students then will receive an Award Notification from the Financial Aid Office directing them to their student portal to view the types and amounts of aid offered to them.
4. Students who are offered and who accept student loans for the first time must complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Students who have received or who are currently receiving a student loan at Wilmington University do not have to do this, as the MPN is good for 10 years. First time loan borrowers or borrowers who have completed Exit Counseling after graduating with a prior degree, must complete an online Entrance Counseling session before any federal student loans can be disbursed.  Federal Direct Entrance Counseling is an online educational tool for student loan borrowers. Entrance Counseling only has to be completed one time for the duration of the student’s degree program enrollment.
5. To be eligible for aid, applicants must be fully admitted into a degree program or approved Certificate program. To receive aid, student must begin attending classes for the semester and must maintain an enrollment of a minimum of five credits per semester in courses in their program of study.
6. The financial aid office advises all students to log on to studentaid.gov and complete the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment (ASLA) process prior to accepting additional federal student loans.

Determination of Eligibility for Financial Aid

To apply for loans, state grants and scholarships, and institutional scholarships, students must submit the FAFSA. The data from the FAFSA is used to determine the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), which is then used to determine the type and amount of aid for which a student may be eligible. The procedure for completing and submitting the FAFSA is outlined below.

Financial aid applicants must complete an admissions application, submit required admissions documents, and be accepted into an eligible degree or approved Certificate program, as no funds can be awarded until the applicant has been officially accepted to the University. Students may check here: https://www.wilmu.edu/financialaid/eligiblecertificateprograms.aspx for a list of all financial aid eligible Certificate programs.

Financial aid applications are processed throughout the year. The total processing time from submission of the FAFSA to processing by Wilmington University can take from two to six weeks. Therefore, students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA well in advance of the registration period for the term in which they plan to enter. The federal deadline to submit a FAFSA for the 2021-2022 academic year is June 30, 2022. The 2021-2022 FAFSA is required to apply for aid for the Fall 2021, Spring 2022, and Summer 2022 semesters.

Federally-Funded Financial Aid

There are two types of federal financial assistance: grants and self-help.

Federal grants:

• TEACH Grant. The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program will provide additional grant aid to undergraduate and graduate students admitted to specific certification track education degree programs, who are maintaining a 3.25 GPA, and who agree to teach as a highly qualified teacher in a “high need” field. Please note, Doctoral and Education Studies programs are not eligible.

Self-help programs:

• Federal Work-Study Program (FWS).
• Direct Stafford Unsubsidized Loan - This loan is NOT based on need and the student is responsible for paying the interest on the loan from the date of the first disbursement.
• Direct Graduate PLUS Loan - Graduate or professional students are now eligible to borrow under the credit based PLUS Loan program. Students may borrow amounts up to their cost of attendance minus other estimated financial assistance.

Federal financial aid provides assistance with paying for: tuition and fees, books and supplies, transportation costs, modest living expenses, and dependency expenses. This assistance is not meant to provide all living expenses. Rather, the funds are available to assist students to attend college.