Frequently Asked Questions

How long will it take to receive my financial aid?

If you file your FAFSA electronically, you should receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processing center approximately three weeks from the date you filed. If you submit a paper application, you should receive your SAR within five weeks. The financial aid office will receive an electronic version of your information. If no additional information is required, an offer letter will be mailed to you. If we require additional information, we will mail you a request. Respond immediately to avoid any delays in receiving your aid offer. You should receive an offer letter within 3-6 weeks of our review of your application. We begin mailing our first offer letters by mid-March.

Will I get my money before school starts?

The earliest you could expect to receive an excess cash check is during the first week of classes. Once your tuition has been paid, a check for any excess financial aid will be mailed to the mailing address you have provided on PAWS. Several conditions must be met to ensure receipt of your check during the first week of classes. You must be registered for classes ten days before classes start, have received an offer letter, completed any promissory notes and any other applicable forms, and completed any required loan counseling.

Do I need to file my taxes before I apply for aid?

It is in your best interest to complete your taxes before you complete your FAFSA. If you complete your FAFSA using estimated income information, we may need to collect a copy of the actual tax return(s) before processing your aid. However, if you anticipate a problem completing your tax return by March 1st, but want to meet our priority filing date, we suggest that you submit the FAFSA using estimated information. Remember that completing your tax return early does not mean that you must mail it to the IRS early.

My parents make too much money. Is it worth filling out the form?

Our office always recommends that you fill out a FAFSA, which will allow us to determine your eligibility for aid. It is difficult to determine from income level alone what financial aid you will be eligible for. There are many other factors, such as size of household and number in college, which are taken into consideration in determining your eligibility. The FAFSA is free and takes a short amount of time to complete. Furthermore, every student qualifies for some form of loan, but you must file the FAFSA to be evaluated.

My parents aren’t helping me at all with school. How can I file as independent?

The way you respond to the questions on the FAFSA in regard to dependency status will determine whether you are considered dependent or independent for financial aid purposes. In extreme circumstances, a dependency override may be granted if the FAFSA indicates you are dependent, but you can document an estrangement from both parents.

My parents are divorced. Who should fill out the form?

If your parents have divorced or separated, answer the questions about the parent you lived with more during the past 12 months. If you did not live with one parent more than the other, give answers about the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months, or during the most recent period that you actually received support from a parent. Remember, if the parent whose information you are reporting has remarried, you must include the income and asset information of the stepparent. The form is developed to help determine your family’s ability to contribute to your education and needs to accurately reflect your current family situation.

What does it mean if my file has been selected for verification?

Each year the U.S. Department of Education selects approximately 30% of all FAFSA filers for a process known as verification. During verification, the Financial Aid Office will collect documents to determine whether certain questions on the FAFSA were completed accurately. If selected for verification:

1. A Verification Worksheet will be mailed to you from the Financial Aid Office, or it can be downloaded from the printable forms section of the Financial Aid website.
2. The worksheet should be completed and returned with appropriate signed copies (as directed on the worksheet) of your (and your parent's if you are dependent or your spouse's if you are married) Federal Income Tax return (including all schedules and W-2's) for the calendar year preceding the academic year for which you are applying (i.e.: verification of a 2005 - 2006 FAFSA will require the 2004 Federal Income Tax return).
3. If additional information/documents are needed, they will be requested.

If information needs to be corrected, our office will submit the corrections electronically and continue the file review after the corrections have been accepted and processed by the Central Processor. If corrections are not required, the review will continue.

Students should monitor their PAWS account for missing documents.

Allow approximately 2-6 weeks following receipt of your documentation for the verification process, and an additional seven to ten days if corrections are required. IMPORTANT: During the 2004/2005 academic year, a large number of students waited until summer to complete a FASFA. As a result, the amount of time it took to get through the verification process increased significantly; eight weeks was not unusual. Students are strongly encouraged to apply by March 1, which is the priority filing date, to avoid delays in receiving both an award letter and disbursement of their financial aid.

What do I do if something changes after I file?

If something changes after you submit the FAFSA, you should contact our office to discuss what circumstances have changed. For some situations, such as a loss of income compared with the income you used to complete your FAFSA, we can re-evaluate your financial aid. Some changes will make no difference to your aid eligibility, and still other changes are not allowed. You should meet with a Financial Aid Advisor to discuss your individual situation and determine the correct course of action.

How do you decide what aid I will get?

The first step in calculating your aid is to determine your "need" for financial aid. We start by assigning an estimated cost of attendance that includes your tuition and fees, an allowance for room and meals, transportation, books and supplies, and personal miscellaneous expenses. From this total cost of attendance, we deduct the amount that you and/or your family are expected to contribute toward your educational costs. This figure is provided to us after you complete the FAFSA and is called the EFC (Estimated Family Contribution). Once your need has been determined, we can begin to review your eligibility. We review grant eligibility first; then, if you have indicated an interest, your eligibility for work- study, followed by loan eligibility. Each program is governed by its own set of eligibility criteria, and many programs have a limited amount of funds available. You should apply early each year to assure maximum consideration for available funds.

I think that I am going to get a scholarship. Will that affect my aid?

I can only attend part-time. Can I still get financial aid?

In order to be eligible for aid, you must be registered at least half-time (6 credits undergraduate, 4 credits graduate) each semester. Your offer letter will be based on the assumption that you will register full-time. If you do not enroll full-time, it is your responsibility to inform our office to avoid a delay in the disbursement of your aid. The initial aid offer may have to be reduced if you register for less than full-time. If you are eligible for a Pell Grant, you may be eligible for a small portion of that grant even if you enroll on a less than half-time basis.

I want to find a job to help pay for my education. Can you help me?

If I enroll as a special/non-degree student can I still get financial aid?

If your enrollment falls into one of the two following categories you may be eligible for loan consideration: 1.) you are enrolled at least half-time in an approved UWM certification program or Teacher’ Certification; or 2.) you are enrolled for at least 6 credits (undergraduate, half-time) in pre-requisite courses in order to be eligible to apply for admission into a degree or certificate program at UWM. You need to pick up a "Special Student" form from our office, take it to your academic advisor for completion, and return it to us.

What happens if I get more financial aid than my tuition costs?

When calculating your financial need, our office takes into consideration tuition and fees, room and meals, books and supplies, transportation and personal miscellaneous expenses. Once your tuition and fees are paid, excess funds will be mailed to you by the Bursar’s Office; these funds are available for your other educational expenses. If you wish to use your excess cash toward food service or housing, arrangements can be made through Residence Life.

How will my Veteran’s benefits affect my aid?

Veteran’s benefits are considered a resource and need to be taken into consideration when other forms of aid are received. Your cost of attendance, less your EFC (student and/or family’s ability to pay), equals your financial need. Generally, your veteran’s benefits plus any aid offered, including grants, work- study and loans, may not exceed your financial need. If you receive Chapter 30 benefits, it is possible to receive aid in excess of your demonstrated need.

I want to attend school for UWinteriM and summer. Will I still get aid?

Financial aid offer letters are based on two semesters of enrollment, fall and spring. Aid for UWinteriM and/or summer classes is limited. To be eligible for UwinteriM aid, you must have attended the previous fall semester. UwinteriM is limited to any remaining loan eligibility, and possibly a Wisconsin Study Abroad Grant. To receive consideration for UWinteriM loans, you must submit a UWinteriM Supplement. If you are applying for summer aid--loans, Federal Work-Study, or Pell Grants, you must complete the Summer Supplement. Both of these applications are available in the Special Academic Term section of our website approximately two months before the term begins. Consideration for Study Abroad Grants requires a separate application be submitted to the Center for International Education.

Do I have to complete a new application every year?

If you would like to be considered for aid, you will need to complete a Renewal FAFSA each year. If you completed a FAFSA the prior year, an email or postcard will be sent to you by the Department of Education late in the calendar year which indicates you should complete a renewal FAFSA as soon after January 1 as you can. You should complete your renewal between January 1 and March 1 each year to receive maximum consideration for aid.

What is all this talk about Federal PIN’s?