Which financial aid application?
Use this handy chart to determine which financial aid application you should use.
| Residency Status | Your application for financial aid |
|---|---|
| United States Citizen | FAFSA |
| Permanent residence with registration card I-551 | FAFSA |
Non-citizen with an I-94 entry / exit record showing one of the following:
| FAFSA |
| Undocumented student qualifying under HB-1079 or DACA | WASFA |
Note: Residency status pertains only to the student; the parent’s status does not affect a student’s eligibility to apply for aid.
Am I a New or Former Coug?
You are considered a new or former Coug if:
- You have never attended WSU before
- You have been admitted for the spring, summer, or fall term
- You have no prior enrollment on any WSU campus
- You have had a career change
- Example: undergraduate to graduate or undergratuate to professional
- This does not include a change in major or minor
- You are a former WSU student returning after being absent
- Example: You attended WSU, took a year off, and are returning in the same career and same program
**If you meet the above criteria, you will be asked to meet our priority deadlines for new/former students in order to receive priority, need-based financial aid.
Am I a Current Coug?
You are a considered a current Coug if:
- You will be enrolled at any WSU campus, for any amount of credit hours, for the fall term of that academic year
**If you meet the above criteria, you will be asked to meet our priority deadlines for current students in order to receive priority, need-based financial aid.
Don’t Forget to Complete WSU’s General Scholarship Application!
The 2023-24 WSU General Scholarship Application will open in early September 2022 and this application will close on January 31st, 2023.
Apply by January 31, 2023 to be considered for a variety of institutional scholarships awarded from this one application for the 2023–2024 academic year!
How to get state & federal aid
1. Complete the FAFSA/WASFA
The single most important step you can take is to fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at fafsa.gov. In order to keep receiving aid, you will need to do this every year.
WSU will use the FAFSA to determine how much institutional, state, and federal funding we can offer to you.
Almost everyone who files the FAFSA is eligible for student loans. Depending on your financial situation, you could also be eligible for grants, work-study jobs, and scholarships—aid you don’t have to pay back.
Undocumented students cannot file the FAFSA, but aid is still available; see eligibility requirements below and explore your options here.
Complete the FAFSA
Complete the WASFA
2. Apply for scholarships
Even if your grades aren’t perfect, apply.
While academic performance is important, it isn’t the only thing that matters. Academic interests, talent, financial need, community service, leadership, career goals—any of these could qualify you for awards from WSU and from other sources.
The WSU General Scholarship Application allows you to be considered for more than 700 WSU scholarship programs.
Complete your Scholarship Application
Scholarships are available not only from WSU, but also from private donors and foundations. There are thousands of opportunities waiting for you to find them.
3. Estimate aid in advance
Use our financial aid and cost calculators to plan your finances in advance and evaluate your options. (Please note that these tools provide only an estimate, not a guarantee.)
Depending on your financial situation, you could be offered several different types of financial aid. Explore your aid options here.
Eligibility Requirements
Contact Us
You’re welcome to contact us if you have questions at any point.