Welcome to The Financial Aid Office

To receive financial aid, all students must apply every year. A student applies for federal and state grants, work-study, student and parent loans when a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is completed and sent to the processor.

Students may apply on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov or with a paper application that can be obtained at Western's Financial Aid office, Welcome Center, R-161.

The financial aid process may take anywhere from 2-3 months for students completing a PAPER application. The on-line application may decrease filing time by 2-3 weeks. Errors on the application may cause a delay in processing.

Once the form is submitted either by mail or electronically, a student will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR), from the application processor. Western will receive the same Student Aid Report at the time that a student is admitted into a financial aid eligible program. When the report is received, a letter will be sent from financial aid requesting any needed additional information. When all the requested documents are received in the financial aid office a student's financial aid application can be processed.

Aid received is based on eligibility. Eligibility is based on the information reported on the 2006-2007 FAFSA. If there are changes in income which might affect your family's ability to pay for the costs at Western, contact the Financial Aid Manager, Jerolyn Grandall at 608.785.9576.

Once an application is processed, an award letter and an important information document are sent to the student. That document provides information on the grants, loans, work study, important financial aid dates, disbursement information, and how to access the awarded loans.

Important Contacts/Resources

Fastweb.com - free scholarship information on the web

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
800-433-3243

plusloans.fastproducts.org - Information on obtaining a PLUS loan

US Department of Education PIN - To apply for a PIN Number

IRS - To request copies of Federal Tax Returns & W-2 ’s 800-829-1040

Selective Service Registration - To confirm registration status 847-688-6888

Social Security Administration - Corrections and request of benefit statements 800-772-1213

Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation - For information regarding student loans 800-236-5900

Debt Collection Service - To clear up Federal Repayments 800-621-3115

NextStudent - Free Scholarship Search Website

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