Our purpose is to assist you with securing federal, state, and institutional financial aid to achieve your degree. You may receive aid in the form of
( This means that you must submit your 17/18 FAFSA before May 1, 2017 to be considered for the West Virginia Higher Education Grant).
- All outstanding requirements and missing documents for students beginning West Virginia State University for the Spring 2018 semester must be received and satisfied to
that financial aid will be available for the start of the semester. (If you have enough financial aid to purchase books, you will be allowed to do so the week prior to the start of the semester. Official notification will be sent by the Book Store to your student email account.)
- All outstanding requirements and missing documents must received and satisfied to guarantee your financial aid will be ready to go when school starts August 14, 2017. (If you have enough financial aid to purchase books, you will be allowed to do so the week prior to the start of the semester. Official notification will be sent by the Book Store to your student email account.)
A summary of consumer information is made available to all students of West Virginia State University. Links to consumer information are provided below.
Any questions should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
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Federal and State Fact Sheet
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Notice of Disbursement And Right To Cancel A Federal Stafford, Perkins, or PLUS Loan
Students will receive notification when a Federal Student Loan is credited to the student account. Students have the right to cancel all or part of federal loan disbursement for each semester. To cancel,l students must submit a written request to the Office of Student Financial Assistance within 14 days from the date students receive the notification indicating loan funds have credited to the university account.
A written request to cancel a Stafford, Perkins, or PLUS Loan may be submitted by email from the student WVSTATE email account, or as a handwritten, typed, or printed statement bearing an original signature submitted by mail, in person, or faxed. To cancel a Parent PLUS Loan, the parent borrower may submit a handwritten, typed, or printed statement bearing an original signature by mail, fax, or in person.
Please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance if you have any questions.
Email Notification policy
The official method of communication for the Office of Student Financial Assistance is the WVSU webmail address provided to accepted students. To stay informed and aware, students are encouraged to check their campus email address at least once per week.
New students who are not yet admitted to WVSU will be contacted initially using the email address provided on the FAFSA. Once a student has been admitted to WVSU, and a campus email is assigned, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will use only the campus assigned email address.
Disbursements of federal and state financial aid funds to student accounts will occur once the Office of Student Financial Assistance has completed the determination of eligibility for funds and all student requirements are satisfied and processed. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will then authorize the Office of Fiscal Affairs to apply payments to student accounts.
The Disbursement Office then applies financial aid payments to any charges existing on student accounts, such as tuition and fees, housing, parking, meal plans, etc.
When all institutional charges are paid the Disbursement Office calculates the difference between charges owed to the school and the amount of financial aid awards. Any remaining balance due to the school is to be paid by the student. Any remaining balance of financial aid funds will be disbursed to students in check form.
Disbursements occur after add/drop closes for the semester. All requested paperwork and student requirements must be satisfied in order for disbursements to occur on the scheduled date.
Students are encouraged to regularly check
MYSTATE Financial Aid status to determine if all paperwork and requirements have been satisfied.
Money owed to WVSU will be deducted from financial aid funds and the difference checks will be mailed to your address on file within 14 business days. To determine the date your check change was created you may check your Account Summary by Term on your MYSTATE account.
IF YOU MISSED THE DEADLINE:
If you missed the deadline date to submit all paperwork and complete all requirements use the chart below to determine approximate payment dates based on the date you last submitted paperwork.
| Financial Aid Submission Deadline |
Estimated Disbursement Date |
| Fall paperwork submitted in July |
Expect disbursement delay until mid to late September |
| Fall paperwork submitted in August |
Expect disbursement delay until mid to late October |
| Fall paperwork submitted in September |
Expect disbursement delay until mid to late November |
| Spring paperwork submitted in December |
Expect disbursement delay until mid to late February |
| Spring paperwork submitted in January |
Expect disbursement delay until mid to late March |
FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy ACT), also know as the Buckley Amendment, was passed by Congress in 1974. It grants four specific rights to a postsecondary student:
- To see the information that the institution is keeping on the student.
- To seek amendment to those records and in certain cases append a statement to the record.
- to consent to the disclosure of his/her records.
- To file a complaint with the FERPA Office in Washington DC.
FERPA applies to all educational agencies or institutions that receive funds under any program administrated by the Secretary of Education.
FERA ensures the privacy of student records (other than directory information). Student records including information about registration, grades, financial aid and billing are considered confidential and may not be released without written consent from the student.
If you wish to allow anyone other than you (the student) to access this information you must file a
FERPA release form.
A student must complete and submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (
FAFSA) to apply for federal student aid. The U. S. Department of Education uses the information from the FAFSA to determine eligibility for federal funds. For West Virginia residents, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission also uses the information from the FAFSA to determine eligibility for state funds. The West Virginia State University Office of Student Financial Assistance reviews this information to complete Financial Aid Awards to students.
| Type of Aid |
Repayment Required |
Program Details and Requirements |
Annual Amount |
| Federal Pell Grant |
No |
Award based on financial need: EFC between $0 and $5,328
Available to undergraduate students.
Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) |
Up to $5,920
proportionate to enrollment status |
| Federal SEOG Grant |
No |
For undergraduate students with exceptional financial need.
Pell Grant recipients take priority.
Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) |
$100-$1,200
Fund availability varies annually |
| Federal Work Study |
No |
Money earned while attending school
For undergraduate students.
Apply in Office of Student Financial Assistance.
Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) |
$100-$5,000 |
| Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan |
Yes |
U.S. Dept. of Ed. pays interest while borrower is in school and during six month grace and deferment periods.
Student must be enrolled at least half-time and have financial need.
Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress |
$3,500-Freshman
$4,500-Sophomore
$5,500-Junior/Senior
*May be reduced based on annual need. |
| Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan |
Yes |
Interest accrues while borrower is enrolled and thereafter Students must be enrolled at least half-time
Must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress |
$2,000-Undergraduate, Dependent
$6,000-Freshman/Sophomore, Independent
$7,000-Junior/Senior, Independent
$20,500-Graduate |
| Direct Graduate PLUS Loan |
Yes |
Borrowed by Graduate Students
Student must be enrolled at least half-time
Interest accrues while student is enrolled
Eligibility is based upon credit check complete during Graduate PLUS Request Application at studentloans.gov |
Maximum amount is cost of attendance, less any other financial aid the student receives
No minimum amount |
| Direct Parent PLUS Loan |
Yes |
Borrowed by Parents of Dependent Students
Students must be enrolled at least half-time
Interest accrues while student is enrolled and thereafter.
Repayment begins 60 days after second disbursement unless otherwise requested during application
Eligibility is based upon credit check complete during Parent PLUS Request Application at studentloans.gov |
Maximum amount is cost of attendance, less any other financial aid the student receives
No minimum amount |
| WV Higher Education Grant |
No |
Student must be a WV resident at least 12 months prior to application
High School Graduate
Student must submit FAFSA by April 16.
Demonstrate Financial Need (EFC between $0 and $10,000) For annual renewal, student must maintain 2.0 GPA and complete 24 credit hours each academic year (Fall and Spring) |
$2,700 per year/$1,350 per semester
(Non-Pell Eligible up to $10,000 EFC $2,300 per year/$1,150 per semester. |
| Promise Scholarship |
No |
Student must graduate from a WV high school with a 3.0 and meet minimum core requirements.
Student must receive 22 on ACT or 1020 on SAT.
Student must complete FAFSA by March 1.
For annual renewal, student must maintain 3.0 GPA and complete 30 credit hours each academic year. (Fall & Spring)
|
$4,750 per year |
To acquire and secure proper payment of Federal Financial Aid the Office of Student Financial Assistance is sometimes required to request documents from students applying for assistance.
Students can visit WVSU MYSTATE and WVSU webmail to view any outstanding documents required for financial aid package completion.
For further assistance in viewing outstanding requirements and MYSTATE refer to Accepting Awards and Outstanding Student Requirements sections on this website.
Below are links to some required forms.
Federal Verification Forms
Contact Office of Student Financial Assistance for type of verification required
Phone: 304-204-4369
Miscellaneous Forms
To acquire and secure proper payment of Federal Financial Aid the Office of Student Financial Assistance is sometimes required to request documents from students applying for assistance.
Students can visit WVSU MYSTATE and WVSU webmail to view any outstanding documents required for financial aid package completion.
For further assistance in viewing outstanding requirements and MYSTATE refer to Accepting Awards and Outstanding Student Requirements sections on this website.
Below are links to some required forms.
Federal Verification Forms
Contact Office of Student Financial Assistance for type of verification required
Phone: 304-204-4369
Miscellaneous Forms
In order to access MYSTATE you must be admitted to WVSU. You will need your student ID number to login. Your student ID number begins with an "A". You must use a capital letter A. The username is case sensitive. If you experience difficulty logging in please
click here for help.
Students may have additional requirements after awards have been accepted. Students are advised to check MYSTATE and WVSU webmail regularly.
Steps to Accept Award Packages and View Outstanding Requirements
When you enter the secure area:
1.) Click "Student and Financial Aid" Tab
2.) Click "Award"
3.) Click "Award For Aid Year" and choose the aid year from the drop down box and click submit
4.) Click "Accept Award Offer" Tab
5.) Accept or Decline all funds that are in the "offered" status
6.) When you have accepted/declined ALL funds click "Submit"
7.) Submit Decision
* Failure to accept/decline all funds will cause your award to partially submit and your registration may not be held. Do not use the "Undecided" option. This will also cause a submission failure on your award.
* Some funds are automatically accepted and do not give you the option to accept or decline. Funds such as Grants and Scholarships may be automatically accepted.
* Students may choose not to accept the full amount of loans offered. If a different loan amount is desired enter specific amount into appropriate box under Accept Partial Award Heading.
If your need to request child care expenses, decline a semester of aid, add summer aid, add an aid resource not listed on your award, accept previously declined awards, or request other changes to your award, please contact the
Office of Student Financial Assistance .
In order to be successful in securing funds to pay for your education every year students must complete a new Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit it to the United States Department of Education for processing. The FAFSA is an application for the following federal aid programs:
- Pell
- SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)
- State Grants and Scholarships
- Federal Work Study
- Subsidized Student Loan
- Unsubsidized Student Loan
- Parent PLUS Loan
- Graduate PLUS Loan
FAFSA Filing: Complete the FAFSA every year, as soon after October 1st as possible and before April 15th, the closing date for the West Virginia Higher Education Grant (WV residents only). The closing date for West Virginia State University to guarantee your financial award in time for registration to be held is June 30th. To assure registration is held file at least one month prior to the closing date and respond promptly to all requests for information and documents from the Office of Student Financial Assistance. Failure to respond may cause delays, reductions, and/or cancelations of your financial aid. Requests can be viewed from student
MYSTATE account upon admission.
- We suggest you file electronically at www.fafsa.gov. You will receive a confirmation email and can view your Student Aid Report (SAR) online. Be sure to review your SAR for errors and make corrections as needed. This simple step can save weeks on your application for aid.
- Apply for a FSA ID to electronically sign your FAFSA application at https://fsaid.ed.gov/
- You should always use your tax forms to complete this application. You may estimate your income, but be aware that estimating your income may mean your file will be selected by the U. S, Department of Education for verification. If you choose to estimate when filing please review your SAR and make changes as necessary.
- Federal School Code for West Virginia State University is 003826
Filing Assistance: Click
here to view a short video on filing the FAFSA
If you need assistance completing the application, you can obtain information from the Federal Student Aid Programs (1-800-4FED-AID).
Applying for Summer Financial Aid: All awards are initially offered for Fall and Spring only. You must request aid for Summer by completing a summer application after you have registered for your summer courses. You may pick up the application in the Office of Student Financial Assistance Ferrell Hall room 125. The deadline to request summer aid is April 30th.
The process of acquiring and securing proper payment of Federal Financial Aid may have multiple student requirements.
Students are encouraged to check MYSTATE and WVSU webmail regularly to view any notifications of additional requirements from the Office of Student Financial Assistance. No funds can pay until all paperwork is processed and all outstanding requirements are satisfied.
Listed below are some possible requirements students may encounter and information to resolve them.
Federal Verification Process- Verification is the process of confirming the information you and/or your parents reported on the FAFSA.Students selected for verification may be required to submit a tax return transcript from the IRS (copies of prepared tax forms such as 1040 are no longer accepted). An official
tax return transcript for the tax year
2015 can obtained online from the
Internal Revenue Service, by phone at 1-800-908-9946, or at your local IRS office. The Charleston WV office is located at 161 Court Street, Charleston WV 25301. Students may also be required to fill out one of our Federal Verification Forms which can be obtained online or in the Office of Student Financial Services.
Pell or Loan Aggregate Requirements- Students approaching or exceeding the Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility Limit or Aggregate Loan Limits may receive a requirement to submit a
Financial Aid Review from the
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) Student Access Web Site. Effective the beginning of Fall 2012, the Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility has been changed from 18 semesters to 12 semesters, a lifetime limit of 600%. Aggregate Loan Limits are as follows: Undergraduate Dependent Students $31,000 (limit $23,000 can be subsidized). Undergraduate Independent Students $57,000 (limit $23,000 can be subsidized). Graduate and Professional Students $138,500 (limit $65,000 subsidized). An explanation of how your eligibility is calculated can be found at the following link:
Federal Student Aid.
Transcript- The Office of Student Financial Assistance may request a copy of the student academic transcript. This must be a copy of an official transcript. For returning or continuing students who have attended only WVSU this can be obtained free of cost from the Office of Registration and Records. For transfer students a copy of the official transcript submitted for admission can be obtained in the Admissions Office here at WVSU.
Open and Submit Electronic Award- An electronic Award Package will become available to submit only after pending requirements are satisfied. If no award is available, ensure all other requirements have been satisfied. If award is present see Accepting Awards Instructions.
Parent PLUS Request and Master Promissory Note- If a Parent PLUS Loan is accepted by a student, the parent of that student must complete a PLUS Request Process at
Student Loans.gov. Instructions to complete this process can be found at the following link
Direct PLUS Loan Request. If the PLUS Loan is approved the parent must sign the
Master Promissory Note at
Student Loans.gov.
PLUS Denial Process: If the Parent Loan is denied, students may request additional unsubsidized loan funds by completing the Unsub Request Form and submitting it to the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
Student Federal Direct Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note- If a student accepts a Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan is accepted by a student for the first time at WVSU, the student is required to
Complete Loan Entrance Counseling and
Sign a Master Promissory Note at
Student Loans.gov.
Any questions concerning the above listed or any other outstanding student requirements should be directed to the Office of Student Financial Assistance in Ferrell Hall room 125 or (304) 204-4369.
Click here to apply for private alternative student loans.
Refund policy for students who withdraw from school.
A student who officially withdraws from the University (i.e., drops all classes) through the Office of Registration or is administratively withdrawn from the University prior to completing 60% of a semester is entitled to a partial refund of that semester's tuition/fees. Refund amounts are calculated to the day based on the number of calendar days which have elapsed from the first day of class to the date of withdrawal. The date of withdrawal is the actual date the student notifies the Office of Registration of withdrawal or midpoint (50% point) of the semester for a student who leaves without notifying the institution.
Any student who withdraws at any point during the semester is advised to consult with the Cashier's Office to determine whether there is a refund due or a balance owed.
Note: Once classes begin, there is no refund for a reduced schedule. The refund policy applies only when a student officially withdraws from all classes.
For a student receiving federal financial aid who withdraws prior to completeing 60% of the semester, the amount of federal financial aid earned will be calculated to the day according to the same formula. Unearned financial aid must be returned. When aid is returned, the student may owe a balance to the University, to the US Department of Education, or to both. Any student receiving federal financial aid should contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance before withdrawing from classes or reducing the number of hours enrolled to determine the impact of these actions on his or her financial aid status.
Title IV funds are Federal Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG).
Federal law specifies how West Virginia State University must determine the amount of Title IV program assistance that you earn if you withdraw from school.
The funds will be returned to the programs based on a concept of earned versus unearned aid. The "Return of Title IV Funds" rule assumes that a student earns his or her aid based on the period of time he or she remained enrolled. The Division of Student Services is required by federal statute to determine how much financial aid was earned by students who are dismissed, withdraw, drop out, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a payment period or term. For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, there are no unearned funds. However, a school must still complete a return calculation in order to determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement.
Unearned Title IV funds, other than Federal Workstudy, must be returned. Unearned aid is the amount of disbursed aid that exceeds the amount of Title IV aid earned. During the first 60% of the enrollment period, a student earns Title IV funds in direct proportion to the length of time he or she remains enrolled. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point earns all aid for that period.
The return calculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the following Federal Return of Title IV Funds formula:
Percentage of payment period or term complete = the number of days completed up to the withdrawal date divided by the total days in the payment period or term. ( Any break of five days or more is not counted as part of the days in the term.) This percentage is also the percentage of unearned aid.
For a student who officially withdraws, the date of WVSU's determination that the student withdrew is the later of: the withdrawal date or the date of the students's notification to the
Registration and Records Office. Students must contact the office of Registration and Records to officially withdraw from school. For a student who did not provide notification of withdrawal, the date of WVSU's determination that the student withdrew is the date that WVSU becomes aware that the student ceased attendance. If WVSU is unable to determine the last date of attendance, the 50% point of the term will be used as the withdrawal date.
The responsibility to pay unearned aid is shared by WVSU and the student. WVSU's share is the lesser of the total amount of unearned aid or the institutional charges multiplied by the percentage of aid that was unearned. The students's share is the difference between the total unearned amount and WVSU's share.
A student who earned more aid than was disbursed prior to withdrawal is owed a post-withdrawal disbursement which must be paid within 120 days of the student's withdrawal.Post-withdrawal disbursements must be made from available grants before loans. WVSU will credit post-withdrawal disbursements towards unpaid institutional charges. Any portion of a post-withdrawal disbursement not credited to a student's account will be offered to the student as a cash disbursement (or a parent in the case of a PLUS loan).
WVSU must return the amount of Title IV funds for which it is responsible for no later than 45 days after the date of the determination of the date of the student's withdrawal.
Funds are returned to the appropriate federal program based on the percentage of unearned aid using the following formula:
Aid to be returned = (100% of the aid that could be disbursed minus the percentage of earned aid) multiplied by the total amount of aid that could have been disbursed during the payment period.
Refunds are allocated in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans - Subsidized Federal Loans - Federal Parent (PLUS) Loans - Federal Pell Grants for which a return of funds is required - FSEOG for which a return of funds is required.
When students accept financial aid, they also accept the responsibility to make Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). This progress is based on the number of attempted and earned credit hours you enroll in per semester, your term and cumulative GPA, as well as the length of enrollment at West Virginia State University in addition to any courses taken at other institutions.
The Office of Student Financial Assistance has revised the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy effective July 1, 2013.
Students can find a detailed description of the revised Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy at the link provided.
SAP-POLICY