Distance Degree Program

In accordance with federal regulations, the Student Accounts Office disburses financial aid no earlier than the first day of class. Students who have set up direct deposit for their residual aid should check with their banks to see when the funds will become accessible. Student Accounts will mail checks the first day of class to students who have not signed up for direct deposit.

Students should check their financial aid To-Do List on my.WSU on a weekly basis to make sure that they have met all requirements so aid delivery is not delayed.  

Because federal regulations prohibit financial aid from being cannot be disbursed prior to the first day of class, students must plan to use resources other than financial aid to initially purchase books

Students may borrow Stafford and Perkins loans at half-time (six credits for undergraduates) enrollment. Pell and State Need Grants are initially awarded assuming full-time (12 credits) enrollment but may be prorated down to half-time enrollment.

Because these grants must be prorated, students who are enrolled less than full-time three weeks prior to the beginning of the semester will find a new posting to their To-Do Lists called a Fall (or Spring) Enrollment Verification Form. This form must be completed once the student has finalized registration; it may be submitted online or downloaded and completed. Aid will not release until the form has been processed.

The federal government allows Washington State University to excerise professional judgment to reevaluate a student's financial aid when students (or parents) document special or extenuating circumstances.. Please visit the Special Circumstances section of our Web site for more details.

A Consortium Agreement between WSU and community colleges can be arranged if a student is Pell- or State Need Grant- eligible and his/her major requires a class that is 1) not offered by WSU DDP or 2) is difficult to take via online education (e.g., math, foreign languages, labs).  The Consortium Agreement allows classes taken at other schools to be included in the student’s WSU enrollment, thereby increasing the amount of Pell and/or State Need Grant the student receives.  Students must take a minimum of six WSU credits to qualify.

What is a Student Consortium?

• A Consortium Agreement is a written, formal agreement between two institutions eligible to participate in Title IV Federal funding programs. 

• This funding may include Federal Pell Grants, Federal Stafford, and other loan, grant and work programs developed to assist students in paying for a higher education. 

• The Consortium Agreement allows a student to enroll in courses at another institution while working toward a degree or certificate from Washington State University (WSU). 

• WSU has chosen to participate in this program to enable urban campus and Distance Degree Program students the flexibility of taking degree seeking courses at another approved institution when they are not available through the WSU system.

• The agreement would state that WSU, as the Home Institution, another eligible institution, as the Host Institution, and the participating student have worked together to ensure that all parties have a clear understanding of their rights and responsibilities involved in a Consortium Agreement.

• If the student is not enrolled full-time at WSU and is eligible to receive grants, the credits added by the consortium agreement may increase the student's grant eligibility.

 

How Do I Request a Consortium?

1. The student and his or her academic advisor must agree that a consortium agreement is needed with another eligible institution in order for the student to be able to fulfill degree requirements otherwise not available through regularly scheduled WSU classes. 

2. The Consortium Master Plan must be completed and returned by the student's academic advisor to the Office of Student Financial Aid and Scholarship Services.

3. The student's academic advisor must agree in writing to the following:  

   • To verify each consortium course to be necessary and applicable to the student’s degree or certificate at WSU, and are not offered through WSU. 

   • To prepare and attach a Consortium Master Plan of courses needed for the degree program and certify that the courses are consortium-eligible.

4. The student must complete their section of the WSU Consortium Agreement and send it to the Host Institution's financial aid office for certification.  The Host Institution must return the completed form to WSU before the deadline (three weeks after the beginning of the Host Institution's term).

5. The student must agree in writing to the following:

   • To provide WSU with a copy of grade transcripts. (If this documentation is not provided within 2 weeks of the end of the Host Institution's term, any further consortium funding will be held and satisfactory academic progress may be affected.)  
   • To provide the WSU financial aid personnel with a copy of an official add, drop, or withdrawal slip for any adds, drops, or withdrawals from course(s) previously certified for the consortium agreement. Failure to do so will withhold future funding of consortium courses. 
   • Courses being repeated for credit will be funded only if a letter grade of "F" was received during the first period of enrollment. If a letter grade of "D" or better was received during the first period of enrollment, funding for this course will be withheld.
   • Courses listed below the 100 level will not be funded unless those remedial courses are not available at the Home Institution and the student must complete them before taking required courses at the Home Institution. (For example: MATH91, MATH92, OR MATH99. Remedial courses will be funded or considered for one academic year.)

   • Consortium students are subject to the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy and Refund/Repayment policy information as published in the Student Handbook.

   • At least 6 credits of the total enrollment per semester must be WSU courses. Semester-based courses through the Distance Degree Program will be included in the 6-credit requirement.

   • Those courses not applicable to the student's degree or certificate at WSU will not be funded. Consult the Transfer Guide and Transfer Course Equivalency web site at www.wsu.edu/advise/transfer-courses for equivalencies and applicable academic year. The student agrees to provide a copy of the Transfer Credit Approval Form signed by the appropriate WSU officials for courses not listed at this web site.

   • Funding may cover tuition and course-related fees. Tuition fees will reflect actual tuition costs of both WSU and the consortium school. The student, if awarded funds for consortium classes, must pay the Host Institution’s tuition and fees from the WSU funds released to the student.

   • Certify that he or she are applying to receive financial aid only from WSU.

6. All parts of the request for a Consortium Agreement must be completed and submitted to WSU to later than the 3rd Friday of the Host Institution's term.

 

Notes

• Not all educational institutions are eligible to participate in a consortium agreement with Washington State University.  

• It is recommended that you discuss this issue with your academic advisor at least one term in advance of the period you plan to enroll.  

• Consortium Agreements are not automatically approved, they must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.  Consortiums are not approved for summer term enrollment.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Consortiums

Who is eligible for a consortium agreement?

Primarily urban campus or distance degree students who need courses towards their degree which are not offered through the urban campus or distance degree programs.

Can I take a class at another institution even if Washington State University offers the class?

In some instances distance degree students may wish to take their foreign language, math and lab sciences classes at another institution due to the difficulty of completing the course within the same term enrolled.  This is the only exception to the consortium policy.

What happens if I don't submit my grades after the class is completed?

If your grade is not submitted to the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA) at the end of the term, then you are ineligible for future consortiums agreements until the grade is submitted.

What happens if I withdraw from my consortium class?

If you withdraw from your consortium class(es) twice, you are no longer eligible for future consortium agreements.  If you fail to notify the OSFA of the withdrawal you are also ineligible for future consortium agreements.

Are there any exceptions made to being enrolled at WSU for 6 credits before a student is allowed a consortium agreement?

Yes: on a case by case basis, exceptions have been made to the policy.  (For example a student is graduating and only needs one class from WSU but still needs another class which isn't offered at that campus.)  Please see or speak with your urban campus student services representative or the Distance Degree Program financial aid counselor.

I plan on going home for the summer and want to take some classes from the local community college.  Can I qualify for a consortium agreement?

No.  The OSFA does not process summer consortium agreements.  Attending summer school is an option and funding is not provided for students who wish to take courses at the local community college.

For More Information

Contact Office of Student Financial Aid & Scholarship Services, at e-mail: finaid@wsu.edu or phone at: 509-335-9711 or contact your urban campus student services representative.