WSU Online

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 zzusis on a regular basis to make sure that they have met all requirements so aid delivery is not delayed.  

Because federal regulations prohibit financial aid from being 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 Online 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 WSU Online 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.

 

Who is eligible for a consortium agreement?

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

• More information on consortiums can be found here.