The FAFSA must be completed each year in order to receive financial aid at The University of West Florida. This application is valid for the following terms: Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Summer 2014. The application period begins January 1 for the following academic year. Most types of financial aid are nontransferable from one institution to another. Follow the steps below to apply for Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loan, Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG), First Generation Matching Grant, UWF Educational Enhancement Grant, UWF Financial Aid Grant, UWF Graduate Grant, and need-based scholarships.

1. Apply for admission to the University. Also, make sure your current address is on file with the Office of the Registrar. We will accept your financial aid forms if you have applied for admission but have not been admitted. However, we will not award any financial aid until you have been admitted.


2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid


• Apply for your (student and parent) Department of Education pin number at pin.ed.gov. The pin number is used as your electronic signature on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online. The pin number will be available online or via email immediately or in 7-10 days via regular mail.
   
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at fafsa.gov. You must indicate The University of West Florida as a recipient of your FAFSA information. Our Title IV School Code is 003955. UWF will receive the results electronically. You will receive the same results (called a Student Aid Report-SAR) by email notification within 1-3 days if you applied electronically and included your email address, or in 2-3 weeks by regular mail if a paper FAFSA was completed.


• If you need assistance in completing the FAFSA, please visit www.finaid.ucsb.edu/fafsasimplification/index.html. This is an excellent tutorial for completing the FAFSA and using the IRS Data Retrieval. It is published with permission from the Director of Financial Aid, University of California, Santa Barbara.



The Financial Aid Office must have an electronic SAR to award need-based financial aid. If you did not list UWF on your FAFSA, you can correct this online at fafsa.gov or by calling the federal student aid processor at (800) 4FEDAID. They will require your Data Release Number (DRN) located on your SAR and UWF's school code, 003955, to transmit the information to us.

3. After you have submitted the FAFSA, and it is reviewed, you will receive an Official Award Letter  via email stating types, amounts, and conditions of the aid offered to you. Often financial aid is adjusted after you have been initially awarded. In these cases, a Revised Award Letter will be sent to you. You must notify the Financial Aid Office if declining all or part of the award.
    
4. If your SAR was selected for verification, you are required to complete and return the UWF Institutional Verification Form (IVF). This information will automatically be sent to you. In addition, you may need to attach an IRS Tax Transcript (and spouse's or parent's, as applicable) to the IVF. Copies of your submitted tax return are not acceptable.

   NOTE: If you are required to submit the verification documents, we will still award your financial aid; however, all awards are tentative and subject to change until verification documents are received and reviewed by our office. No financial aid is disbursed until verification is complete.

   The IRS Data Retrieval Tool should be used when completing the FAFSA. This will insure your tax information is populated directly into your FAFSA. If your FAFSA is selected for verification, this will eliminate the need to submit an IRS Tax Transcript. Click here for additional information.



5. First-time borrowers only - If your award includes a Federal Direct Loan, you will  be required to sign a master promissory note and complete entrance loan counseling prior to disbursement of the loan.

Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will determine your expected family contribution (EFC). The EFC is defined as the family's financial ability to contribute to the Cost of Education (COE). If your COE (tuition, books, and living expenses) is greater than your EFC, you have financial need.
 

 

Every effort has been made to ensure that the information on this web site is accurate. However, due to frequent changes in Federal and State regulations, and revisions to the University of West Florida operating policies, the information is subject to change without notice.