Academic Year 2008-2009 Detailed Information
(Fall 2008, Spring 2009, Summer 2009)

There are two forms that 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 2008, Spring 2009, Summer 2009. 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 Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National SMART Grant, Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loan, Florida Student Assistance Grant (FSAG), First Generation Matching Grant, UWF Educational Enhancement Grant, and UWF Graduate Grant.

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 UWF Institutional Financial Aid Application and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.
    
3. Process to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid:

 
• Apply for your (student and parent) Department of Education pin number at pin.ed.gov. This pin number will serve as your electronic signature on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The pin number will be sent to you via email in 1-3 days if you provide an email address or in 7-10 days via regular mail.
   
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). 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 3-5 days if you applied electronically and included your email address, or in 3-4 weeks by regular mail if a paper FAFSA was completed.

The Financial Aid Office must have an electronic SAR to award need-based financial aid. If the student did not authorize UWF to receive the information, the student can correct this online at fafsa.ed.gov or by calling the federal processor at (319) 337-5665. They will require your Data Release Number (DRN) located on your SAR and UWF's school code, 003955, to transmit the information to us.

4. If your SAR was selected for verification by the federal processor, you will also be required to complete and return the UWF Institutional Verification Form (IVF). This information will automatically be sent to you upon receipt of the electronic SAR. In addition, you will need to attach a signed copy of your 2007 tax return (and spouse's or parent's, as applicable) to the IVF.
    
5. After you have submitted all the paperwork necessary to complete your file, and after it is evaluated, you will receive an Official Award Letter 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.
    
6. 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.

 
7. 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) exceeds your EFC, you have financial need.
    

Funds are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis until depleted.