FAQ

The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is available Oct. 1 for the upcoming academic year. Financial Aid publishes deadlines and priority dates. The earlier you apply the greater your chances are for receiving a limited grant and/or federal work-study funds. When you complete the FAFSA, you are applying for federal, state and University assistance.

In order to be eligible for financial aid, students must meet the following criteria:

1. U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen; students who are on a temporary or student visa are not eligible for financial aid.
2. You must be admitted as a degree-seeking student.
3. You cannot be in default on any prior student loans and do not owe a repayment on any Title IV financial aid.
4. You must be enrolled in the required number of hours.
5. Male students between the ages of 18-25 must register with Selective Service at www.sss.gov to receive financial aid.

Our Federal School Code is 003955. This code is required on the FAFSA in order for UWF to receive the results.

Complete the FAFSA online. You must re-apply every year.

We start awarding financial aid in March for the following academic year. You will receive all award notifications via email, so it is important that you check your email often.

No. You may be enrolled part-time and be eligible for financial aid. Different awards have different enrollment criteria. For example, Federal Direct Loans and Bright Futures require at least half-time enrollment. All students are awarded assuming full-time enrollment. If you change enrollment plans, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships must be notified immediately, and we will revise your award if necessary.

Cost of Attendance is the student budget used in calculating your eligibility for financial aid. It includes estimated expenses for tuition, books, housing, meals, transportation and other personal expenses. Please note that the cost of attendance does not reflect a student's actual charges, rather estimates or average costs.

There can be a couple of reasons why a Bright Futures scholarship may not show. If you are just graduating from high school this year, you'll need to make sure that you've completed your Bright Futures/State of Florida Application and that your scholarship has been posted with UWF's code 171 so that we can receive information from the state on your eligibility. We may not be able to process your Bright Futures scholarship until you take this step.

Additionally, if you are a new student to UWF, make sure that the Admissions Office has your residency information to document your Florida residency status, as that is required for Florida Bright Futures.

You may be eligible for financial aid in the summer, however, summer aid is limited. Please notify the Financial Aid Office if you plan to attend summer school. It is important that you plan accordingly if you know you are attending in the summer, so you can save some of your aid eligibility for the summer semester and not use all available funding during the fall and spring semesters.

Your financial aid may be adjusted if you withdraw from a course during the semester. Please contact the Financial Aid Office prior to withdrawing to determine if you will be required to pay back funds and if the withdrawal will jeopardize your eligibility for future aid. Withdrawing may also affect your ability to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress; please review our SAP Policy Basics and SAP Policy Details.

Scholarships are included as a resource in your financial aid package. It is our policy to ensure that students are awarded for achievements and efforts by first applying these funds to any unmet need the student may have. If the need has been met 100%, we will reduce your student loan and/or spring awards when possible. It is the responsibility of the student to notify the financial aid office of all outside scholarship awards.

An unsubsidized loan accrues interest during an in-school grace period, while a subsidized loan does not. The federal government pays the interest on the subsidized loan while you are in school at least 1/2 time (6 credit hours or more).

Students can access (and print) an Unofficial Transcript at no charge from their online student account. Current and former students can access the Unofficial Transcript link through MyUWF.

Students with holds preventing the release of Official Transcripts will not be able to access their Unofficial Transcript.

If you ordered your transcript online, or by phone, contact Credentials, Inc. at 800.646.1858. Operators are available Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CT and on Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. CT. The Recipient must contact the Registrar's Office via email (registrar@uwf.edu) between 14 days and 45 days of the transcript being mailed. We must allow at least 14 days for the U.S. Postal Service to deliver the transcript. Replacement transcripts can be sent again before 45 days has elapsed.

Students may view their unofficial transcript using the "Student Academic Records Menu" in MyUWF. Students with holds preventing the release of Official Transcripts will not have access to Unofficial Transcripts.

Students earning a bachelor's degree or higher will receive an electronic diploma at no cost. Students awarded an A.A. degree may order a copy of their diploma through MyUWF, Diploma Request. There is a fee for this service.

Log in to my.uwf.edu and type "excess hours" in the search engine. Click on "Excess Hours" to view your personalized excess hour values. For further instruction about this process, access the public Confluence page on Viewing excess hours values in MyUWF.

Yes, it may prolong your degree completion. Because every student’s situation is unique, all students are highly recommended to speak with an academic advisor, review Excess Hours surcharge information (Undergraduates only), and consult Financial Aid if you receive loans or grant.

Once all required academic documentation is received, a decision usually takes 2-4 weeks depending on the time of the year. We are dedicated to conducting admission evaluations as quickly as possible, but it is up to the applicant to verify all needed documentation is received in a timely manner. Students should check their status often.

Application fees expire one year after the payment is made. After that date, you will need to pay another application fee. Readmitting students, who have attended UWF as an undergraduate before, do not have to pay a new application fee when completing their readmission application.

Congratulations!

It is important for all newly accepted students to notify us regarding your decision to attend UWF. You can accept your offer of admission by going to MyUWF and selecting “Application Status.” Other steps, including orientation, financial aid, and registration can be viewed on the Next Steps For Admitted Students webpage.

Orientation is mandatory for all first-time-in-college students. In conjunction with orientation, you will meet with an academic advisor, develop a class schedule, and learn about the resources UWF has to offer before classes begin. Attendees will also have the opportunity to experience the Argo Life, develop new friendships, and utilize UWF resources.

Orientation for transfer students is an optional, but highly encouraged, next step toward enrollment. To learn more, visit Before Orientation.

Parents and family members are able to attend certain orientation sessions to participate in their students' transition to college and learn more about the resources UWF has to offer. To learn more, visit our Orientation Guests webpage.

Students who are new to UWF, and have not started classes yet, can change their major using the Application Major Change Form. Current students need to contact the advisor of the major they would like to change their major too. Then, the advisor will submit the request to the Registrar's Office.