Financial Aid

PAYING FOR SCHOOL

INTRODUCTION

Financial aid is money provided to help you meet the costs of attending college. Aid may consist of grants, scholarships, loans or employment. Financial aid helps families bridge the gap between educational costs and the amount a family is expected to contribute, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Financial Aid Office will work with you to ensure that you receive the maximum amount of funding available. To be eligible for financial funding, you must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, enrolled in an eligible degree program, and submit a FAFSA. GRANTS - A grant is considered “gift” aid. It is need based and does not have to be repaid. To be considered for a grant, you must be an undergraduate student working toward your first bachelor’s degree. SCHOLARSHIPS - The Stout University Foundation awards approximately one million dollars in scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students at UW-Stout each year. Scholarships vary in amount and awarding criteria. Scholarships may be based on academic performance, financial need, program of study, year in school, or many other factors. The Stout Foundation application is due the first Monday in February and can be found at www.uwstout.edu/foundation-scholarships . LOANS - Several loan programs are available to students. Some loan programs are based on need, and are federally funded. Others are available regardless of need. TYPES OF FINANCIAL AID STUDENT EMPLOYMENT - We offer two kinds of student employment at UW-Stout: • Federal Work-Study: Students who demonstrate financial need and request work-study on their FAFSA application are eligible for this federally-funded program. • State Payroll: This is a university funded, non-federal program. Most students are eligible for this type of employment, regardless of need.

DETERMINING YOUR COST Get an estimate of your undergraduate cost and financial aid using our Net Price Calculator at www. uwstout.edu/undergraduate-net-price-calculator . PAYING YOUR SCHOOL BILLS You are expected to pay each semester’s bill prior to or at the beginning of each semester. Billing and financial aid information will be sent via e-mail to your UW-Stout e-mail account (new incoming freshmen will receive paper and e-mail award notices until the end of June). You will be notified by e-mail (UW-Stout e-mail account) when your bill is posted on Access Stout. For more information about billing, visit www.uwstout.edu/ stubus. FINANCIAL AID DISBURSEMENT Your financial aid award is usually divided into two equal payments, which are disbursed at the beginning of each semester. Your financial aid will be disbursed directly to UW-Stout, and will go toward paying your tuition, fees, housing and dining charges. Any remaining funds after these charges are paid will be returned to the student in the form of a refund. STOUT BLUECARD The Stout BlueCard signifies your status as an active member of the University of Wisconsin-Stout community serving as your official identification card and much more. You are expected to have your Stout BlueCard with you at all times on campus. The Stout BlueCard will grant you access to many privileges offered to the students of the University of Wisconsin-Stout.

For more information call Campus Card Office at 715-232-3686.

APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID You may apply for financial aid if you are currently enrolled or are applying for admission to UW-Stout. Even if you think you may not be eligible for aid, we encourage you to apply. Follow these steps:

1. APPLY TO UW-STOUT

2. CREATE A FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FSA) ID FOR YOURSELF AND A PARENT/GUARDIAN: Your FSA ID gives you access to Federal Student Aid’s online systems and serves as your online signature. Create your FSA ID at https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/ create-account . To apply for grants, loans, work study, and to qualify for need-based scholarships, you will need to fill out the FAFSA. You can submit the FAFSA application online at www.fafsa.gov. 4. SEARCH AND APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS Find out through your high school what scholarships are available in your community. Also, UW-Stout offers the Stout University Foundation application. Awards range from $250 to $8,500. To apply for these scholarships, submit a single Stout University Foundation application. This will make you eligible for all scholarships for which you qualify.The application is available online at www.uwstout. edu/scholarships . Admitted students must submit their Foundation Scholarship application by the first Monday in February. 5. REVIEW YOUR STUDENT AID REPORT The Student Aid Report (SAR) will be generated from the federal processor, and made available to you on the FAFSA website after your FAFSA has been processed. If corrections are necessary, you can access your application online and re-submit the application. 3. COMPLETE THE FREE APPLICATION FOR FEDERAL STUDENT AID (FAFSA)

6. RETURN REQUESTED INFORMATION QUICKLY To avoid unnecessary delays in awarding your financial aid, complete and return any forms requested by the Financial Aid Office as quickly as possible. 7. REVIEW YOUR AWARD INFORMATION We’ll send you a notification of your financial aid once we’ve reviewed your information. Carefully review the information enclosed and complete required actions that may be necessary for certain loan programs. 8. LOOK FOR STUDENT EMPLOYMENT Visit www.uwstout.edu/student-employment and go to Handshake - Co-op/intern & Job Board for a current list of work study and state payroll positions on campus. Contact departments and administrative offices to check for jobs not posted yet. We also post part-time off-campus opportunities. 9. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS ONLINE Through AccessStout, you can check your to-do list for any additional admissions and/or financial aid paperwork. Log on at www.uwstout.edu , click on Logins and select Access Stout.

TUITION PROGRAMS AT UW-STOUT: UW-Stout offers a variety of tuition reduction programs such as the Minnesota Reciprocity Program, Illinois Resident Tuition Waiver, Return to Wisconsin, and the Midwest Student Exchange Program. Additional action may be required. Learn more at www.uwstout.edu/ reciprocity

COMPLETING THE FAFSA When you are completing your FAFSA, you’ll be asked specific questions to help the federal government determine whether you are dependent on your parents or independent. If any of the following statements are true, you will be considered independent, and parents’ financial information will not be used in determining eligibility: • You will be 24 years old before January 1 of the year for which the application is filed • You are a veteran of the armed forces • You will be enrolled in a graduate or professional program beyond a college degree • You are an orphan, or at any time since age 13 were in foster care or a ward of the state • You are married • You have legal dependents REPORT ALL ASSISTANCE You must report all outside sources of financial assistance, including scholarships and private loans, to the Financial Aid Office. Additional assistance may require an adjustment to your aid package.

Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment 210 Bowman Hall University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI 54751 Phone: 715-232-1363 Fax: 715-232-5246 finaid1@uwstout.edu www.uwstout.edu/finaid Admissions Office 212 Sorensen Hall University of Wisconsin-Stout

Menomonie, WI 54751 Phone: 715-232-1232 admissions@uwstout.edu www.uwstout.edu/directory/admissions-office

UW-Stout is the first Malcolm Baldrige Award recipient in higher education.