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Do not forget, you must reapply with the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. The application is available on January 1. You should apply as soon as possible or as soon as you have your tax information ready. If you applied last year you may be able to apply using the renewal FAFSA. We suggest you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid by March 1st. You will need a Federal Personal Identification Number (PIN) to sign it on-line, so be sure to visit the PIN Web Site. |
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Students who are planning to attend in the Summer of 2008 are awarded based upon their 2007-2008 FAFSA and must also complete a Summer School Financial Aid Application available March 15th on the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Web site. |
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To qualify for federal financial aid, as well as many other forms of financial aid, you must be enrolled as a degree-seeking student or in a qualified certification program. You may not receive financial aid for audited classes or classes that do not count towards your degree or certification. |
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If you had a scholarship previously, you most likely need to apply again. The Application for UNCW Scholarships becomes available on November 15th and will be open until April 1st. See the Financial Aid & Veterans Services section of the current catalog for a listing of these scholarships. |
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Since some financial aid is awarded on a first-come first-served basis from limited funding, you may not be awarded the same amount in such aid as in prior years. Having a completed and accurate application on file as soon as possible gives you the best chance of being awarded from these funds. We begin awarding these funds in early March. |
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If we have received your FAFSA by March 15th and all necessary documentation is complete and accurate by April 15th, your financial aid should be ready to pay your bill when it comes due. |
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Other scholarship opportunities include departmental scholarship programs and the Honors Scholars Program. You may check with your academic department of interest for departmental scholarships. For more information on UNCW's Honors Scholars Program please visit http://www.uncw.edu/honors |
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If you are interested in outside scholarship sources, just check out our listing of Scholarship Search Engines and Advertised Scholarships. |
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If you do receive a scholarship from an outside source you must inform our office as soon as possible, so that we may update your awards. To speed up the process you should ask the awarding organization to make the scholarship check payable only to UNCW and send it directly to the Financial Aid & Veterans Services Office. Be sure that the check lists your student ID number and name so we know to credit your account. |
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Funds in excess of payment for tuition, fees, books and supplies are considered taxable income for U.S. income tax purposes; and it is the student's responsibility to report this income on his or her tax returns. |
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Continuing students receive E-mail notifications of their awards and any missing information. These e-mails direct the student to SEANET. Students may accept or decline their awards on SEANET. To request a printed copy of the Award Letter, e-mail, or fax the request to the addresses listed on the left. |
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SEANET is the Student Electronic Access Web Site to which all students have access. This secure web site is one of the most important tools for you to use during your career here at UNCW. Through this site you will have access to your Financial Aid Award Letter, Notifications of Missing Information, your Student Account, and links to all important sites you may need. |
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You have a UNCW E-mail account. It is very important that you check your e-mail at least once per week. Our office sends most of its notifications to students by e-mail to this address. You will receive notice whenever your award has changed, with directions on how to get to SEANET. You will also receive notice to check SEANET for missing information. Click here for more information about your UNCW e-mail. |
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Buying books is the student's responsibility. You should plan to buy your own books ahead of time. The Book Buying Program allows you to pay ahead of time and have the books ordered for you. Please visit the UNCW Book Store Web Site. |
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Refunds for any financial aid over and above the cost of tuition, fees, dormitory charges, cafeteria plans, and other UNCW expenses will not be available until after classes have started.
Before the refund will be processed your registered hours are compared to your anticipated hours (which are taken from the FAFSA), to be sure that you are registered for at least as many hours as your award was based on. If you are registered for less hours, then the refund will not be processed and the award will be adjusted. You should have activated your Higher One Card and set up your refund preference. You may elect to open a Higher One account, electronically transfer the funds to a personal bank account or request a paper check. |
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If you have had a Direct Student Loan in prior years at UNCW you will not have to complete a Master Promissory Note again. If you have not taken out Direct Student Loans in the past few years through UNCW, and you are interested, you must complete the FAFSA, accept the loan award offered and sign a Master Promissory Note. The best way to sign your note is with E-Sign on the web (needs acrobat reader). |
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Your financial aid award is based upon the number of hours you told us you would be enrolled when you completed the FAFSA. If you do not register for the same number of hours, or If you change the number of hours that you are enrolled during Drop/Add, your financial aid may be affected. Dropping classes may reduce your award, while adding classes to bring you to full time could increase your award (while also increasing your bill). Before you decide to change your enrollment status, speak with your financial aid counselor to see how the change will affect you. |
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Withdrawing from all classes after Drop/Add will likely reduce your financial aid award. It may also affect your "Satisfactory Academic Progress". Before withdrawing, speak with your financial aid counselor to see how the change will affect you. Notify your counselor immediately if you do withdraw from all classes. |
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The last date of an academically-related activity is considered to be the last date of attendance. An academically related activity is defined as attendance in class, completion of a test, or required assignment, or attendance at an academic event. Any of these require a documented date. |
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"Satisfactory Academic Progress" is a measurement made of your progression towards graduation. Your GPA and attempted/earned hours are checked on a yearly basis and if you are not maintaining a satisfactory progression then your financial aid eligibility may be affected. Please read our SAP Policy. |
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If you are receiving Federal Work- Study you must apply for a job each year. |
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If you are enrolled at UNCW but wish to take a class or classes at another institution, you should see your financial aid counselor to find out how your award will be affected. |
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You have the right to privacy - All financial aid records and data submitted with your application for financial aid will be treated as confidential information and is subject to disclosure requirements under the Family Educational Right to Privacy Act (FERPA).
If you wish to give someone else (such as your parents) the right to this confidential information then you must submit a signed FERPA Release Form which can be found on our Forms page. |
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If you are a parent and you would like to know more about Financial Aid from a parent's perspective, please visit our Parents' FA page. |
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If you are a Veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces and wish to know more about using your VA Educational Benefits please visit our Veteran's FA page. |
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For more detailed information regarding Financial Aid at UNCW please see our All About Financial Aid page. |
