Federal aid such as Pell Grant and federal loans have lifetime limits. When you are nearing your eligibility limits, Student Financial Services reviews your account and calculates your remaining eligibility. If you have received a communication from our office letting you know you are close to your lifetime limit for loans or Pell Grant, there is nothing you need to do. This notification just means we are in the process of calculating your exact remaining aid eligibility and we will update you shortly.
Table of Contents
- How long does the review process take?
- Can I receive partial aid?
- Where can I see my lifetime aid summary?
- How is remaining eligibility calculated?
Lifetime Aid Review Timeline
Once we have identified that your account is nearing lifetime limits, you will receive a communication from our office. Most likely you found this page through a link in that very email.
It can take up to eight weeks to review your account and adjust your aid offer if necessary. You will receive a second email from our office letting you know when your aid is ready to disburse. It is possible your aid may now look different than it did in your original offer.
Partial Aid Awards
Eligibility is not all or nothing. We may calculate that you have partial eligibility left, and offer you a reduced amount of aid.
Lifetime Aid Summaries
You can log into your account on studentaid.gov at any time to see your current loan and Pell Grant amounts. You can also view your lifetime aid summary in your myWSU account:
To view your Lifetime Aid Summary:
1. Log into myWSU.
2. Click on the financial aid tile.
3. Once you have selected a Federal Aid Year, click on the drop-down menu on the right side of display.
4. Click on “Lifetime Aid Summary”.
Note: In order to generate your lifetime aid summary, you must select a Federal Aid Year that you received financial aid.
Remaining Aid Eligibility Calculations
Aid eligibility is determined by federal law. Loan limits are expressed as a dollar amount and Pell Grant limits as a percentage.
As you approach lifetime limits for federal loans and Pell Grant, you may want to look into other aid options like additional scholarships, student employment, or private loans. The Cougar Completion Grant is also here to help students finish their education after other forms of aid run out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Remaining Pell and remaining loan eligibility are handled separately. If you are nearing lifetime limits for both, you will receive separate communications for each one.
Summer is the final semester of the WSU school year. If you took out additional aid during summer semester, it may push you close to your remaining lifetime eligibility sooner than you had expected.
Lifetime aid limits follow you across your academic career. When you transfer to WSU, we have to factor in all aid you received from previous institutions.