Consortium Agreements

Use Your Financial Aid for Non-WSU Courses

If your WSU location does not offer a course that is necessary for your degree, you may be eligible to request a consortium agreement. This will allow you to use part of your WSU-awarded federal student aid to pay tuition at another school while you continue working toward your WSU degree.

What is a Consortium Agreement?

A consortium agreement is a written, formal agreement between two institutions eligible to participate in Title IV federal funding programs. In this case, WSU and another “host” school.

This funding may include Federal Pell Grants, federal direct subsidized/unsubsidized and other loan, grant, and work programs developed to assist students in paying for a higher education.

The consortium agreement allows a student to enroll in courses at another institution while working toward a degree or certificate from Washington State University.

Why request a consortium agreement?

The most common reasons to request a consortium agreement are:

  • WSU does not offer the required class at all 
    • Example: foreign language, lower level science or math classes, etc.
  • WSU does not offer the class in the term you need in order to keep pace for your degree program 
    • Example: the class series needed is only offered one time a year at WSU but you need to start a series mid-year in order to stay on track for graduation.
  • Scheduling conflict
    • The class is offered at WSU but you cannot attend the class when offered due to a scheduling conflict (example: the only available class is offered at a time that conflicts with your other courses, your job, your access to childcare, etc.)

Notice!

We recommend discussing the possibility of a consortium agreement with your academic advisor at least one semester in advance.

Consortium Requirements

To be eligible for a consortium agreement, you must:

  • Be degree-seeking and enrolled in at least 6 credits
  • Have a current FAFSA on file
  • Be receiving federal or state funding
    • Occasionally we can make an exception through a Professional Judgement process to allow a student to receive a scholarship if donor requires full time enrollment.
  • Use the consortium agreement for a 100-level class or higher
    • Courses listed below the 100 level will not be funded unless those remedial courses are not available at the WSU and you must complete them before taking required WSU courses. (Remedial courses will be funded or considered for one academic year.)

Completing Your Consortium Agreement Form

The Consortium Agreement Form must be completed and returned by your academic advisor to our office no later than the third Friday of WSU’s current term.

Your Consortium Agreement will require four completed sections:

You must agree in writing to the following:

  1. To provide WSU with an official grade transcript. (If this documentation is not provided within 2 weeks of the end of the host school’s term, any further consortium funding will be held, and satisfactory academic progress may be affected.)
  2. To provide the WSU financial aid personnel with a copy of an official add, drop, or withdrawal slip for any adds, drops, or withdrawals from course(s) previously certified for the consortium agreement. Failure to do so will withhold future funding of consortium courses.
  3. Courses being repeated for credit will be funded only if a letter grade of “F” was received during the first period of enrollment. If a letter grade of “D” or better was received during the first period of enrollment, funding for this course will be withheld.
  4. Courses listed below the 100 level will not be funded unless those remedial courses are not available at the Home Institution and the student must complete them before taking required courses at the Home Institution. (i.e. MATH91, MATH92, OR MATH99. Remedial courses will be funded or considered for one academic year.)
  5. Consortium students are subject to SAP policy and refund/repayment policy information as published in the Student Handbook.
  6. At least 6 credits of the total enrollment per semester must be WSU courses. Semester-based courses through the WSU Online Program will be included in the 6-credit requirement.
  7. Those courses not applicable to your degree or certificate at WSU will not be funded. Consult your academic advisor for equivalencies and applicable academic year.
  8. Funding may cover tuition and course-related fees. Tuition fees will reflect actual tuition costs of both WSU and the consortium school. If you are awarded funds for consortium classes, you must pay the host school’s tuition and fees from your WSU financial aid funds.
  9. Certify that you are applying to receive financial aid only from WSU.

Your academic advisor must agree in writing to the following:

  1. To verify each consortium course to be necessary and applicable to your degree or certificate at WSU.
  2. To verify each consortium course is not offered through WSU.
  3. To prepare and attach a Consortium Agreement Form specifying the courses needed for the degree program and certify that the courses are consortium-eligible.

The host school’s financial aid office must confirm in writing the following:

  1. The host school is Title IV Financial Aid Eligible
  2. That you are not receiving financial aid at the host school for the term of the consortium agreement
  3. Your total tuition and mandatory fees at the host school

  1. Proof of Enrollment: a screenshot showing your enrollment at the host school. Please make sure the screenshot clearly shows your name, the host school’s name, and all of your enrolled class(es).
  2. Itemized Account Summary or Billing Statement: A screenshot of the itemized costs you have at the host school for this term including both your name and the name of the host school.
Complete Your Consortium Agreement

Additional Considerations

Please note:

  • Not all educational institutions are eligible to participate in a consortium agreement with Washington State University.
  • Consortium agreements are not automatically approved; they must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
  • WSU Cooperative Classes with University of Idaho (WSU – U of I Coop) DO NOT require a Consortium agreement
  • If the student is not enrolled full-time at WSU and is eligible to receive grants, the credits added by the consortium agreement may increase the student’s grant eligibility.

Withdrawing from consortium classes

If you need to withdraw from a consortium course, you should go through the host school’s withdrawal process and inform WSU. If you withdraw from your consortium classes twice, you will be ineligible for future consortiums.

Completing your consortium courses

At the end of the consortium term, final course grades must be sent to the WSU Office of Student Financial Services. Remember to request transcripts from the host school. Future consortium agreements will not be granted unless grades are received.

Submitting your consortium grades

Email your unofficial transcript to WSU Student Financial Services

sfs.programadmin@wsu.edu

Submit your official transcript to WSU Admissions

Submit Official Transcript