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Washington State University
Student Financial Services Census Date
Census Date

The Census Date is the point at which your enrollment is locked for financial aid purposes. During the fall and spring terms, the census coincides with the last date you can drop classes for a full tuition refund at WSU. At this point in the term, credit hours are locked and financial aid for the term is adjusted to reflect the student’s official enrolled credits.

For example, if the student received aid at the beginning of the term based on full-time enrollment and then dropped credits, aid is then revised to match their eligibility based on the number of credits enrolled in as of the Census Date and types of aid that were awarded.

If a student withdraws from all courses after the census date, further aid adjustments may be required.

Census Dates for 2023-2024

TermDate
FallSeptember 1, 2023
SpringJanuary 19, 2024

Undergraduate Enrollment & Awards

Award NameFull-Time 12-18 Cr.3/4-Time 9-11 Cr.Half-Time 6-8 Cr.Less Than 1/2 Time 3-5 Cr.
Pell GrantNot Adjusted75%50%25%
SEOG GrantNot AdjustedNot AdjustedNot AdjustedNot Adjusted
Washington College GrantNot Adjusted75%50%25%
College BoundNot Adjusted75%50%25%
Washington Bridge GrantNot AdjustedNot AdjustedNot AdjustedNot Adjusted
Cougar Commitment GrantNot Adjusted75%50%Cancelled
Institutional GrantNot Adjusted75%50%25%
Institutional Grant PlusNot Adjusted75%50%25%
Direct Loans/Nursing LoanNot AdjustedNot AdjustedNot AdjustedCancelled
Work-StudyNot AdjustedNot AdjustedNot AdjustedCancelled

Grad/Professional & EOMBA Enrollment & Awards

Award NameFull-Time 10+ Cr.Half-Time 5-9 Cr.Less Than 1/2 Time 1-4 Cr.
Direct/Nursing LoansNot AdjustedNot AdjustedCancelled
Work-StudyNot AdjustedNot AdjustedCancelled

OMBA Enrollment & Awards

Award NameFull-Time 10+ Cr.Half-Time 3-9 Cr.Less Than 1/2 Time 1-2 Cr.
Direct LoansNot AdjustedNot AdjustedCancelled

Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Census work for Summer Session?

WSU does not currently have a Census date for Summer Session. Visit our Summer Session page to see how financial aid works for those sessions.

What if late credits are added after Census has ran?

Our office reviews student accounts with late credits periodically and can adjust federal student loans and state financial aid. However, late credits cannot be used to adjust the Pell Grant. In the event that there was an administrator error or situation outside of the student’s control that caused the late enrollment, students will need to contact our office and discuss their situation with an advisor to asses possible options.

Will my scholarship disburse to my student account if I’m less than full-time?

Please note that scholarships are not part of regular Census processing but may be affected by enrollment. If you’ll be enrolled less than full-time for a semester in which you have a scholarship, please work with your donor/department to determine if you’ll still be eligible to receive those funds.

What if I am Less Than Half-Time?

A student whose Census Date enrollment is less-than-half-time is not eligible for any federal student loans. In this case, the entire loan amount for the term must be returned to the Department of Education. The return of loan funds may create an outstanding balance on a student’s WSU account, but also reduces the outstanding principal balance of the student loan. Grants may be available at less-than-half-time enrollment but will depend on individual student’s account.

Why are some of my credits excluded?

There are 2 main reasons why credits may be excluded from counting toward your aid eligibility:

  1. Graduate-level credits are not counted for Undergraduate federal financial aid eligibility. An exception is made for cases where your academic advisor has contacted Student Financial Services to verify that those graduate-level credits will be counting towards your undergraduate degree.
  2. Federal aid may only be used to repeat a course one time after a passing grade (D- or better) is received. We are unable to make exceptions even in cases where the grade earned does not meet departmental requirements.