View your estimated financial aid offer and get a more detailed breakdown of your offer by accessing our …
What is an Estimated Financial Aid Offer?
Questions and Answers Related to the Estimated Financial Aid Offer
Q: What is the estimated financial aid offer and who gets one?
A: An estimated financial aid offer is provided to incoming undergraduates at Washington State University who have applied for financial aid (FAFSA or WASFA) and who have applied for admission. For students who have applied for admission to the Pullman campus, they must also be admitted to be given an estimated financial aid offer.
Q: Will the actual financial aid offer be the same as the estimated financial aid offer?
A: The estimated financial aid offer is what it sound like, an estimate. The Office of Student Financial Services works very hard to provide estimated financial aid offers that are as close as possible to what the student’s actual financial aid offer will look like, based on the information available at the time of the estimated offer. While there are many steps taken to make the estimated financial aid offer as representative as possible to the actual financial aid offer, the actual financial aid offer may be different. Things that may impact a financial aid offer include verification of information from the FAFSA or WASFA, scholarships or outside resources, grade level, final eligibility for federal, state or institutional aid and other variables. Please know that every effort is made to make the estimated financial aid offer as close as possible to a student’s actual financial aid offer.
Q: Will I get more than one estimated financial aid offer?
A: As information about a student’s eligibility changes, Washington State University will update the estimated financial aid offer. This will generally continue until we are able to provide the student with an actual financial aid offer.
Q: Can I determine my out-of-pocket cost with the estimated financial aid offer?
A: You can determine an estimate of your out-of-pocket cost with the estimated financial aid offer. Cost of Attendance, less scholarships and grants and student loans will give you and estimated out-of-pocket cost. You will also see what the estimated direct and indirect costs are, which might help determine if you have enough financial aid.
Components of an Estimated Financial Aid Offer
Let’s take a look at the different sections and information available from the estimated financial aid offer
Your Estimated Financial Aid Offer
The student’s residency status for tuition purposes is one of the first items visible on the estimated financial aid offer. This section of the estimated offer has information about Grants and Scholarships (if applicable), Student Loans (if applicable) and information on the Optional Loan (if applicable). It is possible that a student would not have all 3 of these sections. If you hover over and click on the fund in these sections, you will see a description for each item. The optional loan, if shown, is a Parent PLUS loan and is not guaranteed.
There is a button at the bottom of this section that allows the student to share the estimated financial aid offer electronically with someone, typically a parent. There is another button at the bottom that allows the student to print the estimated financial aid offer.
Your Financial Need and Estimated Cost of Attendance Budget
This section of the estimated financial aid offer covers the cost of attendance, as well as the students calculation of their financial need. It is broken up into section as well. Those are Estimated Direct Costs, Estimated Indirect Costs, the student’s Financial Need, Estimated Net Cost, and Ways to Pay for Remaining Estimated Net Cost. These sections provide a detailed estimate of direct and indirect estimated costs, how need is determined and used, and what the difference is between the total Cost of Attendance (direct and indirect) and the students grants, scholarships and student loans (if applicable).
Important Estimated Financial Aid Offer Details
This section gives further details about the estimate process, and what steps a student needs to take if they have outside scholarships, are interested in work-study, have to-do items to complete, that the estimate assumes full-time enrollment and other helpful specifics.
Checking back: Students should review their estimated financial aid offer on a regular basis. If there are changes to the estimate, it will show up on the estimated portal.