**Items in BOLD have multiple items listed**
Academic Year
Washington State University’s Academic Year consists of a 16-week Fall and a 16-week Spring semester with a 12-week Summer term (with 6 different sessions) acting as a trailer (for administration of financial aid) to the Academic Year. The full academic year is 24 credit hours and 30 weeks long. The Fall and the Spring semesters each contain an “intersession” that begins before the regular semester. These intersession courses are, for financial aid purposes, attached to the full-length semester that comes before them. For example, the December intersession courses are considered to be a part of the Fall Semester. Fall semester courses typically run from late-August through mid- December and Spring semester courses typically run from mid-January through early-May. Summer courses typically run from early-May through late-July. For further information regarding the academic year please see the
EPPM that details the University calendar and what the calendar includes. The calendar considerations apply to all programs except the Medical School where that program has four terms (fall, winter, spring, summer) compared to the two for all the other programs. Additionally, the Registrars website notates the academic calendar and it is
here you can select the campus and the term.
Cost of Attendance (COA)
The estimated total cost of attendance for attending an institution for one academic year. This amount may include the following:
- Tuition (Direct Charge) – Charges for one academic year of tuition based on residency, campus and assumed full-time enrollment.
- Mandatory Fees (Direct Charges) – Charges assessed for other college services (e.g. technology access, recreational center use, etc.)
- Room (Indirect Cost) – Estimated cost; Includes residence hall charges for on-campus students or an estimate of rent and utilities for an off-campus student
- Board (Indirect Cost) – Estimated cost; Includes the cost of a meal plan and/or an estimate of the costs of food prepared at home
- Transportation (Indirect Cost) – Estimated transportation and parking costs
- Books (Indirect Cost) – Estimated costs for books and supplies
- Miscellaneous (Indirect Cost) – Estimate costs such as personal hygiene, laundry, and reasonable entertainment, average loan fees
Direct Costs
Charges included in a students University bill that the student/family pays directly to the college.
Educational Loans
A form of financial aid that must be repaid. The money borrowed is meant to finance post-secondary education or higher education-related expenses. Educational loans are intended to cover the cost of tuition, books and supplies, and living expenses while the borrower is in the process of pursuing a degree. Students generally are not required to pay back on their loans while attending college, with some students being able to defer their payments up to 6 months after graduation.
Federal Student Loans
Federal funds made available to the student through
federal student loans must be paid back by the student. Students must complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) to receive these loans. Repayment begins six months after the student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time, with options to defer payments available. To be eligible, a student must be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program of study.
Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan
Loan funds provided to the student by the U.S. Department of Education, through the school. Undergraduate students with financial need can qualify for a subsidized loan. The government pays the interest on the loan while the student remains enrolled at least half time and during certain periods when the government allows deferment of repayment. There are annual limits on the amounts that may be borrowed, which vary by the student’s academic year in school and the student’s dependent or independent status.
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan
Loan funds provided
to the student by the U.S. Department of Education, through the school. Undergraduate students and graduate students regardless of their need, qualify for an unsubsidized loan, provided they have filed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (
FAFSA). Interest accrual begins immediately, and the student can choose to pay the interest while enrolled or upon entering repayment. There are annual limits on the amounts that may be borrowed, which vary by the student’s academic year in school and the student’s dependent or independent status.
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
Loan funds provided to
graduate students by the U.S. Department of Education, through the school. This
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program allows graduate students with no adverse credit history to apply for a loan amount up to their
Cost of Attendance each year, less any other financial aid received.
Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan (PLUS)
Loan funds provided
to the parents of dependent undergraduate students by the U.S. Department of Education, through the school. This
Federal Direct Parent PLUS loan program allows parents with no adverse credit history to apply for a loan amount up to the
Cost of Attendance each year, less any financial aid received by the dependent student. Repayment of principal and interest begins immediately once the loan is fully disbursed with some options to delay payment available.
Private Loan
A student or parent loan from a commercial, state-affiliated or institutional lender used to pay for up to the annual
Cost of Attendance, less any financial aid received. Private loans have varying interest rates, fees and repayment options and usually require the applicant to be creditworthy, or have a creditworthy cosigner. Repayment generally begins immediately.
Enrollment Status
Academic workload (or course load), as defined by the institution, in which a student is enrolled for a defined academic period. This normally relates to the number of credit hours or clock hours taken by a student during a given academic period (e.g. full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, less-than-half-time).
Estimated Financial Aid Offer
Expected Family Contribution (EFC)
An eligibility index that college financial aid staff use to determine how much financial aid you would receive if you were to attend their school. The EFC is calculated according to a formula specified in law and is based upon the information provided by the student and their family on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (
FAFSA). Use
EFC calculator to calculate your EFC.
FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid)
Federal Form students complete to be considered for federal financial aid. To complete this application, log into
studentaid.gov to get started.
**You will need an FSA ID and password to complete this application.
Family Financial Responsibility (FFR)
Federal Pell Grant
A federal grant provided by the federal government to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and have an
Expected Family Contribution below a certain threshold established by the federal government. The
Pell Grant award amount is prorated based on
Enrollment Status.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
A federal grant awarded by the institution to qualified undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial
need. For
FSEOG, priority is given to
Federal Pell Grant recipients.
Federal Work-Study (FWS)
A federal program offered and administered by the institution that provides opportunity for part-time employment to students with financial
need to help pay their educational expenses. Students are responsible for finding qualified employment.
FWS funds are paid out through a paycheck, as earned.
Gift Aid
Funds awarded to the student that do not have to be repaid, unless the student fails to meet certain criteria, such as a service requirement that is specified as a condition of the gift aid or not completing the period for which the aid was awarded. Gift aid can include awards with titles such as
grants,
scholarships, remissions, awards, waivers, etc. Gift aid can be awarded based upon many factors, including (but not limited to)
financial need, academic excellence, athletic, musical, and/or theatrical talent, affiliation with various groups, and/or career aspirations.
Grants
A form
Gift-Aid that is based on financial need that students generally do not need to pay back.
Grants cover a variety of education-related expenses, such as tuition and fees, room and board, and books and supplies.
Indirect Costs
Estimated expenses associated with attending college that do not appear on a student’s University bill, but should be included when budgeting for school.
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG)
A federal grant to qualifying students with a parent or guardian who died as a result of U.S. military service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. If a student is eligible for a
Federal Pell Grant, he or she cannot receive an IASG.
Need
Net Price
Program Level
Level of the degree-granting program in which a student is enrolled. Program levels may include: undergraduate (students seeking an associate degree, an undergraduate certificate, or a baccalaureate degree); post-baccalaureate (such as teacher certification); or graduate (students working on a master’s degree, graduate certificate, doctorate, or professional degree). The amounts and
types of financial aid for which a student is eligible is determined, in part, by their program level.
Scholarships
Gift Aid that is typically based on merit, such as, academic excellence, talent, affiliation with various groups, or career aspirations or a combination of merit and need. Students generally do not need to repay this aid.
Self-help
An institution’s expectation that a student contributes towards their education using a combination of loans, student employment such as
Federal Work-Study, and/or summer savings.
State Work-Study (SWS)
A state program offered and administered by the institution that provides opportunity for part-time employment to students with
financial need to help pay their educational expenses. Students are responsible for finding qualified employment. Funds are paid out through a paycheck, as earned.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants
TEACH grants are federal grants for undergraduate and graduate students, awarded in exchange for specific future teaching service in designated high-need fields and low-income elementary and secondary schools. If a student does not complete the required teaching service, the grant becomes a
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan that must be repaid.
Unmet Need
Verification
A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (
FAFSA). To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn’t match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student’s financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers.
WASFA (Washington Application for State Financial Aid)
An application for Washington State resident students who are not eligible to complete the
FAFSA.