Application Process 2012-13

General Eligibility Criteria
To receive Federal, State, and/or institutional financial applicants must:
   1. Have a high school diploma or equivalent
   2. Be a United States citizen or eligible non-citizen
   3. Be a regular 'degree seeking' student
   4. Demonstrate financial need (exception - Unsubsidized Stafford Loan)
   5. Have a valid Social Security Number
   6. If required, register with the Selective Service
   7. Not be in default or owe a refund of any Title IV aid
   8. Make satisfactory academic progress

1- Admission to UW-L
All applicants must be admitted to the university as a degree seeking student. Contact the UWL Admissions Office for more information. All applicants must be enrolled at least half-time and maintain satisfactory academic progress.

2- FAFSA
The 2012-13 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available after January 2, 2012.

All applicants for 2012-13 must submit a FAFSA to the federal student aid processor. UW-La Crosse has a priority date of March 15, 2012. FAFSAs can be completed during the academic year but aid will be delayed until all necessary paperwork is received. Students are encouraged to file the FAFSA electronically. A paper FAFSA can be mailed to the federal student aid processor, however, it will take longer to process.

We strongly recommend that you use the IRS Data Retrieval option to help complete the FAFSA. Within 1-2 weeks after filing your taxes, you should be able to retrieve your federal data right into your FAFSA. In order to use this option, you must have a federal tax return filed with the IRS, have a valid Social Security Number, a US Dept of Education Personal Identification Number (PIN), and have an unchanged marital status since December 31, 2011. When completing the tax information on the FAFSA, indicate "Already Filed" and select the IRS Data Retrieval option.

Electronically
Visit FAFSA on the Web to complete the free application. To complete a pre-application worksheet click here. A Department of Education PIN is required. To obtain a PIN click here.

If the student is a previous applicant, they will be given an option to "pre-fill" certain fields on the FAFSA from the previous year's information. Go to FAFSA on the Web, choose the 2012-13 FAFSA option. Once you have logged into the FAFSA website you will be asked if you wish to "pre-fill" information from the previous FAFSA. As you complete the rest of the FAFSA, you should double check the pre-filled information to be sure that it is still correct information.

If you choose not to "pre-fill" the information, you will have to answer every question on the FAFSA. The FAFSA on the Web Worksheet allows you to read and complete the questions before entering your information online. The questions are listed in the same order as they appear on the Website.

By Mail
A PDF of the FAFSA can be downloaded from the FAFSA website, completed, signed and mailed into the federal processor. Students can obtain the PDF FAFSA by going to www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov. Choose FAFSA Filing Options at the bottom of the navigation bar on the left hand side of the web page. Students have the option of obtaining the PDF FAFSA in either black and white or in color and in either English or Spanish. Students are also able to order paper FAFSAs by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Student Aid Report (SAR)
As a result of filing the FAFSA, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor. If you filed electronically, this will be sent via e-mail. Retain this document for your records. Do NOT submit the SAR to the UWL Financial Aid Office, unless specifically requested to do so.

3- Other forms as requested
Submit any additional forms specifically requested by the UWL Financial Aid Office. Priority Date is March 15, 2012 for consideration of all types of aid. However, applications are accepted throughout the academic year.

NOTE: If your FAFSA was selected for verification, we may be requesting federal tax return transcripts. See your "To Do" list message on how to request a transcript. A copy of the tax returns is no longer sufficient due to federal regulations.

4- Award Letters
All students will receive an e-mail notification when their award is available on their WINGS Student Center. You can accept your award on-line. If you are awarded Federal Work Study and you wish to accept it, be sure to follow the instructions for completing the "Federal Work Study Assignment Questionnaire".

√ New students (incoming freshmen, incoming graduate students and transfer students) who have submitted all required documentation will begin receiving their e-mail notifications in April.

√ Continuing students should check their campus e-mail for notification during the summer.

5- Additional Requirements for Federal Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
a. If you are a first-time borrower, you must complete the federally required Entrance Loan Counseling (ELC).
b. If you are a first-time borrower receiving a Federal Direct Loan, you must complete a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (Direct Loan MPN). If you have a U. S. Department of Education PIN, you can sign the MPN electronically.

6- Financial Aid Disbursed
If all necessary paperwork has been completed, financial aid funds are disbursed on the first day of classes each semester. All funds will be electronically credited to your University bill.

7- Tower One Card and Refunds
All financial aid proceeds are applied first to the student’s university bill. If there are funds left over after the bill is paid in full, a refund is created. When a student activates their Tower One Card, they must choose one of three options for the handling of their refund:
    1- Funds are applied to their Tower One debit account
    2- Funds are transferred to the student’s personal bank (an ACH transfer)
    3- A paper check is mailed to the student (Students choosing this option should be sure to keep their address updated at www.uwlax.edu/towerone.com in order to be certain the paper check is mailed to the correct address)
It is important that students activate their Tower One Card when they receive it in order to insure that their refund can be processed.

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES
Students are responsible for paying their bill regardless of when their financial aid comes in. This checklist constitutes sufficient notification of the necessary procedures. It is the student’s responsibility to complete all steps of the application process.