Financial Aid Application Process
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Financial Aid Application Process
Congratulations on making this important decision to invest in your future! Applying for aid may seem daunting, but we're here to help! The Financial Aid Application Process can be broken down into five key steps.
1. Apply Annually
Depending on your immigration status, apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA or WASFA. If you’re not sure which to complete, take this quiz.
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- You (and your parent, if you are a dependent student) will need a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) which you will need to apply for at least 3 days prior to completing your FAFSA. The FSA ID allows you to electronically sign your FAFSA.
- Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA)
- For students in Washington state who are undocumented or do not qualify for federal financial aid because of their immigration status or other reason.
Need Help? Check out out financial aid workshops and application support resources.
2. Submit Documents
After you apply, the LWTech Financial Aid Office may request additional information from you. Check to see if you have any outstanding documents to submit by logging into your LionsLink account.
For information about general financial aid eligibility, please review our financial aid policies.
3. Review Award Letter
When your financial aid award is ready, we will send you an email to your preferred email address listed in LionsLink. A link to your award will also appear in your LionsLink account.
It is important that you read all the information on the financial aid offer letter.
If your award includes an offer of student loans or work-study, you will need to provide additional acceptance before it can be disbursed.
Students’ ineligible to receive grant aid will be notified by email as well. For information about general financial aid eligibility, please review our financial aid policies.
4. Receive your Funds
After receiving your award letter, you will receive a bright green envelope in the mail from BankMobile, the company who disburses financial aid refunds for LWTech.
This green envelope will include a personal code and directions for selecting how to receive funds. This personal code will also be sent to you via email.
Financial aid will be credited to outstanding tuition and fees first. If you have been awarded more financial aid money than outstanding tuition and fees, the difference will be disbursed to you in a refund.
5. Maintain Eligibility
Financial aid eligibility requires students to maintain good academic standing, which is referred to as “Satisfactory Academic Progress” or “SAP”. You can lose your aid – or even be required to give it back if you do not maintain this status.
Meeting SAP generally means:
- maintaining a 2.0 cumulative and quarterly GPA
- completing a minimum percentage of credits attempted each quarter
- maintaining the ability to graduate within a specified timeframe (150% of normal program length)
You will be notified of changes to your financial aid eligibility based on your SAP status by email to your preferred email address listed in LionsLink and in your LionsLink account.
Financial aid assistance is available to most students meeting basic eligibility requirements. Due to the number of applicants and the information that must be reviewed in the application process, processing a financial aid application takes several months from the date the aid application is complete, so it's important that you apply as early as possible! Please see the main Financial Aid page for current processing times.
Please review the following checklist and financial aid information carefully. You are responsible for keeping informed of application procedures and meeting all priority dates when applying.