Check Your Financial Aid Status

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Checking your Financial Aid Status

How to Check your Financial Aid Status

The Financial Aid Office communicates with students using their preferred email address in LionsLink. Students should check their email regularly for any communications regarding their financial aid status.

After you have successfully submitted your FAFSA or WASFA, you can check your status of your application in LionsLink. Please allow 5 business days for LWTech to receive your FAFSA or WASFA.

  1. Go to the LWTech LionsLink Portal and click on ‘ctcLink Login’ 
  2. Enter your ‘ctcLink ID’ number, and click on the ‘Next’ button. Then enter your ‘Password’ and click on the ‘Verify’ button.  
  3. Resolve any items listed in your 'To-Do List'
  4. Review any Financial Aid 'Holds' and address holds that impact eligibility and aid disbursement
  5. On the left side navigation bar, click on ‘Financials’

  6. In the dropdown, select from the following options:  

    • ‘View Financial Aid’ - To view all awards offered for the Aid Year.
    • ‘Satisfactory Academic Progress’ - To view your SAP (Satisfactory Academic Progress).
    • ‘Financial Aid Summary’ - To view your Financial Aid Summary.

If there are no To-Do items or holds showing on your account, no immediate action is needed. This typically means your account is up to date and your application is in the queue to be processed.

Continue to monitor your student portal and email regularly in case any new requirements or updates are posted.

The timeline for processing complete files can take up to 8-10 weeks.

You may contact the Financial Aid Office for confirmation or further clarification. 

Tips for using LionsLink

  • If you forgot your password, click on ‘Password Help’ to reset it. Additional directions can be found in the Reset Your LionsLink Account Password tutorial. 
  • Make sure you are viewing information for LWTech. If you attend multiple institutions, use the ‘Gear Icon’ on the top right of your Dashboard to change institutions (college name). 

  • Depending on the size of your screen, you may need to click on the ‘hamburger’ menu icon on the left side of your screen to expand the menu options.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

I submitted all outstanding documents - what now?

If you turned in all your documents to the Financial Aid office, you just need to wait for your file to be processed. Processing times can be up to 8 weeks from the time your file is complete.

Files are processed in the order students applied. The earlier you turned in your financial aid application, the earlier you will get your award.

When your aid is processed, it will be visible in LionsLink.

If more information is needed from you, we will email you at your LionsLink preferred email address. 

Will my tuition be deferred while I wait for my financial aid to be processed?

For those who have applied for financial aid and are waiting to have their financial aid file reviewed, we will automatically defer your tuition payment, as long as you have completed all required checklist items and have met satisfactory progress requirements.

If you have received a deferrment, it will appear under the "holds" section in the General Tab in your LionsLink account.

Please note that a tuition payment hold is not a guarantee of aid eligibility. If found ineligible for aid, or if your aid offer doesn't fully cover the amount due, it is your responsibility to pay the balance owed.

For more information about aid eligibility, please see our Financial Aid Policies webpage.

How do I apply for a federal student loan?

Student loans are a form of federal financial aid, and you must complete a FAFSA to be eligible for federal loans. LWTech participates in the Direct Loan Program, a low-interest, federal loan program.

Students applying for a student loan at LWTech must complete the following steps after completion of their FAFSA:

  1. First-time loan borrowers at LWTech are required to complete Identity Verification. More information can be found on the Direct Loan Request form.
  2. Students applying for a Direct Loan at LWTech for the first time are required to complete an Entrance Counseling session.
  3. Direct Loan applicants must also sign a Master Promissory Note for their loan. Students may sign a Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) online by using their Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. 
    • When you sign a Master Promissory Note, you are agreeing to repay your loan according to the terms of the note.
    • The note states that except in cases of loan discharge (cancellation), you must repay the loan, even if you don't complete your education.
    • Remember, you must repay your loan even if you experience difficulty finding employment or if you didn't like the quality of the education. If you are experiencing financial hardships, contact your Loan Servicer immediately. They are usually able to work with you to help you through difficult times.

  4. After completing steps (1),(2), and (3), students must then submit a Direct Loan Request Form to the LWTech Financial Aid office. This form provides us with the loan period you have chosen and the amount you would like to borrow. The total loan amount entered on the form will be spread equally over the quarters selected. Funds are disbursed on a quarterly basis and are subject to Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Are there private alternative loans?

Students with extraordinary program or cost of attendance expenses may qualify for Private Alternative Loan Funding. Unlike Direct Loans, these are based on credit history and rating, so not everyone may qualify.

How do I check the status of my Veteran Benefits?

If you're a veteran receiving the GI BIll® or similar benefits, you can receive financial assistance for most LWTech courses and programs through Veteran Benefits. 

To use veteran benefits at LWTech, you must complete the steps listed on the Veteran Services webpage.

The VA School Certifying Official will assist you with the benefits process. 

Veteran Benefits

I am looking for my LWTech financial aid information prior to 2022-2023. Where can I find it?

  • Log-in to the Student Portal using your SSN, Taxpayer ID, or WASFA ID to view older award data. Student Portal Login.