We believe students from all economic backgrounds should have the opportunity to attend the University of Washington. Finances should not be a barrier to getting a world-class education. Whether you attend our Seattle, Tacoma, or Bothell campuses, you’re in the right place to explore the many scholarship, grant, loan and work-study options available that help make paying for college as affordable as possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get in contact with a Financial Aid counselor?
There are multiple ways you can get in touch with us. You can get in contact with our financial aid counselors by calling 206-543-6101 during our phone service hours, or by emailing us at osfa@uw.edu.
Phone service hours:
Monday – Friday
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 pm
In-person advising:
Monday-Wednesday
11:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
You can also reach a financial aid counselor by email using our contact form. If you have questions regarding our processing time, or email response time, please see our current processing times on this page.
I am a newly admitted student - now what?
We understand you and your parent(s) may have many questions about what steps are next, what type if aid you are eligible for and other questions related to the financial aid process. We have gathered useful information for newly admitted students on this page.
If you are from out of state this page has some useful information.
We did the FAFSA, what is the next step for the Parent PLUS loan?
Your parent will need to go to https://studentaid.gov and log-in using their own name, SSN, DOB and their own FSA Id. Next, they must click on “Request Direct Plus Loan”, and then “Parent PLUS”. Complete the 4 step application process. For more detailed information regarding the Parent Loan request process, click here for a checklist that you can print out.
MyUW shows a hold on my account, what does that mean?
Holds prevent aid from disbursing to you for a variety of reasons. Usually, holds are placed because we are missing requested documentation, or you may not have completed enough credits in the previous quarter or prior academic year. There is information about the type of holds on your MyUW account under financial aid status and you are welcome to contact us with any remaining questions about how to resolve the hold(s) on your aid. It is also important to continually check your UW email, as we will also notify you there in regards to the paperwork we need from you.
What can I do if my income or my family’s income has changed?
We understand this is a challenging and difficult time and there is much uncertainty right now. We are here to help. If you are experiencing a change in your or your family’s income, please let us know by providing additional information about your situation.
If your parent(s) are experiencing a change in their financial situation, please have them complete the Revision Request for Change in Financial Situation.
If you (or your spouse) are experiencing a change in your financial situation, please provide additional information using the Revision Request for Change in Financial Situation. You can indicate that the nature of the change is due to COVID-19.
All our forms can be found on our forms page.
What is the best way to submit documents that were requested by the Financial Aid Office?
If you received a request for additional information, please use the link to the form in the email. If you are submitting additional documentation you can upload in a secure manner by using our form “Information Update”. It can be found under General on our forms page.
When will the documents I submitted be reviewed?
If you have questions regarding our processing time, or email response time, please see our current processing times on this page.
More answers to frequently asked questions can be found here. If these FAQ’s do not help address your question, then please contact us.
The University of Washington is a partner institution in the College Cost Transparency Initiative. Please see their website for more details.