June 5, 2020
COVID-19: Financial Aid FAQs
Can I use my financial aid for on-line courses?
Financial aid eligibility does not change due to the conversion of in-person courses to on-line courses. For on-line courses to count for financial aid, the courses need to start and stop on the scheduled dates of the quarter as indicated on the UW academic calendar. It is important that you start the classes you are registered for. If you don’t start attendance in all of your courses, please contact our office right away for further information on how your aid may be affected. If at any time during the Summer quarter, you decide to stop attending your classes, please notify us right away.
I’ve decided to attend less than full-time during the COVID-19 outbreak. How does attending part-time change the financial aid I can receive?
For undergraduates:
Pell Grant and Washington College Grant—require proration of grants based on less than 12 credits of attendance. If you attend between 9-11 credits you will receive 75% of your full grant amount, between 6-8 you will receive 50% of your full grant amount, and between 3-5 credits you will receive 25% of your full grant amount. Pell Grant recipients may receive a less than half time grant amount for enrollment at 1 or 2 credits as well.
University grants, Office of Student Financial Aid Scholarships, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Work Study—usually require at least 12 credits. Attendance under 12 credits will require a priority appeal for consideration of continued funding. Tuition waivers fall under these same rules, but could be reduced due to lower tuition costs as these waivers can only be used to pay towards your tuition.
Student loans—require at least 6 credits of attendance and generally are not adjusted for attendance between 6-12 credits.
If you decide to attend less than full-time, please notify our office so we can adjust your aid if needed.
For graduate and professional students:
Student loans—require at least 5 credits of attendance (6 for professional students) and generally are not adjusted for attendance between 5-10 credits (6-12 for professional students).
University grants and Office of Student Financial Aid tuition waivers—usually require at least 10 credits (12 credits for professional students). Attendance under 10 credits (12 credits for professional students) will require a priority appeal for consideration of continued funding. Tuition waivers may also require proration due to lower tuition costs as these waivers can only be used to pay towards your tuition.
If you decide to attend less than full-time, please notify our office so we can adjust your aid if needed.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
My class is now being graded on a CR/NC basis. Does this count for financial aid?
Yes, if you receive a CR grade for any of your courses, this counts as satisfactory completion for financial aid purposes.
Some of my grades will be submitted late or I wasn’t able to complete all my credits in 2019-20. Am I still eligible for aid?
We understand many students are dealing with the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic and may experience difficulties in completing credits in winter and spring quarters of 2020. Students will not be required to complete the quarterly and annual minimum credit requirements, as described in the satisfactory academic progress policy. This is a one-time suspension to the policy for 2019-20 only. Satisfactory Academic Progress will be monitored again, starting Summer 2020, and you will need to meet the completion requirements for all components of the policy to remain eligible for financial aid.
If you do not meet the requirements in 2020-21, contact our office with an appeal for possible reinstatement of your aid due to extenuating circumstances that prevented your ability to make progress. Keep in mind we know there will continue to be unusual situations due to COVID-19, and we will consider an exception for you to the satisfactory academic progress requirements if possible.
For students who were on an academic plan with our office and all of your spring quarter 2020 grades are not in, please file an appeal with us, providing an update of your situation.
We will continue to monitor your submitted grades for two weeks, so if additional grades are submitted for you, we use the updated information.
I have extra expenses or have lost income due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Can I receive additional financial aid?
Please see our revision request process to let our office know the financial loss you have suffered related to the COVID-19 outbreak. We may be able to help with additional expenses. Extra medical, extra child care costs, additional rent deposits and additional computer equipment to take courses on-line, are examples of the type of expenses we may be able to help with. We also may be able to help with loss of income if you are not able to earn funds through your work study job or other non-work study employment. Please keep in mind that we have more loan funds available than grant funds and although we will consider your request for grant aid first, we may only be able to award additional loan funds.
Will my aid be adjusted if I move back home with my parents or relatives for summer or fall quarter?
Your costs for housing and food are generally less if you live with relatives instead of in on- or off-campus housing so a change in living arrangements can mean an adjustment to your aid. You are required to report to us if you change to living with relatives instead of in on- or off-campus housing at any time during the school year.
For additional information please visit: Novel coronavirus & COVID-19: facts and resources