Skip the line and get your financial aid answers online!
For answers to common financial aid questions related to scholarships, grants, loans,
work study, and more, visit our frequently asked questions website or contact us via
chat!
By now, you have received your financial aid offer. We've gathered some helpful information
for you to break it down into understandable pieces so you can plan and budget for
college costs.
Financial Aid Offer
Financial aid is a combination of awarded or loaned money to students and/or their
families to pay for educational expenses. It includes scholarships, grants, work-study
employment, and loans. We determine your eligibility for financial aid from a number
of factors, not just your income. These factors can include your grade level in college,
your chosen degree program, your residency, where you plan to live while in college,
and whether you intend to enroll full time or part time.
This section is made up of discounts you may qualify for at Wichita State based on
meeting certain requirements (i.e. Shocker City Partnership is based on the county
you live in). Discounts are listed by semester and are initially based on estimates.
Official discount rates are typically finalized in July before school begins. More
information about tuition discounts is available at wichita.edu/tuitiondiscounts.
This program gives students an opportunity to earn money while earning a degree at
Wichita State. This is an estimate of your eligibility, not a guaranteed award amount.
Students can begin searching and applying for campus jobs at wichita.edu/handshake.
To be considered for work study at Wichita State, you must complete the FAFSA by our
early application priority date of December 1, have indicated on the FAFSA an interest
in student employment, and have financial need.
This type of financial aid requires repayment but can be used to assist in paying
your Cost of Attendance of studying at Wichita State. Loans are limited by grade level
and your dependency type (dependent or independent) and must be repaid over time.
More information about the different types of loans is available at wichita.edu/studentloans.
These options are available for you to consider to assist in meeting your costs at
Wichita State. Whether your parent decides to borrow a loan on your behalf, or if
you choose to set up a payment plan, you have options.
Sample Aid Offer, Wichita State Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
Cost of Attendance
The total of Billed Costs and Other Costs to Consider equals the total estimated Cost
of Attendance.
Billed Costs are estimated charges that will be issues from Wichita State directly (i.e., Tuition
& Fees and On-Campus Housing & Food).
Other Costs to Consider will not show up on your billing statement. They reflect the other educational expenses
you might have for school and living (i.e., Books & Supplies, Transportation & Personal
Expenses, Off-Campus Housing & Food, and Loan Origination Fees).
Net Costs After Financial Aid
This section includes an estimate of your remaining billed costs minus your financial
aid (excluding work study).
An estimated cost greater than zero indicates you will need to consider additional options to meet your costs, such as
you or your family's savings, a payment plan, or additional private or parent loans.
An estimated cost less than zero (negative number) indicates you will have excess financial aid after your billed costs, which will result
in a refund. Students generally use these refunds to assist with the cost of books,
transportation, and other educational expenses.
Here are a few tricks of the trade to help prepare you for your first year at Wichita
State. These tips have been invaluable to first-year students and will set you up
for a successful and well-planned first year.
Use your summer job to save at least $1,250 for books and supplies.
If borrowing loans, only accept what you need. After all, they eventually have to
be paid back.
Begin thinking about if you're planning to work part-time while you're in college.
Consider how much you can save or put toward your college costs. This planning will
give you a more complete picture of your personal budget.
Check out scholarship opportunities at wichita.edu/scholarshipuniverse. The site includes internal Wichita State scholarships as well as regional and national
scholarships from outside organizations. Wichita State students earn over $2.5 million
in outside scholarships every year!
Official tuition and fee rates will be available in July, and your specific charges
may vary based on your enrollment and housing choices. Beginning in July, your official
billing statement for tuition, fees, and housing (if applicable) will be available
on the Student Account Suite within your myWSU portal.
What To Do Next:
Consider your aid offer and decide what financial aid you plan to accept and how much.
Each summer, the Kansas Board of Regents approves, for each state university, the
actual tuition and fees, as well as on-campus housing rates for the new academic year.
Since this has not yet taken place for the 2023-2024 academic year, the costs shown
are based on the current 2022-2023 academic year. The estimated cost of attendance
assumes full-time enrollment for fall and spring semesters, and reflects the typical
expenses for students with your same residency and major. Actual expenses will depend
on your individual choices. Estimated costs can help you plan your own budget.
Certain scholarships have a May 1 acceptance deadline. Additionally, some aid programs,
such as the Merit and Incoming Student Scholarships, Shocker Promise, Kansas Comprehensive
Grant, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, and Federal Work Study
require that you enroll by June 1.
No. You do not have to take the full amount of loans offered to you. You may accept
all, none, or elect to only take a portion of the total offer. Borrowing a loan for
your education is an investment in your future. However, it is important to only borrow
what you need to cover your expenses and ensure you have the ability to repay it.
Yes, in most cases. If needed, you can later revise your decision about student loans
during the semester and borrow up to the remainder of your loan eligibility for that
semester. You can submit a Financial Aid Revision Request online through your myWSU
student portal under the myFinances tab. Please be aware all requests to modify a
student loan will need to be made prior to the last day of classes for the semester.
Yes. To be eligible for financial aid at Wichita State, you must meet certain federal,
state, institutional, and program requirements and you are responsible for reading, understanding, and agreeing to these terms and conditions
before accepting your offer. More information about financial aid policies is available
at wichita.edu/finaidpolicy.
There’s no magic formula to have all the answers. Preparation will differ from family
to family, but we highly recommend families begin and continue discussions about each
person's contributions to the costs. Use the estimates included in the aid offer as
a baseline for early discussions and plans. Then review your specific tuition and
fees bill when it becomes available in July to finalize your decisions.
Changes in finances due to a reduction in income, a change in marital status, death
of a parent/spouse, or other special circumstances may greatly impact a family’s ability
to pay for college. The Department of Education allows financial aid administrators
to use Professional Judgment on a case-by-case basis to make adjustments to the data
used in calculating the estimated family contribution (EFC) to reflect these special
circumstances.
If your family is experiencing financial issues (such as the loss of a job, reduction
of income, or other extenuating circumstance) and would like to discuss financial
aid options and information about the process of a Professional Judgment for the next
academic year, schedule an appointment to meet with a financial aid advisor at wichita.edu/finaidappt.
Yes, absolutely! We are available for in-person, virtual (Zoom and Teams), and phone
appointments. You can set an appointment through Navigate with a financial aid advisor
at wichita.edu/finaidappt.
Your financial aid offer is unique to you and was developed according to federal,
state, and institutional regulations. All offers are based on available funding levels
and are subject to change. Wichita State retains the right to revise, cancel, or withdraw
offers if we are notified of additional aid resources for you or if aid is not accepted
by the deadlines of each aid program. See wichita.edu/finaidpolicy for details.
Sample Aid Offer, Wichita State Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships