FINANCIAL AID

Important Financial Aid Update
2024 - 2025 Academic Year

GREAT START

We're here for you

The Office of Financial Aid and Student Employment is committed to helping our students enroll and graduate for a great start in life—without being burdened with debt.

FINANCIAL AID DEADLINE: MARCH 1

  • 2023-2024

    FAFSA is available

The 2023-2024 FAFSA became available October 1, 2022.

Use 2021 income information – no need to wait.

  • 001380

    WCSU’s Federal School Code
WCSU Scholarships

Our in-state annual tuition is among the lowest in the region, and we offer over 100 scholarships in all fields.

New York and New Jersey residents pay only WCSU’s already low in-state tuition.

Residents of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont enroll at WCSU at a reduced rate because of our participation in the New England Regional Student Program.

From resume-boosting campus jobs to federal work study, we help our students defray educational costs.

WCSU Student Employment

WCSU Cares

Apply for emergency assistance.

The WCSU Cares Student Assistance Fund helps WCSU students who encounter unexpected emergency expenses.

WCSU Cares

Deposit Deferral

Experiencing financial hardship?

Experiencing financial hardship paying your admission and/or housing deposits? Complete a deposit deferral request for review. (This is not a waiver of the charges.)

Deposit Deferral

Western Connecticut State University offers financial aid to help qualified students meet their educational expenses.

Our staff is available to assist students in determining their eligibility for the various sources of aid available. While not everyone may qualify for certain awards, a student should never assume he/she is ineligible without first applying. A wide spectrum of variables affect the application process, therefore many possible options exist that may pertain to a students particular circumstances.

Financial need evaluation is based on an analysis of several factors; e.g., student and/or family income, family size, assets and liabilities, and the number of family members in school. The school’s total allocation of funds for an academic year is also a factor that determines the amount of aid a student can receive. Therefore, meeting the application deadline, along with assessing the student’s financial need, become important factors in the financial aid process.

Students must complete and submit a Student Consent Form to the Registrar’s Office (Old Main 102) to provide parental/guardian or third-party access to information.

This form is optional.

Privacy Notice for Families

As a result of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), financial aid administrators and university staff at Western Connecticut State University are prohibited from disclosing personal information relating to student financial and academic records.  While we realize that many parents take a leading role in helping their children apply for financial aid, please understand that our financial aid staff are limited in the type of information they can share with you over the phone and in person without the student’s written permission.

Financial Aid Update for the 2024 – 2025 Academic Year

WCSU recognizes that many of our current and prospective students and families have been challenged while attempting to apply for financial aid for the 2024-2025 academic year. First, the launch of the FAFSA was delayed until December 31. Since then, the website and platform at studentaid.gov has been unreliable and inconsistent at times. Many of the changes intended to help students and families have, in some instances, created additional obstacles.

Most recently, the US Department of Education announced that institutions will not obtain information from submitted FAFSAs until mid-March, resulting in significant delays in WCSU being able to make financial aid award offers to our incoming prospective students. Once FAFSA data is made available to WCSU, we are prepared to update our systems as quickly as possible to make financial aid award offers and will provide a more detailed aid offer timeline of when you can expect to receive your award offer. We know that affordability and cost is a significant factor when deciding on school choice. We are committed to working with you and your families to offer support, guidance, and flexibility throughout this process.

The priority deadline for financial aid and university scholarships is March 1; it is not a final deadline. WCSU makes aid offers based on availability of funding at the time of application. We encourage you to submit your FAFSA application as soon as possible. If you are challenged by the financial aid process, you have a financial aid counselor assigned to you. Please do not hesitate to schedule an appointment for assistance.

May 1 is the national college decision date. If, by May 1, you are still unable to make your school choice because of a financial aid award offer delay, we will work with you to make appropriate accommodations. WCSU is a public institution that prides itself in access and affordability. Please reach out to the Admissions Office if you have any questions or concerns.

We will continue to update our website and social media sites with updates to keep you informed.