Graduate Applicants

APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID

Congratulations on investing in your graduate education at Western Connecticut State University!

Completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the University and Foundation Scholarships application (IAAMWCSU) are your first steps in financing your education.

When filing the FAFSA, you are considered a graduate or professional student if you are enrolled in any post-secondary schooling beyond a bachelor’s degree.

As an independent student, you are not required to have parental financial information on the FAFSA. Instead, you will provide only your own and your spouse’s information if you are married.

WHEN TO APPLY

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available by October 1^steach year and the University and Foundation Scholarships application (IAAMWCSU) becomes available the beginning of December.

You must be accepted to the university, and it is recommended that you to submit your FAFSA and IAAMWCSU applications on or before March 1 for processing.

Be advised it may take up to 5 business days for your FAFSA to be processed.

APPLICATIONS AND ELIGIBILITY

You can create an FSA ID and find the FAFSA application on https://studentaid.gov .

You must be accepted to the university as a graduate or professional student.
You must be matriculated in a degree-seeking program.
You must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits).
You will provide only your own and your spouse’s information on the FAFSA, if married.
WCSU’s Federal School Code is 001380.

To be considered for University and Foundation Scholarships, students complete a general application on the IAAMWCSU portal to be automatically considered for numerous scholarship opportunities at https://wcsu.edu/scholarships .

TYPES OF AID

There are two types of Federal Loans available to graduate students which are not based on financial need.
- Direct Unsubsidized Loan for graduate students are limited to a maximum of $20,500 per academic year, assuming full-time status. They carry a fixed interest rate, which is updated each year in July, and there is an origination fee upon disbursement of the loan.
- Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is an additional financing option for graduate students. Graduate students can borrow up to their cost of attendance, minus any other aid they may have received. These loans carry a fixed interest rate and there is an origination fee upon disbursement of the loan. You may apply for a Graduate PLUS Loan here: Apply for a Grad PLUS Loan | Federal Student Aid

University and Foundation Scholarships are opportunities of funding made available to all students by the generosity of private supporters. Students complete a general application on the IAAMWCSU portal at https://wcsu.edu/scholarships .

Private Educational Loans are alternative loan programs that help bridge the gap between the actual cost of your education and the amount of financial aid you receive. These are offered by private lenders and are not backed by the federal government. For more information and to apply, please visit https://elmselect.com.

SUMMER ADMISSION

Students initiating their graduate program during a summer term and would like to be considered for financial aid must do the following:

Contact Jessica Coronel, Assistant Dean of the School of Graduate, International, and Career Studies to request a summer entry term
Complete a previous academic year FAFSA (e.g., Summer 2025 start, complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA).
Complete subsequent academic year FAFSA (e.g., Summer 2025 start, also complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA).
Complete summer financial aid application by June 1 (available after March 1^st at wcsu.edu/finaid).

OTHER GRADUATE RESOURCES

Payment Plan Options

Payment Plans are available to students. Western Connecticut State University realizes that managing the cost of education is a challenge for many families. To help you meet your educational expenses, WCSU has partnered with TouchNet to offer you a low-cost payment option. The cost to enroll in the TouchNet online payment plan is $45 per semester and there are no interest or finance charges. It is easy to enroll in the plan each semester and once you set up your plan, payments are made automatically. You must enroll in the payment plan for every semester that you want to use the payment plan to pay your semester charges. For more information, please visit https://wcsu.edu/cashiers/payment-plan-options .

Campus Employment

Student employment is an integral part of the university. Student labor benefits the school in almost every academic and administrative department on campus. The student’s employment can be related to his/her major and/or interests and work schedules can be arranged around the student’s academic schedule.

Western Connecticut State University employs approximately 800 students during the academic year. The types of jobs available are as diverse as the students themselves. There is a complete list of jobs and their descriptions available for students to examine on the Student Employment website at https://wcsu.edu/finaid .

Students are paid biweekly with an hourly rate of pay contingent on the difficulty of the position and the experience of the student. The first paycheck is held back for two weeks, as required by the state.

There are two major funding sources for the student labor force at Western Connecticut State University:

The Federal Work Study Program
The Institutional Payroll

The Federal Work Study Program is a federally funded program based on financial need. Because the program is financially need based, work experience is not the qualifying factor. To work under the Federal College Work Study Program, a student must have financial need, as determined by FAFSA. Work Study funding is limited and reviewed upon request.

The Institutional Payroll is not based on a student’s financial need. Students are employed under this program based on the needs of the department, the availability of funds, and the student’s experience in specific areas.

All student employees must be matriculated in at least 6 credits per semester to remain eligible to work on campus during the regular academic year (fall/spring).

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistantships provide on-campus, hands-on learning experiences and stipends to graduate students. Assistantships are not scholarships and are not campus job appointments.

Graduate Assistant positions are available to qualified, matriculated graduate students in institutional activities that are academically relevant to the student’s program of study. Students must be matriculated in a graduate program, enrolled for current semester, have a minimum 3.0 GPA, and not be employed in any other area of the university. Student cannot exceed 20 hours of work per week. Full-time graduate students (nine credits or more) are eligible for additional fee waivers.

Students interested in a Graduate Assistantship should contact their Graduate Program Coordinator.

Kathwari Graduate Fellowship

The Kathwari Graduate Fellowship, generously funded by the Irfan Kathwari Foundation, is designed to support WestConn graduate students’ academic and professional growth, providing them opportunities to reach their full potential. The Fellowship is open exclusively to alums who completed their undergraduate studies at WestConn and provides financial support and professional development opportunities to enhance their educational experience.

The Kathwari Graduate Fellowship is a merit-based award, not dependent on financial need, and is contingent upon the following criteria:

The Fellowship recipient completed their baccalaureate program at WestConn.
The recipient is enrolled in or accepted to a graduate degree program at WestConn.
The recipient does not hold other university-supported positions (e.g., graduate student worker, graduate assistant and teaching assistant assignments with more than 10 hours per week, resident advisor, graduate intern, or adjunct faculty) while holding the award.

The application deadline for Fall 2025 is May 26, 2025.

To Apply visit: https://www.wcsu.edu/sgics/kathwari-graduate-fellowship/form/

WCSU Cares

The mission of WCSU Cares is to provide support to students who demonstrate financial hardships due to emergency situations. Our goal is to help students stay in school and make progress toward their degree and help mitigate barriers based on unforeseen circumstances. This fund is not intended to be used for routine expenses or as a consistent supplement to a student’s educational funding source.

Eligibility Criteria

Must currently be enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program at WCSU.
Must be in good academic standing during the term when the emergency funds would apply.
Must have exhausted all other resources including applying for, and accepting, Financial Aid award offers.

Additional documentation to support your request may be required by the committee for review. Students may visit the WCSU Cares website to apply at https://wcsu.edu/finaid/wcsu-cares .

FINANCIAL AID POLICIES

Cost of Attendance

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of educational expenses for planning purposes. It includes direct educational costs and an estimate of indirect costs for the academic year (fall/spring). These figures do not represent the actual fee bill; they are estimates of what it could cost a student to attend WCSU.

2025-2026 Graduate Cost of Attendance (estimate for full-time graduate students at 9 credits per term)

Expense	Tri-State Rate (CT, NY, NJ)		National Rate (All other US states & territories)		International Rate
	Commuter	Residential	Commuter	Residential	Commuter	Residential
Tuition & Fees	$15,039	$15,039	$19,397	$19,397	$19,397	$19,397
Housing & Food	$3,272	$15,988	$3,272	$15,988	$3,272	$15,988
Books & Supplies	$1,200	$1,200	$1,200	$1,200	$1,200	$1,200
Transportation	$667	$333	$667	$333	$667	$333
Loan Fees	$217	$217	$217	$217	$217	$217
Personal Expenses	$2,121	$1,060	$2,121	$1,060	$2,121	$1,060
TOTAL COA	$22,516	$33,837	$26,874	$38,195	$26,874	$38,195

*Please note COA may vary for Master of Fine Arts in Art, Master of Fine Arts in Writing, Ed. D Instructional Leadership, and Ed. D in Nursing*

In accordance with federal guidelines, we use the following components to develop an estimated COA.

Tuition & Fees: Tuition and fees are established by the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Board of Regents for Higher Education. WCSU rates and fees schedules (part-time and full-time) can be found on the Cashier’s Office website.

Housing & Food: For residential students, this figure is the cost for a double-occupancy room on the Midtown Campus and designated meal plan. To view specific housing costs, visit the Housing website.

For commuter students, the cost of housing is based on the living expense costs by region and metropolitan area over a nine-month period from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Books & Supplies: This is an estimate of the cost of books and supplies for a typical student for the entire academic year. You will not be billed directly by WCSU for books or supplies.

Transportation: This is an estimate of the cost of traveling to and from campus or the cost of operating and maintaining a vehicle.

Personal Expenses: This is an estimate for costs for items such as clothing, entertainment, and personal items. Amount spent on these items will vary from student to student and are not billed to the student.

Several COA budgets are constructed to represent differences in student residency and enrollment status (i.e., less than half-time, half-time, 3/4-time, full-time) for the academic year. The summer term is optional and has a separate COA.

Western Connecticut State University establishes cost of attendance and awarding policies in accordance with federal regulations governing federal student aid programs and from the most recent years’ Consumer Expenditure Survey (CES), produced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (source: College Board).

Academic Progress

Students receiving financial assistance under the federally supported Title IV Programs must comply with the following set of standards to be eligible for such assistance. Such standards are referred to as Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and are measured on a per-term basis. SAP is an assessment of your cumulative academic record at Western Connecticut State University. This policy is separate and apart from other academic policies at the university.

All financial aid recipients are reviewed for SAP at the end of each payment period, and once grades are posted. Courses taken during the winter and spring break intersessions will be included in the SAP calculations at the end of the spring semester payment period. If all SAP standards are met, the student will retain financial aid eligibility for the next term and is notified by email.

There are three components measured and weighed in determining SAP to ensure successful completion of a degree within a timeframe consistent with federal regulations.

Students applying for financial aid must maintain status as a matriculated graduate student. Matriculated students will be evaluated for Satisfactory Academic Progress based upon qualitative and quantitative standards, as well as a maximum timeframe standard.

Qualitative Measure
Grade Point Average (GPA) is the standard used to qualitatively measure Satisfactory Academic Progress. Graduate students must meet and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Quantitative Measure
Also referred to as Pace. Matriculated graduate students must successfully complete two thirds (67%) of all cumulative credits attempted.

Maximum Timeframe

Graduate students may receive financial aid for attempted credits in their program of study that do not exceed 150% of the published credits needed to complete said program.

For more information on the SAP policy, please visit https://wcsu.edu/finaid/policies/academic-progress .

GRADUATE PROGRAMS WITH DISTINCT REQUIREMENTS

Doctor of Education in Instructional Leadership

Part-time program
Unsubsidized Loan eligibility with valid FAFSA and a minimum of 6 credits per semester
Eligible for up to $20,500

Doctor of Education in Nursing Education

Part-time program
Unsubsidized Loan eligibility with valid FAFSA and a minimum of 6 credits per semester
Eligible for up to $20,500
Nurse Faculty Loan Program eligibility with a valid FAFSA and a minimum of 3 credits per semester – loan amount based on funding availability.
- The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) is for doctoral nursing students focusing on becoming a nursing teacher faculty member. Funding can assist with the cost of tuition, fees, books, and laboratory fees. This program offers partial loan forgiveness for borrowers who graduate and serve as full-time nursing faculty for the prescribed period.

Updated: 05/14/2025