Student Financial Aid

Student Financial Aid
Western Michigan University
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5337 USA
(269) 387-6000

Financial Aid Eligibility

Two students walking the hallway, with backpacks, in Sangran Hall.

 

If you’re seeking financial aid, you must meet certain eligibility requirements. You must be a regular admitted, degree-seeking undergraduate student enrolled in courses at Western Michigan University. Guest students and students taking classes after finishing their degree requirements are not eligible.

Certificate programs generally are not eligible, unless you are completing hours for state permanent teacher certification. Then you are eligible for undergraduate student loans. Enrolled students working toward the Clinical Addiction certificate in our Specialty Program in Alcohol and Drug Abuse are eligible for graduate level loans.

Here are the different factors that will affect your eligibility for financial aid:

  • Enrollment
  • High school diploma
  • Citizenshi­p
  • Satisfactory academic progress
  • Dropping or withdrawing from classes
  • Repeated coursework
  • Other conditions

If your eligibility changes, we may be required to make adjustments to your awards. Federal financial aid regulations require adjustments in financial aid if your eligibility changes. Eligibility can decrease due to changes in your class registration, tuition charges or the FAFSA. If we are required to remove aid that has already been paid to you, it may create a balance that you will be responsible for paying. 

If you received aid from another school in the same academic year, mid-semester or mid-year changes or updates to your FAFSA or your student status may result in eligibility changes. If you attended another school and we are notified that there has been a change in your loan or Federal Pell Grant amounts, your award will be reviewed and may be revised.

 

Census

The census date typically marks the end of the add/drop period for the semester. This is the date the financial aid team takes a "snapshot" of all students’ enrollment to establish the official enrollment for reporting purpose and financial aid eligibility.

The classes for which you are registered as of the census date determine the amount of federal financial aid you will receive. We will compare your enrollment on the census date with the enrollment data on your financial aid offer to determine if you continue to meet the eligibility requirements for each of the federal financial aid programs listed. If a revision is warranted, we will notify you via your wmich.edu email account. Based upon final enrollment, it is possible your aid could increase, decrease or be canceled.

  • If you increase or reduce your credit hours before the census date, your federal financial aid may be adjusted, appropriately, for your enrollment level. If your aid is reduced and it creates a balance due on your WMU account, you will be responsible for payment.
  • If you add credit hours after the census date, your aid will not be increased.
  • Aid may be affected if you are taking courses that begin after the census date. For example, if you are enrolled in a traditional undergraduate program and taking a class that starts after the census date, the federal Pell Grant will not be disbursed until after the last drop date for which you are enrolled. If you fail to begin attendance in all classes, the grant will be reduced accordingly. Federal loans will disburse when you reach half-time enrollment.

Aid may be affected if you submit FAFSA information or corrections after the University's census date.

Non-enrollment or reduction in credit hours

Federal financial aid awards are based on your regular, full-time enrollment in an eligible degree or certificate program. Your scholarships and grant amounts will lock at the census date; however, if you drop all classes, fail to attend, or fail to earn credits, we may be required to cancel a portion of your aid and you may owe a balance to the university.

  • If you enroll less than full-time, your financial aid awards may be reduced or canceled.
  • Federal loans will only be paid if you are enrolled at least half-time at the time of disbursement.
  • If you do not enroll for a semester, aid and loans for that semester will be canceled. If you intend to re-enroll within the academic year, you may submit a Student Aid Adjustment Form to request a review of your award.

Full-time enrollment is as follows:

  • Fall or spring semesters: 12 credit hours for undergraduate students and 6 credit hours for graduate students.
  • Summer I or II sessions: 6 credit hours for undergraduate students and 3 credit hours for graduate students.

 

Course Program of Study

Effective Summer II 2026, the Student Financial Aid will review the courses in which students are enrolled for the current semester/session against their degree requirements as listed on their student account, know as Course Program of Study (CPoS). The Course Program of Study is a federal regulation and process that governs the disbursement of federal aid, ensuring that aid is only paid for courses that count towards a student's program.

This regulation requires institutions to ensure Title IV aid is disbursed only for eligible coursework that applies toward program completion. According to the U.S. Department of Education, students must be enrolled in an eligible degree-seeking or certificate-seeking program to receive federal financial aid, which includes:

  • Direct Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized)
  • PLUS Loans (Parent PLUS and Grad PLUS)
  • Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Federal Work-study

To qualify for financial aid, enrolled courses must apply towards the student’s degree or certificate program.

If a student enrolls in courses that are not required to complete their eligible degree or certificate, their financial aid offer may be prorated or cancelled in accordance with U.S. Department of Education regulations. If you wish to enroll in courses that do not count towards your degree, please contact the WMU Student Financial Aid and Scholarships Office prior for guidance.

What is Course Program of Study (CPoS)?
CPoS is a federal requirement that allows federal financial aid to be paid only for courses that apply toward your declared degree or eligible certificate program.

Why is WMU required to review my courses?
Federal regulations require universities to ensure federal financial aid is used only for coursework that counts toward degree completion.

Can I take a class that does not apply to my degree?
Yes. You may enroll in courses you are academically permitted to take. However, federal financial aid cannot be used to pay for courses that do not apply toward your program of study.

Will CPoS remove me from my classes?
No. CPoS does not drop courses or prevent registration. It only determines which courses are eligible for financial aid.

Does CPoS affect all financial aid?
CPoS affects federal financial aid including Pell Grants and federal student loans. Most institutional or private scholarships are not affected.

What happens if only some of my courses apply?
Only the credits that apply toward your degree are counted for financial aid. This may reduce your enrollment status or aid amount.

How do I know if my courses apply to my degree?
You can review your degree requirements in Degree Works through goWMU.

What if Degree Works looks incorrect?
Contact your academic advisor as soon as possible. Student Financial Aid cannot make academic changes.

What if I change my major?
Your courses will be reviewed under your new program requirements, which may affect financial aid eligibility.

Who should I contact with questions?
Academic questions should be directed to your academic advisor. Financial aid questions should be directed to Student Financial Aid and Scholarships.

High school diploma

Students may be eligible for federal financial aid if they have a high school diploma or its equivalent. Equivalents at WMU include:

  • General Education Development certificate.
  • College transcript showing completion of an associate's degree or 60 semester hours acceptable toward a baccalaureate degree.
  • Homeschool certification.
  • College transcript showing completion of at least six semester hours before July 1, 2012.
  • College transcript showing completion of at least six semester hours after July 1, 2012, with registration or enrollment in an eligible program or receipt of federal financial aid occurring prior to July 1, 2012.

 

Citizenship

You must be a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or an eligible noncitizen. Generally, you are an eligible noncitizen if you are:

  • A U.S. permanent resident and you have an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-551).
  • A conditional permanent resident (I-551C).
  • Another eligible noncitizen with an arrival departure record (I-94) from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service showing any one of the following designations: Refugee, Asylum Granted, Indefinite Parole, Humanitarian Parole or Cuban-Haitian Entrant.

 

Satisfactory academic progress

If you want to remain eligible for federal and state financial aid programs, you must make satisfactory academic progress toward your degree. Standards of satisfactory academic progress are applied to all students who wish to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility, regardless of whether they have received financial aid in the past.

The standards of satisfactory academic progress state that you must:

  • Complete and pass a minimum of 67% of all attempted hours at WMU.
  • Maintain a minimum of a 2.00 cumulative grade point average by the end of the second academic year.
  • Complete all degree requirements—this includes credit hours transferred to WMU—within 150% of the minimum number of credits to graduate (i.e., 122 minimum credit hours X 150% = 183 credit hours).

File a satisfactory academic progress appeal
 

Policy statement effective summer II 2019, to remain eligible for institutional, federal and state financial aid programs, students need to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward a degree or certificate.

Standards are applied to all students who wish to establish or maintain financial aid eligibility at Western Michigan University, regardless of whether they have received 
financial aid in the past.

Standards of satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

To maintain eligibility, a student must:

  1. Complete and pass a minimum of 67% of all attempted hours at WMU.
  2. Maintain a minimum of 2.00 cumulative grade point average by the end of the second academic year.
  3. Complete all degree requirements (this includes credit hours transferred to WMU) within 150% of the minimum numbers of credits to graduate (i.e. 122 minimum X 150% = 183 credit hours).

    SAP will be monitored each semester. A student’s eligibility for financial aid may be in jeopardy for the next semester if SAP is not met. In addition to these standards, Student Financial Aid may use professional judgment to terminate eligibility. This may occur when a student falls significantly below a standard and does not have a realistic chance to meet the requirement by the end of the warning period, or when a student fails all of their courses in a semester.

Graduate students

Graduate students are required to meet the above criteria, however, the maximum attempted hours are evaluated at the graduate college level based on the standards through the University’s Graduate Academic Standards policy.

Credit hours passed

Credit hours passed are defined as having grades of A, B, BA, C, CB, D, DC, CR, FA, FB, FBA, FC, FCB, FD, FDC, TCR or CR.

Credit hours not passed

Grades of E (failure), I (incomplete), W (official withdrawal), X (unofficial withdrawal), NC (no credit), AU (audit), R (repeat), FE, FI, FW, FX, NA or TNC are not considered as hours passed. Any of these negatively impact your completion percentage as well as count towards maximum credit hours attempted.

Total hours attempted

Attempted hours include: all hours (classes passed, incompletes, withdrawals and failed classes.) WMU classes that are dropped within the drop/add period do not count as dropped courses, and do not count towards total hours attempted. All attempted hours at WMU and all credit hours transferred from other institutions are counted in the total hours attempted for maximum hour calculation. 

Change of major, double major, extended programs, second bachelor degree

If a student elects to double major, complete more than one degree at a time and/or start a degree and then change majors, then all classes previously taken will count towards SAP.

Remedial courses

Remedial courses are counted either as a letter grade or as credit/no credit. The grades earned for these courses are included in calculating the student's grade point average. Remedial courses are counted as part of the total attempted hours for both qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Dropping or withdrawing from courses

Reducing a student’s enrollment may have serious consequences. Students who withdraw from all classes in a semester may be required to return some, or all, of the financial aid paid to their student account. Dropping or withdrawing from classes after the drop/add period would negatively impact the student’s 67% completion percentage and the hours would still be included in total attempted hours. If a student is considering dropping one or more classes after their financial aid has paid, or after the end of the drop/add period, they should contact Student Financial Aid to determine how this may affect their offers.

Clearing up attempted hours deficiencies

Financial aid offers may be reinstated if an attempted hour deficiency has been cleared. To clear up an attempted hour deficiency, students could have a grade change, complete coursework for an incomplete or pass greater than 67% of all future attempted hours. Students will need to appeal once the attempted hour deficiency has been cleared and the academic record at WMU has been updated.

Cumulative grade point average

A student’s cumulative grade point average (GPA) at WMU must meet the minimum standards by the end of the second academic year. Undergraduate degrees for juniors and seniors require a minimum grade point average of 2.00. Transfer credits will not be included in the cumulative GPA. The student’s GPA requirement will be monitored and enforced by Student Financial Aid. If the University dismisses the student, the student is not eligible for financial aid.

Review procedures

After grades are posted each semester, Student Financial Aid will review academic history files of financial aid students for the 67% and GPA standards. After census of each semester, Student Financial Aid will review the academic history files of financial aid students for the maximum total hours attempted. Student Financial Aid will notify students via their WMU email of the academic progress status for financial aid purposes. Whether a student has received financial aid in the past is not relevant.

SAP status codes 

Satisfactory
The student met the overall standards for financial aid. The student is eligible for financial aid.
Warning
The first semester that a student falls below either the 67% completion rate, or the 2.00 cumulative GPA, and the overall attempted hours do not exceed 150% of attempted hour maximum. Student is eligible for financial aid, however, must meet SAP the semester following their semester of Warning.
Probation
The student has not met one or more of the standards of SAP and is not eligible for Warning status; has filed an appeal which has been approved on the condition that  the overall standards of SAP will be met by the end of the semester. Student is eligible for financial aid for the semester of Probation.
Academic plan
The student has not met one or more of the standards of SAP and is not eligible for Warning status; has filed an appeal which has been approved. Student is eligible for aid for the semester in which the appeal was approved. Will maintain eligibility for future semesters as long as the student meets the terms of the academic plan, or meets the overall standards of SAP by the end of the semester.
Unsatisfactory
The student has not met one or more of the standards of SAP. Is not eligible for financial aid. May regain eligibility for financial aid if the student is either: able to bring the academic record within standards (i.e. brings cumulative GPA back over 2.00, or is able to bring completion percentage back over the 67% minimum); or files a financial aid Academic Progress Appeal, and that appeal is able to be approved.

Appeal process

If the student has received a “not eligible” notice due to not meeting SAP, the student may appeal for reinstatement of their financial aid eligibility based on extenuating circumstances. Submit by the appeal deadline dates noted below for the respective semester. Appeal forms are available at http://wmich.studentforms.com
Reinstatement of financial aid is dependent upon professional judgment and awards are based on the availability of funds. Each request will be considered on an individual basis and may take up to two weeks to process (depending upon the time of year).
Following are examples of “extenuating circumstances” that may be considered for an appeal: significant medical illness or injury, death of a close relative, change in academic program of study along with another significant event, obtaining a second bachelor’s degree, a significant event, or personal tragedy.

After reviewing the appeal, students will be notified of the decision. If an appeal is denied, the student must clear up the deficiencies in order to receive financial aid.
If a student’s appeal has been approved, they will be placed on probation or an academic plan and will be eligible to receive financial aid for the semester of their approval period. Students who do not meet the conditions of probation or the academic plan will not be eligible for financial aid effective the next semester. If there are extenuating circumstances, students may appeal. If an appeal is denied, the student must clear up the deficiencies in order to receive financial aid. Note: If a student received the Michigan Competitive Scholarship and has a GPA below 2.00, they are not eligible for reinstatement of the scholarship until their GPA is 2.00 or higher.

Appeal deadline dates

July 15 - to receive aid for the summer II session.
Oct. 15 - to receive aid for the fall semester. 
March 1 - to receive aid for the spring semester. 
May 15 - to receive aid for the summer I session. 
 

Other conditions

Your financial aid eligibility is influenced by additional factors. Explore below.

  • Cost of attendance: Your offers may not exceed the estimated cost of attendance. If you receive financial aid, including outside scholarships, beyond your eligibility based on the cost of attendance, your awards may be adjusted.
  • All educational resources (i.e. scholarships, stipends, etc.) that are not listed on your award notification must be reported to the Student Financial Aid office. 
  • Student visa status: If you have an F1 or F2 student visa, J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa or G service visa, you are neither a citizen nor eligible noncitizen.
  • A valid Social Security number.
  • Selective Service registration: Men between the ages of 18 and 25 must register with the Selective Service.
  • Default: You must not owe an overpayment on a Federal Perkins Loan or grant program. You must not be in default on a federal student loan or over your loan limits.
  • Educational purpose: You must certify that funds will be used solely for educational purposes.
  • When additional aid is received after other financial aid awards have disbursed, it may result in the reversal of other aid and leave you with an outstandin balance. 

 

Dropping or withdrawing from classes

If you are a financial aid recipient contemplating a partial or complete withdrawal or wish to drop a course, it is highly recommended that you discuss your situation with a Financial Service Specialist before you withdraw. Dropping or withdrawing may impact your eligibility for current and future aid.

 

Repeated coursework

According to federal regulations, coursework counts toward your enrollment and federal financial aid eligibility only twice if it is completed with a passing grade. The third attempt at the same course will not count toward your federal aid eligibility. For example, if a student takes a class and passes it with a D both times, they might choose to take the class a third time in order to get a better grade. This third attempt does not count toward their enrollment for financial aid eligibility.