Undergraduate Offer Letter

If you completed the FAFSA and received your student aid report, you will then receive your WMU offer letter. If you are a new or returning student, you will receive your interactive financial aid offer letter via your WMU email. Updated offer letter information is available in GoWMU. 

Determination of Offers

Offer letters will tell you just how much aid you can expect to receive from WMU. Offers are determined on several factors, including the information you and your family supplied on the FAFSA, your residency and your planned enrollment.

Offering for new students will begin on or before March 31 for the upcoming year. Offering for returning students will begin on or before June 5.

Cancel or reduce Offers

You can cancel or reduce federal loans that have not disbursed to your WMU account. You may also cancel or reduce your federal loans after they have disbursed. However, if they have disbursed, the adjustment form must be received within 30 days of the date of disbursement. Canceling or reducing a disbursed loan may result in a balance due on your WMU account.

Shopping sheet - military

The U.S. Department of Education requires that we send new, undergraduate students who are veterans a standardized financial aid shopping sheet. If you fit this requirement, you will receive an email with a link to your shopping sheet in GoWMU. This federal information supplements your official WMU financial aid offer information.

The federal shopping sheet may not include all your offers or resources. It does not include any Veterans Affairs education benefits you may have, including:

  • Montgomery GI Bill.
  • Post-9/11 GI Bill.
  • Yellow Ribbon Program.
  • Federal Tuition Assistance.

For more information about these programs, you should contact the WMU Office of Military and Veterans Affairs at (269) 387-4444.

Translation

  • Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of how much college will cost that includes tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies and other university expenses. 
  • Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the amount the federal government believes your family can contribute to one year of college and is used to determine financial need. 
  • Financial Need is the difference between Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and the Cost of Attendance (COA).
  • Federal Work-study is college work-study. It is a need-based program that allows students to work and earn a paycheck.
  • Federal Pell Grant is a federal grant for students with significant need. It is not repaid. Eligibility is determined in part by your expected family contribution.
  • Federal SEOG is the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant. It is a federal grant with limited funding and is not repaid. This grant is awarded to students with significant need.
  • Federal Direct Subsidized Loan is a student loan that is federally funded, need-based and carries a low, fixed interest rate.
  • Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not need-based. It offers a low interest rate and minimal fees. Interest accrues with disbursement.
  • WMU Grant has limited funding and is provided by WMU to students with need. Eligibility is based in part on your expected family contribution.

Semesters/sessions
WMU breaks the school year into four semesters/sessions. Financial aid is based on your estimated full-time enrollment. Most students enroll for Fall and Spring semesters. You may also enroll for classes during Summer I and Summer II. Both of these sessions require an additional financial aid application - available each Spring semester on our Forms page. Your offer letter shows your aid by semester/session.

Verification

Some students will be selected for verification. If you have been selected, we will contact you through your Western email. If selected, you will be required to submit additional documentation detailing household and other information. You need to turn in all requested documents as soon as possible to avoid any delay in processing your aid. Some financial aid offers are time sensitive and could be reduced or revoked if you do not complete the verification process.

Satisfactory academic progress

To remain eligible for financial aid, you must make satisfactory academic progress at WMU. This means you must:

  1. Pass 67% of all attempted hours.
  2. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average as stated in the University Catalog. 
  3. Not exceed a maximum of 183 attempted undergraduate hours, including transfer credit hours.