Types of Financial Aid

Student loans play a critical role in bringing the cost of your education at UWS within your financial grasp. The vast majority of UWS students borrow student loans. It is important for you to understand your rights and responsibilities when you borrow student loans. Before any federal student loan funds can be disbursed, you must first sign and return your financial aid award notification letter, complete entrance counseling and sign a master promissory note for each type of loan you will receive.

All loans must be repaid
When you accept a loan, you are making a commitment to repay that loan on time and in full. Loan counseling and debt management information is provided via entrance counseling prior to the first disbursement of federal student loan funds. Information regarding your rights and responsibilities as a borrower is included on your promissory notes. Borrow wisely.

UWS students are conscientious borrowers
UWS has a very low student loan default rate. View our current cohort default rate. Enter 012309 for the OPEID and click Search, select “University of Western States.”

The William D. Ford Federal Unsubsidized Direct Stafford Loan Program is awarded to students who have not met their annual loan limit, who have not met their cost of attendance (COA), and who are matriculated in an degree program or approved certificate-seeking program. The application for the direct loan program is the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Entrance counseling and a master promissory note must also be completed.  

The direct unsubsidized loan is awarded to students who have not met their COA after all need-based aid and other resources have been awarded. The student is responsible for all accrued interest on the unsubsidized loan. 

The student must meet the following requirements to be eligible for federal direct loans: 

• Submission of all required documents
• Correction flags, verification and any other items determined by the Department of Education are resolved
• The student is not in default and does not owe an overpayment on a federal grant or loan
• The student’s enrollment is at least half-time
• Student must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP)
• Not have a judgment lien for a federal debt
• In combination with other aid, loans do not to exceed the student’s financial need or COA

The financial aid office awards the maximum annual amount based on the student’s annual or aggregate loan limits based on the degree type below: 

*Please note students enrolled in more than one program can only receive one annual amount. The annual amount will be determine based on highest annual amount if the student is enrolled at least half time for that program each term. 

Students may only receive federal aid at one institution at a time. If a student is concurrently enrolled, the student must determine which institution will be awarding and disbursing the funds. 

Student loans are awarded evenly over all eligible and required payment periods in the academic year. Direct loan funds are posted directly to the student’s account once confirmation of all requirements are obtain. Students in the Doctor of Chiropractic program will have their disbursement scheduled for the first day of the term and all other programs are scheduled once the consensus date for the term is reached and once active participation is confirmed.  

Students attending for one term will have a loan period that consists of the quarter start and end dates in which the term belongs. 

Students who wish to decline all of their Federal Direct Stafford Loans can decline the award in MyFinancialAid Portal. Students who wish to reduce the total amount borrowed must submit their request in writing to the financial aid office or reduce it via MyFinancialAid Portal. If a student is not going to borrow any Federal Direct Stafford Loans, the requirement to complete the entrance loan counseling and the master promissory note will be waived. Students must submit a new request to decline or reduce their loans every academic year. 

Students will have the following origination fee netted out of the award loan (origination fees are subject to change October 1 of every year):  

On or after October 1, 2022 and before October 1, 2023: 1.057%  

On or after October 1, 2021 and before October 1, 2022: 1.057%  

Students will receive a notification of loan disbursement via email from the business office once funds post to their account 

Students have 30 days from receipt of notification to cancel and/or reduce the loan amount. In the event that a student would like loan funds returned to a lender within 30 days of receipt of a disbursement notification due to a refund, they must submit a request to return federal aid to the business office.  The request will be link to your refund notification email. All other returns not due to a refund will require written request to the financial aid office. Students who are serving on active duty during a war, other military operation, or national emergency, students who are performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war, other military operation, or national emergency, or students who reside or are employed in an area declared a disaster area by any federal, state, or local official in connection with a national emergency will have 60 days to request partial or full cancellation of loan proceeds. If the university receives a student’s request for cancellation after 30 days from receipt of disbursement notification, the university will honor the request only if they have made other payment arrangements with the business office or if the return will not result in an owing balance. The university is not responsible for returning any portion of a loan that was disbursed to a student directly (i.e., as a result of removing a credit from the student’s account before the request for cancellation was received). Please note any interest that has accrued is the student’s responsibility to repay. 

Excess funds created by a direct loan disbursement are refunded within 14 days from the date the credit was created to the student. 

The current interest rate for direct loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2022 and before July 1, 2023 is 6.54% for unsubsidized graduate/professional loans.   

Students who receive a direct loan will have the loan submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and the loan will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the data system. Students may access their up-to-date borrowing records online at studentaid.gov.  

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Stafford Loan must be recalculated any time there is a change in enrollment status between terms or within a term prior to recalculation dates, or a change in COA. The financial aid office does not disburse federal loan funds when there is no possibility of repayment. Therefore, if a student dies before the loan is disbursed, the school must adjust, return, and/or cancel the loan within 30 days. If a student dies while in attendance, an R2T4 calculation is required, and the institution must return the Title IV funds for which it is responsible. 

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Program (GPLUS) is an unsubsidized loan for graduate students. Students in the chiropractic college can apply for a GPLUS Loan via MyFiancialAid portal. Students in the College of Graduate Studies will need to contact the financial aid office to request the application is made available to them via the MyFinancialAid portal. Students must also complete the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Master Promissory Note and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Entrance Loan Counseling. GPLUS students may not have an adverse credit history; a hard credit check is required for a GPLUS Loan application and is valid for 180 days. Please note that the student must have a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on file and must have exhausted all Federal Direct Stafford Loan funding levels. Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year cannot be submitted until the MyFinancialAid portal has opened.   

The GPLUS Loan is awarded to students who are matriculated in a graduate degree or post-graduate certificate seeking program who have not met their Cost of Attendance (COA) after all need-based aid and other resources have been awarded. The student is responsible for all accrued interest on the GPLUS Loan. The student must meet the following requirements to be eligible:  

• Submission of all required documents for the student’s account 
• Correction flags, verification and any other items determined by the Department of Education are resolved for the student’s account 
• Not be in default and or owe an overpayment on a federal grant or loan 
• Not have a judgment lien on his/her property 
• Not be incarcerated 
• Be enrolled at least half-time 
• Be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) 

Students may only receive federal aid at one institution at a time. If a student is concurrently enrolled, the student can only apply for a GPLUS to cover tuition and fees. 

GPLUS Loans are awarded evenly during all enrolled payment periods. Funds are posted directly to the student’s account once active attendance is confirmed.   

Students who wish to decline the GPLUS Loan or reduce the total amount borrowed must submit their request in writing to the financial aid office. 

Students will have the following origination fee netted out of the award loan (origination fees are subject to change October 1 of every year):  

On or after October 1, 2022 and before October 1, 2023: 4.228%  

On or after October 1, 2021 and before October 1, 2021: 4.228%  

Students will receive a notification of loan disbursement via email from the business office once funds post to their account 

Students have 30 days from receipt of notification to cancel and/or reduce the loan amount. In the event that a student would like loan funds returned to a lender within 30 days of receipt of a disbursement notification due to a refund, they must submit a request to return federal aid to the business office. The request will be link to your refund notification email. All other returns not due to a refund will require written request to the financial aid office. Students who are serving on active duty during a war, other military operation, or national emergency, students who are performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war, other military operation, or national emergency, or students who reside or are employed in an area declared a disaster area by any federal, state, or local official in connection with a national emergency will have 60 days to request partial or full cancellation of loan proceeds. If the university receives a student’s request for cancellation after 30 days from receipt of disbursement notification, the university will honor the request only if they have made other payment arrangements with the business office or if the return will not result in an owing balance. The university is not responsible for returning any portion of a loan that was disbursed to a student directly (i.e., as a result of removing a credit from the student’s account before the request for cancellation was received). Please note any interest that has accrued is the student’s responsibility to repay. 

Excess funds created by a GPLUS Loan disbursement are refunded within 14 days from the date the credit was created to the student. 

The current interest rate for GPLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2022 and before July 1, 2023 is 7.54.   

Should the student be denied, they have two options to overturn the denial. The first is the Direct PLUS Loan reconsideration process if the application has been flagged for reconsideration. To pursue the reconsideration the student can call 1 (800) 557-7394. Additional documentation and steps may be required for reconsideration approval. The second option is for the student to seek an endorser for the loan. Endorsers must create their own FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov. The student must supply the endorser with a PLUS Endorser Code. The student must create a new master promissory note for every year an endorser is obtained. 

The financial aid office has the authority to refuse to process any approved GPLUS loan if it is believed that the student is unwilling to repay the loan. 

Students who receive a GPLUS Loan will have the loan submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and the loan will be accessible by guaranty agencies, lenders, and schools determined to be authorized users of the data system. Students may access their up-to-date borrowing records online at studentaid.gov.  

The GPLUS Loan must be recalculated any time there is a change in enrollment status between terms or within a term prior to recalculation dates, or a change in COA. The financial aid office does not disburse federal loan funds when there is no possibility of repayment. Therefore, if a student dies before the loan is disbursed, the school must adjust, return, and/or cancel the loan within 30 days. If a student dies while in attendance, an R2T4 calculation is required, and the institution must return the Title IV funds for which it is responsible. 

All student loan borrowers are required to complete exit counseling prior to graduating or otherwise leaving school. During exit counseling, students learn about repayment options and other information relevant to managing their student loan debt. Federal student loan consolidation is a popular tool to help borrowers manage repayment. A resource page to help students with consolidation can be found here.

UWS scholarships are awarded primarily on the strength of application but may include consideration of academic merit, financial need and/or other qualifying factors. All scholarships are applied to tuition and are open to both US citizens and residents of other countries. UWS scholarships are made possible through donations and institutional funds. Award amounts are determined by scholarship criteria, available funds and other considerations.

Students are encouraged to seek scholarships outside of UWS as well. A number of private organizations offer scholarships, each with unique deadlines, criteria and application processes. www.fastweb.com is a helpful resource to get started on your search for scholarships.

View UWS Scholarships.

The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program is a federally funded work program that provides on-campus positions for part-time employment within the university to eligible students with significant financial need. The application for FWS is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but eligible students must complete all required missing documents to receive the award. To receive FWS, a student must meet the general eligibility requirements for Title IV aid and must also meet the following eligibility criteria:  

• Submit all required financial aid documents  
• Resolve correction flags, verification and any other items determined by the Department of Education  
• Not be in default and/or owe an overpayment on a federal grant or loan  
• Be enrolled at least half-time 
• Be matriculated in a degree or certificate-seeking program 
• Not be incarcerated in federal or state penal institutions  
• Be maintaining federal and institutional satisfactory academic progress (SAP) 
• Not have a judgment lien for a federal debt  

FWS hourly pay rates meet federal and state minimum wage requirements but may vary based on position. The initial average FWS award amount is $2,000 per quarter and but can be adjusted based on the number of hours a student is working contingent on availability of funds.  On average FWS students work 5-10 hours per week, but the maximum number of hours per week is 18 hours.  

Students may only receive federal aid at one institution at a time. If a student is concurrently enrolled, the student must determine which institution will be awarding and disbursing the funds.  

Priority is given to students who were previously awarded FWS. Secondary review is given to students who request FWS by emailing [email protected].

Students are required to submit timesheets detailing hours worked. Payroll is completed monthly. Wages earned are paid directly to the student via direct deposit or paper check. Students who are required to pay federal and/or state income tax due to total wage earnings exceeding the minimum filing standards may request that net earnings be used for financial need-based purposes.

Students may participate in the FWS Program during periods of non-attendance as long as they are registered for the next payment period. Students participating in the FWS Program during a term break must meet the above eligibility criteria and be registered for the upcoming quarter. 

FWS must be recalculated any time there is a change in Expected Family Contribution (EFC), change in enrollment status between terms or within a term, and/or as a result of termination from FWS Program.  

In the event that a FWS power of attorney is received by the college, the financial aid office will confirm with the Department of Education prior to delivering any FWS income earned by the student to the power of attorney. 

In the event that a FWS student dies, the school may deliver any FWS income earned by the deceased student to the student’s estate. 

Email the financial aid office to learn about job openings and to see if you are eligible.

UWS financial aid professionals help students pursue their educational goals and achieve success by providing information about and access to appropriate financial resources. To this end, financial aid staff members are guided by a set of principles that serve as a common foundation for an acceptable standard of conduct.

UWS financial aid staff shall:

• Maintain the highest level of professionalism
• Commit to the highest level of ethical behavior and refrain from conflicts of interest, including but not limited to:
  • Contract arrangements with any lender providing financial benefit to the employee or to UWS
  • Directing borrowers to particular lenders
  • Refusing or intentionally delaying loan certification
  • Call center or financial aid office staffing assistance
• Respect the dignity and protect the privacy of students
• Ensure the confidentiality of student records as required under FERPA
• Provide information about available and known financial aid resources based solely on factors pertinent to the student’s best interest

Further, UWS ensures that all financial aid professionals adhere to the following:

• May not accept gifts, meals, travel, or any other non-trivial items from student loan providers in connection with the institution’s loan business
• May not accept, from a lending institution, money, equipment, or printing services or anything of value that may provide or suggest an advantage or grant a preferred status
• May not serve as a member of a lending institution’s advisory board

Other UWS staff and officials in a position to make decisions about or advise students or alumni on student loans will likewise adhere to these obligations.