Frequently Asked Questions

A student interested in applying for financial aid at William Paterson University must submit annually a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA. You may apply online at STUDENTAID.GOV. William Paterson University's Federal School Code number is 002625.

The William Paterson filing deadline to be considered for full financial aid funding is May 1^st. To be considered for a New Jersey State Aid, you must apply by April 15^th for renewal students and September 15^th for new students.

Yes, most federal programs (Pell grants, Stafford Loans) are available as long as you meet eligibility requirements prior to the last day of the academic year. The NJ State programs have an application deadline of April 15^th for returning students and September 15^th for new students for receipt of the FAFSA by the federal processor.

No, there are many factors in addition to income which are used to determine eligibility for need-based aid. In addition to income, other factors such as family size, number of family members in college, and assets are considered when determining the students' eligibility for financial aid.

Yes, it is important to complete the FAFSA every year in order to be eligible for Financial Aid. Students can begin to complete the FAFSA as of October 1^st of every year.

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Please view the Center for Student Services website for the current tuition rates. An estimated financial aid award package will be available once you have been accepted and your FAFSA is on file with William Paterson University.

Depending on what you selected as your Financial Aid Authorization form (Title IV), you can expect a refund due to a credit balance within 14 days from the date of disbursement to your account. Disbursement occurs after the end of the add/drop period of the semester. In the fall term, disbursements occur in October and in the spring term, disbursements occur in February.

Once you file the FAFSA, you will receive a Financial Aid Award Letter including all Federal, State and Institutional Grants, Scholarships and Loans for which you qualify. All first time borrowers at WPUNJ will be required to complete the Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note. If you feel you need additional loan funding you can view the Federal Loans information on our Financial Aid home page.

Students are required to attend a 45 minute Student Employment Workshop, in order to determine eligibility. This workshop will explain all the policies and procedures of how to obtain a position. See the Student Employment Page for complete details.

Only send in tax documentation to the Office of Financial Aid, if we request them. This may happen if you are selected for Federal Verification.

Verification is a process where the Financial Aid Office is required to check the accuracy of the information the student provided on the  Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). In order to process your financial aid, we need additional information from you. This information must be submitted through the Verify My FAFSA student portal. With Verify My Fafsa, you will be able to:

1. Complete financial aid forms on your phone, tablet or computer
2. Securely upload documents from any device
3. E-Sign documents - for students and parents
4. Manage your financial aid tasks online
5. Receive automated reminders about outstanding tasks and next steps

The New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA) needs more information to determine your eligibility for your New Jersey State aid Grant(s).  Please visit NJFAMS to view and complete your required tasks in your student portal.

1. Log into NJFAMS at https://njfams.hesaa.org to review and complete your ‘To Do List’ shown on your student portal.Please send all requested documents together. Missing or incomplete documents will not be reviewed and will delay the processing of your state aid award(s).  
2. To submit documents, visit njgrants.org select the 'Grants' tab then click ‘Upload Documents.’ 
3. Return to the NJFAMS Welcome page to check your ‘Award and Eligibility Information’. To prevent processing delays and possibility of loss of eligibility, complete required tasks by established deadlines.   The deadline for the fall 2021 term is November 1, 2021. 

Please check our Eligibility Requirements page to have the full answer.
A student is automatically independent if a student:

• has reached 24 years of age
• is a ward of the court or both parents are deceased
• is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces
• has legal dependents (other than a spouse) for which the applicant provides 1/2 of their support; this must be documented
• is married at the time of filing
• is a graduate or professional student.

The parent you live with or who has custody of you should complete the FAFSA. If your parent has remarried, the stepparent's income is also required to be reported. However, child and household support from the non-custodial parent is required on the FAFSA.

If your family's financial circumstances have changed due to unemployment, death of a parent/spouse, divorce/separation, loss of untaxed income/benefits see the forms section of the Financial Aid. Forms page for the Special Condition Request for Review information.

Most companies are not recommended by the Office of Financial Aid. Many have been found to be fraudulent at worst and misleading at best. Don't be fooled by the money-back guarantee; if you are asked to pay for a service, don't! It is virtually impossible to get your money back. The services provided by these companies can be done on your own by researching scholarship publications at the library or using the free FastWEB scholarship search on the internet.

No, it does not. You apply for Financial Aid generally the same time as you complete your Admissions applications. The WPUNJ priority deadline date is May 1^st.

Yes. Receipt of a scholarship does not preclude receiving financial assistance. However, all scholarships must be considered as part of your overall financial aid package. The FAFSA is required for all institutional scholarships as well.

The Financial Aid Office at William Paterson is committed to meet as much of our student's need as possible throughout their undergraduate years. However, an individual student's need may change from year to year. Educational costs may increase or family factors may change. For instance, changes in family size, number in college, an increase/decrease in income all can affect the parental contributions from year to year. Financial aid is given for the academic year. Based on the FAFSA information the aid may alter year to year.

A: Possibly. Please contact our office to determine how your aid will be affected. Contact us via e-mail: FinAid@wpunj.edu

Your FSAID is an electronic access code that serves as your personal identifier. Your FSAID allows you to:

• “Sign” your FAFSA electronically and complete the student aid process completely online no paper is involved.
• If you're a dependent student and one of your parents have a Federal Student Aid ID, he or she can sign your FAFSA electronically online as well.
• Correct your FAFSA online.
• Access your Student Aid Report* (SAR).
• “Sign” a master promissory note* for a federal student loan.
• Access your federal student aid records online, including your student loan history information on NSLDS.*
• You, and your parents if you're a dependent student, can apply for a FSAID anytime at FSA ID.
• If you're in FAFSA on the Web, a separate screen will appear when you select the option to apply for an FSAID. 

In order for financial aid to disburse, the University must document that you have begun attendance in your courses. At the beginning of each semester professors will be asked to electronically report if you attending your courses. If you are not reported as attending your courses, your financial aid may need to be adjusted before we disburse your funds.

An Enrollment Verification Hold will be placed on your Financial Aid record until the Enrollment Verification process is completed.

 We will monitor the roster verification process, and if necessary, make downward adjustments to aid. For instance, if you are borrowing student loans, you must be confirmed in at least 6 credit hours. State Grant programs (TAG, EOF, GUS, NJSTARS II) and most scholarships require you to be confirmed in at least 12 credit hours (full-time). Federal Pell Grants allow for part-time study at reduced award amounts.

For Online Courses: To complete roster verification for online courses, faculty will assign and collect an academic activity at the beginning of the semester to verify your attendance. This task must be completed in order for a faculty member to verify your attendance.

To determine if your financial aid will cover your bill please view you bill through your WPConnect account.

Direct Subsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students with financial need. Your school determines the amount you can borrow, and the amount may not exceed your financial need. The U.S. Department of Education pays the interest on a Direct Subsidized Loan while you’re in school at least half-time, for the first six months after you leave school (referred to as a grace period*), and during a period of deferment (a postponement of loan payments).

Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students; there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need. Your school determines the amount you can borrow based on your cost of attendance and other financial aid you receive. You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods.

*Not all students will be offered the Federal Direct Subsidized loan.

You may retrieve your federal loan information from your dashboard on StudentAid.gov. You will receive specific balance and repayment information from your lender(s).  If you do not receive repayment information you must contact your lender to prevent loan default.

In order to be eligible for a deferment a student must:

• Have a CREDIT balance on their student account after all charges are paid in full (i.e.: refund pending)
• Have a valid University ID
• Maximum amount that can be request for Bookstore Deferment is $700 per semester.

You can fill out a book deferment on our homepage: www.wpunj.edu/finaid. The book deferment is provided at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. At the beginning of the semester please view our website for the deadline submission dates. Book deferments are not available for winter and summer sessions.

You can contact the Financial Aid Office via email at FinAid@wpunj.edu or via our chatbot found on our webpage.

No, federal or state aid is not eligible for the winter term or semester. William Paterson University students may use alternative loans to finance the winter session. Please note that these loans are based on credit worthiness and may not afford the same benefits as Federal Direct Student loans.

To be considered for financial aid for summer you MUST:

• Be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) at the end of the spring 2021 semester. Undergraduate Students (cumulative GPA of 2.0 and a cumulative completion rate of 67%) Graduate Students (cumulative GPA of 3.0 and a cumulative completion rate of 70%)
• Aid already awarded for the summer will be removed if you are not making SAP at the end of the spring 2021 semester.
• Federal Direct Loan Eligibility:
  Traditional Undergraduate and Graduate (Not Online Programs) Be enrolled for at least six (6) credits (for undergraduate students), or five (5) credits (for graduate students). Please note that graduate students must be enrolled in Graduate level courses. All students must maintain half time attendance to qualify for federal student loans. Please note: Your summer application will remain unprocessed until you formally register for the required minimum number of credits.
  
  Undergraduate WP Online Be enrolled for at least six (6) credits. All students must maintain half time attendance to qualify for federal student loans. Please note: Your summer application will remain unprocessed until you formally register for the required minimum number of credits.
  
  Graduate WP Online Be enrolled for at least three (3) credits. Please note that graduate students must be enrolled in Graduate level courses. All students must maintain half time attendance to qualify for federal student loans. Please note: Your summer application will remain unprocessed until you formally register for the required minimum number of credits.
• Disbursements will take place when each of the above enrollment criteria are met (6 or 3) Enrollment Verification will drive disbursements.
• Refunds will be generated only after Enrollment Verification and Disbursements.
• PELL Eligibility: Students may be eligible for summer Pell even if they have received full-time Pell awards in the fall and spring semesters.
• You must be enrolled in at least 6 credits.
• Pell awards may not cover full cost of summer tuition
• Use of Pell awards will affect your lifetime Pell limit of 12 full-time semesters (600%). Please note that you can receive the Federal Pell Grant for no more than 12 semesters or the equivalent (roughly six years). If you have any questions, contact your financial aid office.
• If you have not used up 100% of your 2021-2022 Pell award, you may be eligible for a Pell grant in the summer.
• Have a processed Financial Aid Application (FAFSA) on file in the Financial Aid Office for the current award year. (All Summer Aid will be based on your current FAFSA used for the spring semester.)

• Be enrolled in a MATRICULATED Program.

Yes, students must maintain both qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (pace or completion rate) criteria in order to remain eligible for financial aid.  For more information please read or Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy at https://www.wpunj.edu/financial-aid/satisfactory-academic-progress/.

1. Only biological or adoptive parents can apply for the Parent Plus loan online at studentaid.gov
2. Grandparents, godparents, siblings, aunts and uncles or other family members are not allowed to apply for a Parent Plus loan.

Your financial aid may be reduced or canceled. You should contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine your continued eligibility before dropping course(s).

Your federal financial aid must be recalculated and you will owe the University the amount that must be returned to the federal government.

Scheduled award: The maximum amount of Federal Pell Grant funding you can receive is calculated for an award year. An award year is a period from July 1 of one calendar year to June 30 of the next calendar year. Your scheduled award:

• is partially determined by using your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that is calculated from the information you (and your family) provided when you filed your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA^®) form;
• is the maximum amount you would be able to receive for the award year if you were enrolled full-time for the full school year; and
• Represents 100% of your Pell Grant eligibility for that award year.

Percent used: To determine how much of the maximum six years (600%) of Pell Grant you have used each year, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) compares the actual amount you received for the award year with your scheduled award amount for that award year. Of course, if you receive the full amount of your scheduled award, you will have used 100%. It is possible that you might not receive your entire scheduled award for an award year. There are a number of reasons for this, the most common of which are that you are not enrolled for the full year or that you are not enrolled full-time, or both.