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Western Student

Financial Aid

Helping you manage the cost of your education.

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An investment in your education is an investment in your future. But, we know that navigating this investment financially can seem overwhelming. That’s why we offer a variety of different options for financial aid—to make your education affordable. Our knowledgeable staff in the Financial Aid Department are here to help you navigate your options for financial assistance and support you throughout your academic journey to graduation.

Need Financial Aid Assistance?

Our friendly and knowledgable Financial Aid team is here to help you navigate the process of applying for and receiving aid at Western. Give us a call at 970.943.3085 or email finaid@western.edu to get connected with a Financial Aid counselor today.

Types of Aid

Scholarships

Based on considerations such as academic excellence, financial need, school activities, community service and exceptional artistic or athletic talent.

Scholarships

Western Undergraduate Exchange and Central Plains Tuition Discount

Available to students in selected states, the WUE and CP discount offers offers substantial savings to students who are not awarded merit scholarships.

More Information

Grants

Awarded based on demonstrated financial need, cost of education and enrollment status. Apply for grants by completing the FAFSA.

Grants

Loans

By completing the FAFSA, our Financial Aid department can provide the best loan options for you.

Loans

College Opportunity Fund (COF)

Stipend for eligible Colorado residents attending a Colorado public or participating private institution.

College Opportunity Fund (COF)

Work-Study

Pay for your education and enhance your academic experience. There are a variety of employment opportunities on and off-campus.

Work-Study

Military and Veterans Support

Western is committed to helping active military, veterans, and their dependents achieve academic success. Through coordinated efforts with resources across campus, we strive to simplify the process of receiving educational benefits, including VA Chapter Programs, Yellow Ribbon, and the Department of Defense Tuition Assistance Program.

More Information

Apply for Aid

financial aid

Begin the process of making your education more affordable.

Our goal is to make your education affordable by helping you navigate the financial aid process. Our Financial Aid Department’s support doesn’t just apply to your first year at Western—we’ll help you find every financing opportunity through graduation. We’ve helped thousands of students finance their Western education through a combination of scholarships, grants, loans and work-study programs.

Apply for Aid

A smart start

We know that navigating the financial aid process can be daunting—that’s why we are here to help you every step of the way.

In it together

Western is a place of constant beginnings and new connections. Our students enjoy many shared spaces and experiences together.

Important Forms

Find the forms you need to apply for financial aid.

To make applying for financial aid as simple as possible, we’ve compiled the most frequently requested forms below. Contact Financial Aid to request any form listed below or if you have additional questions, please email finaid@western.edu.

Once your federal, state and/or institutional aid has been awarded or adjusted, you must agree to the terms and conditions. This includes any program-specific conditions linked to your awards.

To request a review of financial aid eligibility based on family circumstances not reflected on the FAFSA, use one of the forms below. Reviews begin March 1 and end February 28 for a specific academic year. Students or parents requesting a review must complete the verification process first.

Students who have had their financial aid denied or suspended because of unsatisfactory progress may appeal the decision to Financial Aid.

Your initial residency classification at Western Colorado University is determined by the Office of Admissions based on information you provide in the Residency Section of the Western Admissions Application. This initial residency classification remains the same unless you meet the domicile requirements for Colorado residency.

Several scholarship programs utilize the Scholarship Opportunity Application. Please see the “Application” heading under each scholarship listing to determine if the Scholarship Opportunity Application form may be used.

Cashier’s Office

Western cashier's office

Make a payment or learn about your payment options.

The Cashier’s Office is here to help you and your family learn everything you need to know about charges, payment options and refund policies. Our office also provides information regarding student and family financial rights and responsibilities. We aim to provide professional and personal service to ensure that your transactions are processed smoothly.

Cashier’s Office

Managing finances

The Cashier’s Office is here to help you and your family learn everything you need to know about charges, payment options and refund policies.

Policies

Learn about our financial aid policies.

For information about financial aid policies including adjustments to financial aid, refunds, rights and responsibilities, codes of conduct and more, please see below. If you have any financial aid related questions, please contact finaid@western.edu.

We make every attempt to make adjustments prior to the student receiving a refund; however, there are several reasons why adjustments are required after that timeframe. Read the following information to understand what actions could create a bill.

Dropping/Adding Courses

It is typical for students to drop and add courses during the first few weeks of class. Occasionally, students might be surprised to find out that the revisions to their schedule created a bill when they initially had enough financial aid funds available. Here are some tips to help understand how financial aid is impacted by schedule changes:

  • There may still be a bill even if the student’s enrollment status stays the same after dropping one course and adding another. New courses may have different course fees attached.
  • It is important to review the on-line bill on your Workday account after the final revisions to your class schedule.
  • If the enrollment level changes, the student’s budget will change and the amount of financial aid may be reduced. So if a student drops from full-time to half-time they will have to repay the difference.

Receiving Other Aid

If our office receives notice at any time that a student is receiving scholarships, tuition assistance, or any other form of aid, we are required to reevaluate the original financial aid offered. We make every attempt to reduce loans first, but in some cases we must replace other need-based aid such as grants or work-study.

Corrections on the FAFSA

Whenever our office receives information that doesn’t match what was reported on the FAFSA, we are required to make corrections. The student or parent may also realize that an error was made or that there is an update to the FAFSA information. Please contact our office if this is the case.

Undergraduate Students Who Are Graduating

If you have applied to graduate in December, your Federal Direct Loans are required to be pro-rated based on your fall enrollment. Here are examples of how the loan could be pro-rated:

Fall Credit Hours Annual Loan Amount % Annual Loan Prorated Fall Loan
15 $7,500 62.5% $4,688
12 $7,500 50% $3,750
9 $7,500 37.5% $2,813
6 $7,500 25% $1,875

Change in Residency

Non-resident students who petition for in-state residency will have their aid adjusted if they had been awarded aid at the non-resident level because the expenses for a Colorado resident are substantially less.

Not Attending for a Semester

Typically financial aid is offered to students for the fall and spring semesters. If a student decides not to attend in the spring semester due to graduation or any other reason, the financial aid will be adjusted to one term, which may result in owing aid back to the university. To avoid this, it is best to contact our office before the fall semester begins.

Western’s satisfactory academic progress (SAP) policy is consistent with the guidelines set by the Federal Department of Education, and evaluates the student based on qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (Pace) standards. The SAP policy is applied consistently across all majors.

SAP Calculation Information

  • All students will be evaluated each term, including the summer term, regardless of whether they receive a financial aid award. Periods attended when a student does not receive financial aid will be counted toward the maximum timeframe allowed.
    It is the student’s responsibility to inform the Student Financial Services (SFS) Office of any grade changes, including a grade of incomplete that could impact their SAP status. The student’s status will be re-evaluated once the SFS Office is made aware of the change.
  • Transfer credits are not included in the Pace calculation, and are excluded in the GPA calculation. Transfer credits are considered attempted hours toward the maximum timeframe.
  • Repeat courses are counted in both the Pace and GPA calculations. Repeat courses are considered attempted hours toward the maximum timeframe.
  • Incomplete courses or courses from which a student withdraws are counted in the Pace calculation, and are excluded in the GPA calculation. Incompletes and withdraws are considered attempted hours toward the maximum timeframe. All course withdraws are treated the same.
  • Western does not offer any noncredit remedial coursework.
  • A student’s SAP status does not change when a student pursues a new major.
  • Students pursuing a second Bachelor’s degree are evaluated based on the undergraduate SAP policy.
  • Upon completion of an undergraduate degree program and enrollment in a graduate degree program, students will begin a new SAP status of “Passing”, e.g. BA to MA program.
  • Courses dropped prior to census will not be included in the Pace calculation.
  • Courses dropped after census will be included in the Pace calculation, whether it be one course or a complete semester withdrawal.
  • Students who officially withdraw or fail to complete at least one course in any given term immediately go to suspension for SAP purposes.

Policies for Unusual Circumstances

Grade Changes: A student who is on warning or suspension and has a grade changed, must contact the Student Financial Services office for review to possibly change their SAP standing. Student standings will not be reevaluated automatically. If the grade change does in fact change the standing and the new standing will be placed on ROASTAT manually by a financial aid counselor. It is important to make sure the student is making academic progress in both hours earned as well as GPA prior to adjusting the standing.

Study Abroad: Study abroad students will be monitored until all transcripts have been received. Students will receive their aid since the delay in receiving transcripts can be lengthy. Students are informed that if they do not successfully complete the semester they will either be on warning or suspension depending on the circumstance.

Students Returning to Western after transferring: Students may transfer out of Western after a semester or more of poor performance. Students who return under these circumstances must complete an appeal to receive funding. Previous courses may also be removed by the Registrar which will allow the student to regain good academic standing.

Students who have exceeded the maximum timeframe allowed: Students who have completed coursework in excess of the 150 percent of the minimum graduation requirement are allowed to submit an appeal to extend their eligibility. The Financial Aid staff will consider mitigating circumstances such as transferability of previous coursework and returning to school after an extended absences as well as the amount of coursework remaining to degree completion when determining any additional eligibility.

Undergraduate Students

A student must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward the completion of his or her course of study in order to maintain eligibility for financial assistance in future semesters. It is important to note that scholarships may have their own standards.

A student is considered to be making satisfactory progress if he or she has maintained good academic standing as defined in the Western catalog:

  • Maintain adequate pace toward graduation. Students will be required to maintain a 75 percent credit hour completion rate at all times. Pace is measured by dividing the overall credit hours earned by the overall credit hours attempted. Example – A student who has attempted 100 credit hours and has completed 80 of those credit hours would be meeting this requirement. This student’s pace would be calculated at 80 percent. He/she has completed 80 percent of the credit hours attempted. Likewise a student who has attempted 100 credits and has completed 50 due to withdrawing, failing or receiving incomplete grades in courses would not be meeting SAP due to a 50 percent pace toward graduation. Only courses taken at Western will be counted toward your pace progression calculation, transfer hours are excluded.
  • Achieve and maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 at all times.
  • Completed all course work for graduation within 180 attempted credits (150 percent of the minimum graduation requirement of 120 credit hours); all transfer credits counted toward the completion of degree requirements will also be counted toward the maximum of 180 attempted credits.
  • If a student does not meet the first two requirements, he or she will receive a warning notification via Western e-mail and will have one additional semester of eligibility in which to return to satisfactory standing. If the student has not returned to satisfactory standing after this additional semester, he or she will be suspended from further financial assistance until the satisfactory progress standards are met.

Financial Aid Warning

Financial Aid Warning is a status assigned to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress at a school that evaluates academic progress at the end of each payment period and/or term, and chooses to allow students who fail its progress standards to continue to receive aid. If the student has not returned to satisfactory standing after this additional semester, he or she will be suspended from further financial assistance until the satisfactory progress standards are met.

Financial Aid Suspension

If a student does not meet the first two requirements for two consecutive semesters, he/she will be immediately suspended from financial aid eligibility. If a student does not meet the third requirement, or has not returned to satisfactory standing after his/her warning semester, or withdraws from all courses, or receives the grade of ‘F’, ‘TF’, ’I’, ‘IP’ or ‘W’ in all courses attempted during a semester, he/she will be immediately suspended from financial aid eligibility.

Appeal Process

Students who fail to make satisfactory academic progress may appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal and all supporting documentation should be submitted no later than census date of each term. Mitigating circumstances such as prolonged illness, injury, a death in the immediate family, or other personal crises are grounds for an appeal. The Appeals Committee will act on the appeal in a timely manner, and notify the student in writing of the determination. If approved, financial aid eligibility will be reinstated for a probationary period, after which the student must have returned to satisfactory standing. A student may appeal the termination of eligibility only twice during his or her career at Western. An adverse determination will count as one of the two eligible appeals.

Financial Aid Probation and Regaining Eligibility

Probation is a status assigned to a student who has appealed and has had eligibility for aid reinstated for a probationary period. During the probationary period, students are not allowed to fail any courses and must comply with the specific GPA and completion criteria established in their approval notice. Students will regain eligibility on their own by earning the GPA and completion rate required for maintaining good standing listed previously.

Note: Please contact the Financial Aid Office for the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form.

Graduate Students

A student must make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) toward the completion of his or her course of study in order to maintain eligibility for financial assistance in future semesters.

A student is considered to be making satisfactory progress if he or she:

  • Achieves and maintains a cumulative GPA of 3.0 at the end of each semester.
  • Maintain adequate pace toward graduation. Students will be required to maintain a 75 percent credit hour completion rate at all times. Pace is measured by dividing the overall credit hours earned by the overall credit hours attempted. Example – A student who has attempted 100 credit hours and has completed 80 of those credit hours would be meeting this requirement. This student’s pace would be calculated at 80 percent. He/she has completed 80 percent of the credit hours attempted. Likewise a student who has attempted 100 credits and has completed 50 due to withdrawing, failing or receiving incomplete grades in courses would not be meeting SAP due to a 50 percent pace toward graduation. Only courses taken at Western will be counted toward your pace progression calculation, transfer hours are excluded.
  • Completed all course work for graduation within 150 percent of the minimum graduation requirements of their program length; all transfer credits counted toward the completion of degree requirements will also be counted toward the maximum attempted credits per program.
  • Successfully completes all credit hours they were enrolled in at the beginning of each semester. If enrolled in fewer than nine credits, students must pass all of the credits for which they are registered.

Financial Aid Warning

Financial Aid Warning is a status assigned to a student who fails to make satisfactory academic progress at a school that evaluates academic progress at the end of each payment period and/or term, and chooses to allow students who fail its progress standards to continue to receive aid. If the student has not returned to satisfactory standing after this additional semester, he or she will be suspended from further financial assistance until the satisfactory progress standards are met.

Financial Aid Suspension

If a student does not meet the first two requirements for two consecutive semesters, he/she will be immediately suspended from financial aid eligibility. If a student does not meet the third requirement, or has not returned to satisfactory standing after his/her warning semester, or withdraws from all courses, or receives the grade of ‘F’, ‘TF’, ’I’, ‘IP’ or ‘W’ in all courses attempted during a semester, he/she will be immediately suspended from financial aid eligibility.

Appeal Process

Students who fail to make satisfactory academic progress may appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Office. The appeal and all supporting documentation should be submitted no later than census date of each term. Mitigating circumstances such as prolonged illness, injury, a death in the immediate family, or other personal crises are grounds for an appeal. The Appeals Committee will act on the appeal in a timely manner, and notify the student in writing of the determination. If approved, financial aid eligibility will be reinstated for a probationary period, after which the student must have returned to satisfactory standing. A student may appeal the termination of eligibility only twice during his or her career at Western. An adverse determination will count as one of the two eligible appeals.

Financial Aid Probation and Regaining Eligibility

Probation is a status assigned to a student who has appealed and has had eligibility for aid reinstated for a probationary period. During the probationary period, students are not allowed to fail any courses and must comply with the specific GPA and completion criteria established in their approval notice. Students will regain eligibility on their own by earning the GPA and completion rate required for maintaining good standing listed previously.

Note: Please contact the Financial Aid Office for the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal Form

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions about Return to Title IV Funds at Western Colorado University. We can provide a draft Return of Title IV funds calculation to help you determine the financial impact of withdrawing.

What is Title IV Aid?

Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended in 1998, (Title IV, and HEA program) establishes general rules that apply to federal student financial assistance programs. For purposes of Return of Title IV Funds, these programs include:

  • Federal Pell Grants
  • Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs)
  • Direct Loans
  • Direct Plus Loans

Withdrawal Process

The Return of Title IV funds policy applies to any student who cancels enrollment, withdraws, drops to zero hours, takes a leave of absence, or is dismissed. This policy applies to students who discontinue enrollment in all classes on or after the first day of the term. When you withdraw, two separate calculations must take place; the Office of Student Financial Services can provide both:

  • A refund calculation of tuition and fees
  • A Return of Title IV aid calculation

If you cancel your registration prior to the first day of classes, this policy will not apply to you. Also, if you drop some but not all of your classes, these policies will not apply; however, you should notify the Office of Financial Aid because your continued financial aid eligibility may be affected. Contact Student Affairs for information on withdrawing. Your withdrawal date is the date you contact the office of Student Affairs and meet with the Vice President/Dean of Students. Your withdrawal date will be indicated on your official withdrawal form.

Unofficial Withdrawal

The Office of Financial Aid reviews posted grades at the end of every term. If a student receives all non-passing grades (F, TF, IN, IP, W, or no grade), attendance in the term cannot be verified and as a result they are determined to have unofficially withdrawn. If a student receives an ‘F’ or ‘TF’ the faculty member must enter a Last Date of Attendance (LDA) when completing their grading rosters. If a student receives all Incompletes the Student Financial Services Office will contact the faculty members to determine the details of those incompletes and complete a Return to Title IV calculation (R2T4) if no completion date exists.

Unofficial withdrawals are determined and the R2T4 calculation is performed within 30 days of the end of the term.

Refund of Tuition and Fees

Based upon the date you discontinue enrollment, you may receive a full or partial refund of your tuition and fees. This refund will not impact the Return calculation, but does affect the amount of money you may owe back to the University for withdrawing. Refer to the Tuition and Fees Refund Schedule at the bottom of the page for more information.

Return of Title IV Funds (Earned versus Unearned Aid)

Within 30 days from when you discontinue enrollment, the Office of Financial Aid calculates the amount of financial aid you have earned prior to the date the action was filed. Any aid received in excess of the earned amount is considered unearned. The unearned financial aid must be returned to the respective federal programs no later than 45 days from when the student separated from Western. The calculation is based upon only the amount of Title IV Aid for which you were eligible. The State of Colorado and Western policy use a similar formula to calculate how much state and university aid is earned if the student discontinued enrollment before the end of the semester.

The responsibility to pay unearned aid is shared by Western and the student. Western’s share is the lesser of the amount of Title IV funds that the student does not earn or the amount of institutional charges that the student incurred for the payment period multiplied by the percentage of funds that was not earned. The student’s share is the difference between the total unearned aid amount and the institution’s share. The institution’s share is allocated among the Title IV programs, in an order specified by statute, before the student’s share. Once the student’s share is allocated, any amount owed to a grant program is reduced by half per the 50 percent grant protection rule.

Calculating Earned Financial Aid

The amount of earned financial aid is calculated on a daily basis from the first day of classes. The process uses calendar rather than business days. Earned aid is determined by the percentage of the number of days attended before enrollment ended divided by the total number of days in the term (excluding any breaks of five days or more).

A student is considered to have earned all of their financial aid if they complete 60% of the days in the term and attendance is confirmed.

See examples for calculating the percent of earned aid below.

Calculating Return of Title IV Aid Amount

Once the earned and unearned aid percentages are determined, the next step is to calculate the dollar amount of unearned aid that must be returned to the financial aid programs. The return amount is determined by multiplying the unearned aid percentage by the total of all Title IV aid received.

Unearned Aid Percentage multiplied by Total of all Title IV Funds Received = Total Unearned Aid

School Portion of the Return

The amount of unearned aid that must be returned by Western is a percentage of the institutional charges (tuition, fees, on-campus housing) for the term. Once the dollar amount of the school portion of the Return is determined, it is compared to the total amount of all unearned aid. If the school portion is less than the total unearned aid, then Western must return the amount of the school portion. If the calculated school portion exceeds the total unearned aid, then Western must return the amount of the total unearned aid.

Financial aid will be returned to the aid program from which it came. If returned to a loan program, your outstanding balance will be reduced by the amount of the return. Aid will be returned in the following order:

  1. Unsubsidized Direct Loan
  2. Subsidized Direct Loan
  3. Direct PLUS Loan (Graduate Student)
  4. Direct PLUS Loan (Parent)
  5. Federal Pell Grants
  6. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Student Portion of Return of Title IV Funds

After the school returns the correct amount of aid, any amount of the total unearned aid that remains becomes the student portion of the Return. The student portion of the Return is calculated by subtracting the amount of the school Return from the total unearned aid.

Total Unearned Aid minus School Return Amount = Student Portion of Return

Unearned federal grants and loan funds are returned on behalf of the student and the returned funds are considered a debt to the institution. Students may work with the Cashier’s Office to pay any outstanding debts; however, a student must not have an outstanding balance on their account upon re-entry.

Federal Formula used for Colorado State Grants and Institutional Aid

Whether or not you are receiving any of the types of federal aid listed, students that received any non-federal aid (listed below) are required to go through a similar calculation to determine the portion of these funds that are unearned. We will return the calculated unearned portion of all state and institutional aid to the appropriate source and the returned funds are considered a debt to the institution. Students may work with the Cashier’s Office to pay any outstanding debts; however, a student must not have an outstanding balance on their account upon re-entry.

Any refund and/or repayment of institutional, athletic, private and third-party scholarships is determined by the donor.

Notification to Student

Once the Return to Title IV Funds calculation has occurred, the Office of Financial Aid will notify the student of the results of the calculation and the aid that was returned.

The Cashier’s Office will notify the student of any outstanding balance now due to the institution as a result of the adjustment to tuition, fees and other miscellaneous charges, federal Title IV aid returned based on the Return of Title IV calculation, and any returns of institutional, state, or private grants or scholarships.

Sample of Return to Title IV Calculation

This is a sample of a 2022-23 resident undergraduate student who withdraws during the fourth week of the fall semester:

  • Number of days attended: 26
  • Number of days in the semester: 107
  • Earned Financial Aid: 24. percent
  • Unearned Financial Aid: 75.7 percent
Type of Aid Financial Aid Disbursed Fall Semester Total Aid Earned (student keeps) Total Aid Unearned (returned to program)
Western Resident Grant $700 $170 $530
Colorado Student Grant $1,000 $243 $757
Federal Pell Grant $2,960 $2,032 $928
Federal SEOG Grant $250 $250 $0
Unsubsidized Direct Loan $3,463 $0 $3,463
Subsidized Direct Loan $2,721 $0 $2,721
Total $11,094 $2,695 $8,399

Tuition and Fees

Tuition refunds for withdrawal will be made according to the following schedule:

  • 100% – Through the end of the official Drop Period. (September 7, 2023)
  • 50% – For the period after the drop date to 25% of the term. (September 8 – September 15, 2023)
  • 25% – For the period between 25 and 50% of the term. (September 16 – October 12, 2023)
  • 0% – For the period after 50% of the term. (beginning October 13, 2023)

Please refer to the Class Schedule for dates of the official Drop Period.

Western Colorado University provides undergraduate scholarships and discounts to students who are enrolled in degree programs through funds provided by alumni, private donors, the federal and state government and College general funds. Merit scholarships, WUE, and Central Plains discounts are only available to students seeking their first undergraduate degree.

The Office of Financial Aid awards merit-based academic scholarships and other awards each year to entering freshmen. All scholarships are awarded for the academic year (fall and spring semesters). Scholarships are awarded based on information submitted on the Western Colorado University admissions application. A separate scholarship application is not required unless noted.

All institutional/grant program awards are based on a student’s classification for tuition purposes, a combination of ACT/SAT scores, coursework, cumulative high school grade point average and information contained in the admissions application.

Freshman scholarships are four year (eight consecutive semesters), renewable scholarships requiring full time enrollment. Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 hours per semester) in an undergraduate degree program is required as well as meeting minimum grade point average requirements.

Limit of College Scholarship/Award Funding to Individual Students

A student’s Western Colorado University funds (gift, scholarships, discounts and guarantee awards) may not exceed direct costs (tuition, fees, room and board based on averages of approved rates using double occupancy room in the Mears Complex and the Mountaineer Meal Plan). Students seeking an additional bachelor degree or master degree are NOT eligible for Western’s Merit scholarships, WUE, or Central Plains discounts.

If the student also receives non-Western funds (including all forms of federal, state and external assistance), the total of all financial assistance funds cannot exceed the total direct and indirect costs of education. Indirect costs include allowances for personal expenses and transportation. All Western financial commitments may be adjusted to ensure that total gift and need-based assistance does not exceed total cost as defined for federal student aid purposes.

In order to use limited resources to support the needs of all students, Western reserves the right to replace institutional aid with other sources in the same amount. Endowed and non-endowed scholarship awards will be used to support the general institutional scholarship pool.

Scholarship/Award Acceptance And Terms

Acceptance of an individual award is an agreement to the terms and conditions of that award as well as all policies governing Western Colorado University gift assistance. Every student’s financial award package (scholarships, gift and need-based assistance) is subject to audit with the final determination of scholarships and other forms of assistance to be made by Western’s Financial Aid Office in compliance with federal aid regulations.

  • Western Colorado University reserves the right to adjust individual awards after letters have been accepted to ensure effective use of federal, state and institutional dollars.
  • The amount of all scholarships is determined by a student’s tuition classification as resident/military adjustment or non-resident for tuition purposes each year. If a student’s tuition classification is adjusted at any time for any reason, the scholarship amount will adjust accordingly. Students receiving the military adjustment, who are being charged resident tuition, will be treated as residents for scholarship purposes.
  • Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 hours per semester) is required for all Western award recipients.
  • East, Slate, Taylor, Basin, Ridgeline and Peak Merit Scholarships – 2.75 required cumulative GPA for renewal.
  • Founders, Summit and Scholars Award- 3.0 required cumulative GPA for renewal.
  • Select Award and Western Presidential Scholars Award – 3.2 required cumulative GPA for renewal.
  • Advantage Award- 2.5 required cumulative GPA for renewal.
  • All merit scholarship recipients must successfully complete 24 credits each year.
  • Scholarship awards are disbursed in one-half amounts and applied during fall and spring, awards are not available for summer terms.

Academic scholarship recipients must maintain the required cumulative GPA AND successfully complete 24 credits each year for renewal. Grades are subject to review on a term-by-term basis. Any scholarship recipient who earns less than the required cumulative GPA or fails to successfully complete 24 credits each year will automatically forfeit their scholarship. A student may appeal the termination of eligibility only once during his or her career at Western. The student may not appeal for re-instatement of the scholarship until minimum GPA and credit hour completion requirements have once again been met. For more information on how to appeal for a scholarship, contact Student Financial Services.

NOTE: If a student is awarded a merit scholarship and failed to maintain the cumulative GPA and credit hour completion requirements, they will not receive a lower level merit scholarship, and they are not eligible for any tuition discount program.

Student Athletes

Student-athlete awards are subject to all NCAA regulations and guidelines. Individual scholarships may be adjusted to ensure compliance with these rules and regulations.

All programs, policies & procedures described are subject to change. All statements in this publication concerning requirements, dollar amounts, conditions or other matters are for informational purposes only and are subject to change without notice.

Student’s Rights

You have the right to:

  • Know what financial assistance is available, including all federal, state and institutional financial assistance programs.
  • Know the application deadline for each of the financial assistance programs.
  • Know how your financial need is determined.
  • Know what resources are considered in the calculation of your financial need.
  • Know what awards have been offered to help meet your financial need.
  • Have copies of all policies with which you are expected to comply.
  • Know how to apply for additional aid if your financial circumstances change.

Student’s Responsibilities

You have the responsibility to:

  • Review the financial aid programs at Western Colorado University.
  • Comply with all School and Student Financial Services’ deadlines.
  • Register in the appropriate number of hours needed for the type of aid you are receiving. Most aid requires the student to be at least half-time (Undergraduate–6 hours, Graduate–4.5).
  • Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the renewal application completely for each year you plan to attend Western.
  • Respond promptly to all requests for additional documentation, verification items, corrections and/or new information.
  • Read and understand all forms you are asked to submit or sign.
  • Keep copies of all forms that you sign or are required to submit (you are legally responsible for all agreements that you sign).
  • Notify Western of any changes in your name or address (you are responsible for keeping all lenders and loan agencies informed of permanent address changes).
  • Know what portions of your financial aid award must be repaid and what portions are grant aid (if the aid is a loan, you are responsible for knowing the terms of your loan).
  • Comply with Student Financial Service’s Withdrawal Policy if you choose to withdraw from Western.
  • Comply with Student Financial Service’s Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.
  • Report the receipt of all resources not previously considered in evaluating your eligibility.
  • Perform in a satisfactory manner the work that is agreed upon in accepting a work-study award.
  • Understand that if you deliberately provide misleading or incorrect information in applying for Federal and State funds you may be prosecuted and subject to penalty under Federal and Colorado laws.

The Western Student Financial Services office has adopted and will follow the Statement of Ethical Principles and Code of Conduct for Financial Aid Professionals as created by the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.

The Western Student Financial Services office is dedicated to providing outstanding customer service to our students and their families with the appropriate level of professionalism and commitment to ethical standards.

The Student Right-To-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 ( the Clery Act) requires all colleges and universities participating in Federal Student Aid Programs to disclose information about graduation and retention rates, Pell grant recipients and crime statistics on or near their respective campuses.

Western Financial Aid, Retention and Graduation Rates – National Center for Educational Statistics
Western Annual Security & Fire Report – Clery Act

Professional Judgment Appeal

The Financial Aid Office may use professional judgment on a case-by-case basis, only to adjust the data used to calculate the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) or a student’s cost of attendance. The three types of Professional Judgment appeals are:

  • Cost of Attendance Budget Increase
  • Dependency Override
  • Reconsideration of Need

Professional judgment decisions granted to students at other colleges and universities will not automatically be granted at Western Colorado University.

Each type of appeal has specific requirements and deadlines. Appeals can be brought by, emailed, mailed, or faxed.

Western Colorado University
Financial Aid Office, Taylor 314
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231
Fax: 970-943-3086

Details about each type of professional judgment appeal considered by the Western Colorado University Financial Aid Office are outlined below.

COST OF ATTENDANCE INCREASE APPEAL

The cost of attendance (COA) is the foundation for establishing a student’s financial need, as it sets a limit on the total aid that a student may receive for purposes of federal, state, and campus-based programs. The Financial Aid Office can use professional judgment to adjust the cost of attendance on a case-by-case basis to allow for special circumstances. Such adjustment requests must include applicable documentation to support the request. Listed below are the types of cost of attendance appeals in which a student’s cost of attendance budget can be increased through the appeals process.

  1. Dependent care – If approved, the increased amount will be based on the documentation provided with a maximum allowed of $1096 per month, per child, in accordance with Colorado Commission on Higher Education guidelines.
  2. Study-abroad expenses – Cost of attendance increases for approved study abroad expenses, beyond regular cost of attendance budget components, will be considered.
  3. Disability expenses – Cost of attendance increases due to expenses related to special services, personal assistance, transportation, equipment, and supplies that are reasonably incurred and not provided by other agencies will be considered.

How to Appeal: Students appealing for a cost of attendance increase must provide: 1) a signed personal statement outlining the reason for their request 2) applicable documentation supporting their request. Cost of Attendance increase appeals must be submitted in writing and must be signed by the student. Electronic submissions are acceptable only if sent through the student’s email address. All supporting documentation must be signed and printed on the agency letterhead (if applicable).

Deadline: The request and the supporting documentation must be received by the Financial Aid Office by midterm of the Spring semester, for either Fall or Spring term consideration, or the 1st day of summer term if beginning attendance in the summer term.

Aid Adjustments: An increase made to a student’s cost of attendance budget does not guarantee an increase in financial aid awards.

Notification of Appeal: Complete cost of attendance appeals will be processed within 2-3 weeks after they are received. The student will be emailed the outcome of their request. If a student would like the Financial Aid Office to convey information to anyone else about their account, appeal application, and/or results of their appeal, they need to make sure that they have a FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) release on file.

DEPENDENCY OVERRIDE APPEAL

By completing this appeal, a student is asking the Financial Aid Office to review their dependency status to determine whether they qualify as an independent student based on their family situation. In order for the Financial Aid Office to consider an appeal, the student must document an extreme, unique, and/or unusual family circumstance that prevents them from obtaining parental information.

Circumstances that may be considered include:

  1. Abandonment by parents
  2. Abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health and safety
  3. Inability to locate parents
  4. Incarceration or institutionalization of both parents
  5. Severe estrangement from parent

Circumstances that DO NOT qualify for consideration include:

  1. Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education or are not supporting the student
  2. Parents are unwilling to provide information on the FAFSA or for verification
  3. Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
  4. Student demonstrates total self-sufficiency
  5. In general, disagreements between student and parents may cause parents unwillingness to provide information, but are not generally considered

General Instructions: If a student believes they qualify to appeal for a dependency override they should contact a financial aid counselor for the Dependency Override Appeal Form.

Students appealing for a dependency override must:

  1. submit a signed Request for Dependency Override form, along with a signed personal statement outlining why they should be considered independent, what their current living situation is, how they are supported, and details of the relationship/situation with both biological/adoptive parents
  2. have a current year FAFSA on file that has the “special circumstances” box checked without parental information
  3. submit a minimum of two signed letters from third parties that can confirm the student’s situation, and/or an official document such as a court order. At least one source must be from an unrelated, professional that can verify the student’s situation (A third party includes, but is not limited to, a teacher, counselor, medical authority, social worker, government agency)

Deadline: The request and the supporting documentation must be received by the Financial Aid Office by the midterm date of Spring semester or 1st day of summer term if beginning attendance in the summer for the current academic year.

Notification of Appeal: Complete appeal applications will be processed within 2-3 weeks after being received. The student will be emailed (to their Western email) the outcome of their appeal. If a student would like the Financial Aid Office to convey information to anyone else about their account, appeal application, and/or results of their appeal, they need to make sure that they have a FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) release on file.

RECONSIDERATION OF NEED APPEAL

Students who have a large change in their household’s financial circumstances from what was reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) can submit a Reconsideration of Need appeal to request reconsideration of their financial aid eligibility based on the new information. Please note that in most cases, approved appeals will only result in a change in a Federal Pell Grant and/or Federal Direct Subsidized loan funds.

General Instructions:

Listed below are situations in which our office will consider a Reconsideration of Need appeal for possible changes in financial aid eligibility.

  • My own, my spouse’s, or my parent(s)’ employment income has changed considerably due to layoff, termination, etc.
  • I, my spouse, or my parent(s) have/has unusually high unreimbursed, non-elective out of pocket medical or dental expenses.
  • I, my spouse, or my parent(s) lost untaxed income or benefits such as child support.
  • I, my spouse, or my parent(s) have/has elementary or secondary tuition.
  • I, my spouse, or my parent(s) have/has a loss of income and/or assets due to reasons beyond their control. (i.e. fire, natural disaster, death)
  • I, my spouse, or my parent(s) have/had a conversion of traditional IRAs to Roth IRAs in reported tax year.

Email the Financial Aid Office for the form at- finaid@western.edu.

Deadline to Appeal:

  • Reconsideration of Need appeals must be received by the Financial Aid Office by the first Monday in August for students starting in a Fall semester and the first Monday in December for students starting in a Spring semester.

Requests will be processed within three weeks of receiving a complete packet.

Students who have not received a final decision regarding their appeal should expect to start the school year with the original official financial aid award they received for that academic year. If a student does not believe they can afford to attend without additional aid, they should withdraw before school begins in order to avoid any financial obligation to the College.

Aid Adjustments: Adjustments to a financial aid award as a result of an approved Reconsideration of Need appeal are neither guaranteed nor immediate and depend upon the availability of funding.

Notification of Appeal: The Financial Aid Office will email the student (to their Western email) the outcome of their appeal. If a student would like the Financial Aid Office to convey information to anyone else about their account, appeal application, and/or results of their appeal, they need to make sure that they have a FERPA (Family Education Rights and Privacy Act) release on file.

Student Consumer Information

Consumer information about Western for prospective and current students.

Prospective and current students can find below certain consumer information about Western Colorado University—as well as contact information—in accordance with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.
Student Consumer Information

Department Information

Financial Aid

Director

Carrie Shaw

Director, Student Financial Services

Contact Information

970.943.3085

finaid@western.edu

8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Campus Location

Western Colorado University
Taylor Hall 314
1 Western Way
Gunnison, CO 81231

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