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Application Process

Who is Eligible?

• Admission Status
• Citizenship
• Student Visa
• Social Security Number
• Selective Service
• SAP
• Default
• Enrollment
• Financial Need
• Educational Purpose

= term defined in Glossary

To receive aid from federal or state student aid programs at Western, you must meet ALL of the following criteria:

Admission Status

You must be enrolled or accepted as a regular student in a bachelor's, teacher certification, aviation license, specialist, masters or doctoral program and have a high school diploma or its equivalent. You are not considered a regular student if you fall under the following situations:

• Guest (admitted at another educational institution and taking one or more courses at WMU);
• Degree status of: NDA, GNA or GCP (No degree awarded or a Graduate Certificate Program) Note: If your degree status is Professional Certification whereby you are completing hours for State Permanent Teacher Certification- you are eligible for Federal Direct Loans at the undergraduate level
• Taking additional courses after graduation and not admitted into a different degree granting program with a different major (although WMU allows registration for additional courses after you have graduated for up to one year without being admitted into a different degree granting program, you are no longer eligible for financial aid)
• Adding a minor after obtaining your undergraduate degree

Citizenship

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

• A U.S. permanent resident and you have an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-551);
• A conditional permanent resident (I-551C) or
• An other eligible non-citizen 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
  • Cuban-Haitian Entrant

 

Student Visa

If you have a F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa or a G services visa, you are neither a citizen nor eligible non-citizen.

Social Security Number

You must have a valid Social Security Number. If you don't have a social security number, you can find out more information by going to the Social Security Administrations' website.

Selective Service

You must (if male between the ages of 18 and 25 ) register or have registered with the Selective Service

Academic Progress

You must meet Western's satisfactory academic progress standards.

Default

You must not owe an overpayment on a Federal Perkins loan, or Federal grant program. You must not be in default on a Federal student loan. You must not have borrowed in excess of the annual or aggregate loan limits.

Enrollment

You must be enrolled during the term you are requesting aid. Each program has minimum enrollment requirements

Financial Need

You must have financial need for some grant, employment, and loan programs as determined by information you submit on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Educational Purpose

You must certify you will use funds received solely for education or educationally related purposes.