Use this checklist to finish all the requirements necessary to fund your education:

• Actual costs are available in summer. In the meantime, use our UWM Total Cost Estimator to develop your budget FOR THE YEAR to determine if you have enough funding or if you need to apply for additional loans.
• File a FAFSA-Done if you have an aid offer.
• Read your emails from us—year-round. We use the email address you provided on your admission application until you receive one from UWM. You are expected to monitor (or forward) your UWM email.
• Review your PAWS TO DO List and complete these items promptly.
• Read this handbook for details on how to access the funds offered.
• Review the PAWS Finances Tutorial for help understanding your billing statement.
• Go to your PAWS Student Center to view, accept, reduce, or decline your aid within 30 days or by June 1 before the fall semester, whichever is later. (Scholarships have earlier dates).
• Complete several steps at studentaid.gov:
  • Complete a Direct Loan Master Promissory Notes (MPNs), the loan application, Entrance Counseling, a tutorial, and a quiz if you are borrowing a Direct Loan for the first time.
• Notify us if you will receive any other assistance that is not reflected in your aid offer.
• Enroll in classes. Notify us if you are not or will not be a full-time student (taking 12 or more credits).
• Actual costs are available in summer. In the meantime, use our UWM Total Cost Estimator to develop your budget FOR THE YEAR to determine if you have enough funding or if you need to apply for additional loans.

Eligibility Requirements

To be offered federal, state, or institutional funds administered by UWM’s Office of Financial Aid Administration, you must:

1. File a FAFSA each year.
2. Be admitted to UWM in a degree-granting program or as an eligible non-degree student.
3. Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) certificate.
4. Be a U. S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
5. Have a valid Social Security Number.
6. You must not be in default on a student loan. After logging in at https://studentaid.gov, you can review your federal loans in your dashboard.
7. Not owe an overpayment on any federal (Title IV) aid.
8. Meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards as defined by the Office of Financial Aid Administration.
9. Not be delinquent on court-ordered child support and/or maintenance (this applies only to State of Wisconsin-controlled grants).
10. Certify that you will use student aid only for educational purposes.
11. Not be incarcerated. Students with criminal convictions have limited eligibility. Federal law requires students to inform the Office of Financial Aid Administration of their incarceration.

In addition to the above requirements, to receive aid, you must:

1. Be enrolled in at least six credits as an undergraduate student (except for Pell Grant consideration). Most financial aid programs require at least this enrollment level, which is half-time. Audit credits do not count. A student offered a Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant or Federal Work-study may be able to retain a prorated portion of those funds if enrolled in less than six credits.
2. Not be retaking courses you already passed. If you retake a class you already passed (e.g., to receive a better grade), the course may be repeated only once to be counted toward enrollment status for financial aid eligibility. If you continue to repeat this passed course, Title IV federal funds can no longer pay for it.
3. Not receive financial aid from another institution for the same enrollment period. Students can only receive aid from one institution at a time—even if enrolled at two schools. Sometimes, we can consider your enrollment and costs at another institution when determining your financial aid eligibility at UWM. This generally only makes a difference if you enroll at UWM less-than full-time and are the recipient of Federal Pell Grant funds. For more information, review our Consortium Agreement.
4. If another college has offered you aid for the same enrollment period, you will need to have that college cancel the pending aid before we can disburse your aid. If you are a transfer student, we must consider aid received for the same academic year when determining your remaining eligibility. If you received aid at another university for a summer term, please let our office know.
5. Establish and maintain eligibility for the programs for which you receive aid.

Students who have already satisfied all the requirements for their degree, but have not yet graduated, are not eligible for federal aid.

Estimated Cost of Attendance (COA)/Financial Aid Budget

The actual cost to attend UWM is different for each student, depending on variables such as degree type and major, housing and lifestyle choices, special course fees, and individual needs. The Estimated Cost of Attendance (COA) is a figure the Financial Aid Department uses to determine financial aid eligibility. This figure includes estimates of direct costs (university charges you will need to pay UWM) and indirect costs (educational and living expenses not paid to UWM). Because we use estimates, the figures will vary slightly from other published figures.

The equation used in determining financial aid eligibility:

Cost of Attendance (COA) 
- Student Aid Index (SAI)
= Financial Need

The following paragraphs explain where these figures come from. You can find the figures we used for you in the Finances section of your PAWS account. (Review PAWS Finances Tutorial for details.)

Budget categories included in the COA are tuition and fees, housing and food, books, course materials, supplies and equipment, miscellaneous personal expenses, transportation, and loan fees. The amounts being used for these categories are:

2025-26 Estimated Cost of Attendance 9 Month Enrollment Period

Amounts Assume Two-Semesters of Full-time Enrollment

Tuition and Fees	Wisconsin Resident	MN Reciprocity	Midwest Student Exchange	Non-Resident
Associate	$5,420	$5,764	$7,902	$13,084
Bachelor	$10,020	$14,330	$14,248	$22,020

The figures below are estimates used to determine financial aid eligibility. Some of the amounts will be Direct Costs (owed UWM), and some will be Indirect Costs (expenses you may or may not incur).

Type	Living with Parent	Living on Campus	Living Off Campus
Housing	$1,500	$6,787	$6,787
Food	$4,433	$4,433	$4,433
Books, CourseMaterials, Supplies and Equipment	$800	$800	$800
Transportation	$1,676	$1,676	$1,676
Personal/Miscellaneous	$2,000	$2,000	$2,000

Estimate of Total Cost for an Academic Year	Wisconsin Resident	MN Reciprocity	Midwest Student Exchange	Non-Resident
Associate Living with Parent	$15,896	$16,240	$18,378	$23,560
Associate Living Away from Parent	$21,182	$21,526	$23,664	$28,846
Bachelor Living with Parent	$ 20,496	$24,806	$24,724	$32,496
Bachelor Living Away from Parent	$25,782	$30,092	$30,010	$37,782

As you create your budget and plan for the school year, we encourage using our online tool, the UWM Total Cost Estimator. Using this tool, you may start thinking of things you could do and choices you can make to help you reduce your costs. While having a single room or apartment might be nice, sharing these costs with roommates may make more fiscal sense. You should also save as much money as possible from summer employment.

If your expenses are much more than what we have used for estimates, you can submit the Budget Adjustment Form (the form for 2025-26 becomes available April/May 2025) to our office for a possible adjustment. If approved, any additional eligibility is usually in the form of a private loan or Parent PLUS Loan.

Student Aid Index (SAI)

Beginning with the 2024-25 academic year, the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) has been replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI). The concept is the same, as it is an eligibility index used by Financial Aid Offices for distributing funds and is calculated according to a formula established by law. The formula still uses the information you supplied on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but there have been changes to the formula. The changes should increase eligibility for many students, but some will see a decrease in their eligibility. You can find the SAI on your FAFSA Submission Summary and in the Finances area of your PAWS Student Center.

The SAI is not the amount you pay. In addition to SAI, the financial aid offer is based on your demonstrated financial need and the availability of funds. It is common for some funds to be depleted early in the processing cycle. Your file was given maximum consideration for all funds available when your eligibility was determined. Most financial aid programs require that you have financial need to be eligible to participate. However, a few programs do not require financial need.

Take your budget figure and subtract the amount of financial aid you are eligible to receive. The result may be closer to what the family needs to contribute. In other words, your calculations will look like:

Your Direct Costs
- Financial Aid Offered/Accepted
= Amount you/your family will need to contribute toward Direct Costs using savings, work, private scholarships, and/or additional loans

Special Circumstances

If you/your family have special circumstances that you believe should be taken into consideration, for example, a source of income is no longer being received, or a significant change in income was experienced in 2024 or is expected for 2025—we may be able to make adjustments for you based on your actual 2024 income or expected 2025 income. You should contact an advisor in the Student Financial Service Center or review the Special Circumstances form (the form for 2025-26 becomes available in late spring 2025) and submit it with any required documents. We will review it and let you know if additional documentation is required. Students must have submitted the 2025-26 FAFSA and been offered financial aid based on actual information before a special circumstance request will be considered.

Most financial aid programs have limits. Some limits are an aggregate/total dollar amount (in the case of loans), and some are a maximum number of semesters (grants). These limits are not appealable. In addition to these limits, students must adhere to the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy limits.

Financial aid applicants are evaluated for Scholarships, Grants, Loans, and Federal Work Study. We encourage you to visit these links for detailed information on the programs you have been offered.

Scholarships

A scholarship is gift aid. In most cases, scholarships do not have to be repaid if the enrollment period is completed. Scholarships are a valuable part of college financing and are typically given to recognize a student’s achievements. Students are strongly encouraged to visit the Panther Scholarship Portal to complete a general application to be considered for UWM scholarships.

Grants

A grant does not have to be repaid. Eligibility is based on SAI, financial need, and additional requirements determined by the individual program. All require that a FAFSA be submitted and that recipients meet general eligibility requirements unless indicated otherwise.

• Federal grants are funded through the Federal Government
• Wisconsin Grants are funded through the State of Wisconsin, requiring Wisconsin residency and attendance at a Wisconsin college.

Undergraduates with prior bachelor’s degrees are not eligible for grant funds unless specifically indicated in the descriptions.

The various grant programs are listed below. Details on each program can be found on the Grants webpage, http://grants.uwm.edu.

Federal Grants

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
• Bureau of Indian Affairs Grant
• AmeriCorps Segal Education Award
• Gaining Early Awareness & Readiness for Undergraduate Programs Grant (GEAR UP)

Wisconsin Grants

• Wisconsin Grant
• Wisconsin Talent Incentive Program (TIP)
• Wisconsin Tuition Assistance Grant (TAG)
• Wisconsin Lawton Scholars Grant
• Wisconsin Indian Assistance Grant
• Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) Training Grant
• Wisconsin Hearing and Visually Impaired Student Grant
• Wisconsin Grant for Study Abroad
• Fund for Wisconsin Scholars Grant (FFWS)

UWM Special Programs

• Milwaukee Tuition Promise
• Wisconsin Tuition Promise
• UWM Panther Grant

Federal Work Study

Work Study allows students to earn money for educational expenses while attending college. Financial need and enrollment in at least one credit are required to earn funds through this program. If we offered you work-study, you need to find a job that allows you to earn these funds. For more information regarding on-campus employment, please visit Handshake. Many jobs do not require Federal Work Study eligibility.

If you know that you will not earn the funds offered to you, please decline the aid through your PAWS account. UWM has a limited amount of Federal Work Study funds available. Declining any work-study you do not plan on earning allows us to offer the opportunity to another student. If you have not earned any work-study funds within 30 days of the start of the semester, we will cancel your entire work-study offer.

Loans

Some loans have forgiveness provisions, but most require repaying principal and interest. A FAFSA must be submitted to be considered for most loans. While the Minority Teacher Loan and Private Alternative Loans do not require a FAFSA, students are encouraged to file a FAFSA first to take advantage of the best financial aid programs, both grants and loans, before borrowing a private educational loan.

While student loans can be a good way to help finance an education, it is important to understand your responsibilities as a student loan borrower. All student loans require you to sign a promissory note (the actual loan application). Read the description of any loan offer before deciding to accept and borrow the loan. Keep copies of all loan documents.

To participate in all loan programs, students must enroll in at least six credits, except for some alternative loan programs. Aid offers are for one academic year, and students must complete a FAFSA each year to be considered for continuing eligibility.

The various loan programs are below. Each is linked to additional details found on the loans.uwm.edu web page.

• Federal Direct Loan – Subsidized
• Federal Direct Loan – Unsubsidized
• Federal Nursing Loan
• Minority Teacher Loan
• Federal Parent PLUS Loan
• Private Alternative Loan

The purpose of financial aid is to help bridge the difference between student/family resources and the amount needed to pay for the cost of attending college. In the case where the aid offered still leaves a gap and you need additional help, the Parent PLUS or Private Alternative Loans are two loan programs to consider as possible options. Borrowers can receive up to the Cost of Attendance less financial aid already offered.

Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

This is a loan available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. Please select the link for more information and details listed on our website.

The Parent PLUS loan requires an application and a master promissory note (MPN). Both should be completed online. Complete the application at Apply for a PLUS Loan for Parents. The borrower (PARENT in the case of the Parent PLUS loan) should Log in using their FSA ID. If the parent borrows this loan for a student for the first time at UWM, they should also complete a PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Parents.

PLUS Loans require an approved credit check. If a PLUS application is denied, the borrower may choose to add an approved endorser to the application (an endorser is a person who agrees to repay the PLUS loan if the borrower does not). This option requires that the endorser complete an Endorser Addendum which includes a credit check and the borrower complete PLUS Credit Counseling.

Two additional options are available when a parent is denied the Parent PLUS Loan:

1. The parent can appeal the denied decision with the Department of Education and complete PLUS Credit Counseling, OR
2. The student becomes eligible for additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan funds. During the application process, the parent may indicate if the school should consider the student for the unsubsidized loan if the application is denied and we will use that information to offer the additional loan. The student can also email finances@uwm.edu asking that the Federal Unsubsidized loan be offered based on the denied Parent PLUS loan. The student then becomes eligible for Independent loan limits.

An origination fee of approximately 4% is retained from the gross loan proceeds. The actual fee is disclosed in the loan disclosure provided to the borrower. Once borrowed, the interest rate will be fixed. In early summer each year, the rate for new loans is announced. Please review the Federal Student Aid website for information on the most current interest rate and origination fee. The interest rates for loans
disbursed in 2025-26 are announced in June 2024.

Private/Alternative Educational Loan Programs

Offered by a financial institution, the student is typically the borrower and is required to apply with a credit-worthy cosigner. Select this link to compare some of the more popular lender options and use our online Private Alternative Loan application. Many lenders now offer fixed interest rates, while some have variable interest rates with no cap. It is up to the student/borrower to review the information, compare loans, and then decide which loan they wish to borrow.

Military Education Benefits

Students returning from active federal military service or who are in the National Guard or Reserves can qualify for educational benefits to help with academic expenses. Additionally, dependents and spouses of veterans may be eligible for the same types of benefits. Contact the Military Education Benefits Office (MEBO) for more details. Federal military education benefits do not affect a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid. As such, students receiving military education benefits are also encouraged to file a FAFSA. Eligibility for the Wisconsin GI Bill may affect eligibility for other financial aid programs. MEBO is in the Union.

Dropping Classes

Withdrawing from classes may have serious consequences for your financial aid. Before dropping classes
or withdrawing from the university, students should consider the following:

• What is the impact on financial aid for the current semester?
• What is the impact on future semesters?
• What are university policies for refunding tuition, housing, meal plan, or other charges?

There are differences between dropping a single class and dropping all of your classes. Before dropping any courses, we encourage you to review the:

• Registrar’s Add/Drop Calendar
• Fees/Tuition Assessed for Drops or Withdrawal
• Considering Withdrawing?

If You Drop Some Classes

The Office of Student Accounts will determine whether the amount you were charged for tuition should be adjusted based on the withdrawal date.

The Office of Financial Aid Administration will determine if any aid disbursed to you has to be adjusted. Some financial aid programs are adjusted based on enrollment on the Census Date (10th day of the semester). While we generally do not have to adjust aid if you drop a course(s) after the Census Date, your attempted credits for SAP are based on your enrollment on the Census Date, so dropping later will affect your Pace. If you are receiving financial aid, you are strongly encouraged not to drop below half-time enrollment.

The Registrar’s Office will determine whether the course shows up on your transcript with a ‘W’ or not at all.

If You Withdraw or Drop All of Your Classes

The Office of Student Accounts will determine whether the amount you were charged for tuition should be adjusted, based on the date of withdrawal. Find more details.

The Office of Financial Aid Administration is required to determine whether any financial aid funds need to be returned to the original funding sources. This is called a “Return of Title IV” calculation and is required to be in compliance with Federal regulations. Students do not earn 100% of their aid until after the 60% point of the term. Therefore, if they withdraw, or are dismissed from classes before that, they may have to return some of their aid. For example, at the 50% point in the semester, they have technically only earned 50% of their aid. Unearned funds must be returned to federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs, and in many cases, this will cause the student to owe a balance to the university. Our office will contact the student if the student needs to repay unearned aid for noninstitutional costs.

The recalculation is rather complex and is based in part on calculating the percentage of aid a student earned. In addition to official withdrawals, if a student fails all of their classes in a semester and the documented evidence shows the student stopped participating prior to the 60% point of the semester, the student’s aid eligibility will be recalculated.

If a semester has begun and you are considering withdrawing from classes, you should review additional details about this calculation found on our website. You are also encouraged to speak to an advisor in the Student Financial Service Center before withdrawing to determine how it may affect your financial aid and your Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Students withdrawing from all classes due to medical reasons may want to consult with the Dean of Students Office regarding a possible Tuition and Fee Appeal.

In addition to the possible return of financial aid funds, all students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress toward a degree. “Attempted Credits” for the Timeframe and Pace components of SAP are measured as of the tenth day of classes (the Census date). All courses in which the student was enrolled on the tenth day of classes will be counted as “attempted,” no matter what circumstances prompted the withdrawal. If a withdrawal causes a student to fall below the required “Pace” or exceed the maximum Timeframe and become ineligible for aid, students may wish to meet with an advisor in the Student Financial Service Center to discuss the possibility of an appeal. Students are encouraged to review the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Please check our website for current office hours before coming to the office in-person.

Office & Phone Hours

Monday – Thursday: 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Fridays: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

24/7 Assistance

Ask Pounce: Many questions can be answered 24/7 by using “Ask Pounce”, our online tool. Ask Pounce your questions about billing, financial aid, and scholarships.

Email us: finances@uwm.edu. Please include relevant subject line and Campus ID number.

Contact Us: this link sends a pre-formatted form to our office email account.

For unusual or more complicated issues, you may need to make an appointment. You may schedule your own appointment, or you can ask us for help. When scheduling the appointment, you will be given the option of meeting via phone or TEAMS video chat. We do offer walk-in advising (no appointment necessary) on Wednesdays between 9 AM and 3 PM during weeks when classes are in-session.

If you have any questions or need additional help, please do not hesitate to contact us. We are here to help you.