Application Process | ±¬ÁϳԹÏ

Paying for College

Application Process

Western offers financial aid to those who qualify. Financial aid includes federal grants, loans, and work-study, as well as state grants. To determine eligibility, you must complete a .

The FAFSA filing application processing cycle lasts 21 months; October 1 through June 30. (Example for 2024-25 school year, the filing dates would be October 1, 2023 through June 30, ±¬ÁϳԹÏ). Western must have a valid student electronic FAFSA record by their last date of enrollment for that school year. (I.e. a student is enrolled from September 3, 2024 through April 18, ±¬ÁϳԹÏ. We MUST have this student's FAFSA record by April 18, ±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï in order for financial aid to be disbursed.)

Because aid is awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, you are encouraged to apply as soon as possible. We recommend that you submit the FAFSA by Western’s preferred filing dates to be considered for all eligible aid, although the FAFSA can be completed throughout the academic year.

Preferred Dates

For Fall Term: January 15

For Spring Term: October 15

For Summer Term: February 15

Important Information for Completing the FAFSA

Apply for Admission

You must be accepted into a financial aid eligible program at Western to receive aid. You can complete the admissions application either before or after completing the FAFSA; however, please note that your financial aid award package will not be determined until you have applied and accepted into your program.

Western must have your correct, complete FAFSA information by your last day of enrollment or no later than June 30th of the school year you're attending, whichever occurs first.

FSA ID

To complete the FAFSA, you will need to request a federal student aid ID (FSA ID) to sign electronically. If you don’t already have one, you can create one at .

School Code

Western's federal school code is 003840.

FAFSA Year Varies by Term

When applying for financial aid, please choose the appropriate FAFSA year:

Trimester FAFSA Year
Summer ±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï 2024-±¬ÁϳԹÏ
Fall ±¬ÁÏ³Ô¹Ï ±¬ÁϳԹÏ-2026
Spring 2026 ±¬ÁϳԹÏ-2026
Summer 2026 ±¬ÁϳԹÏ-2026

What's Next?

The federal processing center will do an initial review of your FAFSA and then send it to Western. After Western’s Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services reviews your application, an emailÌýwill be sent to you indicating your next steps.

See the detailed Financial Aid Checklist for more information.

FAQs

Visit the for answers to common questions such as:

Do I need to provide my parent’s information on the FAFSA?

Who is considered my parent when I complete the FAFSA?

Do I need to complete a FAFSA each year?

Verification

Verification is the process your school uses to confirm that the data reported on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is accurate. If you’re selected for verification, Western will request additional documentation that supports the information you reported.ÌýAll requested documents will be listed on your Western Financial AidÌýaccount. To access this account, log into your ,Ìýclick on Self-Service, then click on Financial Aid.

Western will not award or disburse financial aid until verification is complete and all corrections are received. It is the student’s responsibility to submit all documents requested prior to the end of the enrollment period. If a student fails to submit all documents requested, their financial aid will be placed on hold and will not be processed.

Let us help

To receive help completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), attend one of the FAFSA TogetherÌýevents! To view the dates and times for the FAFSA Together events, visit the . Have other questions? Please contact us at:Ìý

Financial Aid Resources and Planning Services
Student Success Center, Room 101
400 7th Street North
La Crosse, WI 54601

Phone: 

608-785-9579

Email: 

finaid@westerntc.edu

Remember the code!

Use Western’s FAFSA school code when you apply for any type of financial aid. Our codeÌýisÌý003840.