Congratulations New Husky! We understand you and your parent(s) may have many questions about the financial aid process. We hope that this page will help you find the answers to your questions.

If you have not already, please explore the New Huskies page as it has a lot of useful information about how you navigate everything from creating your UW NetID, and accepting your offer to how to find housing.

If you have questions regarding our processing time, or email response time, please see our current processing times on this page.

Aid Offer Process

How do I apply for financial aid?

To be considered for all types of financial aid, U.S. students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For undocumented students living in Washington, please use the Washington Application for State Financial Aid (WASFA). International students in the U.S. with an F-1 visa or any other type of non-immigrant visa are not eligible for financial aid. Please see International Student Services’ website for financial resources.

I was accepted - what happens now?

Once you have been accepted to UW, we will send out a notification to your UW email account if we need additional information in order to complete your financial aid offer. Instructions on what we need and how you can submit the information will be in the email we send you.

Please check your UW email frequently. If you forward your UW email to a different address, update the mail filters of your forwarding address to accept emails from “uw.edu.”

When will I be offered financial aid?

We anticipate to send financial aid offers to new admitted students around late April to early May, in enough time for students to make decisions by June 1.

If we requested additional information, we need to review the information before your aid offer will be confirmed. You may still receive a preliminary aid offer which is an estimate of your eligibility for aid based on the information provided on the FAFSA or WASFA that you submitted.

How do I access my financial aid offer?

You will receive an email if you are eligible for aid, referring you to MyUW where you can review the details of your aid offer, print your offer letter, and accept/reject your aid offer.

From your main MyUW webpage, first click on “UW Resources”, then click on “Student Finances”, and then click on “Financial Aid Status” to view your financial aid offer. If you have not yet set up your UW NetID, you will need to do so first in order to access your financial aid offer.  Please visit New Huskies page for instructions on how to set up a UW NetID.

How do I accept my financial aid offer?

You can accept (or reject) your financial aid offer on MyUW. You are not required to accept all of your aid, but you do need to accept the aid you want to receive. Click on Accept/Reject on the left-hand side. Next click on the “+” signs to expand and show you per quarter and totals of your aid offer.

Types of Aid

I am a Washington resident - what type of aid am I eligible for?

From your FAFSA or WASFA information, your offer notice will detail your eligibility for federal, state, and institutional aid as well as university scholarships from the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA).

I am not from Washington - what type of aid am I eligible for?

From your FAFSA information your aid offer will list your eligibility for federal financial aid only. We are unable to offer state, or university grants to non-resident applicants. We recommend you visit Undergraduate Scholarships for more information.

We realize that for many non-resident students, federal loans may make up most or all of your financial aid offer from UW. We encourage students and their families to take that into consideration in their decision to attend the university.

What is Husky Promise?

The Husky Promise guarantees full tuition and standard fees will be covered by grants or scholarships for eligible Washington state students. Your tuition will be covered first by your federal and state grants — like the Pell Grant or Washington College Grant. If your eligibility for these programs does not equal the full cost of your tuition, the UW will make up the difference with institutional grants or scholarships.

To be eligible for the Husky Promise you must:

Undocumented Washington residents can be eligible for the Husky Promise even if not receiving a Pell Grant.

Where can I find information about scholarships?

The University of Washington-Seattle offers scholarships that cover a wide range of academic pursuits, musical and athletic talents as well as community service and research activities. Our scholarship programs are highly competitive as we have more talented students than we have scholarship funds. The best source of scholarship information for incoming freshmen is your own high school guidance office. Please review this page for more information. The scholarships offered depend on which campus you will attend. Please explore the opportunities at UW Bothell or UW Tacoma scholarships page.

How do I know if I qualify for the Purple and Gold?

The Purple and Gold scholarship is awarded and eligibility is determined through the Office of Admissions. For questions regarding the Purple and Gold Scholarship, please visit https://admit.washington.edu/costs/scholarships/ or contact the Office of Admissions directly.

What is the difference between grants and loans?

Grants are federal, state and institutional funds awarded on the basis of need, which do not have to be repaid. Grants are listed on your MyUW under the “Offer of Gift Aid” section. Loans are financial obligations that must be repaid and listed under the “Other Options” section of your MyUW. 

How do I receive my loans?

You must first accept the loan on the offer notice on MyUW. All loan programs require that you sign a promissory note, promising to repay the loan, and complete Entrance Loan Counseling (for student loan borrowers only) before funds can be disbursed to you.

What is Parent PLUS loan and what do my parent(s) need to do?

The Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) enables parents to borrow for their dependent undergraduate children. These loans are based on credit, not on need. If a parent wishes to borrow this loan, the parent borrower must complete an electronic application for the loan and sign a master promissory note electronically. View or print out a detailed checklist for the Parent loan application process

Cost of Attendance

How much does it cost to attend UW?

Please review the general total cost of attendance for the 2024-2025 academic year. Tuition and fees are an estimate; they will be finalized later this spring. You can also find the cost of attendance that was used to determine your financial aid award on MyUW.

Does where I live make a difference in the amount of aid I receive?

Yes, your housing and food component of your budget is based on your living situation. If you live with your parent(s) or other relatives your housing and food allowance is lower to reflect your lower housing costs where it is expected that you will not pay rent or pay a reduced amount. If you live on-campus or off-campus (apartment, house, fraternity/sorority), your housing allowance is greater due to the increased cost. You can notify our office if your living situation changes.

What do I do if my aid offer is not enough to cover my expenses?

If your financial aid offer is not enough to cover your expenses, you have several options:

Does residency matter?

Your classification as a resident of Washington state, non-resident of Washington state, or international student determines the tuition you pay as a UW student.

Note your residency status on your offer letter. Residency policies are set by the Washington state legislature and applied uniformly throughout Washington’s colleges and universities. If you have questions about residency classification or want to apply for a change in your status, please review the Registrar’s website on Residency.

 

You can reach a financial aid counselor by email at osfa@uw.edu.