Financial Aid

West Chester University

25 University Avenue, Suite #030
West Chester, PA 19383
Phone: (610) 436-2627
Fax: (610) 436-2574

Grants

Federal Pell Grant is funding awarded by the federal government and is need-based. It is awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree. Pell Grant awards are reduced for part-time (less than 12 credits per semester) enrollment. The Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is used in the determination of the student's Pell Grant.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a federally funded program that is administered by the University. It is available to students who have not earned a bachelor's or professional degree. Students must be eligible for a Pell Grant in order to receive FSEOG, but not all students receiving Pell will receive FSEOG. Awards are made to the neediest students who meet the WCU priority deadline of March 1st. West Chester University uses the expected family contribution (EFC) in the determination of the student's eligibility for and the value of the FSEOG award. The selection/packaging process is an automated process. Since funding is limited regrettably all students cannot be offered these funds.

State Grants are generally awarded on the basis of need and limited to students attending schools within their own state of residence. State grant award levels and eligibility criteria are controlled by the awarding state. Some states, such as Delaware, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, and Ohio have reciprocal agreements with Pennsylvania. New Jersey and New York do NOT have reciprocal agreements with Pennsylvania; therefore, New Jersey and New York residents cannot bring their state grants to Pennsylvania. For more information about your state's reciprocity agreements, contact your state agency. All aid applicants in Pennsylvania and Delaware automatically apply for their state aid when filing the FAFSA. Pennsylvania's deadline for the FAFSA to be on file is May 1st.

PA State Grant Program allows eligible Pennsylvania residents to obtain financial assistance for undergraduate study at any Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) approved institution of higher education. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the program's application. The Pennsylvania State grant eligibility is also based on the student's housing status. PHEAA selects students for a process called VALIDATION, in order to determine if the data provided on the FAFSA matches information from PA tax returns. If income has been estimated, or there appears to be conflicting information, PHEAA may request the family to provide additional income and asset information. When the Financial Aid Office is notified that PHEAA has selected a student file for validation, we will remove credit for the state grant from the account until PHEAA notifies us that the process has been completed. Please note that the state grant award may be changed as a result of this process.

Teach Grant - Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program that provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.