THE FAFSA IS NOW AVAILABLE!!
2023-2024 FAFSA is now available! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the main application for financial aid funding at West Chester University. All students applying for financial aid at WCU for fall 2023, spring 2024, and summer 2024 will need to file this FAFSA as soon as possible. However, the WCU FAFSA priority deadline is March 1st. File now at studentaid/gov/FAFSA.
Change in circumstance consideration: The FAFSA does require 2021 tax information and we ask all students who have been impacted by a change in household structure or change in income to wait until February 2023 for any appeal requests.
A request for a professional judgement phone appointment can be done by sending your availability via email to finaid@wcupa.edu.
FAFSA Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be accepted to file my FAFSA?
No, we can accept your FAFSA and hold it in a suspense file which will help us expedite the processing of aid once accepted.
Do I have to file a FAFSA every year?
Yes. All students should be filing the FAFSA each year to be reviewed for aid for the next year.
What should I do after I file my FAFSA?
Pennsylvania residents please make sure you complete a state grant form, you can verify this by setting up an account at https://pheaa.org. All students should review their student aid report in order to verify that there were no issues with the FAFSA. Potential flags could include;
- Being selected for verification
- Missing a signature (FSA ID can be used to sign electronically for both parent and student)
- Listing adjusted gross income in response to the taxes paid question (these should be two different amounts).
- Being flagged by Social Security Administration for Citizenship
Is there a deadline to be considered for state grants?
Yes, Pennsylvania's FAFSA deadline is May 1st and Delaware's state grant deadline is April 1st. Unfortunately, New Jersey does not transfer state funds to Pennsylvania for a full list of states that offer out of state grants please see the "Grants" page on our website.
Do I have to list my retirement funding if it is a rollover?
Technically, no you do not have to include rollover amounts that are coded with a G on a 1099R. However, if you used the IRS Data Retrieval Tool this will automatically populate. Please contact our office at finaid@wcupa.edu for instructions if you believe this is improperly reported.
Should Social Security Benefits be included on the FAFSA?
No, you do not have to list your social security benefits on the FAFSA.
What assets should be included on the FAFSA?
Cash, net worth of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, CDs, second property (not the home your living in). The value of 529 accounts should be reported under parents (if the parent is the owner of the account), but if it is owned by another relative it is not an asset, will be reported as income by the student on a future FAFSA after the contribution received.
Do NOT include:
- Value of your retirement
- Life Insurance
- Small business unless you have 100 or more employees
- Value of your car