Timeline for Financial Aid

October 1 – April 1

  • Complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is preferred that you complete this step no later than March 1st; completing your FAFSA later in the year may cause delays in processing.
  • Add finaid@pnwu.edu to your contact list to make sure you receive emails regarding financial aid.
  • Regularly check your Self-Service account in PowerCAMPUS and your email to see if anything is missing regarding your financial aid application.
  • Review the PNWU scholarship page regularly to learn about scholarship opportunities.
  • Register your personal profile with Washington’s scholarship match site, The WashBoard.
  • Regularly—and consistently—search for scholarships on your own. Remember, NEVER PAY A FEE FOR A SCHOLARSHIP SEARCH!
  • Review your household budget and compare it to the PNWU estimated cost of attendance. Begin to cut back on your expenses where you can.

April

  • Financial aid applications will be reviewed and processed for students who have a valid FAFSA on file and no missing documents or conflicting information.
  • As federal student loan eligibility is determined, students may view their aid on Self-Service and on the Financial Aid Portal .
  • Request a free copy of your credit report and review it carefully for errors or other items that you may need to address.

May-June

  • If you have completed your FAFSA but do not have aid eligibility showing on Self-Service, contact the Financial Aid Office to investigate, finaid@pnwu.edu.
  • Submit your Direct Deposit form to the Finance Office no later than June 30.

May-July

  • Make sure you accept, reduce, or decline student loan(s) offered on the Financial Aid Portal.
  • If you haven’t done so yet, complete your Loan Entrance Counseling.
  • If you haven’t done so yet, complete your Master Promissory Note(s). You must complete one MPN for each federal loan you are accessing:
    • Unsubsidized Loan
    • Graduate PLUS Loan
  • Again, review your household budget. Be prepared to live frugally. However, if you have expenses exceeding the PNWU estimated cost of attendance, contact the Financial Aid Office at finaid@pnwu.edu for information on how to request a budget increase.

Aid Disbursements

  • Funds will be disbursed directly to the student’s account in PowerCAMPUS by the Finance Office up to five days prior to the first day of class. Any credit balance will be released to the student (EFT Direct Deposit) within 3-5 days after disbursement.
  • Federal student loans require at least two disbursements of equal amounts. Loan funds will be disbursed at the beginning of each semester.