Undergraduate Financial Aid Award Process

 

Our general eligibility requirements are that you must:

• demonstrate financial need (for most programs);

• be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen;

• have a valid Social Security number (with the exception of students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, or the Republic of Palau);

• be registered with Selective Service, if you're a male (you must register between the ages of 18 and 25);

• be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program;

• be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program funds;

• maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school;

• sign statements on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSASM) stating thatyou are not in default on a federal student loan and do not owe money on a federal student grant and you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes;

• and show you're qualified to obtain a college or career school education byhaving a high school diploma or a recognized equivalent such as a General Educational Development (GED) certificate or completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.

 

Please be aware that we reserve the right to adjust your Financial Aid Award Package at any time should we receive additional information that changes your original eligibility. Your aid package may be adjusted due to change in registration, grade level, verification, or state/federal legislation.

All awards are based on full-time enrollment (12 credits undergraduate/9 credits graduate). If you attend less than full time, your aid package will be adjusted based on your credits enrolled. If you are less than half time (6 credits undergraduate/ 5 credits graduate) you will not be eligible for any state and most federal aid including student loans. In limited instances, based on your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), undergraduate students may be eligible for a small portion of their Federal Pell Grant. If you are a graduate student, you must be enrolled in at least 5 graduate-level credits in order to receive your federal student aid. Graduate students cannot receive federal aid for undergraduate courses.

• Financial aid is awarded on a rolling basis until the end of the academic year.

• We post recommended deadlines on the website to ensure students receive state and institutional funding.

• The funding is awarded on a first come first serve basis as per defined eligibility requirements and based on federal need.

• We require the FAFSA submission and any other additional institutional forms.

• Financial Aid Award Letters for first time freshmen and transfer students are mailed to the student's permanent address in late February/early March.

• Returning undergraduate and graduate students receive their Financial Aid Award notifications in early June via the PennWest California VIP (Vulcan Information Portal).
  

• Students that apply for Summer Financial Aid receive Financial Aid Award notifications in late March/early April via the PennWest California VIP (Vulcan Information Portal).
  

• Awards for incoming students are processed as estimates without all documents submitted. Upper-class students are not awarded financial aid until the student's file is complete.

• Disbursement does not occur until all files are complete; enrollment period is at least part time; courses have officially started; and initially not until after each term add/drop period.

• Aid is awarded full time and disburses as per credits registered at time of disbursement.

• After the fall and spring term add/drop period and disbursement, aid is not adjusted upward or downward unless student fully withdraws from the term.

 

The following programs are eligible for federal financial aid at PennWest California:

• Associate degree programs
• Bachelor's degree programs
• Master's degree programs

PennWest California also offers limited graduate or professional programs that do not lead to a post-baccalaureate degree, are at least 10 weeks, provide at least 12 credit hours of instruction, and prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.

The list of these approved programs on the Department of Education Program Participation Agreement (PPA) are listed below. Please refer to the individual departmental website to obtain disclosure and gainful employment information. Students are eligible for federal graduate loan limits.

0862	Advanced Addictions Counseling Certificate
0158	Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate
0740	Applied Criminology Certificate
5855	Arabic Language and Cultures Certificate
0444	Autism Spectrum Disorders
0741	Behavioral Crime Analysis Certificate
0329	Business Analytics Certificate
0701	Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
0714	Criminal Justice Certificate
0851	Cybersecurity Certificate
0918	Early Childhood Education Certificate
0926	English as a Second Language Certificate
0994	Exercise Science Health Promotion- Performance Enhancement & Injury Prevention
0996	Exercise Science Health Promotion- Rehabilitation Sciences
0992	Exercise Science   Health Promotion- Wellness & Fitness
0998	Exercise Science Health Promotion-Sport Psychology
0894	Graduate Certificate in Data Science
0715	Homeland Security Certificate
7139	Land Management Certificate
0716	Law and Public Policy Certificate
0977	Principals Certification
0910	Reading Specialist Certificate
0157	School Counseling Certification Only
0410	School Psychology Certification Only
0861	Spiritual, Ethical and Religious Counseling Certificate Program
0981	Sport MGT: IAA- PB Intercollegiate Athletic Administrative Track
0935	Sports Counseling Certificate
0917	STEM Secondary Education Certificate
0703	Student Affairs Practice Certificate
7482	Sub-Baccalaureate Certificate in Data Science*
0455	Superintendent Letter of Eligibility
0717	Threat Assessment and Management in Schools
0983	Wellness Coaching Certificate

CALU offers teacher certification programs that are exempt from gainful employment and eligible for federal undergraduate loans only.

• Elementary Certification
• 4-8 Language Arts & Reading
• 4-8 Math
• 4-8 Science
• 4-8 Social Studies
• 4-8 Math & English, Language Arts & Reading
• 4-8 Math & Science
• 4-8 Math & Social Studies
• 4-8 Science, English, Language Arts, & Reading
• 4-8 Science & Social Studies
• Pre K-4
• Special Ed. 4-8 Language Arts/Reading
• Special Ed. 4-8 Math
• Special Ed. 4-8 Social Studies
• Technology Ed. Certification
• Social Studies Certification
• Special Education Certification
• Ment/Phys Handicapped 7-12*
• Teacher Education Pre K-4*

*Academically may be considered graduate or professional but federally only eligible for 5^thyear undergraduate loans if taken stand alone or coded as first degree.

NOTE: NON-DEGREE PROGRAMS ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL AID. 

 

All awards are based on full-time enrollment (12 credits undergraduate/9 credits graduate). If you attend less than full-time, your aid package will be adjusted based on your credits enrolled. If you are less than half time (6 credits undergraduate/ 5 credits graduate) you will not be eligible for any state and most federal aid including student loans. In limited instances, based on your Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), undergraduate students may be eligible for a small portion of their Federal Pell Grant. If you are a graduate student, you must be enrolled in at least 5 graduate level credits in order to receive your federal student aid. Graduate students cannot receive federal aid for undergraduate courses. 

Federal regulations and PennWest California guidelines require students to be attending at least 6 credits before any financial aid money can be disbursed. In addition, all federal and state financial aid programs specify minimum enrollment requirements in order for a student to receive any (maximum or partial) assistance. These requirements are broken into four enrollment classifications: full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time and less-than-half-time. The chart below indicates the number of credits used to determine a student's enrollment status.

Definition of Enrollment Status

Enrollment Status	Undergraduate	Graduate
Full-Time	12 Credits or more	9 Credits or more
Three-Quarter Time	9 to 11 Credits	7 to 8 Credits
Half-Time	6 to 8 Credits	5 to 6 Credits
Less than Half-Time	Less than 6 Credits	Less than 5 Credits

Half and Three-Quarter Time:

• Students that are half and three-quarter time receive the same cost of attendance as the standard full time student with the exception of actual tuition and fees charged to the student account. This typically only impacts loan borrowing eligibility. Review your student Vulcan Information Portal account for your specific cost of attendance information.

Less than Half Time:

• Students that are less than half time are typically not eligible for financial aid.

Important Note: If late start classes make you eligible for financial aid, your aid will not disburse until after these late start classes begin.

 

Important Note: If late start classes make you eligible for financial aid, your aid will not disburse until after these late start classes begin.

Regular admit students must have a minimum of 5 graduate credits in order to be eligible for graduate financial aid. As a graduate student you must register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits. It is your responsibility to keep this in mind when registering each term. As long as you register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits, you are eligible for graduate loan levels. 

Please note if you are not registered for 5 graduate classes in the first session of each semester then your financial aid disbursement may be delayed until the 2^nd session graduate class(es) begin.  Undergraduate classes will not count towards the required credits for disbursement.

Here are the links to the credit by exam academic policies: Undergraduate and Graduate.

If you are earning academic credit and it happens within the first 6 weeks of the term, you may be eligible for financial aid. For all financial aid applicants including those that participate in credit by exam, you must be registered for a minimum of part time coursework each term. Undergraduate students must be registered for a minimum of 6 undergraduate credits. Graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 5 graduate credits.

The student financial aid system will not disburse until the coursework is registered for even if we know it will be 6 weeks into the term. Financial Aid will have to wait to disburse only after the classwork is officially approved and per the entered start date into the student system. It may be the case that you will need to make arrangements to pay and then be reimbursed via your financial aid later. A private alternative loan can be an option. It can be returned/cancelled once you become eligible for federal aid (as long as it occurs within the academic year.)

Prior to deciding whether or not you should participate in an internship, it is always best to consult financial aid first. Please do contact us and we will be happy to assist!

Here is the link to the graduate prior learning assessment academic policy.

If you are earning academic credit and it happens within the current academic year, you may be eligible for financial aid. For all financial aid applicants including those that participate in prior learning assessment, you must be registered for a minimum of part time coursework each term. Undergraduate students must be registered for a minimum of 6 undergraduate credits. Graduate students must be registered for a minimum of 5 graduate credits.

Depending on the timing of awarding these credits will then depend on the financial aid eligibility. You will more than likely need to be reviewed on a case by case basis in order to determine financial aid eligibility. The student financial aid system will not disburse until the coursework is entered into the system. Financial Aid will have to wait to disburse only after the classwork is officially approved and per the entered start date. It will more than likely be the case that you will need to make arrangements to pay and then be reimbursed via your financial aid later. A private alternative loan can be an option. It can be returned/cancelled once you become eligible for federal aid (as long as it occurs within the academic year.)

Prior to deciding whether or not you should participate in prior learning assessment, it is always best to consult financial aid first. Please do contact us and we will be happy to assist!

 

Federal

The Financial Aid Office reviews academic progress for students using the criteria listed in the Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy. Students are reviewed for Title IV progress at the end of term of enrollment, including summer.

Pennsylvania State Grant (PHEAA)

Academic Progress as defined by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (www.pheaa.org):

A student is required to successfully complete a minimum of six semester credits per semester (or the equivalent) for each part-time state grant received and a minimum of 12 semester credits per semester (or the equivalent) for each full-time state grant received. Credits earned for repeat courses which were previously counted when state grant progress was verified cannot be counted again. Academic progress is confirmed by the financial aid administrator at your school at the end of each academic year; failure to meet the minimum requirements means that you are ineligible for further state grant aid until you have successfully completed the required number of credits. For example, a student receiving a full-time state grant during the fall semester and a part-time state grant during the spring semester must successfully complete a minimum of  18 semester credits before being eligible for any further state grant aid. Full-time students progressing at the rate of only 24 semester credits per year (or the equivalent), while meeting the minimum state grant progress standard, will utilize all of their state grant eligibility before completing their program. If you have any questions regarding your academic progress or credits that may be counted toward state grant academic progress, you should contact your school financial aid administrator.

Other

Most institutional scholarships require a 3.0 quality-point average or to meet the minimum Federal Satisfactory Academic Policy requirements. All other awards are reviewed on an individual basis as defined by the award criteria. We will inform you via your student PennWest California e-mail account and the Vulcan Information Portal if your current eligibility or renewal eligibility is not meeting the established minimum requirements.

 

Federal, Institutional and State financial aid recipients may not receive funds in excess of financial need and/or the cost of attendance. This may occur when students receive funds from other sources or agencies. When an over-award occurs, the Cal U Financial Aid Office is required to adjust the student's financial aid. A student may be required to repay funds due to the loss of eligibility. To prevent an over-award, notify the Financial Aid Office of any assistance you receive that is not listed on your award letter. Examples of other aid include outside scholarships, military benefits, and vocational rehabilitation benefits.

PennWest California reserves the right to review, revise or cancel a financial aid award at any time if any of these situations exist:

• There is a change in your enrollment status at PennWest California and/or a change in your financial aid eligibility.

• You fail to comply with policies, procedures or laws pertaining to these programs.

• There is a change in the availability of federal, state and University funds for each program. You will be notified of any revision and/or cancellation.

Students who fail to meet the financial aid requirements may be required to repay all or a portion of the assistance used during any affected semester(s).

• Tuition Remission is a type of employee benefit available to qualified students.

  Non-taxed tuition remission is counted as a financial aid resource. 

   

 

 

A graduate assistantship (GA) is a type of stipend available to qualified students.

Non-taxed graduate assistantships are counted as a financial aid resource. 

 

Adding, dropping or withdrawing from classes should not be taken lightly. Financial aid funds are intended to assist students in completing coursework.

Aid recipients are therefore subject to refund and repayment obligations that may differ from university withdrawal policies.

It is imperative that you consult the PennWest California Financial Aid Office before making an adjustment to your registration after the add/drop period each term.

 

Federal Financial Aid and Return of Title IV Funding

A Total Withdrawal may jeopardize the student's financial aid status. For any student on an approved Total Withdrawal from PennWest California, a portion of their financial aid may need to be returned to the federal government for the term in which the Total Withdrawal goes into effect. When financial aid is returned, the student is responsible for repaying to the University any financial aid that was returned as outlined in the Federal Student Aid Handbook, Chapter 1, Volume 5, Withdrawals and the Return of Title IV funds.

Current Term Effects

The federal formula is applicable to any student receiving federal aid that is approved for a Total Withdrawal from the university during the first 60% of the term. These students will have their federal financial aid (Pell Grants, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (SEOG), Perkins Loans, Direct Loans and Direct Plus Loans) adjusted based on the percentage of the term completed before the withdrawal. In essence, students will be entitled to retain the same percentage of the federal financial aid received as the percentage of the term completed. This percentage is calculated by dividing the number of days in the term (excluding breaks of five days or longer) into the number of days completed prior to the withdrawal (excluding breaks of five days or longer). Breaks are determined based on the academic calendar and are subject to change.

PennWest California must return the unused portion of Title IV federal financial aid to the programs from which the withdrawing student received aid in the following order:

1. Unsubsidized Direct Loan
2. Subsidized Direct Loan
3. Perkins Loans
4. Federal PLUS Loans
5. Federal Pell Grants
6. Federal SEOG

Students are responsible for returning the difference between the amount of unearned aid and the amount returned by PennWest California to the appropriate federal aid programs.

The Pennsylvania State Grant and Special Programs require the university to adjust the awards accordingly as per the university tuition refund policy.

All other financial aid is evaluated on a case by case basis to determine the withdrawal policy that the university is required to follow.

After both the financial aid and tuition and fee adjustments are complete, a bill will be mailed to the student for any unpaid balance remaining.

Future Term Effects

Important Note: While a 'W' grade may carry no academic penalty and is not counted in the student's GPA, a 'W' grade is counted as attempted credits and can negatively impact at minimum eligibility for federal and state financial aid. Financial Aid recipients should refer to the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.

Students considering a Total Withdrawal should also review the Satisfactory Academic Progress policy. The SAP policy for students receiving Federal Title IV aid is the same as or stricter than the university's standards for students enrolled in the same educational program who are not receiving Federal Title IV financial aid. Federal Satisfactory Academic Progress is run at the end of each term shortly after final grades are due typically in January, June and September. Once the review is complete and your status is calculated, your student VIP account will be updated accordingly. The Financial Aid Office will send you an email reminder to your PennWest California email address informing you this process is complete and instructing you to sign into VIP to obtain your status and further instruction.

Undergraduate students must maintain at least a 2.0 cumulative grade point average to remain in good academic standing. Graduate students must maintain at least a 3.0 cumulative grade point average to remain in good academic standing. Grading scales/system can be found on the Academic Policies.

In addition, all students must complete 67% of credits attempted to maintain good standing and be considered making Satisfactory Academic Progress. The completed percentage is determined by dividing credits earned by the number of credits attempted.

 

Are you attending another school at the same time as PennWest California? If you are, then you are considered to be a "dually enrolled" student and must notify the Financial Aid Office of each school that you are attending. When dually enrolled, you may only receive aid from one school and it will be coordinated and administered according to federal, state and institutional requirements.

Dual enrollment happens when you are enrolled at two institutions during the same enrollment period. If you enroll at PennWest California and at another institution during the same semester, the class(es) you are taking at the other school could be counted as part of your total academic enrollment and thus be eligible for financial aid.

PennWest California is considered your "home school" if you are working toward a degree from UW Oshkosh, for example. The other school is considered your "host school." You can only receive financial aid from one school during the same enrollment period. It is usually your home school that will process your financial aid. The class(es) you are taking at the host school must transfer back in to your academic record at UW Oshkosh. The class(es) must also count toward your degree at UW Oshkosh. You will need to work with an academic adviser to ensure that the course(es) you take is/are accepted by the University.

In order to receive financial aid while dually enrolled you need to do the following:

1. File the FAFSA.

2. Fill out a consortium agreement. Send it to the other school and ask them to return to the PennWest California Financial Aid Office.

3. You must enroll in a minimum of 3 credits at PennWest California.

 

Below is how graduate students with undergraduate courses are eligible for federal financial aid:

• The Office of Graduate Admissions in consultation with the graduate program coordinator can accept students conditionally up to a maximum of 2 terms. During this timeframe, you are eligible for 5^th year undergraduate loan levels when taking all undergraduate coursework. If you are enrolled in mixed undergraduate and graduate coursework, you are eligible for graduate loan levels during your conditional admit period only.
• Regular admit students must have a minimum of 5 graduate credits in order to be eligible for graduate financial aid. As a graduate student you must register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits. It is your responsibility to keep this in mind when registering each term. As long as you register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits, you are eligible for graduate loan levels. Please note if you are not registered for 5 graduate credits in the first session of each semester then your financial aid disbursement may be delayed until the 2^nd session graduate class(es) begin.  Undergraduate classes will not count towards the required credits for disbursement.

 

Revisions were made to the graduate admissions categories to ensure compliance with federal regulations related to financial aid. 

Outlined below is the specific federal financial aid eligibility for each Admission Definition Category.

Regular Admission: Graduate Students are eligible for graduate financial aid and loan limits as outlined in the Types of Aid section on the Financial Aid website. PLEASE NOTE: As a graduate student you must register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits. It is your responsibility to keep this in mind when registering each term. As long as you register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits, you are eligible for graduate loan levels. Please note if you are not registered for 5 graduate classes in the first session of each semester then your financial aid disbursement may be delayed until the 2^nd session graduate class(es) begin.  Undergraduate classes will not count towards the required credits for disbursement.

Conditional Admission:  Students are classified as degree seeking during the maximum defined terms. Once defined maximum terms are exceeded, students enrolled in aid-eligible programs are no longer eligible for financial aid until they are approved for exceptional or regular admission. When registering for undergraduate pre-requisite coursework, students are eligible for fifth year undergraduate federal loan limits. If discovered a student did not complete high school, the university is liable for returning all Title IV financial aid disbursed to the student regardless of the maximum defined terms. PLEASE NOTE:  During this timeframe, you are eligible for 5^th year undergraduate loan levels when taking all undergraduate coursework. If you are enrolled in mixed undergraduate and graduate coursework, you are eligible for graduate loan levels during your conditional admit period only.

Maximum defined terms are established by the Graduate School Admissions application process and outlined for you in your Admissions letters. The federal provision for preparatory coursework in 668.32(a)(1)(ii) allows for loans for up to a twelve-month consecutive period within the same academic year. CALU begins our academic year with the Summer term. CALU's twelve-month consecutive period consists of Summer, Fall and Spring terms. For financial aid purposes, the Winter term is combined with the Spring term.

Students with financial aid are subjected to disbursement holds if they do not meet the following federal maximum defined terms requirements:

Summer Starts = Conditional Admission students must submit all required Admissions documents no later than the end of the Spring term. Your Summer, Fall and Spring financial aid will not be impacted. Anything after the end of the Spring is immediately subjected to loss of financial aid eligibility and all future disbursements until your admissions requirements are satisfied.

Fall Starts = Conditional Admission students must submit all required Admissions documents no later than the end of the Spring term. Your Fall and Spring financial aid will not be impacted. Anything after the end of the Spring is immediately subjected to loss of financial aid eligibility and all future disbursements until your admissions requirements are satisfied.

Winter Starts = Conditional Admission students must submit all required Admissions documents no later than the end of the Fall term.Your combined Winter/Spring and Fall financial aid will not be impacted. Anything after the end of the Fall is immediately subjected to loss of financial aid eligibility and all future disbursements until your admissions requirements are satisfied.  

Spring Starts = Conditional Admission students must submit all required Admissions documents no later than the end of the Fall term.Your Spring and Fall financial aid will not be impacted. Anything after the end of the Fall is immediately subjected to loss of financial aid eligibility and all future disbursements until your admissions requirements are satisfied. 

Provisional Admission: Provisionally admitted students are considered non-degree and are not eligible for financial aid disbursements until they qualify and are approved for exceptional, conditional or regular admission. We will provide you a financial aid award estimate that will not disburse until your provisional admission is removed.

Exception Admission: Students are classified as graduate degree seeking and are eligible for graduate financial aid and loan limits as outlined in the Types of Aid section on the Financial Aid website. When required to register for undergraduate co-requisite coursework, students must also enroll in a minimum of 5 graduate coursework credits in order to be eligible for financial aid. PLEASE NOTE: As a graduate student you must register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits. It is your responsibility to keep this in mind when registering each term. As long as you register for a minimum of 5 graduate credits, you are eligible for graduate loan levels. Please note if you are not registered for 5 graduate classes in the first session of each semester then your financial aid disbursement may be delayed until the 2^nd session graduate class(es) begin.  Undergraduate classes will not count towards the required credits for disbursement.

Non- Degree Admission: Non-degree admission is not eligible and cannot be processed for financial aid.

Revisions were made to the undergraduate admissions categories to ensure compliance with federal regulations related to financial aid. 

Outlined below is the specific federal financial aid eligibility for each Admission Definition Category.

Regular Admission: All students are classified as degree seeking and are eligible for undergraduate financial aid and loan limits as outlined in the Types of Aid section on the Financial Aid website.

Support for Success: All students are classified as Regular Admission, degree seeking and are eligible for undergraduate financial aid and loan limits as outlined in the Types of Aid section on the Financial Aid website.

Early Admission for High School Students: Students are classified as non-degree for each semester while still in high school and cannot be processed for financial aid while in this status.

Provisional Acceptance: Students that are classified as non-degree and cannot be processed for financial aid while in this status.

Non-Degree Acceptance: As non-degree students, financial aid cannot be processed.

 

Regulatory changes on Repeat Coursework went into effect on July 1, 2011.

34CFR Section 668.2

• An institution can pay a student for only one retake of any previously passed course or its' equivalency.

• An institution can pay a student when repeating a course (of its' equivalency) an infinite number of times if all previous attempts were failures.

• An institution cannot pay a student for any repetition of a previously passed course due to the student failing other coursework.

 

If you already have one bachelor's degree and are pursuing a second undergraduate degree, you may apply for the Federal Direct Loan, a Perkins Loan, or work-study, and if still dependent, the Parent PLUS Loan. Grant programs are no longer available to someone who has already received an undergraduate degree.To receive a Direct Loan, Perkins Loan, or work-study, you must actually be receiving a second degree; you can't be enrolled to add other courses or a different field of study, etc., to your transcript credentials without completing a second degree.

 

Financial aid disburses after the end of the drop/add period.  For the fall and spring semesters, it is usually the Wednesday after the first week of classes.  For the summer semesters, it is usually the Friday after the first day of classes.  Financial aid will only disburse if all requirements have been completed by the student. After aid has disbursed, the Office of Student Accounts's office will begin processing refunds. This usually happens about a week to 10 days after disbursement. The refund checks will either be mailed to the student's address or deposited into the student's checking account, based on what the student has chosen.

Important Note: If late start classes make you eligible for financial aid, your aid will not disburse until after these late start classes begin.

 

PennWest California reserves the right to review, revise or cancel a financial aid award at any time if any of these situations exist:

• There is a change in your enrollment status at PennWest California and/or a change in your financial aid eligibility.
• You fail to comply with policies, procedures or laws pertaining to these programs.
• There is a change in the availability of federal, state and University funds for each program. You will be notified of any revision and/or cancellation.

Students who fail to meet the financial aid requirements may be required to repay all or a portion of the assistance used during any affected semester(s).

 

Census Date

• Financial aid is awarded full time and disburses as per credits registered at the time of disbursement.
• During the summer term, financial aid adjusts downward and upward as per the credits registered that term.
• During the fall and spring term, a census date after the add/drop period is complete is then selected each term and the financial aid does not adjust downward nor upward.
• Late state credits are not counted as eligible for financial aid until the course begins.

Disbursement

• Financial aid disbursement begins shortly after the add/drop period each term.

Refund Checks

Once financial aid is disbursed to your student account, financial aid that exceeds the amount the student owes to the University for direct costs will be disbursed to the student in the form of a refund check to cover non-institutional educational costs such as books and supplies, off-campus housing and transportation.

To sign up for E-PAY and E-REFUND or for additional billing and refund check information please reference the Office of Student Accounts contact information below.

Office of Student Accounts

250 University Avenue
California, PA  15419

724.938.4431 phone
724.938.5983 fax

e-mail: studentaccounts@pennwest.edu

Office Hours

8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday

Note:  Your student financial aid disbursement and refund check could be delayed if you meet one or more of the following: your federal and/or state aid has not been finalized, your Master Promissory Note (MPN) was filed late, and/or your MPN or Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is delayed at AES/PHEAA and/or federal processor due to missing or incorrect information.