Financial Aid Application Process for Student Applicants Entering in 2024-25
The Financial Aid Office is excited to work with you as you apply for financial aid as a student applicant entering in the 2024-2025 academic year. You’ll find helpful information about the steps to complete this process and suggested application filing dates below. Please reach out to the Financial Aid Office any time you have questions.
2024-2025 Delayed FAFSA Processing
The 2024-2025 financial aid application process is modified for this year due to the FAFSA Simplification Act and delayed release of the FAFSA. The Department of Education has recently announced a further delay in the processing of FAFSA data, indicating that Wooster’s Financial Aid Office will not begin receiving applicant data until mid-March.
We remain committed to our students and our goal of providing information about making college more affordable to applicants and their families. To support this, we will provide a need-based financial aid estimate to any admitted applicant that submits the CSS Profile (using Wooster’s CSS code of 1134) to Wooster prior to the initial release of FAFSA data.
Students that receive an estimate are still required to submit the 2024-2025 FAFSA. Official financial aid eligibility will be confirmed after receiving and reviewing the FAFSA.
The 2024-2025 FAFSA will not be available during the Early Decision application cycle, and may not be available during the Early Action application cycle. Since we still want to provide financial aid estimates to applicants, Early Decision and Early Action applicants interested in a need-based financial aid estimate should submit the CSS Profile, using Wooster’s CSS code of 1134. Please review the application filing and notification dates below.
Early Decision and Early Decision applicants will still need to follow Steps 1 and 2 below to receive an official financial aid offer.
The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available by January 1, 2024, due to the FAFSA Simplification Act. Complete the 2024-2025 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and submit to Wooster using our federal school code: 003037.
- Find helpful information about completing your FAFSA on our Filling Out the FAFSA page.
- For a list of suggested filing dates, see the chart below.
The Department of Education and/or The College of Wooster may request additional information to verify the data on your FAFSA. This will be determined once your FAFSA has been received by our office.
- Once your FAFSA has been received by our office, you can view your checklist on the Admissions application portal for any requested documentation.
- Reminder emails will be sent to the student email and parent email (if applicable) listed on the FAFSA.
- If you are selected by the federal processor or Wooster for the special Verification review process, you will be required to submit additional documentation. Information about this process can be found in the Verification section below.
- Signed copies of federal income tax returns and W-2 statements will be requested from families as needed and prior to review of any special circumstances.
- If the 2024-2025 Wooster Aid Application is being requested, you may submit the CSS Profile in lieu of our form.
- Many documents, and ways to submit them, can be found on our Forms page.
Verification
The College of Wooster is required by federal regulations to validate the accuracy of the financial information of students identified by the U.S. Department of Education for verification. Wooster may also select students for verification. Students who have been selected for verification, either by the U.S. Department of Education or by The College of Wooster will be notified by the Financial Aid Office of all required documents and due dates. The Department of Education encourages all applicants to utilize the IRS tax data retrieval tool when completing the FAFSA. This tool is available to most tax filers who have a processed tax return on file with the IRS and inputs tax return information into the FAFSA directly from the IRS.
Financial aid eligibility will not be finalized until all requested verification documentation is received. Financial aid awards are subject to change based on the accuracy of information submitted on the FAFSA.
Application Filing and Notification Dates
| Application Round | Admission Application Deadline Date | Admission Notification Date | Admission Deposit Date | Financial Aid Application Date | Financial Aid Notification Date* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 1 | November 15 | December 1 | November 1 | After November 15 |
| Early Action | November 15 | December 31 | May 1 | December 15 | After January 15 |
| Early Decision II | January 15 | February 1 | February 15 | January 15 | After February 1 |
| Regular Decision | February 15 | April 1 | May 1 | February 15 | After March 15 |
*For applicants who have applied/are eligible for competitive and/or performance based scholarships, aid offers may not be released until after scholarship decisions have been made.
Calendar of Important Dates and Reminders
Important Dates:
- Nov. 1: Early Decision deadline to submit the CSS Profile for an offer of need-based aid.
- Nov. 15: Early Decision financial aid award offers sent after this date.
- Jan. 1, 2024: FAFSA becomes available online.
General Information & Reminders:
- View and monitor the checklist of additional documentation being requested by the Financial Aid Office on the application portal.
- Submit requested documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
Important Dates:
- Jan. 15: Early Decision II deadline to submit the FAFSA for an offer of need-based aid.
- Feb. 15: Suggested filing date of the FAFSA.
General Information & Reminders:
- Review of need-based aid award begins.
- View and monitor the checklist of additional documentation being requested by the Financial Aid Office on the application portal.
- Submit requested documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
Important Dates:
- May 1: Enrollment deposit deadline.
- May 15: The Financial Aid Office will begin emailing requests to deposited students to accept or decline federal student loans via ScotWeb. Instructions will be included in this request.
General Information & Reminders:
- View and monitor the checklist of additional documentation being requested by the Financial Aid Office on the application portal.
- Submit requested documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
- To cover the remaining costs of the academic year, compare all available funding and payment options.
Important Dates
- July 1: Accept or decline federal student loans via ScotWeb by this date so accepted loans appear on fall semester invoices.
- Mid-July: Fall semester invoices will be mailed by the Business Office.
- Aug. 10: Fall semester balances are due in full.
General Information & Reminders:
- The Financial Aid Office will continue emailing requests to students to accept or decline federal student loans via ScotWeb. Instructions will be included in this request.
- First time federal student loan borrowers should complete the online Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling at student aid.gov.
- View and monitor the list of additional documentation being requested by the Financial Aid Office on ScotWeb and submit to the Financial Aid Office.
- To cover the remaining costs of the academic year, compare all available funding and payment options.