Financial Aid

Financial Aid Resources and Information

Applying for Financial Aid for New Undergraduate

A FAFSA and a CSS Profile are required to apply for financial aid for all new undergraduate students including transfer students. Visit the Office of Student Financial Assistance's website for a complete list of requirements including deadlines. Students should also monitor their Eligibility Requirements Screen in GWeb to see if any other verification documents are required to process their financial aid.

Applying for Financial Aid for Continuing Undergraduate Students

A FAFSA is required to apply for financial aid for all continuing students. The FAFSA can be completed at studentaid.gov. Students should monitor their Eligibility Requirements Screen in GWeb to see if any other verification documents are required to process their financial aid.

Applying for Financial Aid for Graduate Students

A FAFSA is required for all graduate students applying for federal aid. The FAFSA can be completed at studentaid.gov. The Supplemental Graduate Loan Questionnaire is required for all graduate students applying for additional Federal Direct Stafford Loan funds, a Graduate PLUS Loan, and/or a Private Alternative Loan. Visit the Financial Aid Office website and select the 'Graduate' tab to review the full steps on how to apply and access the required forms.

Applying for Financial Aid for Law Students

A FAFSA is required to apply for financial aid for all students. The FAFSA can be completed at studentaid.gov. Visit  the Law School Financial Aid website for a complete list of requirements including deadlines. Students should monitor their Eligibility Requirements Screen in GWeb to see if any other verification documents are required to process their financial aid.

Applying for Financial Aid for MD Students

A FAFSA is required to apply for financial aid for all students. The FAFSA can be completed at studentaid.gov. Visit  the School of Medicine Financial Aid website for a complete list of requirements including deadlines. Students should monitor their Eligibility Requirements Screen in GWeb to see if any other verification documents are required to process their financial aid.

Pending Financial Aid

Financial aid that has been awarded but has not yet been credited to the student account is indicated on the Student Account eBill statement as pending aid prior to the start of the term. Please view our sample bill to see how pending aid is displayed on the student account statement.

Pending aid can include university scholarships, federal or private loans, and/or university or federal grants. Pending aid allows students to view and pay the amount due for each semester less the amount expected in aid. In cases where the amount of pending aid is equal to or greater than the total amount charged for that semester, no payment is required by the student.

When aid is applied to the student account, pending aid is reduced. Pending aid is typically applied to accounts on the first day of the semester if all financial aid requirements have been submitted. If the aid has not been applied to the account by the end of the add/drop period, the pending aid is removed from both the statement and the eBill activity. If this occurs, please review the status of your financial aid package and/or requirements in GWeb.

When pending aid is removed, the amount due on your student account increases. It is the student's responsibility to either take the steps necessary to finalize their financial aid or to pay the outstanding amount due.

Many factors can impact the processing and posting times of certain awards. We do not guarantee that all financial aid will be applied on the first day of the semester. Please verify the status of your financial aid award package and/or requirements in GWeb.

Outside Scholarships

Scholarships that are coming from a source other than GW are considered outside scholarships and are not included in the pending aid on the statement or eBill. They are applied to the account after receipt and processing.

GW requests that outside scholarship remittances be made through ACH Transfers directly to our bank. Please complete an Outside Scholarship & Award ACH Form for each of your outside scholarships, and provide a copy of the form to the scholarship foundation.

Federal Work Study

The Federal Work Study Program is a federally-funded work program that allows qualifying students to earn money while working at a pre-approved organization. More information is available on the Financial Aid website.

Once awarded, students are able to earn up to the total amount of their annual award. The award is typically paid to the student through a bi-weekly paycheck based on hours worked, but students may also choose to have their earnings credited to their university account by updating their online authorizations in GWEB.