Financial aid is awarded on the basis of scholastic achievement, financial need or a combination of both. Offers of assistance are designed to supplement the resources of the family and can range from $100 to $24,399 per academic year.

For Federal, University, state and most private aid, family resources are measured by the needs analysis formula of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid    (FAFSA). A family’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is based upon the information submitted on the FAFSA, which includes income, assets, number of people in the family and other family factors. All students are required to file the FAFSA if they wish to apply for federal, state and University aid and scholarships.

The FAFSA may be filed by paper application or electronically at www.fafsa.ed.gov, an official U.S. Department of Education site. Filing through the internet is currently a two-step process: submitting data electronically AND sending official signatures via U.S. mail to the federal aid processor. All students and families with computer access are encouraged to take advantage of the electronic process.

Students may also estimate their EFC on the internet. Wheeling Jesuit recommends the "Financial Aid Estimation Form." It can be found at www.finaid.org, a comprehensive financial aid site. An estimated EFC is for personal planning use only. Official EFCs may vary from an estimated one and only official, federally calculated EFCs resulting from the FAFSA can be used to determine financial aid eligibility at Wheeling Jesuit.

The difference between the Expected Family Contribution and the Cost of Attendance (COA) for an academic year represents a student’s “financial need.”

Financial assistance may be in the form of federal, state, University or private aid. There are three types of aid: grants (“gift aid,” including scholarships), loans (low interest loans requiring repayment) and work opportunities.

All financial aid is disbursed directly to students’ accounts for charges relating to tuition, fees, room and board. Aid exceeding student account charges may be issued as a refund to the student for other educational expenses (books, supplies, etc.).

Steps to Follow In Applying for Aid

1. The student must be accepted for admission to the University in order to receive official offer of financial aid. If applying after January 1 of the high school senior year, an applicant should apply for financial aid and for admission concurrently.
2. An applicant for aid must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and list Wheeling Jesuit University Federal school code: 003831. Most states use the FAFSA for their grant programs; check with your state grant agency for details. FAFSA’s are available from Wheeling Jesuit University and from high school guidance counselors. Once the FAFSA has been filed and processed, the Department of Education (DOE) will send the student a paper Student Aid Report (SAR) and the University an electronic SAR, provided the student listed the correct Federal school code. The student and Wheeling Jesuit can make corrections on the SAR and send electronically or by mail to the DOE for reprocessing.
3. Wheeling Jesuit University may require verification of information and may request a copy of an applicant’s Federal income tax return, the applicant parents’/spouse’s Federal income tax return, W-2 statements and other documents.