Financial Aid 101

2022-2023 Academic Year

October 1:

Complete the 2022-2023 FAFSA using 2020 Data Retrieval Tool (DRT), if eligible. Submit ONLY ONCE. If you were not eligible for the data retrieval tool, request an electronic tax return transcript at www.irs.gov. Save in the event you are selected for verification in December/January. Aid is awarded in the order students apply and are ready to be packaged for aid until all funds are exhausted.

December 1:

Apply for University Scholarships.

January 1:

Monitor UNCW email address regularly for verification notifications and respond immediately because funds are packaged first-come, first-served until exhausted.
FAFSA filing priority deadline for in-state (Need-based Grant & Lottery) & institutional financial aid.
- We strongly encourage FAFSA completion on October 1 as some institutional grant funds could be exhausted prior to January.

March 1:

University Scholarship application priority deadline.
Summer 2022 Financial Aid Applicatio n launches and requires 2021/22 FAFSA.

April 1:

Monitor UNCW email address for award notification or request for additional verification items (returning students with completed applications will be awarded on or after May 15, once grades are in and SAP is reviewed).

All new UNCW students (first year at UNCW & transfers) will be required to:

Accept or Decline your federal student loan(s) and answer Title IV questions accordingly on SeaNet
Complete Entrance Counseling and sign the Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note at studentaid.gov for any federal student loans that are accepted. Transfer students who have received federal direct loans at other institutions will need to complete exit counseling for previous institutions, also. Items in this bullet can be completed in any order.

Other Important Information:

Merit awards are very limited at UNCW. Selection, based on your admissions application, and notification (via email) is done by Admissions typically by the end of January. A few additional offers are made by OSFA to students who have completed the scholarship These decisions are made by April 1.
Additional scholarship resources are available here.
If your FAFSA is selected for verification, please submit all of the requested items immediately and ensure all forms are complete in order to avoid delays in receiving your financial aid award. If forms are incomplete (questions left blank, unsigned/dated, etc.) or if the information on the forms conflicts with what you submitted on the FAFSA, this will delay processing of your financial aid
When you complete your FAFSA, be sure to indicate the appropriate degree/certificate program you’re planning to complete and the accurate year in college you’ll be beginning the next academic year. These answers impact the type, if any, and amount of aid you may be
There is a significant increase in calls, emails, & visits during the months of July & Therefore, we cannot guarantee that awards will be processed before bills are generated or due in July if you apply for aid or if verification items are submitted after June 30. This could mean that you will have to remit payment in full by the due date for the balance owed on your bill or risk having your classes dropped due to non-payment.
Grant account access to parents, guardians, via SeaNet Proxy
For Federal Parent PLUS loans, parents MUST apply at studentaid.gov and complete the electronic Master Promissory Note/Loan Agreement. This is a credit-based loan and there is no guarantee of approval.
- If the parent is denied the loan and chooses not to secure a co-signer/endorser, the student can receive additional student loan funds ($4K for Fr/So & $5K Jr/Sr) by accepting the additional loan on SeaNet.
Visit our Financing page for more information on college costs, money management, and financing a UNCW education (including the use of Private/Non-Federal Loans).