Freshmen and Transfer Students
We require the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. To receive full consideration for aid, you must submit the FAFSA and the Profile by the deadlines listed below. We do not have a separate institutional aid application. However, for undergraduate applicants, we frequently ask for additional documentation after we have reviewed your processed FAFSA and Profile. Please submit any requested documents by the listed deadline; failure to do so could limit your eligibility for grant funds.
FAFSA
Submit your FAFSA application electronically at www.fafsa.gov. Our federal school code is 003705. If you do not have a PIN (see below), make sure you print out and submit the signature page. Your FAFSA will not be processed without signatures. The FAFSA will be available starting on January 1.
If you have not previously done so, we urge you to obtain a PIN at www.pin.ed.gov. If you are a dependent student, one of your parents will also need to obtain a PIN. Your PIN can be used to make any needed FAFSA corrections and to monitor your status with federal aid programs. You will also be able to use it to sign certain Master Promissory Notes for loans.
CSS Profile
Our CSS Profile school code is 5115. Please complete the Profile after January 1 but before our deadline of March 1. Select "Fall 2013/Spring 2014". You should set aside a considerable amount of time for collecting and organizing your financial information and completing the Profile. You will need your actual 2011 information and your estimated 2012 and 2013 information. While completing the Profile, DO NOT USE your browser's back button.
Please note that we DO NOT require the supplemental non-custodial information form.
Transfer students DO need to complete the Profile.
Students submitting the FAFSA, Profile, and all requested documentation by the following dates are given first priority in determining eligibility:
- entering in the Fall - March 1
- entering in the Spring - November 15
- entering in the Summer - March 15
Applications received after these dates WILL NOT be guaranteed grant consideration. Funds are LIMITED, so apply on time!
There are several records you should have on hand when completing the FAFSA and Profile; however, do not send these forms to us unless we have requested them:
- Your signed prior year federal tax return and, depending on your status as a dependent or independent student, that of your parents or spouse. Do not send state tax returns. Even if you filed electronically, you must still sign the copy of the taxes that you send to us.
- Other records such as W-2 forms, business and farm records, and bank statements.
- Leave and Earnings Statement for military personnel.
*Note: If the above records are not available when you file the FAFSA and Profile, you should use estimates. Do not miss the deadlines!
When your FAFSA has been processed, you will be emailed a Student Aid Report (SAR). This is a summary of the information submitted to the processor. Please review it and make any needed corrections. Do not mail this form to the financial aid office. Instead, keep it for your own records. W&M will receive the same information electronically, assuming that you designated us as one of the schools to receive your data. Questions concerning your SAR should be directed to the federal processor at (319) 337-5665.
Transfer Student Aid Eligibility
For all College grant funds, your eligibility is restricted to eight regular semesters, just as it is for the general student population. Your previous academic credits are counted in the total number of semesters of eligibility. For example, if you enter with the equivalent of two semesters, you will have six semesters of College funding. If you enter with an Associate's Degree, you will be a junior and have four semesters of grant eligibility. If you need a ninth or tenth semester, you can receive federal loans and, if you are eligible, a Pell Grant for a total of 10 semesters.