Prospective Students

The first step to determining your eligibility for need-based financial assistance is the submission of financial aid applications. Incoming freshmen and transfer students are required to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile for consideration of all the need-based financial aid resources. These applications provide information that helps determine your eligibility for financial assistance. Initial aid offers are estimates until we have finalized costs from The Board of Visitors. In the event of any adjustment to the financial aid eligibility, we will send out revised eligibility notifications to the student. Below are the links to the applicable financial aid applications, as well as the deadlines for submission.

Financial Aid Applications

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA): The FAFSA is required for U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens students requesting consideration for Federal financial aid. Eligibility criteria and helpful guidance with helping you complete the FAFSA can be found at studentaid.gov. Our school code for the FAFSA is 003705.

CSS Profile: In addition to the FAFSA, undergraduate Freshmen and transfer students are required to submit the CSS Profile for consideration of W&M institutional funding sources. Domestic undergraduate applicants may submit the CSS Profile for free if:

Family adjusted gross income if up to $100,000
The student qualified for an SAT fee waiver
The student is an orphan or ward of the court under the age of 24

W&M does not provide CSS Profile fee waivers for the cost associated with the completion of the CSS Profile. Our school code for the CSS Profile is 5115.

Everyone’s circumstances are unique, and we will reach out to you if additional information is needed after the initial review of the application.

Virginian students who are nonimmigrants, undocumented, have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status, or are otherwise ineligible to file the FAFSA can still pursue financial assistance from the state of Virginia. Please visit the Virginia Alternative State Aid (VASA) page for more information on the VASA Application. Students eligible to complete the VASA application will still be required also to submit the CSS Profile.

Application Deadlines

Our priority deadlines ensure that we can timely determine your financial aid eligibility. You will still be able to submit the applications after the deadline, but this may delay the determination of your financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Priority Filing Dates for All Students
Classification	Priority Date	Final Filing Date
Early Decision I	11/15	12/13
Early Decision II	1/15	3/1
Regular Decision	2/1	3/1
Transfer (spring)	10/15	10/15
Transfer (fall)	3/1	3/1

Appeal for Special Circumstances

There is the opportunity to appeal for a reconsideration of financial aid if there have been any unforeseen changes to the information that was provided on the financial aid applications (ex: involuntary loss of income). Although the appeal does not guarantee a change in your financial aid eligibility, it does provide the opportunity for an individual review of the circumstances that may have changed and/or not been evident on the financial aid applications.