Types of Aid
Financial Aid can take many forms in a student's aid package.
There are four basic types of financial aid offered by William & Mary:
- Federal, state, and W&M grants
- Federal Direct student loans
- Federal work-study and other student jobs
- Merit Scholarships are awarded by the Office of Admission to entering students or by individual departments to continuing students.
The application process is the same for all three types of financial aid. Simply fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile (for new undergraduate students). When we get your applications, we'll figure out your eligibility.
There are also additional considerations when applying for graduate and professional programs.
Grants and Scholarships
Every year the Office of Undergraduate Admission awards merit-based scholarships to outstanding applicants. Take note that a few William & Mary scholarships available to students after the first year may require separate applications or nominations. These would be department scholarships or alumni scholarships that are mentioned on our scholarships page.
Loans
The W&M financial aid office will package a student with Federal Direct Student loans if the student is eligible for them based on their unique packaging situation. Parent PLUS Loans which are Direct loans are not automatically packaged and information on applying for those loans can be found on our loan application instructions page. Graduate PLUS Loans which are also Federal Direct loans are not automatically included in all graduate aid packages. Information on applying for a graduate PLUS loan can be found on our loan application instructions page.
We also have a private loan site, if you would like to do more research on these funds.
Federal Work-Study
Students that are awarded work study, or those that just wish to pursue student employment on campus can locate postings at the Tribe Careers site hosted by Cohen Career Center. Students will need to bring standard identification paperwork with them to complete their I-9 before working.
