Paying for College

Contact the The Office of Admissions toll-free at 1877-877-1593 | or e-mail: admissions@wou.edu | Location: WC 110

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) opens December 1st for the 2025-2026 academic year.

Western Oregon University Priority Deadline has been extended from February 1st to April 1st again for the 2025-2026 filing year.

Western Oregon University Federal School Code: 003209

When applying for federal aid, you (and your parent if you are a dependent student) must create an account at studentaid.ed.gov. The account serves as an electronic signature for students and their parents. Since signatures are required on the FAFSA® application, registering early helps speed up the application process. The account also serves as an identifier to allow students access to personal information in US Department of Education systems. These can include access to the Master Promissory Note for Direct Loans, PLUS Loans, as well as specific information on prior loans borrowed.

You may check the status of your electronic FAFSA® application at any time during and/or after the processing period.

Avoid Common FAFSA® Mistakes

Common FAFSA® Mistakes

• Filing the FAFSA® late
• Not entering your name exactly as it appears on your social security card
• Not reporting your parents’ legal marital status correctly
• Entering the incorrect anticipated year in school or degree being pursued
• Filing the FAFSA® with the incorrect award year
• Making changes to your FAFSA® after being awarded financial aid

The U.S. Department of Education will send you a FAFSA® Submission Summary (FSS) after your FAFSA® is processed. The FSS summarizes the information you reported, contains comments alerting you if further information is required to process your FAFSA®, and states your preliminary Student Aid Index (SAI). Review your FSS in detail. The FSS will instruct you on how to make any necessary corrections.

Be sure that Western Oregon University (003209) is listed so our office receives your information.

What is it?

Verification is a process that compares the information on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to federal income tax and other information used to document that your answers are correct.

How is a file selected for verification?

Certain applications are flagged by the federal aid processor for verification due to federal edits or random sampling. These applications are identified by an asterisk (*) placed to the right of the Student Aid Index (SAI) on the FAFSA® Submission Summary (FSS). Other applications may be selected by the WOU Financial Aid Office to clarify information.

2024-2025 Verification Policy (hyperlink coming soon)

Create Your StudentForms Account

All FAFSA® filers must create a one-time account setup at wou.studentforms.com to find the required forms and documents needed to complete verification and to clear other requirements on the file.

You can also access these requirements by logging into your WOU Portal, click on WolfWeb, then Financial Aid Menu. The information collected may result in changes to your financial aid award and, in some cases, the repayment of funds already received. No further disbursement of financial aid funds will be given until the verification process is complete.

After a financial aid offer is available, please follow the Financial Aid Checklist Graduate/Undergraduate to complete the appropriate steps for using financial aid to help pay for your college costs.

Scholarships are gifts. They don’t need to be repaid. There are thousands of them, offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations.

To apply for WOU scholarships, the General Scholarship Application is open for students to apply between November 1st—March 1st each year. Admitted students can access the application through WOU Portal using the ‘Scholarships’ icon or, wou.scholarshipuniverse.com.