Aid Process

Disbursement/Reminders

  1. All Federal and State aid (except Pell Grant for correspondence courses and Federal Work-Study) will automatically be applied to tuition, fees, room and board charges on your bill each semester. See section 10A-7 of the Handbook.
  2. Borrowers at Western must select a lender for their Federal Stafford Loan(s). Instructions for lender selection, if needed, are provided on the award letter. All student borrowers must sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Watch your mail for information. Most lenders provide E-signature of the MPN.
  3. All first time borrowers must complete Stafford Loan Counseling before funds can be disbursed.
  4. Loan funds cannot be disbursed until just before school begins and therefore, will not appear on your first University bill each term.
  5. Loan amounts must be made in two disbursements for the Academic Year:
    • Half in the Fall Term; half in the Spring Term
    • Single semester loans will be disbursed in one disbursement at the beginning of the term.
  6. We delay Stafford Loan 1st disbursements to first-time freshmen until after the 10th day of the term.
  7. Your lender may deduct an origination fee up to 1% of the loan and a 1% default fee may be charged by the loan guarantor.
  8. Before each aid disbursement, financial aid eligibility must be reviewed in such areas as:
    • Hours of enrollment (usually a minimum of six hours)
    • Proper class level (may affect your loan amount) at Sophomore (30-59 hours) or Junior level (60-89 hours). Transfer students should have final grade transcript from previous school sent to WIU as early as possible.
    • Satisfactory Academic Progress
    • Admitted to a degree program.
  9. Refund checks for amounts of aid exceeding direct educational charges (tuition, fees, room and board) are direct deposited to your designated bank account. Direct Deposit Authorization Information
  10. Please be prepared to pay for your books from your own personal resources. Refunds from financial aid are not always available or may be insufficient to pay for all your books. Books cannot be charged to your University account.
  11. The first bill for Fall semester will be mailed in August. Paper billing statements are mailed to the home address in August, January and June. All other monthly notifications are sent by Billing and Receivables Office to the student's WIU e-mail account.
  12. Specific questions concerning bills or the billing process should be directed to Billing and Receivables 309/298-1831.