New Student Checklist

• You must apply for admission to West Virginia University and provide all required documentation for admission such as high school grade transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, GRE scores, immunization records, or other requested items. A financial aid award will not be offered to you until you have been admitted to West Virginia University.
• Qualifying incoming freshmen must complete the admissions process to WVU by February 1 to be considered for academic scholarships through the WVU Scholar's Program. The Scholar's Office is responsible for awarding institutional scholarships to incoming freshman level students.
• Complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We suggest that you submit the FAFSA by February 15 to receive maximum consideration for financial aid at WVU. Your FAFSA must be received and processed by the Federal Processor by March 1 in order for you to be given consideration for campus based aid programs. You may complete the FAFSA on-line at FAFSA on the Web.
• After the WVU Financial Aid Office receives the results of your FAFSA, you may need to provide additional documentation such as signed copies of your Federal Income Tax forms. Not all students are selected for verification of income, so you may not have to provide additional documentation. We will contact you if you need to submit further documentation, or you may contact us after you receive your Student Aid Report.
• Summer school students must complete a supplemental form to be considered for summer financial aid. Summer request forms are usually available around January 15.
• When you receive a Financial Aid Award Letter, it is essential that you complete all requested items on the form and return it to the WVU Financial Aid Office in the time allotted.
• Financial aid awards are initially based on full-time enrollment. If you are not planning to attend full-time, you must notify the WVU Financial Aid Office. You can do this when you return your financial aid award letter.
• If you accept student loan proceeds and you are a first-time student loan borrower, you must attend an entrance counseling session that will explain the loan program and your rights and responsibilities as a borrower. These will be conducted in group sessions and you will be notified of the time and place. You may complete the entrance counseling requirement on-line. Visit our Loan Counseling page for more details. Loan awards are not considered finalized until all promissory notes are signed and you have attended an entrance counseling session, if required.
• After you receive your award letter and have registered for your classes, your financial aid awards that may be applied toward amounts due the University should appear on your billing statement. If your financial aid does not appear on your bill, you should immediately contact the Financial Aid Office. In some cases financial aid shown as a credit on your bill may have outstanding requirements that must be met before the aid can pay toward your bill. For instance, we may credit your bill for a loan for which we have not received a promissory note. It is important that you complete all required paperwork to ensure that your financial aid pays toward your bill as anticipated.
• Any finalized financial aid awards will first be applied to tuition/fees and room/board charges owed to the University. This will occur shortly before the beginning of each semester. If there is any remaining financial aid proceeds after these obligations are paid, a "refund" check will be made payable to the student and mailed to the student's local address or another address designated by the student. Refund checks are usually mailed during the first week of the semester.
• In order to receive financial assistance at West Virginia University, you must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress. This policy monitors your cumulative GPA, and the percentage of hours you have earned toward graduation of those you have attempted. A paper copy of the policy may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.