Scholarship only and financial aid offers usually begin around mid-December for first-time freshmen who are starting in the fall semester for each upcoming aid year. Students in any other student group (currently enrolled, continuing students, transfer, graduate, professional, etc.) usually receive their financial aid offers around mid-March. This relies on having everything submitted for a financial aid offer to occur.
Page Navigation
- Overview
- Accessing the WVU Portal (for New Students)
- How to Accept Your Aid and Next Steps
- Can Parents or Others Contact the University To Ask Questions About My Account?
- Timeline
- Additional Information
- Frequently Asked Questions
Overview
For financial aid and scholarship only offers, your estimated cost of attendance and estimated aid eligibility are based on various factors. It is important to note that changing information - as well as choices you make - can impact your estimated cost and/or aid eligibility. See Can My Financial Aid Offer Change? for some of the factors that can cause changes.
Accessing the WVU Portal (for New Students)
You will need your WVU username and password to log in to your WVU Portal. Information to help you access the WVU Portal and your MIX email is provided by Undergraduate Admissions as part of your admission decision email and/or letter. If you have not "claimed your account" to set up your WVU Login, you must do so on the WVU Login self-service website. If you have already claimed your account but have forgotten your password, you can also reset your password on the same site.
Please note that WVU Login accounts are for students only. Parents and guardians may not claim accounts, create passwords and security questions, or set up authentication. Students should not share their WVU Login information with anyone. However, students can provide parents and guardians with proxy access so they can easily access their information. Students can find instructions on the WVU Parent and Guest Portal website.
How to Accept Your Aid and Next Steps
Now that you have your offer, what do you need to do? Here are steps you can take NOW to get ready!
- Make a decision on your offered financial aid: Log into your WVU Portal to review and accept or decline your offered aid. Accepting aid is not a commitment to attend WVU, but it is important to accept your offered aid as early as possible to help ensure your aid is ready to pay on time for the semester if you do attend. If you accept or decline aid and later change your mind, notify us! We are happy to help you make adjustments. For step-by-step instructions on accessing your aid offer, visit our Accept or Decline Aid webpage.
- Stay up-to-date on important deadlines and notifications:
- Most scholarship, financial aid, and billing updates are sent from the WVU Hub to your MIX email via your WVU Portal (not your personal email). It's important to monitor MIX for updates! Students can set it up on their mobile devices.
- Follow the WVU Hub on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
- Monitor the WVU Hub website for important updates and information.
- If you want to estimate what your balance due will be based on your estimated billable costs, visit our Planner webpage.
- Other Funding Options: Explore our Other Funding Options webpage for information on applying for external scholarships, the monthly payment plan, and other potential ways to help you fund educational expenses.
- Make sure your aid is ready! Use our Checklists to make sure your aid is ready to go before the first payment deadline each semester (usually beginning of August for fall and beginning of January for spring).
Can Parents or Others Contact the University To Ask Questions About My Account?
Specific account information cannot be released to parents, spouses, friends, other family members, or other third parties unless you give them access. For first-time students, this begins when you either move into on-campus housing or attend your first day of classes as a student on one of WVU's campuses - whichever comes first. This is due to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
You can find instructions on how to grant access on the WVU Parent and Guest Portal website. In addition, please note that even with your permission your financial aid and FAFSA-related information cannot be released to third-party organizations unless they are a scholarship provider, tribal organization, or private lender.
Timeline
Visit our Timeline webpage to keep on track each year! The page is updated as new information becomes available.
Additional Information
- Comparing Financial Aid Offers: If you are comparing financial aid offers from multiple schools, take your time reviewing each one. Determine your estimated cost for each institution and subtract your grants, scholarships, and waivers to determine your out-of-pocket for each to compare apples to apples. You can use a cost comparison tool - like this one from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau - to carefully determine your cost for each institution.
- Donors: Donors and sponsors of financial aid and scholarship programs may, at their discretion, obtain demographic information and recipients. If you do not want this information released, notify us.
- Disbursement: Financial aid will disburse as payment toward your balance due approximately one week prior to the start of each semester (fall/spring) as long as the financial aid is accepted, you are enrolled in enough hours for the aid to disburse, and you do not have any unsatisfied requirements for the aid.