Financial Aid
Overview
The University offers a program of financial assistance through scholarships, grants, federal work study, and loans.
Prospective students must be officially accepted into a degree program at the University before their applications for financial assistance will be considered. Undergraduate students must be enrolled for at least 6 credits for each semester in order to receive aid (except for the Pell Grant, which may be received with only 3 credits as long as the student meets eligibility requirements).
Applying for Federal Aid
Students applying for any federal, institutional, or state aid must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for processing after October 1. You should complete and submit the FAFSA online. A helpful tutorial can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LK0bbu0y5AM. The Title IV code for Western New England University is 002226. Please make sure to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) when completing the FAFSA.
NOTE: There is no additional institutional financial aid application.
Don't Forget to Re-Apply Each Year
All students must re-apply for financial aid each year. The FAFSA for returning students is due by March 1. Please note that additional information may be required after an initial review of your FAFSA. Receiving aid in any year does not guarantee aid in subsequent years. Effort is made to renew each student's financial aid, but aid in subsequent years could be influenced by changes in a family's financial circumstances, poor academic performance, the availability of state or federal funds, and applying on time. Late applicants may be considered for financial aid if sufficient funds are available.
Aid Not Based on Financial Need
Merit Scholarships
Merit-based scholarships and grants are awarded based on high school or college academic achievement. All students are automatically considered for merit aid during the admissions process. See Merit Scholarships.
International Students
International Students are eligible for the same merit scholarships as domestic students. See Merit Scholarships.
Sibling Discount
A $1,000/year discount is available to each sibling when a family has more than one full-time undergraduate child attending Western New England University. Please notify Enrollment Services each year.
Aid Based on Financial Need
Need-Based Western New England University Aid
Western New England University scholarships and grants, which are based on financial need, are awarded annually. All students are automatically considered for these when they apply for financial aid.
Federal Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants are awarded to undergraduate students demonstrating financial need. Eligible students may receive up to $7,395 each year.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants are awarded to a limited number of undergraduate students with extreme financial need. These grants range from $200 to $4,000 each year.
State Scholarships
Several states award scholarships and grants which can assist students attending Western New England University. These states include Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Vermont. Information about the programs is provided annually by each state.
Federal Work Study
Federal Work Study is awarded to students demonstrating financial need. Students who secure a work study position receive a bi-weekly paycheck based on the number of hours worked. Funds are paid directly to the student and are not applied to their student account.
Federal Direct Student Loans
There are two types of Federal Direct Loans: Subsidized and Unsubsidized. Eligibility for a subsidized loan is based on financial need, as determined by the FAFSA. The interest that accrues during periods of enrollment for a subsidized loan is paid by the federal government. If a student does not qualify for a need-based subsidized loan, he/she automatically qualifies for the same loan limit through the unsubsidized loan. The interest that accrues during periods of enrollment for an unsubsidized loan is added to the principle. The subsidized loan limits are $3,500 per year for freshmen, $4,500 per year for sophomores, and $5,500 per year for juniors and seniors. All students can opt to borrow up to $2,000 as an unsubsidized loan in addition to the initial need-based award. The total aggregate loan amount that undergraduates may borrow is $31,000. The interest rate for both the subsidized and unsubsidized loans are determined by July 1 for the upcoming school year by the federal government. The current interest rate is 5.50%. Please note, there is an approximately 1% origination fee that the government withholds upon each loan disbursement.