Application Process

UWRF Scholarships:

UWRF offers scholarships you can apply for annually. Scholarships are funded by the UW-River Falls Foundation through contributions from alumni, faculty and staff, friends, parents, campus organizations and businesses. Over 800 scholarships totaling more than $900,000 are typically awarded. For more information on how to apply, please visit our Scholarships page.

External Scholarships:

You can view our listing of outside scholarships and visit your local library to find organizations offering scholarships. If you are a current high school student, your guidance counselor is also an excellent resource for finding scholarship opportunities.

The FAFSA:

If you are interested in receiving federal and state financial aid, you must complete a FAFSA application. The 2024-2025 FAFSA is now open. The FAFSA must be completed for each academic year. Complete your FAFSA as early as possible so that your aid is packaged in time to allow for the start of the fall semester and so that all aid types you may be eligible for are still available.

Speed the Process Up!:

For faster processing, apply for an FSA ID to electronically "sign" the FAFSA. As a result of filing the FAFSA, you'll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor. If you provide an email address on your FAFSA, you'll receive the SAR via email. Retain this document for your records. Do NOT submit the SAR to UW-River Falls Financial Aid Office, unless specifically requested to do so.

Prospective Students:

If you would like to get an early estimate of your financial aid eligibility, complete our Net Price Calculator. Remember, this is purely an estimate, and your real financial aid awards may differ from your calculator results.

Click the button for more information on filling out the FAFSA form.

By federal regulation, the US Department of Education can select your FAFSA for a process called verification. If selected, the UWRF's Financial Aid Office will send you an email notifying you that additional information is needed. You can view the information needed on your eSIS To Do List and download any necessary Financial Aid forms on the list from our Verification page, which also includes more information on the verification process and submitting information. Verification must be completed before your federal financial aid will be awarded.

Once you have completed your FAFSA and any verification requirements, you'll receive an email with your financial aid award details. You can also view your financial aid in eSIS, under "View Financial Aid." Please see Types of Aid for detailed information on each award listed.

• Grants are gift-based aid that don't need to be repaid. Grants are accepted on your behalf.
• Work Study and loans are self-help aid. You'll need to decide whether you want to accept and use these funds. These types of aid can be declined.
   

Your aid package is likely to include a loan. If it does, carefully consider the amount of loan you wish to accept. You can reduce or completely decline the loan entirely if you can finance your education without it. Carefully review the Award Guide and complete all required actions to receive your financial aid. Please refer to Receiving Your Aid for more details.

The number of credits you are enrolled in is your "enrollment status." If you are NOT yet registered for classes, your financial aid is based on full-time enrollment status by default. If you plan to be less than full time, email finaid@uwrf.edu as soon as possible. 

Your award amounts are not final and will not disburse until your aid is based on your actual enrollment status. It it your responsibility to verify that your class schedule is correct by the 5th day of class each semester. Your financial aid will not be re-evaluated after the 5th day if you add or drop a class. Please see Receiving Your Aid for more details.

Minnesota residents, this one's for you!

Wisconsin and Minnesota have an agreement to provide comparable in-state tuition rates charged at a similar Minnesota school. If you're a Minnesota resident, you can apply for tuition reciprocity online. It can take up to 6 weeks for the Minnesota Office of Higher Education to process this application, so early submission is recommended.

Federal regulations require that we consider all outside resources, such as scholarships and grants, that you receive to finance your education. What's this mean? 

Your federal and/or state eligibility for financial aid may change if you receive any outside funding (think grants, scholarships, DVR assistance, etc.) It's your responsibility to promptly notify us of any such outside resources so that we can make any necessary adjustments to your award ASAP. Do so by completing the Outside Resource Notification Form.

If you're borrowing a Federal Direct Loan for the first time at UWRF, you must complete additional steps before your loan(s) will be processed and disbursed to the UWRF Billing Office. 

You must complete Entrance Loan Counseling and sign the Master Promissory Note. Check out the First Time Federal Student Loan Borrower Instructions near the bottom of our Receiving Your Aid webpage for info on how to complete these additional steps

If additional aid is needed above and beyond federal and state financial aid, additional loans can be considered. 

For more information, please see our Personal Loans page regarding SELF Loans (Minnesota Residents) and Private/Alternative Loans and Parent PLUS Loans page for parent loans.

Financial aid begins disbursing to your student account approximately 1 week before the beginning of each semester. For financial aid to disburse, all financial aid items on your eSIS To Do List must be completed and aid must be accepted in eSIS. Additionally, new (both first year and transfer) students must have submitted an official high school transcript to the Admissions Office showing your graduation date for financial aid to disburse.

The sixth day of each semester is called the Financial Aid Census Date and is a snapshot of your enrollment at the beginning of that day. This is important because your financial aid and Pell eligibility are based upon your enrollment on the census date regardless of your enrollment before or after that snapshot. If you're a student with financial aid, it's critical that your financial aid is complete and you've finalized any course adds/drops before that date!

Financial aid awards are usually divided into two equal payments for fall and spring semesters. You need to become familiar with your eSIS account to ensure that all funds disburse to your billing account. It is your responsibility to monitor your account and ensure that your bill has been paid or arrangements for payments have been made with the Billing Office. Monitor your Billing Statement, Pending Aid and View Financial Aid areas of your eSIS account and contact the Financial Aid office if your aid does not disburse when anticipated.

Financial aid is disbursed directly to UWRF to pay your tuition, fees, housing, dining and other charges on your account. If your aid and/or payments exceed the amount of your semester bill, a refund for the excess amount will be produced. Semester refunds are processed after the census date. To receive your refund, you must sign up for direct deposit through your eSIS account after you accept your awards. For more information on refunds, please see the Student Billing Refunds page.

If you're a transfer student who has already completed a FAFSA for the current academic year, you do not need to complete it again. Instead, log in to your FAFSA and proceed to the "School Selection" section to "Add More Schools." UWRF's school code is 003923. 

Financial aid will not automatically transfer from one school to the next. 

Hey Falcons, this is crucial!

To maintain your eligibility for financial aid, you must make Satisfactory Academic Progress. (Scroll to the bar labeled "Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy.")