The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is available to all college students for the 2024-2025 academic year. The application was re-designed to make it easier for students and parents to apply and to make more of them eligible for financial aid. 

“Regardless of what institution you’re attending, the FAFSA is the form that’s used to determine a student’s eligibility for federal financial aid,” said Bill Trippett, director of financial aid. “The same application would be used to determine eligibility for state financial aid.”

Many states, colleges and scholarship organizations require the FAFSA to determine whether a student qualifies for financial aid. The application used to have over 100 questions. With the new changes, the application has significantly less questions. The exact number of questions is based on applicants’ responses. 

“My experience with FAFSA this year was easier,” said Sergio Lopez, a third-year transfer student. “However, the process to do so was slightly hindered by how much the FAFSA website glitches out and how much it reloads its pages. I’ve been using FAFSA for a while now, as I used to attend a community college back in 2019 in Texas before moving to Wisconsin and attending Whitewater. Throughout my experience with it over the years, it has become easier and streamlined to follow through the process of applying for financial aid for each academic year. However, one thing that hasn’t changed over the years is how glitchy, slow and repetitive the process is. Applying for financial aid is typically followed by long load times and the site reloading my information, resulting in me having to input my information once more.”

The cost to attend UW-Whitewater as an undergraduate ranges from $20,278 for Wisconsin residents to $30,378 for non-residents. H0using, food and tuition costs are major contributors to the large sticker price. 

“I wish I had educated myself more about what the process entails and gone forth in applying for scholarships,” said Lopez. “Although the aid has been helpful in getting through the years, having to eventually pay it all off in the future is worrisome. Applying for aid should, in my opinion, be a last option for those who are seeking to attend college. It was my first and only option as I came from a poor household that had no resources to pay off college. In general, I think FAFSA opens up opportunities for people seeking to go to college– but those who are applying should do a bit of research into the process and what they may have to pay back before applying for it.”

Scholarships for UW-Whitewater students typically open in early December, and are found through WINS. All UW-Whitewater students are eligible to apply for hundreds of scholarships through the UW-Whitewater Foundation or through their college or major. The scholarship deadline for the 2024-2025 academic year closed on Feb. 22, 2024.

While there is no set deadline to apply for federal and state financial aid through FAFSA, it is highly recommended to file for the 2024-2025 academic year as soon as possible. 

“If students have not filed for next year, they should go ahead and get their applications in,” said Trippett. “There’s still plenty of time to get it submitted and get things up and going for next year. It’s recommended that the form gets turned in no later than Aug. 1, so that it gets processed before the school year starts. The process is more streamlined, so it’s a lot faster.”

For more information regarding financial aid, visit uww.edu/financialaid or visit the financial aid office in Hyer Hall. For more information regarding scholarships, visit uww.edu/scholarships.