The Office of Financial Aid assists students with state and federal financial aid programs. Office personnel also provide budget and loan indebtedness counseling and help students find employment on and off campus. They also administer the UW-Platteville Foundation Scholarship Program.

Financial Aid Programs

Three basic categories of financial aid are administered through the UW-Platteville Office of Financial Aid. To be considered for these programs, students must be degree seeking and enrolled for at least six credits. In some cases, students may be eligible for a Pell Grant if enrolled less than half-time. Students enrolled as special are not eligible for any of these programs except regular student employment.

To apply for the programs listed below, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students can apply online at the FAFSA website. (March 15 is a UW-Platteville priority filing date but not a deadline.)

Grants

These aid programs do not require repayment:

Loans

These low interest educational loans require repayment, but interest and principal for most loans are deferred until after graduation:

Campus Employment

Students may work on campus to help with expenses.

*FAFSA is not required

Satisfactory Academic Progress

UW-Platteville is required to monitor academic progress for students who are pursuing a degree and receiving financial aid. If the academic standards are not met, students receiving financial aid will be declared ineligible and the financial aid award(s) will be cancelled.

Satisfactory Academic Progress is measured by the following:

Cumulative Grade Point Average Policy
A student must maintain a cumulative grade point average as defined by the Registrar's Office. Students who fall below an acceptable cumulative grade point average will be placed on financial aid probation the following term. If during the probationary term students raise their cumulative G.P.A. to the minimum requirement, the probation will be removed for subsequent terms. If students do not raise their cumulative G.P.A. to a minimum standard during a probationary term, they will be placed on financial aid suspension for subsequent terms. Students on suspension are ineligible to receive financial aid. If students are on suspension and raise their cumulative G.P.A. to an acceptable G.P.A.,the suspension will be removed for subsequent terms and they will again be eligible to receive financial aid.
67 percent Completion Policy
A student must complete 67 percent or more of their enrolled credit hours (number of enrolled credits as of the end of the tuition refund period) at the end of the term. Students who do not complete 67 percent of their enrolled credits at the end of the term will be placed on financial aid probation the following term. For example, if students are registered for 12 credits, to complete 67 percent they must earn eight credits. If during the probationary term students complete 67 percent of their enrolled credits, the probation will be removed for subsequent terms. If students do not complete 67 percent of their enrolled credits during the probationary term, they will be placed on financial aid suspension for subsequent terms and the student will be ineligible to receive financial aid. Students must then fund at least six credits for at least one term on their own and earn at least 67 percent of the credits attempted before the suspension is removed and financial aid reinstated.
150 percent Completion of Program Policy
To receive financial aid, a student must earn their degree within a maximum time frame. The maximum time frame for which students may receive financial aid is 150 percent of the published length of the program's credit hours. For example, the length of a bachelor's degree is 124 credits. 124 credits x 150 percent = 186 credits. A student can receive financial aid for up to 186 credits in pursuit of this program. Credits earned at another institution that have been accepted by UW-Platteville as transfer credit are included in this total even if financial aid was not awarded for these credits. When students have attempted a total of 125 percent of their program's credits, they will be placed on financial aid probation as a warning that they are approaching the 150 percent maximum time frame for completion. When students have attempted 150 percent of their program's credits, they will be placed on financial aid suspension for subsequent terms and will be ineligible to receive financial aid.

Financial Aid Appeal Process

Students have the right to appeal if they are determined to be on financial aid suspension provided they and the institution have followed the following process:

  1. Student is notified via a letter by the Financial Aid Office once they are placed on financial aid probation.
  2. The student will be encouraged to meet with a counselor or academic advisor. This meeting is designed to help the student develop a plan for success, review their education plan and discuss their satisfactory academic progress and related financial aid consequences.
  3. The student is still considered to be on financial aid probation until the reason for the probation is fully corrected.
  4. At the end of the probationary term, a review of the student's academic progress will take place to determine if the probation can be removed or if the student is to be placed on financial aid suspension.
  5. If the student is placed on financial aid suspension, the student will be notified via letter by the Financial Aid Office.
  6. A student may appeal their financial aid suspension by completing a Financial Aid Suspension Appeal Request form.
  7. Once the appeal request has been reviewed, a follow-up letter will be sent to the student notifying them of the outcome. If the appeal is denied, the student will be required to complete six credits without financial aid. If the student receives a 2.0 G.P.A. for those six credits, and completes all six credits, financial aid can be reinstated.

Repeated Coursework

A student may repeat a passed course once and receive financial aid.

A student may repeat a class until it is passed and receive financial aid.

University Refund Policy

For students who withdraw from the university in fall or spring semesters, the following refund policy is applied for tuition and fees:

Refund for tuition and fees is based on the full semester cost. Students who live in the residence hall and/or are on a meal plan shall be refunded room and board paid in advance on a weekly prorate basis.

Return of Unearned Financial Aid

If a student withdraws from the university prior to completing 60 percent of the semester and had received financial aid (grants and/or student loans), the student may have to return a portion of the federal financial aid. The amount of aid students may keep when they withdraw is in direct proportion to the length of time they remained enrolled during the semester.

Unofficial Withdrawal

Students who received federal financial aid and receive all "F" grades for non-attendance are considered unofficially withdrawn for the semester. The Office of Financial Aid will determine the student's last date of attendance and the return of unearned financial aid formula will apply (see above). If the last date of attendance cannot be determined, the student is assumed to have attended 50 percent of the semester.

Scholarships

Each year, the UW-Platteville Scholarship Program awards over $590,000 in scholarships. The goal of the scholarship program is to provide awards to as many students as possible.

Scholarships are awarded on academic achievement, community involvement, extracurricular activities and autobiographical essay. Some scholarships require that a student prove financial need. If a student receives a scholarship, it will be considered a resource, and this may affect the amount of other aid the student receives. The specific eligibility criteria are generally listed with each scholarship.

The program is divided into two distinct parts: one for incoming first year students and one for continuing students. The application process is different for each program.

New Freshman Scholarship Program

Students who apply and are accepted for admission at UW-Platteville are eligible to apply for scholarships provided through the UW-Platteville Foundation. Only admitted students will receive scholarship information. To ensure getting the scholarship information, a student should apply for admission by Dec. 1 of the year prior to attendance. The scholarship information will be mailed to the student after they are admitted. The completed scholarship applications must be submitted by Jan. 12. Committees will meet to make the selections, and students will be notified as soon as possible, generally in March. To be a recipient a student must be enrolled as a full-time student, taking 12 or more credits. The amount and number of scholarships are subject to change and vary from year to year.

Continuing Student Scholarship Program

Scholarships are available to continuing students at UW-Platteville. Transfer students may apply, but scholarships are limited. Scholarship applications should be submitted by mid-February for the scholarships to be awarded for the next academic year. A listing of scholarships can be viewed on the Office of Financial Aid webpage.

Other Scholarships

Information regarding other scholarship resources, not related to the UW-Platteville Foundation, is available in the Office of Financial Aid. Applications for these national, regional or major-specific scholarships are usually available.