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Financial Need and Award Information

The information you provide on the FAFSA calculates what is known as your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). EFC is determined by the 2023-2024 FAFSA. Beginning with the 2024-2025 FAFSA, which will be released by Dec. 31, 2023, EFC will be replaced with the Student Aid Index (SAI). UWF, along with most colleges, uses the EFC as the basis for awarding need-based financial aid. The EFC measures your family's ability to contribute to educational costs but is not necessarily what you are asked to pay. 

Cost of Attendance (COA) includes tuition and fees, food and housing, books and supplies, personal expenses, and transportation. This total varies from student to student, depending on factors such as enrollment status and housing arrangement. 

After a student has been accepted for admission, the financial aid office uses UWF’s "cost of attendance" and the EFC to determine your eligibility.  Your eligibility for financial aid is calculated by this formula: Cost of Attendance (COA) - Expected Family Contribution (EFC) = Financial Need.

Financial Need Formula

Cost of Attendance (COA) -  Expected Family Contribution (EFC)  =   Financial Need

  

Award Information

Financial aid is awarded in accordance with federal, state, and institutional guidelines to help meet your UWF financial need.  All awards are contingent upon available funds. The University of West Florida has the right to change or cancel awards if funds are unavailable, your application contains incorrect data, your enrollment status changes, or your financial situation changes. If there is a change in your eligibility, you will receive a revised award letter via your UWF email.

Students Selected for Verification

If your FAFSA was selected for verification, your award will not be completed until you have submitted the required documentation, and it has been reviewed by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. We will contact you via your UWF email if you are required to submit additional documentation. The verification policy can be reviewed in full online.

Enrollment Status

Your Financial Aid package is based on full-time enrollment.  If you choose to enroll less than full-time, your Financial Aid eligibility could change.  Some awards may be cancelled and others may be prorated at a reduced amount.  Please review all award conditions and criteria in MyUWF to determine enrollment requirements for your specific awards. 

Undergraduates
12+ hours = full-time
9-11 = 3/4 time
6-8 = 1/2 time
1-5 = less than 1/2 time
 
Graduate
6+ hours = full time
3-5 = 1/2 time
1-2 = less than half-time 
 

Award Conditions

Students, you need to be aware of the following conditions when accepting aid from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

  • You must notify this office of any additional financial aid or scholarships you receive that were not previously reported to us. Examples include: FL Bright Futures, private scholarships, tuition/fee waivers, tuition reimbursement, private loans, and vocational rehabilitation. You must also notify the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships of a change in residency. In some cases, receipt of additional resources will result in a reduction of financial aid.
  • You must notify the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships if you reside in military housing or receive a military housing living allowance (Do NOT include Ch. 33 VA educational benefits).
  • If you do not plan to enroll full-time, you must notify the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. If you do not plan to attend for the semesters awarded, you must notify us. Your financial aid eligibility may change.
  • Your enrollment status at the end of drop/add will determine if an adjustment to your award is required. Your award will not be increased as a result of a late add (courses registered for after the official drop/add period).
  • Undergraduate students receive financial aid for undergraduate courses only. Graduate students must be enrolled in graduate courses or undergraduate courses annotated for graduate credit. 
  • Your financial aid is awarded for courses taken at UWF only. If you choose to enroll in 1 or more courses as a transient student, you should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships regarding the effect on financial aid eligibility.
  • Repeat coursework regulations apply for federal financial aid recipients. Federal aid can be awarded to repeat a course one time (if you previously passed it); however, if a course is repeated a 3rd time, the course will not count for federal financial aid eligibility. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships if you must repeat a course (that you previously passed) for a 3rd time.
  • Federal regulations dictate that financial aid only be awarded for courses that count toward the student’s degree.  Additional courses, or non-required courses, are not funded and cannot be used to determine enrollment status and financial aid eligibility.
  • If you audit a course, those hours do not count toward the required minimum enrollment status.
  • Students classified by the Admission's Office as "non-degree" are not eligible for financial aid.
  • If your award includes a Federal Direct (Subsidized/Unsubsidized) Student Loan:
    • You are required to sign a promissory note if you are a first-time Direct Loan borrower. Once a signed promissory note is on file, no future signatures are required.
    • You will be required to complete entrance counseling if you are a first-time borrower.
    • If undecided about accepting the Direct Loan, accept it for now. You can decline it up until the point it is disbursed.
  • If your award includes Federal Work-Study:
    • The amount awarded each semester is the maximum you may earn during that semester (first day of classes to last day of exams). You will receive a paycheck every two weeks, not a lump sum payment. The hours/week designation after the Federal Work-Study award is only a guide for the student and supervisor. Following those hours precisely may result in under- or over-utilization; therefore, you are advised to check frequently with your supervisor regarding hours worked and hours remaining in each semester's award.
    • You must complete the Federal Work-Study attachment to your award letter, by the designated deadline, to accept/decline the award. You will receive notification at a later date concerning job placement.
  • The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships assumes no responsibility for replacing any or reinstating financial aid you decline or become ineligible to receive.