Frequently Asked Questions
All it takes to apply for financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Webster University application.
Emergency Assistance
Webster University is committed to helping our students through unexpected financial hardships. Emergency aid, including loans, grants, tuition adjustments/waivers, food assistance, and funds for textbooks and technology, is available to students enrolled at campuses in the St. Louis metropolitan area.
Estimate What Your Degree Will Cost
Use our budget sheet (PDF) to calculate your net cost, after scholarships and loans are applied.
Financial aid office staff is available to assist you in understanding the overall cost of attendance at Webster, as well as any scholarships, grants and loans you may have been offered. You may schedule a virtual or an in-person appointment with a counselor.
Financial Aid Policies
Applying for financial aid the first time can be difficult enough, but there are steps to follow to ensure you remain eligible for aid. Webster is here to help.
The Office of Financial Aid can provide the terms and condition criteria for renewal, information for SAP and scholarship appeals, and the steps and requirements for withdrawal and return of Title IV funds (R2T4). Contact our financial aid team at 314-968-6992, or via email at financialaid@webster.edu.
Verification is the process schools are required by the Department of Education to use to confirm the data reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is accurate.
If selected for verification, this does not necessarily mean there are mistakes, or that you have done something wrong. Roughly one third of all FAFSAs filed may be selected for verification. Students can be selected for a verification process by the Department of Education and/or by a school.
Additionally, if you are selected for verification, Webster University will notify you via your Connections Financial Aid Student portal or email after you submit your FAFSA.
The Process
After selection, Webster University will notify you. This notification will outline the next steps and actions needed to complete verification, including specific documentation. Once all necessary documentation is provided to the Financial Aid Office, we will use the information provided to confirm that the data reported on the FAFSA matches the documentation provided. If it does not match, our office will correct the information on the FAFSA and submit the updated information to Federal Student Aid for processing. If there is incomplete or conflicting information, we may reach out to you to request clarification or additional documentation.
Requirements
If you have outstanding verification requirements, you will not be eligible to receive financial aid until the requirements are processed. Processing can take up to three to four weeks during our busiest times. As certain funds are limited, failure to supply our office with the requested documents in a timely manner may result in loss of priority funds. Once you are no longer enrolled, or the aid year is over, it may be too late to disburse any financial aid. To avoid any delays in your financial aid, please complete your verification requirements in a timely manner.
How to View Outstanding Verification Requirements
- Log in to the Connections Portal
- Click the "Students" tab
- Choose "Financial Aid Portal for Students"
- View "Unsatisfied Requirements"
*Note: Incoming freshman and transfer students will view their outstanding requirements on the Application Status Portal.
Review
Review your outstanding requirements on Financial Aid Portal for Students (Incoming students check their Application Status Portal). Select the requirement to view complete instructions to satisfy the requirement.
Double Check
- Make sure to double check your documents/submission:
- Are you submitting the proper forms requested?
- Are the documents and forms for the correct aid year?
- Are your forms complete?
- Is the student’s name and Webster Student ID number included on all documents?
- Are your documents signed? (Typed or auto-generated electronic signatures are not accepted)
Avoid Changes
Avoid making corrections to your FAFSA unless directed. We will make any changes to your FAFSA on your behalf.
Submit
- Submit your completed forms using our: Financial Aid Secure Contact Form
- You may also submit your completed forms in person to: Webster Hall, Room 115
- Mail your forms to: Webster University, Financial Aid Office, 470 E. Lockwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63119, Fax: 314-968-7125
Next Steps
The initial review of documents can take two to four weeks after submission of all documents. Incomplete or missing documents may delay timely processing. Our team will reach out to you via email if we require any additional information.
Tips for Success
- Need a copy of your tax forms? You can request a tax return transcript or non-filer letter from the IRS online or call 800-908-9946.
- Submit documents as soon as possible. Since the FAFSA uses ‘prior-prior’ year tax information, almost all applicants will have actual income information available to use when completing the FAFSA and be able to provide a copy to the financial aid office, if requested.
- Be as accurate and detailed as possible; incomplete submissions extend the process.
- Contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have any questions or you would like to discuss any unusual circumstances.
Why did my financial aid offer change after verification?
Current and returning students: Those who are selected for verification will not receive a financial aid offer until verification is complete. However, some students may be selected for verification after they have received a financial aid offer. In those cases, we are required to complete verification prior to making any future disbursements. We may be required to return financial aid that was already disbursed if it is determined that a student was ineligible for financial aid after verification is complete. If your financial aid eligibility changes, we will revise your financial aid offer accordingly and notify you via email of the revision. The revised aid offer can be viewed by logging into your Financial Aid Portal for Students.
Incoming freshmen and incoming transfers: Students may receive a financial aid offer prior to verification completion, based on the information provided on their FAFSA. In these cases, the financial aid offer is considered tentative and may change once verification is complete. Please keep in mind that although incoming students receive their financial aid offer prior to verification, aid will not be disbursed until the verification process has been completed.
My income changed and I want to request a review of my financial circumstances. Do I still need to submit my verification documents?
Yes, if your application was selected for verification. All applications selected for verification must complete the verification process prior to our office reviewing special circumstance requests.
What does "referral of fraud" mean?
After conducting a review, if any credible information indicates that an applicant may have engaged in fraud or other criminal misconduct in connection with their application for federal student aid, we will refer the relevant information for further investigation to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) within the U.S. Department of Education. Purposely giving false or misleading information may be a student conduct violation and a crime under state or federal law.
If you have any more questions about the verification process, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Financial aid depends on your situation — and your situation can change. While most considerations for specific situations are limited, we may be able to give additional consideration for special or unusual circumstances:
- Special Circumstances refer to the financial situations that justify adjustments to data elements in the Cost of Attendance or in the SAI calculation.
- Unusual Circumstances refer to the conditions that justify adjustments to a student’s dependency status, based on a unique situation. This is more commonly referred to as a dependency override.
Special Circumstances
The Financial Aid Office has the ability to review and update information on the FAFSA if the data listed is no longer a reflection of the student’s or family’s financial circumstances. The FAFSA uses income levels as part of its calculation which determines if the student meets the federal criteria of being high need for any grant funding. Changes to the income may or may not result in a change in eligibility for federal aid.
Tuition Remission
Webster University offers undergraduate or graduate tuition remission for full-time employees of Webster University, including faculty, staff and administration, for classes at Webster University.
Corporate Cohorts
A unique benefit for Webster University’s corporate partners is the opportunity to create a cohort academic program for employees. Tuition costs for corporate cohorts are covered in full by the corporate partner.
Reduced Tuition
Employees of our corporate partners receive a direct tuition discount, receiving a 20% discount in tuition costs. Most programs offered at Webster University are eligible for the 20% discount Corporate Partner Tuition Rate (CPTR), but some programs are ineligible.
Webster participates in both the Tuition Exchange and CIC-TE programs. This program is available for new incoming first-year or transfer students of full-time dependent faculty and staff at participating export institutions. Graduate student study is only offered through CIC-TE.
Requirements
- Only eligible dependents of faculty and staff at a participating host institutions who are academically admitted to Webster University can be considered for a tuition exchange waiver.
- Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, as per TE and CIC-TE requirements.
- A completed FAFSA submitted to Webster University is required.
- Applicants must be full-time, degree-seeking students.
- Funding provided from a tuition exchange waiver in combination with any other Webster institutional aid offered cannot exceed the cost of tuition.
- Tuition Exchange benefits can only be applied towards tuition costs.
Application Steps and Deadlines
- The deadline for a student to apply for academic admission to Webster is Dec. 15, prior to the upcoming academic year.
- In order to apply, students must complete a Webster University application for admission or Common Application
- Complete the appropriate Tuition Exchange or CIC-TE application through the Tuition Exchange or CIC-TE website.
- Submit all required supporting documents, including transcripts, test scores (if applicable), and any other materials specified by the admissions office as being necessary for admission.
Note: students applying for admission to a major in the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts are not required to have completed an audition or portfolio review prior to Dec. 15.
Review Process
- All completed and eligible applications for a tuition exchange waiver will be reviewed and notifications released by Feb. 1.
- Webster is limited in the number of tuition exchange waivers granted, and more applicants will apply than can be awarded.
- Students who have been selected for a Tuition Exchange or CIC-TE waiver will be notified of their award via email from the Office of Admissions.
- The notification will include details of the award, such as the amount, duration, and any additional terms and conditions.
Acceptance Deadline
- Students must indicate their decision to accept or decline the tuition exchange waiver offer by March 1.
- The tuition exchange waiver replaces any previously awarded merit-based scholarship(s).
Waitlist Policy
- After the initial awarding of tuition exchange waivers on Feb. 1, students who were not initially selected will be placed on a waitlist.
- The Office of Admissions will notify waitlisted students of their position on the waitlist and communicate any updates or changes in a timely manner.
- Extensions for accepting or declining an award offer may be requested, and will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
Renewal Process
Tuition Exchange/CIC-TE awards can be renewed for seven additional semesters for undergraduate work, and five semesters for graduate work, or until degree requirements have been met. Tuition Exchange/CIC-TE awards cannot be used for summer terms. Students must be re-certified each year by their export campus, and in accordance with the policies of the Office of Human Resources at Webster University.
The Office of Student Affairs processes requests from students for tuition waiver for undergraduate courses. Tuition refunds are contingent on the drop or withdrawal date. It is the undergraduate student's responsibility to file a drop or withdrawal form with the Registrar's Office.
Tuition waivers for dropped courses are automatic. The charges are expunged from the student's account. Waivers for withdrawals are made automatically (according to the schedule below) based upon the date of withdrawal as authorized by the university official who signs the withdrawal form.
| Class | 16 Week | 9 Week | 8 Week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 (Drop) | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Week 2 (Withdrawal) | 75% | 75% | 75% |
| Week 3 (Withdrawal) | 50% | 50% | 50% |
| Week 4 (Withdrawal) | 25% | 25% | 25% |
| Week 5 (Withdrawal) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Week 6 (Withdrawal) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Week 7 (Withdrawal) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Week 8 (Withdrawal) | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Week 9 (Withdrawal) | 0% | 0% | N/A |
If the student does not qualify for a waiver and wishes to petition for a percentage refund due to special circumstances (e.g., medical emergency), the student must fill out the form below and return it to the Office of Student Affairs with a letter of explanation of special circumstances. Additional documentation (such as a doctor's letter of verification) is required. Flat-fee tuition refunds are made only if drops and/or withdrawals reduce the credit load below 13 hours (financial aid packages may be affected as a result of this procedure).
Refund of Fees: The matriculation fee, media, art and other class fees are non-refundable.