Students wishing to apply for financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The application is available each year beginning on January 1.
1. Click here to follow the steps to apply for financial aid.
3. Click here for a glossary of terms for applying for financial aid.
We offer this page as a brief guide to help you understand the application process and how we process your financial aid. Remember, you must be an admitted student at Wingate University and have filed the FAFSA before we can calculate an award package for you.
1. Obtain a PIN. To electronically sign the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), students (and parents of dependent students) must obtain a PIN. You may go to www.pin.ed.gov and select “Apply for a PIN”. Please keep your PIN in a safe place. You will use this number each year when you complete the FAFSA.
2. File the FAFSA: All students should complete the current year Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The preferred way to complete the application is online at FAFSA on the Web. Be sure to list Wingate University as one of the schools to receive the results of your FAFSA. Our Title IV school code is 002985.
Students are encouraged to complete the FAFSA no later than May 1 of each year. This allows the Financial Planning office to provide your award package to you as early as possible, so that you and your parents can financially plan for the upcoming year.
Deadlines for state aid are usually in March. In order to meet deadlines for state aid, students and parents may use estimated tax information, if necessary, to complete the FAFSA.
3. How long? After your FAFSA has been processed, you will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR). The Financial Planning Office at Wingate will also receive the Institutional Student Information (ISIR). Upon receipt of that ISIR, and notification of your acceptance to Wingate University from the Admission’s Office, the Financial Planning Office will generate your financial aid award package.
4. Award Package: Your award package will outline the various types of aid for which you may qualify. This may include a combination of academic scholarships (based on academic merit), need-based grants (based on financial need), federal loans, or work-study. Freshmen award packages will be processed beginning in March of each year. Continuing student awards are also issued beginning in March.
5. Verification: The Department of Education or Wingate University may select the results of your FAFSA for the verification process. If you are selected for verification, the Financial Planning Office will notify you of any additional information or documents you will need to provide for your award package to be finalized. All requested verification documents should be submitted to the Financial Planning Office as soon as possible.
6. Response: It is important to provide all information to the Financial Planning Office by the required deadlines to ensure your scholarship and grant funds will be available to you when you arrive in the fall. Students must return one signed copy of the award letter along with any additional requested documents within 30 days of receipt of the award package.
Applying for Aid (FAQs)
How do I apply for financial aid to attend Wingate University?
Complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) each year at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Include our school code number, 002985, on the FAFSA. This will allow us to receive the results electronically. Be sure to complete all sections of the application.
What if I think that I will not be eligible for federal financial aid?
We encourage you to complete the FAFSA, at least your first year, to determine if you may qualify for any type of federal, state or institutional financial aid.
How long after I file the forms for need based aid will I know what aid I am receiving?
Your award package will be mailed approximately 2-4 weeks after you file the FAFSA and have been fully accepted to Wingate. Award packages are mailed beginning in March and are processed on a rolling basis.
Apply for Financial Aid (Glossary)
Central Processing System (CPS)
The CPS processes information from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), calculates the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) for each applicant, prints the Student Aid Report (SAR) that is sent to the student, and transmits the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) data electronically to the school(s) listed on the FAFSA. Data from the CPS system is used to verify eligible students.
Dependent Student
A student who must provide parent information on the FAFSA. A dependent student is an undergraduate who is not married, is under 24 years of age, has no legal dependents, is not an orphan or ward of the court, nor a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Federal School Code
A six-character number that ED assigns to each school that is eligible to participate in the FSA programs. When applying for federal student financial aid, students may list up to six Federal School Codes on their FAFSA to indicate which schools should receive their processed application data. The list of Federal School Codes is updated each year and is available online at: www.fafsa.ed.gov. Wingate University’s federal school code is 002985.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
A student financial aid application form completed by students and parents to apply for federal student aid. The information provided is the source for all FSA need analysis computations, including the student's Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
FAFSA on the Web (FOTW)
A free Web-based program that allows students to complete their FAFSA faster and more easily than other application methods. Located at: www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Independent Student
An applicant for FSA program assistance who meets certain criteria. To be classified as an independent student for FSA purposes, a student must meet at least one of the following criteria: (a) be at least 24 years old by December 31 of the award year for which aid is sought; (b) be an orphan or be (or have been until the age of 18) a ward of the court; (c) be a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States; (d) have legal dependents other than a spouse; (e) be a graduate or professional student; or (f) be married.
Parent
A student's biological or adoptive mother or father or the student's stepparent, if the biological parent or adoptive mother or father has remarried at the time of application.
Personal Identification Number (PIN)
An identifier that allows students and parents to access their personal information in ED systems, The PIN is also used to electronically sign the FAFSA and make corrections electronically to data submitted. A PIN should always be protected, and never provided to anyone other than the person for whom it was created.
Regular Student
A person who is enrolled or accepted for enrollment at a school for the purpose of obtaining a degree, certificate, or other recognized educational credential offered by that school.
Renewal FAFSA
A FAFSA that is pre-populated with the student's prior year data and used for updating for the upcoming (next) award year. To use the Renewal FAFSA, the student must have an eligible FAFSA transaction for the preceding award year. The student may access the Renewal FAFSA via the Web.
Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4)
When a recipient of Title IV aid withdraws from an institution during a payment period or period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must calculate the amount of Title IV aid the recipient earned and return the unearned portion that it is responsible for and notify the student of any amount the student must return.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
The qualitative (grade point average) and quantitative (time limit) measure of a student's progress toward completing a program of study. To maintain eligibility for FSA program assistance, the student must show continued progress.
Student Aid Report (SAR)
The output document that the CPS sends to a student after a FAFSA is processed. It summarizes the information the student submitted on the FAFSA; reports the student's calculated EFC; provides comments to the student as well as information for the financial aid administrator; and reports the student's NSLDS financial aid history.
Undergraduate Student
A degree-seeking student at a college or university who has not earned a first bachelor's degree.