Student Financial Services Financial Aid Process

Eligibility

To determine eligibility for grants, loans, and student employment, returning students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This form is available online at http://www.studentaid.gov/. Your renewal FAFSA will be pre-populated with some of the information from the previous academic year. You will need to provide updated annual financial information as well as any other changes.

Students can expect to receive a Renewal Reminder e-mail sent to a valid e-mail address from the prior year’s FAFSA.

Student Financial Services will prepare and send a financial aid award and send it to students by email.

The status of your awards and information about other items needed to complete a financial aid application file can be viewed on the Financial Aid Student Portal, Netpartner.

Determining Your Financial Aid Award

Need-based awards are determined by a student's financial need, that is, the difference between the college costs and the student aid index. The SAI is calculated each year, based on a federally-determined formula using information that you provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA’s need analysis evaluates a family’s resources and ability to pay for college. College costs can include tuition, required fees, room and board, books, travel and personal expense allowances. These costs are published annually.

Freshman academic scholarship awards are based on students’ high school grade point average and standardized test (SAT or ACT) scores at the time of their admission to Westmont College. Transfer student merit awards are based on students’ college grade point average.

Crediting Student Accounts

Financial aid funds (with the exception of Federal Work-Study) will be credited directly to each student’s account at the beginning of each semester. Federal Work-Study funds are paid directly to students via a paycheck for hours worked.  Bear in mind that the federal government will deduct fees of approximately 1% from Federal Direct student loans and approximately 4.25% from parent (PLUS) loans.

Students who drop below the minimum academic load or withdraw from school may be required to repay a prorated amount of the semester’s aid.

Outside Awards

All financial aid resources available to a student must be reported to Student Financial Services. These include scholarships and grants from outside sources. Student Financial Services is required to ensure that the sum of need-based funds, including all grants and scholarships, does not exceed a student’s need if there are federal- or state-funded need-based funds included in the financial aid package.  Your financial aid counselor will work to make sure that your award package is working to your advantage. 

Off Campus

Students participating in Westmont College off-campus (study abroad) programs retain their status as Westmont students and are eligible for Westmont Financial Aid. This includes, but is not limited to, Title IV Federal aid programs, (with the exception of Federal Work-Study), state grants and institutional funds based on the student’s financial need.

Students who have Westmont College grants, merit scholarships and Westmont College loans may use them for only one program that is not directly run by Westmont College.

How Aid Can be Applied

Here we list awards that are limited by the cost to which they can be applied.

The following resources can only be used to pay for any direct costs (tuition, fees, on-campus housing, and an on-campus meal plan) and may combine with other resources to exceed tuition:

• Athletic Scholarships (Athletic Merit, Warrior Sports Association Awards, Student Athlete Grants, etc.)
• Cultural Diversity Awards
• Creative and Performing Arts Scholarships (music, art and theatre)
• Other Westmont-funded grants and scholarships
• Resident Assistant (R.A.) Rebate
• Westmont College Grant