Wichita State offers financial assistance through scholarships, federal and state supported programs, and employment. Students interested in any type of financial assistance should contact the Office of Financial Aid, 203 Jardine Hall, or visit the Office of Financial Aid website¹ to review the types of opportunities for which they might qualify.

Scholarships

Wichita State has been fortunate to receive donations from past graduates, faculty, friends and administrators of the university who wish to assist future graduates in financing their years at Wichita State. Scholarships are funded through the proceeds of the gifts from these individuals and play a vital role in the university’s attempt to meet the needs of students requiring financial assistance.

Endowed scholarships are funded from earnings on donor endowment funds through the Wichita State University Foundation. The principal of these funds is never expended, therefore scholarship funding is available in perpetuity.

Current scholarship dollars are contributed annually by donors. Funds to support these scholarships come from annual gifts.

Institutional scholarships also come from other sources including academic colleges, departments, organizations and county mill levy funds.

For information on requirements and deadlines for WSU scholarships, visit WSU's scholarships webpage¹.

Federal Grants and Loans

Students may receive assistance through several federal programs: Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Pell Grants, TEACH Grants, subsidized and unsubsidized Direct Loans, and Direct PLUS parental loans for dependent undergraduate students. Federal financial aid is awarded based on the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA¹).

State Scholarships and Grants

The following scholarships are available through the Kansas Board of Regents: Kansas Ethnic Minority Scholarship, Kansas Military Service Scholarship, Kansas National Guard Educational Assistance, Kansas Nursing Service Scholarship, Kansas State Scholarship, or the Kansas Teacher Service Scholarship. Students can learn details about the programs and application process at the Kansas Board of Regents website under Student Financial Aid¹.

A Kansas Comprehensive Grant is awarded to full-time undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Priority for the limited funding is given to residents of Kansas who meet the state of Kansas priority date for filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Funds are awarded to eligible applicants in date order until available annual funding is fully committed.

Employment

Students may be eligible for part-time employment at the university. Federal Work Study¹ employment is based on demonstrated financial need. For information about student employment visit the Shocker Career Accelerator.

Withdrawal and Financial Aid

A student’s eligibility for financial aid is based on enrollment. The Higher Education Act outlines rules which govern the return of Title IV federal financial aid funds disbursed to a student who does not complete all of the days in a payment period or a period of enrollment they were scheduled to complete.

These rules assume that a student earns his or her aid based on the time the student remains enrolled in academically related activities; unearned aid, other than federal work-study, must be returned. Unearned aid is the amount of financial aid received that exceeds the amount the student has earned.

Financial Aid Repayments

A reduction in hours may require repayment of financial aid received. Students should discuss possible reductions in class hours with the WSU Office of Financial Aid prior to finalizing a drop in hours. Students will be advised about how the drop may impact their current and future financial aid.

Additional information about financial aid policies is available at WSU's Financial Aid Terms and Conditions website¹.

Shocker Financial Wellness

Students wanting to learn more about managing their finances can receive free help from peer financial coaches. Located in 203 Jardine Hall, Shocker Financial Wellness is open during normal office hours and is available by appointment. Shocker Financial Wellness is designed to help increase retention and graduation rates by addressing one of the major stressors for WSU students and one of the major reasons for dropping out of college across the country: struggles related to money. Shocker Financial Wellness provides students with information and coaching on a variety of topics related to personal finances in college — including completing the FAFSA, making and sticking with a spending plan, matching a plan for paying for college with a plan for graduation, ways to establish good credit or get out of credit trouble, figuring out how much to borrow for college and how to pay it back, and finding campus and community resources. Throughout the year, Shocker Financial Wellness will provide workshops to engage students with financial wellness and literacy skills. They are also available to present at student meetings, First-Year Seminar classes and more. Shocker Financial Wellness does not offer scholarships, credit counseling or advice related to bankruptcy, investment or retirement. Students may call 316-978-3430 or set up an appointment¹ to meet with a peer financial coach.

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