Adult & Continuing Studies Tuition & Financial Aid

Determining eligibility

In order to receive a financial aid offer, students must meet certain eligibility requirements.

Here are the general eligibility requirements for most financial aid programs:

• Must demonstrate financial need by filing a FAFSA
• Be a U.S. Citizen or eligible noncitizen
• Be enrolled or admitted for enrollment as a regular student in an eligible degree or certificate program

Applying for aid

You will need the following items in order to complete the FAFSA:

1. Social Security number and, if applicable, alien registration number
2. W2 and/or 1099 forms from two years prior
3. Federal tax return from two years prior. You are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to save time and reduce error retrieving tax information.
4. Current information related to assets (e.g., bank statements, stocks, bonds, etc.)
5. Household information (e.g., household size, number of family members in college, marital status, etc.)
6. FSA ID—this is a unique ID that will give you access to Federal Student Aid's online system and can serve as your legal signature
7. In nearly all cases, graduate and professional studies students are considered independent students and do not need to provide parent information.

If at any time you have questions or are unsure what to do, know that we are here to help. Please contact our financial aid team for assistance.

What should I expect after I submit the FAFSA?

The U.S. Department of Education's Office of Federal Student Aid will let us know once your FAFSA has been processed so we can begin awarding aid.

You can review your process status online and will receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) within a few days after submission. This will summarize all submitted information and allow you to review for any required changes.

If your aid offer includes a federal loan and you are a first time borrower, there are a few more steps to take in order to receive the loan. These are described in your offer letter.

There are many organizations that sponsor education scholarships. Here are just a few:

Taylor Community Foundation Allied Health Scholarships Available to: Students pursuing an undergraduate degree in an allied health career and who currently live in the TCF service area.

Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Fund Available to: Low-income women 35 years and older

Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarships Available to: Students 24 years of age or older currently enrolled in a baccalaureate degree program who have at least 30 credits at Widener University and a 3.2 cumulative grade point average.

Fresh Start Scholarship Foundation, Inc. Available to: Residents of (or those employed in) Delaware who have had at least a two-year break in education after completing high school or during college and are admitted into an undergraduate-level degree program

Many states offer grants that are typically need-based and limited to students attending schools within their own state of residence.

For a comprehensive list of state-specific grants and awards, visit the State Contacts page on the U.S. Department of Education website.

Some states, such as Delaware, have reciprocity agreements with Pennsylvania, so you can receive their grants while studying in Pennsylvania. Students who are residents of Pennsylvania, Delaware, or other reciprocal states are expected to apply for their own state's grant.

Widener University is proud to participate in the Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program. The Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver Program provides an additional grant provided by Widener University to help cover the cost for tuition and mandatory fees charged for youth who are or were in foster care and meet eligibility criteria.

For information regarding the PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterEd) Program, please visit www.pheaa.org or contact Cor Blevins at cblevins@widener.edu (610) 499-4170.