Incoming first-year undergraduates
File the FAFSA early
To receive federal aid, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year. Use the WSU School Code 002329.
- 2025-26 FAFSA - Apply for fall 2025, winter 2026 and spring/summer 2026 semesters.
- 2024-25 FAFSA - Apply for fall 2024, winter 2025 and spring/summer 2025 semesters.
We recommend you complete your FAFSA as early as possible to be considered for all available funding. Use the IRS Direct Data Exchange to transfer your tax data directly onto your FAFSA.
| If you plan to attend college | Submit this FAFSA | Submit the FAFSA | Use income and tax information from |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025 | 2024-25 | December 2023 - June 30, 2025 | 2022 |
| July 1, 2025-June 30, 2026 | 2025-26 | December 2024 - June 30, 2026 | 2023 |
Your financial aid offers are determined by the Financial Aid Office based on the information on your FAFSA
Parent information on the FAFSA
Award notification
New undergraduates will receive a text message from us that will link to a video with award offer information. If you did not give us your cell number when you applied for admission, view your award information in the Financial Aid Portal in Academica.
Complete outstanding requirements
Aid cannot be applied to your student account until all requirements are met. You may have requirements if your FAFSA was selected for verification. If you have accepted student loans, you will have loan entrance counseling and promissory note requirements to complete. Click on the requirement in Academica and you will be directed to the form or the studentloans.gov website.
Student Aid Index
We use the expected student aid index (SAI) to determine your eligibility for need-based federal student aid and university grants. Your SAI is calculated by the U.S. Department of Education, using the need-analysis formula set by Congress, and based on the information you reported on your FAFSA.
This number is calculated from parent and student income and asset information. Allowances are made for household size and an asset protection based on age. There are opportunities to borrow funds regardless of the SAI.
Need-based aid
Need-based aid includes federal grants, state grants, university grants, federal college work-study, Federal Perkins loans and the subsidized portion of the Federal Direct loans.
Financial need is calculated by subtracting your EFC/SAI from the estimated cost of attendance.
Non-need-based aid
Non-need-based aid includes university merit scholarships, the unsubsidized portion of the Federal Direct loan, Federal Parent PLUS loans, private educational loans, and other resources.
The sum of all aid from all sources cannot exceed the estimated cost of attendance.
Eligibility for non-need-based aid is determined by subtracting your amount of need-based aid from the estimated cost of attendance.
The Financial Aid Portal in Academica
Academica is the secure portal for information and resources at Wayne State University. Academica requires a student AccessID. On application for admission to WSU, notification of the AccessID and a temporary password are mailed to applicants from the Office of Computing & Information Technology (C&IT).