Federal Assistance Programs

* Filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) determines your eligibility for the following types of assistance:

Federal Pell Grant

Money that does not have to be paid back to the federal government
Determined by an Expected Family Contribution (EFC), an analysis conducted on information provided on the FAFSA

Pell Grants must be awarded in two equal amounts. The amount per semester students may be eligible for are as follows (all reference to number of credits refer to total number of credits for the semester, including Semester, Block, Modular, and Fusion classes):

Full-time (12+ credits) = 100% of Pell for term
3/4-time (7 to 9 credits) = 75% of Pell for term
1/2-time (6 to 8 credits) = 50% of Pell for term
1/4-time (1-5 credits) = 25% (Not all eligible for 1/4-time payment)

Year Round Pell Grant

Pell eligible undergraduate students may be able to receive up to 200% of their scheduled award in Federal PELL Grant for the award year. Previously, students enrolled full-time in the fall and spring terms exhausted their Federal PELL Grant award prior to the start of the summer semester.

For the 2009/2010 school year, the following policy will be in place for summer 2010:

Students must be PELL eligible and have a valid ISIR on file for the 2009/2010 school year for consideration prior to May 20, 2010.
Only 2009/2010 ISIR’s will be reviewed for the second scheduled award eligibility.
Students must be admitted into a degree-seeking program.
Students must meet all Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements.
Awards are calculated the same way for summer as for fall and spring, according to the 2009-2010 Federal Pell Grant scheduled payment chart.
Students must have received 100 percent of the first scheduled award.
Students must be enrolled and attending at least half-time (6 eligible credits) for the term in which the second scheduled award would be paid. Please note, if at any time during the summer 2010 term the student’s enrollment drops below 6 credits, the second scheduled award eligibility ceases, and the PELL Grant will be adjusted accordingly.
To be eligible for the additional PELL Grant for summer 2010, students must have a minimum of 24 credits for the academic year; enrolled credits for summer may be included in this total of 24 [earned + enrolled = 24]. Please note: credits from fall or spring resulting in “I”,”F”, “U”, “W”, “FA”, “NA” are not earned credits and will not be counted towards the second Pell Grant eligibility.
The Pell Grant award will be disbursed to a student’s billing ledger after the drop/add deadline date of the first course taken in the summer 2010 term. For example, if a student is enrolled in two block II courses (6 credits), the Pell Grant award will be disbursed to the billing ledger no earlier than July 13, 2010. Any change to enrollment during the semester may result in either an increase or decrease adjustment to the Pell Grant for the payment period. If the adjustment creates a balance owed to the University, it is due payable by the student within the University’s payment guidelines. If the adjustment creates a credit balance, refund(s) will be issued within 14 days of disbursement.
Students should understand that the additional Pell Grant will count towards the federal regulation governing an aggregate limit on Federal Pell Grant. The student’s lifetime aggregate limit is 900% of their scheduled awards. The federal regulation limits Pell Grant eligibility to nine scheduled awards and applies only to first time Pell Grant recipients beginning with the 2008/2009 school year.
Please be aware that the Pell Grant alone will not be sufficient to cover all tuition, fees and books at Wilmington University. Any remaining balance is due, payable by the student, according to the University’s payment guidelines.

Transfer Students

PELL Grants paid to a student from a prior institution during the academic year will be assumed earned and applied towards the second scheduled award eligibility. For example, a student was paid $2,007 of a $5,350 scheduled PELL Grant award during the 09-10 academic year at a prior institution. Wilmington University will assume that the student earned 9 credits based on our definition of an academic year consisting of 24 credits. ($2007 Pell award paid X 24 academic year credits/$5350 scheduled Pell award = 9 credits earned).

In addition, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year, Wilmington University must fully implement the new PELL Grant Regulations. Beginning summer 2011:

Both your 2010-2011 FAFSA and your 2011-2012 FAFSA will be reviewed and will utilize whichever year that results in the highest PELL Grant award.
Students must be enrolled in at least one credit hour in the payment period when the second scheduled award will be made that will be attributable to the student’s next academic year.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Money that does not have to be paid back to the federal government.
Awarded on a first come, first serve basis.
Awarded to Pell Grant eligible students.

Federal Direct Loans

Federal Workstudy Program

The FWS Program provides funds that are earned through part-time employment to assist students in financing the costs of postsecondary education. Hourly wages will not be less than the federal minimum wage.

State of Delaware Support

Funds appropriated by the General Assembly of the State of Delaware and the federal government are combined to assist Delaware residents who are, or will be, full-time students at colleges in Delaware or in certain out-of-state college programs which are not offered at state-supported Delaware institutions. These funds are administered by the Delaware Higher Education Commission which determines eligibility and makes awards.

Financial need is the primary criterion for assistance. The priority application deadline is April 15 of each year.