Financial aid awards are disbursed at the beginning of each semester. If the semester has begun when your eligibility for financial aid is determined, aid is disbursed within one week of your acceptance of its offer provided other award conditions, if any, are completed such as entrance loan counseling and signing a loan Master Promissory Note.

The following conditions must be met to receive financial aid:

• Accept the award on WSU Pipeline.
• Enroll at least half time (exceptions are noted). Full-time enrollment* is required to receive the full award amount(s) offered. If you enroll less than full-time but at least half time, the amount of aid offered may be adjusted at the time of disbursement. Note: Financial aid programs that do not require half time enrollment include the Federal Pell Grant, the Michigan Adult Part-time Grant, and the Indian Tuition Grant.
  
• Enroll in a program that leads to a degree or certificate. There are two exceptions to this requirement. They are explained on the Post-Bachelors Aid page of this site.
  
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
  
• Complete entrance loan counseling, if your award includes a loan.
  
• Sign a Master Promissory Note, if your award includes a loan.

*At the undergraduate level, enrollment for 12 credit hours or more is considered full-time; enrollment for six to 11 credit hours is considered half time. Exception: Full-time enrollment in the Occupational Therapy Program is five credit hours per semester.

At the graduate level, enrollment for eight credit hours or more is considered full-time; enrollment for four to seven credit hours is considered half time during the academic year. During the spring/summer semester enrollment for two credit hours or more is considered full-time; enrollment for one credit hour is considered half time.

Enrollment for 7.5 hours is considered full-time for Ph.D. candidates only (not Ed.D. or other graduate/professional students) who are enrolled in courses 9991, 9992, 9993, and 9994. Ph.D. candidates enrolled in course 9995, a zero-credit course, also are considered to be enrolled full-time.

All financial aid offered through the Office of Student Financial Aid except work-study awards is credited to your student tuition account to pay toward (1) your tuition and fees and (2) board and room, if applicable.

Work-study earning are paid biweekly in the form of a paycheck. The department in which you are employed submits a record of the hours you work to the WSU Payroll Office, and the Payroll Office authorizes payment of your earnings. Students employed through work-study earn at least the federal minimum hourly wage. The Wayne State University Guide to Student On-Campus Employment provides comprehensive information concerning the work-study hiring process.

Notice: Only half of an academic year work-study award can be earned each semester, fall and winter. You cannot earn the total amount of a work-study award during only one semester. The spring/summer semester is the third term of the school year. It is separate from the fall and winter semesters. Therefore, unused funds from a fall and/or winter work-study award cannot be earned in the spring/summer semester.

After tuition and fees, board, and room, as appropriate, are paid, your remaining aid, if any, that is not restricted to payment of tuition only will be disbursed.

NEW: Beginning with the 2007 fall semester, direct deposit is an option for receiving excess financial aid. The direct deposit application can be completed online. To access the application, do the following.

1. Log on to WSU Pipeline
2. Click on the Student Tab.
3. Click on More Student Services.
4. Select Direct Deposit and fill in the required information.

If you do not choose to participate in direct deposit, your excess financial aid will be disbursed via check.Checks are produced weekly on Monday and Thursday and mailed on Tuesday and Friday. The University Cashier’s Office will mail the check to your address that is on file in the Student Records Office. Note: To change your address on University records, contact the Student Records Office.