Frequently Asked Questions

Western Seminary offers various types of financial aid such as scholarships, grants, loans, and payment plans to help make your training affordable.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This is required by Western Seminary in order for a student to be evaluated for any financial aid. You may apply online after October 1, at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Using the information you supply on the FAFSA, the federal processor determines your expected family contribution (EFC) - the amount of money your family can be expected to contribute to your seminary costs. The EFC helps the financial aid staff determine what type of aid a student may be eligible for.

You can create an FSA ID when logging into certain ED websites, including this one.
Create an FSA ID now

The FSA ID process consists of three main steps:

1. Enter your log-in information.
   • Provide your e-mail address, a unique username, and password, and verify that you are at least 13 years old.
2. Enter your personal information.
   • Provide your Social Security number, name, and date of birth.
   • Include your mailing address, e-mail address, telephone number, and language preference.
   • For security purposes, provide answers to five challenge questions.
3. Submit your FSA ID information.
   • Agree to the terms and conditions.
   • Verify your e-mail address.
     (Note: By verifying your e-mail address, you can use your e-mail address as your username when logging into certain ED websites. This verification also allows you to retrieve your username or reset your password without answering challenge questions.)

School code: G07178 (0 is the number zero)

Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov
Corrections on the Web will allow students to make changes to entries on their FAFSA except to change the social security number and date of birth. Students who wish to make changes to their FAFSA application using Corrections on the Web must have a PIN in order to access their record.

1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) or the FAFSA website: www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The FAFSA year corresponds with our academic year. For example, a 19-20 FAFSA covers Fall 19 through Summer 20.

Yes, Western Seminary has deadlines for our Western Seminary Institutional Aid, posted on the Financial Aid homepage.  Grants are awarded for one semester at a time. Students must re-apply each semester.

Your loans do not go into deferment "automatically" when you register for classes. Ask your servicer or lender for an “In-school Deferment Request.” Complete the top portion of the form, and then send it to the This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to complete the lower portion. We will then mail it to your loan servicer.

Most students need only enroll at half time status (four hours per semester) in order to have their loans deferred. You may find out who your servicer is by logging on to the National Student Loan Database System where information regarding your Federal Direct or Stafford loans is available.  You must be enrolled at least part-time to have your loans deferred.

Lenders frequently sell student loans and usually you will receive notification of a sale after it occurs. However, you can keep track via the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS). To use the web site you must have a FSA ID. To check to see if you have a FSA ID or to get one visit https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm

An unsubsidized Stafford loan is a loan through the Federal Direct Loan Program that will accrue interest from the point of disbursement unless you make interest payments. We strongly encourage you to be making monthly interest payments on your unsubsidized Stafford loans. Starting July 1, 2011, Graduate students will only be eligible to receive Unsubsidized Stafford Loans.  What does this mean for you?  Interest will start to occur on your Stafford loans while you are attending Western Seminary.  Also, the 1.069% origination/guarantee fee will be back in place. (EX: Unsubsidized Stafford loan for $6000 for fall/spring = disbursement of $5937).

You will need to complete the Borrower-Based Direct Loan Online Application. You will also need to complete the following in order for Western Seminary to process your loan:

• Current year’s FAFSA
• Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note
• Entrance Counseling

Once you have completed the Western Seminary online Borrower-Based Direct Loan Application loan file will be started for you. You will be able to view your application status through your S.I.S. account on the Financial Aid tab. You will begin to receive emails from the Financial Aid Office telling you what requirements are yet to be received. Once all requirements have been met, you will receive a loan "award letter" from the Financial Aid Office. If you have not received a loan "award letter," feel free to call the Financial Aid Office 1.877.517.1800 x1818 to find out the status of your request.

Under certain circumstances, you can receive a deferment or forbearance on your loan. During a deferment, no payments are required and interest does not accrue. During forbearance, your payments are postponed or reduced. Interest continues to accrue, however, and you are responsible for paying it.

The Office of Financial Aid must monitor Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for all students receiving financial aid (federal and/or institutional aid) from Western Seminary. To remain eligible to receive financial aid, all financial aid recipients must meet two requirements: a quantitative measure or number of credits earned and a qualitative measure or cumulative grade point average (GPA) each measurement period. Please be advised, this process is separate from the Institutional Academic Probation review conducted through the Registrar’s area. Information on those standards may be found in the Academic Catalog.

Satisfactory academic progress is reviewed for all students at the conclusion of each semester. If a student is not meeting satisfactory academic progress at the end of a term, he/she will be placed on Financial Aid Warning. The student may still receive financial aid for the next term. If the student continues not to meet satisfactory academic progress during the Financial Aid Warning period, the student will not be eligible for further financial aid assistance. The student may then appeal, explaining why they failed to make satisfactory academic progress, and the appeal will be reviewed. The student may then be placed on SAP probation or on a SAP academic plan.