Fall 2020 Frequently Asked Questions

If you have additional questions that are not answered below, please contact the Office for Student Financial Assistance at 202-994-6620, or [email protected].

I have specific questions about my financial aid package. How can I contact the Office for Student Financial Assistance?

Students and families with questions about their financial aid package can contact the Office for Student Financial Assistance at 202-994-6620 or [email protected]. More information can also be found online at financialaid.gwu.edu. Current financial aid award information is available on Gweb

Why were undergraduate financial aid packages for academic year 2020-2021 adjusted after the announcement of the 2020 virtual fall semester?

How many undergraduate financial aid packages were adjusted due to the lower cost of attendance?

Just over 4,700 undergraduate students’ financial aid packages were recalculated after the tuition reduction and GW room and board fees were removed from their university bill.

Will my direct cost or out of pocket cost to GW this fall increase with the updated financial aid packages?

No. Although most need-based aid awards were adjusted due to students' lower cost of attendance, all full-time undergraduates who were planning on living in GW housing will see no increase in their direct or out-of-pocket expenses. If you believe your direct cost has increased, please contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance and we will conduct a one-on-one review of your package.

What is the Cost of Attendance and why did it change when the tuition was reduced and the housing charges reversed?

Cost of Attendance (COA) is the average cost to attend the University for one academic year (fall through spring). It includes tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses. Colleges adjust the COA yearly to reflect changes to these costs. GW’s COA figures are available at https://financialaid.gwu.edu/cost-of-attendance. If there is a change to a student’s COA after their financial aid has been awarded, their award must be recalculated.

ON CAMPUS RESIDENTS - If you were previously assigned on campus housing, and have not been granted an exception to remain on campus, your housing budget was adjusted from an “On Campus” to “At Home” allowance. Following the reduction of your tuition and housing costs, to maintain compliance, the Office of Student Financial Assistance was required to repackage your award.

OFF CAMPUS RESIDENTS - If you are living in off-campus housing, please submit the 2020-21 undergraduate change form as well as a copy of your housing lease. We will reevaluate your aid award based on the off-campus cost of attendance.

If you were awarded with an off campus cost of attendance, your budget will remain at an off campus housing allowance and your award has been repackaged to reflect the tuition reduction.

Was my Cost of Attendance and award changed for the full year?

Yes. Recalculated Cost of Attendance and repackaged awards were updated for the full academic year.

Will my Spring 2021 need-based financial aid be readjusted if campus reopens for the spring semester?

Yes. If students are allowed to return to campus in the Spring semester and live in GW housing, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will recalculate financial aid awards for students living in GW housing to reflect the “On Campus” COA.

Why was my financial aid award reduced when the Cost of Attendance lowered?

When the COA is reduced, the Office of Student Financial Assistance was required to reduce the amount of need-based financial aid in accordance with federal regulations and university financial aid policies. Our goal was to ensure that this necessary reduction did not increase the amount you originally owed on the initial invoice for Fall 2020.

Have need based awards, such as the University and Alumni Award, been reduced after the reductions in Cost of Attendance?

After GW’s decision to lower undergraduate tuition for the Fall semester and strictly limit the number of undergraduate students who are living on campus, the overall cost of attendance for the Fall semester was reduced considerably for a number of undergraduate students. To stay compliant with federal student aid and loan regulations, in addition to the GW’s institutional aid awarding rules, the University was required to adjust student aid packages to reflect the actual cost of attendance. The University and Alumni Award is a need-based grant that is awarded based on a student’s estimated financial contribution. These awards are typically adjusted when a student has a change in their family financial status, housing, and enrollment status.

Were merit-based scholarships adjusted due to the change in cost of attendance?

No. Merit-based scholarships are not adjusted due to changes in the cost of attendance. However, students must remain in full-time academic status to retain their merit-based scholarship.

Why did my federal loans and work-study revert back to being offered?

If you previously accepted or declined your federal Direct Loans and/or Federal Work Study award, and you continue to qualify for this aid, the awards have been updated to an “offered” status, and therefore you will be required to accept or decline these awards again. The Office of Student Financial Assistance took this step to ensure that the processing of repackaged awards went as smoothly as possible and to ensure that students would be able to choose the amount of loan they wished to accept. Due to the lower cost of attendance, many students may choose to decrease their student loan amounts.

Does the university have the capability to provide students with Federal Work Study Awards (FWS)?

Yes. Students are still being offered FWS as part of their need-based financial aid package.

Will there be enough FWS positions available?

Over 400 FWS positions have been posted to the Student Employment Talent Management System - Applicant Portal, with more being posted each day. Most of these positions allow for remote work. The Center for Career Services continues outreach to GW departments to encourage FWS hiring. Additionally, GW staff continues to examine the Federal Work Study regulations set by the Department of Education to determine if there is flexibility in FWS awarding.

My family’s financial circumstances have changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Can I still submit a financial aid appeal form due to these changes?

Yes. Students can still complete and submit a 2020-2021 financial aid appeal form. The forms are available online at financialaid.gwu.edu. In order to complete the financial aid appeal process, families may be required to submit some additional documentation.

When will my financial aid appeal be reviewed?

The Office of Student Financial Assistance is currently reviewing appeals that were received through Friday, August 14, with an intent to release responses to those appeals via GW email by Friday, August 21. Appeals received after August 21 will be reviewed as quickly as possible in the order they are received. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will attempt to complete the appeal reviews within five business days, but this process sometimes takes longer due to the higher volume of appeals received at the start of the semester.

When will my undergraduate change form be processed?

The Office of Student Financial Assistance is typically able to complete the review of change forms within one week of receipt.

Who can I contact if I have a question about my financial aid package?

The Office of Student Financial Assistance can be reached at 202-994-6620, or [email protected].To provide additional support and clarity about the new financial aid packages, we had made arrangements to offer more online and phone support over the coming weeks. Our goal is to resolve most of the package changes before classes begin or during the first weeks of classes.

Can I still sign up for a payment plan for Fall 2020?

Yes, you have until 11:59PM ET on Sunday, August 30 to sign up for a monthly payment plan for Fall 2020.

If my student account balance has changed since I set up my payment plan, how do I change my scheduled payment?

You can submit a payment plan adjustment form through Sunday, August 30 (Payment Plan Adjustment Form).