Click here to learn more about the Financial Aid Census Policy
Key Points about Census
- Full-time student? No action is required and there is no financial aid award impact to you!
- Census Date: This is the day that WSU takes a “snapshot” of your enrollment for the semester. It determines what financial aid (loans and grants) you’ll receive.
- Your Aid: Your Financial Aid Award will be recalculated (if not full-time) after the Census Date based on your Census date enrollment.
- Federal Loans: To be eligible for federal loans, you need to be enrolled at least half-time (Undergrad-6 credits; Grad/Professional-5 credits). Loans automatically disburse for students enrolled half-time.
- Grants: Pell Grants, Washington State Need Grants, Institutional Grant and College-Bound Scholarships are reduced and pro-rated for students in less than 12 credits, based on their enrollment level.
- IMPORTANT: If you received grants monies at full-time after August 19, and then dropped classes before September 4, your grants will be recalculated and this could create a bill on your student account.
- Grant monies: Students enrolled part-time will receive pro-rated grants funds starting the week of September 7. Until then, you will not see these funds in your WSU Student Account.
- Cougar Commitment: This is only available for students enrolled full-time. After Census, if you have this aid award and aren’t enrolled full-time, it will be cancelled.
- Census Petition Form: Submission deadline is Friday, October 2 and is for students who add credits (classes) after the Financial Aid Census Date and would like Student Financial Services to adjust their aid award based on this credit change.
