Financial Aid
A Guide for How to Apply for Undergraduate Scholarships and Need-Based Grants
More than $60 million in grants and scholarships will be provided this year by Washington and Lee University, making it possible for many students to attend who would otherwise be unable to do so.
What You Should Know: The W&L Financial Aid Program
Our mission is to make a W&L education affordable for all admitted students. All rst-year applicants, including domestic, international and undocumented students, are eligible and encouraged to apply for our university need-based grants and merit scholarships. Washington and Lee University will meet 100 percent of your demonstrated need entirely through scholarships and grants and student employment.
■ OUR NO-LOAN COMMITMENT
We offer institutional, federal and state grants plus student employment to meet your need as calculated by our of ce. No loan will be offered to meet any part of your demonstrated need. Federal loan eligibility for the student and parent is offered as an option to cover the family’s contribution.
■ GRADUATE DEBT-FREE
Our generous grant packages meet the demonstrated need of our aid applicants and only a fraction of our families choose to take an optional loan to cover the family contribution. Over the past ve years, an average of 68 percent of our undergraduates graduated debt-free.
■ THE W&L PROMISE
Any admitted undergraduate from a family with income below $125,000 and assets typical for their income will receive at minimum a grant equal to full tuition. Many will receive additional grant to pay for other W&L expenses.
■ THE JOHNSON SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
W&L awards tuition, room and board scholarships each year to up to 44 of the most exceptionally quali ed students regardless of their family’s circumstances. Each Johnson scholar also receives nancial support for summer opportunities such as internships, research and independent projects.
■ OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH QUESTBRIDGE
QuestBridge is an organization that connects the nation’s brightest students from low-income backgrounds with leading institutions of higher education. For complete details, please visit our QuestBridge website at www.questbridge.org/college-partners/washington-and-lee-university
■ VETERANS AND YELLOW RIBBON
W&L is a strong supporter of veterans and the Veterans Administration educational programs, including Yellow Ribbon and tuition assistance.
JOHNSON APPLICATION DEADLINE
December 1, 2023: Johnson Scholarship
To be considered for any form of academic scholarship, students must complete the Common Application for admission and the Johnson Scholarship supplement. You do not need to apply Early Decision to be considered.
W&L NEED-BASED GRANT DEADLINES
December 1, 2023: Early Decision I *
January 15, 2024: Early Decision II
February 15, 2024: Regular Decision
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES
Families are encouraged to notify the Office of Financial Aid with any concerns that are not addressed in the application materials. Typically these are situations that limit the family’s ability to pay for education such as unemployment, lack of contact with the non-custodial parent, serious illness, or bankruptcy. Please see our Forms page on the Financial Aid website for the form specific to your situation.
* The FASFA will not be available for the initial QuestBridge or EDI application, due to the release date of the 2024-2025 FASFA.
Monitor Your Status Online
Prospective students can monitor the status of their Financial Aid application and submit required documents online. Here’s how:
■ Submit your application for Admission to W&L.
■ Log in to the Applicant Portal using the username and password provided by the Of ce of Admissions. The username and password should be received within a week of your application.
■ After logging in to the Applicant Portal, students should navigate to the Financial Aid tab.
■ All nancial aid documents currently required of the student will be listed with a status of Awaiting or Received.
■ Documents can be uploaded electronically to our site.*
■ To upload, click the Document title or Upload button at the bottom of the checklist.
■ Follow the instructions to upload your document.
■ You will be prompted to navigate to the document’s location on your computer so it can be uploaded to our website.
■ Monitor the checklist frequently for updates.
For your own security, we do not accept documents as email attachments or by FAX. Additional information may be found at our website: nancialaid.wlu.edu
*W&L does not participate in the IDOC process.