Your education is within reach, and we're here to help

At UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County we are here to assist you on your journey as you apply for financial aid, explore your options and make a plan to finance your education. It is important to us that you have the information you need along the way and understand how to use financial literacy resources. Our Financial Aid Office is committed to assisting students in financing their educational expenses through state, federal and institutional programs.

Follow the instructions below to start you financial aid process.

Financial Aid Application Process

Every year, the federal government provides over $150 billion in financial aid. To apply for this aid, you must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). State government and some institutional aid are also awarded based on your FAFSA information, so apply even if you think you won’t qualify for aid.

  1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
    • Filing for the 2024-2025 year will be available in December. Learn more at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. 
    • List the school code 003921 for UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County. This gives the Department of Education permission to send your information to our Financial Aid Office.
    • UW-Platteville’s priority date (not a deadline) for filing the FAFSA is April 30. Applications received at the processing center after that date will be processed in the order received and awarded based on availability of funds.
  2. Watch your email
    • Beginning in mid-March, students who have filed the FAFSA will receive an email from our Financial Aid Office directing them to their student PASS account.
    • Check your "To Do List" in your student PASS account to see if additional items are needed.
    • After all information required to determine your aid package is received and reviewed, you will receive an email when the financial aid awards are determined.
  3. Receive the financial aid award notification
    • Review the financial aid award information for accuracy.
    • If corrections are required, this can be done online or to the paper copy. Signatures are required for corrections.
    • Accept/decline through your student PASS account.
    • New freshman awards will be determined beginning mid-March; continuing and transfer students will be determined after the spring semester grades are posted.

Report changes to FAFSA Information

Federal regulations require that any changes made to your FAFSA information be reviewed by our Financial Aid Office. If you have filed your FAFSA using estimated information, you must update the FAFSA once you file your tax return. Keep in mind that awards based on estimated information may change once the actual information is reported and it is reviewed.

Verification

Each time you file a FAFSA form, you may be randomly selected for a process called verification. If selected for verification, the Financial Aid Office must request certain documents from you in order to verify the information that you supplied in the FAFSA is correct. Items needed for verification will appear on your PASS account “to do” list. If your financial aid award is completed prior to your file being verified, the awards may change once verification is complete if any of the FAFSA information had to be corrected. Learn more about the FAFSA Verification Process for Financial Aid.

Report Outside Scholarships and Other Resources

If you received financial resources and/or a scholarship from an organization other than UW-Platteville, you need to share the good news with the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible. Complete the Outside Scholarship and Other Resources Notification under Financial Aid Forms.

Federal and state regulations require the Financial Aid Office to consider outside sources of financial assistance when preparing a financial aid package. Late addition of an outside resource could cause your award package to exceed the maximum allowed based on educational costs. If this situation occurs, a reduction to your financial aid package is necessary. By communicating this information to us before your financial aid is disbursed, it will reduce the chances of your awards changing for the Fall and/or Spring semesters.

Disbursement of Aid

If all of your outstanding “to do list” items are complete, financial aid awards (except Federal Work Study) are applied directly to students’ accounts at the beginning of each semester.If the financial aid is greater than what you owe, you may receive a refund in the form of checks, direct deposit or on a debit card. Visit the Cashier’s Office for more information.

Federal Work Study is a federally funded, need-based program, which gives you the opportunity to work on or off-campus part-time. You can earn money to supplement your education while gaining meaningful work experience. You will need to obtain a job that is work-study eligible. Keep in mind that the funds will never disburse towards your bill, you will earn the funds by working and receiving a paycheck.