US Financial Aid

Eligibility and continued eligibility is governed by the following.

You must:

• Maintain at least half-time enrolment in an eligible degree program. Eligible programs are bachelor’s, master’s by coursework and/or research, Master of Philosophy and PhD. Ineligible programs are Master of Nursing, Medicine (Doctor of Medicine) and any graduate diploma or graduate certificate offered by UWA.
• Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate, pass an Ability-To-Benefit (ATB) test approved by the US Department of Education, meet other standards your State establishes that the Department approves, complete a high school education in a home (US) school setting that is treated as such under US State law, or have satisfactorily completed six credit hours or the equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate.
• Maintain on campus enrolment at UWA. You cannot undertake any non-face-to-face learning including distance, external or online program of study.
• Maintain satisfactory academic progress.
• Be a citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States.
• Not be in default on any education loan or owe a refund on an education grant.
• Not have been convicted of any offence under US State or Federal law involving the sale or possession of a controlled substance.
• Be in compliance with Selective Service Registration requirements if you are male and between the ages of 18 and 25.
• Submit all documentation required by UWA to verify your eligibility and determine your financial need.
• Title IV borrowers are not eligible for programs offered in/with Singapore and Malaysia.

The maximum financial aid a student could theoretically receive is the total of their Cost of Attendance (COA). Your COA is calculated by UWA, and is based on your course fees and eligible living expenses. There are annual and aggregate limits to how much total Stafford funding you can receive. All aid awarded to you under either the Direct Loan program, or a private loan, cannot exceed your COA.

• Your eligibility for Subsidised Direct Loan funding is restricted to Undergraduate borrowers and is calculated by subtracting your Expected Family Contribution (the amount of money your SAR shows you or your family can be expected to pay) and your Estimated Financial Assistance (the total of all other loans) from your COA.
• Your eligibility for Unsubsidised Direct Loan funding is calculated by subtracting your EFA from your COA.
• Your Graduate or Parent Plus eligibility is calculated by subtracting subsidised and unsubsidised funding from your COA.
• The United States Government specifies the maximum amount a student may borrow through Direct Loans. The amount you receive may be lower than the maximum amount, depending on your eligibility assessment, the calculated cost of attendance and other loans, grants or scholarships you receive. The cost of attendance represents the calculated Cost of Attendance minus any other aid such as the estimated financial assistance or estimated financial contribution.
• Maximum loans available (PDF)

For more information about how your financial aid will be calculated, go to Information on Direct Loans.

The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of your educational expenses based on your study period (award year). COA is calculated by UWA. The COA will appear on your UWA WD Ford Direct Loan Application Form. This will detail:

• Your COA
• Your Expected Financial Contribution (EFC) (if applicable)
• Your Expected Financial Assistance (EFA) (if applicable)
• Your Direct Loan amounts available to you
• Your Disbursement dates

The UWA WD Ford Direct Loan Application Form takes the form of both advising you or your award amounts and your certification of the loan amounts you request and certification that you have requested these amounts, are not in default and have disclosed any other loans or grants in the Award Year. Allowable costs calculated in your annual CoA are detailed below. These figures are annual.

The cited living allowance and tuition fees are based on a standard full-time study over two semesters in a calendar year. Tuition fees and living allowance may be pro-rated if you study for a shorter length of time. All aid awarded to you under either the Direct Loan program, or a private loan, cannot exceed your CoA.

If you believe your Cost of Attendance calculation does not accurately reflect your actual Cost of Attendance, submit an appeal with all supporting documentation to the UWA Financial Aid Administrator. A successful appeal must align with the Federal Student Aid Policy and fit within a category described within the Federal Student Aid Handbook.

Professional judgment is the discretionary action available to UWA Financial Aid Administrator to address unusual circumstances that affect a student’s ability to pay educational expenses. Professional judgement is made strictly on a case-by-case basis and must relate to unusual circumstances. UWA’s Financial Aid Administrator will generally only review the exceptional circumstances having regards to the following:

1. Cost of Attendance (unusual costs associated with your attendance)
2. Dependency status
3. Loan origination and eligibility (e.g. dependent student’s parents will not provide information for determining student eligibility)

Students who wish to be considered for professional judgement must apply in writing to UWA’s Financial Aid Administrator and provide reasons and documentation supporting their case.

The decision of the Financial Aid Administrator is final and non-appealable. The Financial Aid Administrator will provide written reasons for decisions surrounding professional judgement to the student and will document these findings on the student's file together with any supporting documentation.

Your financial aid will be disbursed by wire transfer to a designated UWA account. This payment will then be transferred to your student account. When we have taken the fees you are liable for, we will issue you the remaining funds via EFT.

Disbursements are scheduled for payment on or around the commencement of teaching in the semester of disbursement or a date otherwise nominated on your UWA WD Ford Direct Loan Application Form. For standard enrolment over Semester 1 and Semester 2, your disbursements will be in two equal amounts at or around the beginning of semester. For different enrolment patterns, your disbursement will be as advised on your UWA WD Ford Direct Loan Application Form. You must supply your banking details at commencement of your loan period. No payment will be made without unit enrolment in your course of study.

If you withdraw from your course, you may need to return all or part of your financial aid. For more information, see Course Withdrawal at the end of this page.

As a recipient of US Financial Aid, certain information must be provided to you. This includes, but not limited to the following:

• Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Drug and Alcohol Policy
• Student rights under FERPA
• Textbook information
• Copyright information

Upon completing your UWA Loan application form, you are advised to ensure you are aware of your rights and responsibilities.

Required textbooks

For a personalised book list, visit studentConnect and under Enrolment go to Course and Unit. Under the Units link you will see a list of your enrolled units with a link to the book list next to them. You will be responsible for organising your books and any materials you need. You don't have to buy everything on the list before classes start. Generally, it is a good idea to wait until your first lecture to see what the lecturers require you to have.

Books can be purchased new at bookshops or secondhand at the Guild Secondhand bookshop. You can also buy books online through studentConnect under the course and unit link after you have enrolled in your units.

Copyright information

Under provisions of the Copyright Act, you can reproduce copyright material without permission provided it is:

• for research or study
• for criticism and review
• and, providing the use of the material is 'fair'

For books, journal articles and notated music, the Copyright Act considers it 'fair' to copy a reasonable portion which is defined as:

• an article in a periodical publication (e.g. a journal or newspaper article)
• more than one article from a single edition of a periodical publication if it is for the same course of study or research
• 10 per cent or one chapter if the work is a published edition of 10 pages or more; or 10 per cent of the words if the work is in electronic form

Penalties for breach of copyright are found in Division 3 of the Copyright Act.

• View UWA’s Drug and Alcohol Policy
• View our completion and retention rates and graduate outcomes

Before graduating, you'll need to complete the appropriate loan exit counselling (Direct exit counselling or Direct and Grad Plus exit counselling).

After you graduate, there is a six-month period of grace before you must begin repayment. For PLUS loans there is no grace period, and repayment must generally begin within 60 days of the date the loan was fully disbursed.

The amount you will have to repay will depend on the repayment option you have chosen, how much you borrowed, and the interest that has accumulated on your debt.

Your loan must be repaid, even if you do not complete your studies or cannot find a job.

The consequences of defaulting on your loan are serious. On the other hand, paying off your loan responsibly will help establish a good credit rating, as your student loan account balance and status is reported to national credit bureaus on a regular basis. You may pay off some or all of your loan early with no penalty.

If you are having difficulty making payments, you can apply for deferments or forbearance. If you do so, you must continue paying your loan until you receive notification that your request has been approved.

You may also be eligible for a deferment if you are serving in the Peace Corps, under the Domestic Volunteer Service Act, or as a volunteer for a tax-exempt organisation of demonstrated effectiveness in the field of community service. Check the Deferment Forms on the Department of Education's Federal Aid web site for more information.

You should read and keep copies of all loan documents and letters. Remember though, that repayment notices are only reminders, and you must make payments even if you don't receive reminders.

You must keep the loan holder informed of a change in your name, address, telephone number, Social Security Number, or enrolment status.

The Official Cohort Default Rate for Fiscal Year 2020 is 5.

More information is available at Federal Student Aid – Repaying Your Loans [PDF, 4.4MB].

The US Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights with respect to their education records. These rights include:

1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the University receives a request for access.

A student should submit to the registrar, dean, head of the academic department, or other appropriate official, a written request that identifies the record(s) the student wishes to inspect. The University official will make arrangements for access and notify the student of the time and place where the records may be inspected. If the records are not maintained by the University official to whom the request was submitted, that official shall advise the student of the correct official to whom the request should be addressed.

2. The right to request the amendment of the student’s education records that the student believes are inaccurate, misleading, or otherwise in violation of the student’s privacy rights under FERPA.

A student who wishes to ask the University to amend a record should write the University official responsible for the record, clearly identify the part of the record the student wants changed, and specify why it should be changed.

If the University decides not to amend the record as requested, the University will notify the student in writing of the decision and the student’s right to a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be provided to the student when notified of the right to a hearing.

3. The right to provide written consent before the University discloses personally identifiable information from the student's education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent.

The University discloses education records without a student’s prior written consent under the FERPA exception for disclosure to University officials with legitimate educational interests.

A University official is a person employed by the University in an administrative, supervisory, academic or research, or support staff position (including law enforcement unit personnel and health staff); a person or company with whom the University has contracted as its agent to provide a service instead of using University employees or officials (such as an attorney, auditor, or collection agent); a person serving on the Senate; or a student serving on an official committee, such as a disciplinary or grievance committee, or assisting another University official in performing his or her tasks. A University official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in order to fulfil his or her professional responsibilities for the University.

As part of the University’s obligations under the ESOS Act and the National Code 2007 to ensure student compliance with the conditions of student visas and their obligations under Australian immigration laws generally, the University also discloses education records, in certain circumstances, to the Australian Government and designated authorities. The authority to collect and disclose this information is contained in the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000, the Education Services for Overseas Students Regulations 2001 and the National Code of Practice for Registration Authorities and Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2007. In other instances, information collected during a student’s enrolment may be disclosed without their consent where authorised or required by law.

4. The right to file a complaint with the US Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the University to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA is:

Family Policy Compliance Office

US Department of Education

400 Maryland Avenue, SW

Washington, DC 20202-5901

In order to maintain eligibility for financial aid with qualitative standard, a student must maintain their academic standing (i.e. be in “good standing”) necessary to remain at UWA. The Financial Aid Administrator will conduct a review at the end of each semester and academic year to determine the student’s successful progress toward obtaining a degree by reviewing their pass or fail units undertaken.

Students enrolled in all undergraduate and postgraduate coursework programs must achieve and maintain a cumulative Australian Grade Point Average (GPA) of 4, which is equivalent to a US GPA of 2.

To determine an understanding of UWA's GPA system, refer to What is GPA? 

Students may be placed on probation or suspended by the University at the end of the year if they have not met the satisfactory academic progress requirements.

Course rules can be found in the UWA Handbook.

“incomplete grades” 34 C.F.R. §668.34(a)(6)

UWA does not allow incomplete grades, results are withheld until it is finalized. The WAM, GPA and progression outcomes are determined based on the known results. Once a late grade is finalized the processes are re-run.

“repeated courses” 34 C.F.R. §668.34(a)(6)

UWA Handbook- Admission and enrolment – Part 2 Point 10. As a general rule, students can only repeat units they have not passed or withdrew from. For failed units, the previous attempts remain on the record and the associated grade and mark continue to contribute to the WAM/GPA calculations.

“course withdrawals” 34 C.F.R. §668.34(a)(6)

UWA Handbook- Admission and enrolment – Part 2 Point 12.
The University determines progression based on passing units attempted, not solely Fail grades. The Academic Progress policy states: “4.1 (1) (a) achieving a pass in units with a total credit point value of more than half the total credit point value of units in which the student remains enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.

Students must be enrolled for a minimum of 75 per cent of the standard course load each semester to be considered as full-time. Therefore, students need to be enrolled for a minimum of three units to be considered full-time. Half-time enrolment for students is 50 per cent of the standard course load.

Each time students’ SAPs are assessed, they must be on track to complete their course based on their specified course duration. UWA's Title IV SAP Policy is that students complete 100 per cent of the credit points attempted for their course duration and visa requirements; this means that UWA has a stricter SAP policy.

For further information relating to course structures and duration which outlines courses in credit hours, refer to What are credit points?

For the purposes of eligibility for US Federal Aid, UWA assesses SAPs at the end of each academic semester for courses of two years or more. You will be assessed only on the units you pass or fail. Withdrawing from units that do not result in a fail are not assessed. However, you must complete within the normal course duration.

Example: 150 hours is equivalent to a six-credit unit – in a bachelor’s degree.

Six credit unit x 24 = 144 credit points (which is three years) required to complete a bachelor’s degree which is stricter for students under the UWA Title IV SAP policy which is 100 per cent maximum time frame for completion honours degree is six credit units x 32 =192 credit points which is a four-year degree which is 100 per cent maximum time frame for completion of the course.

“incomplete grades” 34 C.F.R. §668.34(a)(6)

UWA does not allow incomplete grades, results are withheld until it is finalized. The WAM, GPA and progression outcomes are determined based on the known results. Once a late grade is finalized the processes are re-run.

“repeated courses” 34 C.F.R. §668.34(a)(6)

UWA Handbook- Admission and enrolment – Part 2 Point 10. As a general rule, students can only repeat units they have not passed or withdrew from. For failed units, the previous attempts remain on the record and the associated grade and mark continue to contribute to the WAM/GPA calculations.

“course withdrawals” 34 C.F.R. §668.34(a)(6)

UWA Handbook- Admission and enrolment – Part 2 Point 12.
The University determines progression based on passing units attempted, not solely Fail grades. The Academic Progress policy states: “4.1 (1) (a) achieving a pass in units with a total credit point value of more than half the total credit point value of units in which the student remains enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.

Your financial aid is generally disbursed as two cheques, one at the beginning of each semester, co-payable to you and UWA. If you are borrowing for less than a semester, or your course has non-standard teaching periods, a different schedule may apply. We will discuss this with you.

Students who withdraw before the completion of their semester of study will have their eligibility to retain part of their financial aid calculated on the percentage of the semester attended. Students who attend more than 60 per cent of the semester may retain all of their aid.

In the event that you transfer to UWA and seek US Federal Aid, your transcripts will be evaluated by the Financial Aid Administrator. Those courses which are applicable to the degree requirement will be accepted and will be used to measure the quantitative SAP requirement. Only those units undertaken at UWA will be used to compute the qualitative requirement.

Students who decide to change their degree or program objective will be evaluated similarly to transfer students with the exception that the grades previously earned at UWA will be used to measure the qualitative requirements.

Although it is unlikely to occur, students may pursue two graduate degrees concurrently. They are charged the tuition for each program and the Cost of Attendance for one degree will be adjusted to reflect the two tuition charges. Students must meet the Satisfactory Progress requirements for both programs to retain eligibility. The two sets of courses will be viewed as one program. Loans will be processed to the maximum yearly eligibility for graduate students.

Students who have completed a graduate degree program and wish to pursue another degree must apply for admission to that program as would any other applicant and meet the admission requirements for the new program. Federal loan eligibility will be limited to the aggregate program maximums under Federal Regulations.

Students who have not met the requirements of the US Financial Aid SAP Policy will be notified in writing that their next schedule disbursement has been suspended and that they are no longer eligible to receive US Financial Aid until such a time that they achieve the required progress.

Students deemed ineligible to receive US Financial Aid may appeal the decision on the grounds of exceptional circumstances, including, but not limited to, the death of a family member or relative, illness or injury to the student, other compassionate and compelling circumstances.

An appeal must address why the student failed to meet the SAP requirements, and how their circumstance have changed that will allow them to meet the SAP requirements by the next evaluation. The appeal must contain documented and certified copies of evidence of the claims made in the statement and should be submitted to the Financial Aid Administrator via askUWA.

A student who successfully appeals the decision to suspend their US Financial Aid will be placed on probation for one payment period. After the probation period, the student will be deemed as having either met the SAP requirements or not.

If the student subsequently does not meet the SAP requirements, the student will be notified in writing that their next disbursement has been suspended and they are no longer eligible to receive US Financial Aid until such a time that they achieve the required progress.

There is no recourse for appeal if the student does not meet the SAP requirements for two consecutive periods.

Students who are put on probation, excluded or deemed ineligible for Federal Aid may appeal the decision. Exceptions are permissible only if UWA determines that the student’s failure to meet satisfactory academic progress requirements is due to the death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other special circumstances.

Appeals should be submitted in writing with all supporting documentation to:

WAFAA Appeals Committee

c/o US Financial Aid Officer

The University of Western Australia

35 Stirling Highway CRAWLEY 6009

Western Australia

The decision of the WAFAA Appeals Committee is final.

Students who are readmitted to their program may apply in writing to the Financial Aid Administrator for a one-time waiver to continue receiving financial aid. The student should specify the exceptional circumstances that led to the poor academic performance and state the reasons why those circumstances will not affect future academic progress. Each case will be individually reviewed and the Financial Aid Administrator will use his or her professional judgment to determine if the original situation has been resolved to the point where the student can reasonably be expected to succeed and issue a one-time waiver of SAP for the next term. If the student still does not make satisfactory progress, then he or she will be ineligible for future aid. The decision of the Financial Aid Administrator may differ from the faculty’s decision to readmit the student in that a student may be readmitted to the program but may not be eligible for financial aid.

Official notification provided

If a student wishes to withdraw completely from their course, they should first discuss their decision with the International Student Support team so they understand the University Policy on: Refund of Tuition Fees for International Students and the implications for their visa of withdrawing. If the student decides to proceed with withdrawal, the earliest date UWA is informed orally or in writing will be the withdrawal date for the purpose of calculating loan refunds.

Official notification not provided

If a student does not provide official notification of their withdrawal, UWA must make a decision on the withdrawal date to calculate the return of Direct Loan funds. If notice was not provided because of circumstances beyond a student’s control, the withdrawal date will be the date of the circumstance. For other reasons, the withdrawal date will be the midpoint of the payment period.

In the event a student receives all failing grades for a semester, the Financial Aid Administrator will contact the faculty to determine if the fail grades were earned or represent a lack of attendance. In the event it is determined that those grades were the result of lack of attendance, the Financial Aid Administrator and faculty will attempt to determine the last day of attendance and use that date in the R2T4 calculations. If the exact date cannot be determined, the University will assume a 50 per cent attendance, and use that date as the last date of attendance. Students who do not attend even one class, are ineligible for Title IV funds and all of the loan proceeds will be returned to the lender.

The University Policy on: Refund of Tuition Fees for International Students is independent of the conditions and regulations governing the return of Title IV funds. On withdrawal, a student’s eligibility for refunds or liability for tuition and other payments to UWA is determined by this policy.

The amount of assistance earned is determined on a pro rata basis. The payment period is the semester for which the loan was certified and the percent of attendance is calculated by dividing the number of day attended by the total number of days in the payment period. For example, if the student completes 30 per cent of the payment period or period of enrolment, the student has earned 30 per cent of the assistance they were originally scheduled to receive.

Once the student has completed more than 60 per cent of the payment period or period of enrolment, all the assistance that the student was scheduled to receive for that period is considered to have been earned If the student did not receive all of the funds that were earned, he or she may be due a post-withdrawal disbursement. If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, the student may choose to decline the loan funds so that additional debt is not incurred. Loans must be offered to the student within 30 days. The Office of Financial Aid will use the R2T4 worksheets as provided by the US Department of Education to determine how much of the loan may be retained and how much must be returned. If the calculation results in a Title IV credit balance, any resulting balance will be disbursed ASAP, but no later than 14 days after the Return calculation. 34 C.F.R. §668.164(h)

Direct Loan funds are returned in the following order:

1. Unsubsidised loans
2. Subsidised loans
3. PLUS loans

The University Policy on: Leave addresses the circumstances in which students can or must apply for a period of approved leave. It is important to be aware that students on student visas are limited by the conditions of their visa. The conditions include that the student must be enrolled full time and complete their course of study in the normal duration. Consequently, the ability of student visa holders to utilise Approved Leave is limited.

Given the qualification above, approved leave must follow the procedures set out, and for purposes of continued US Federal Aid eligibility, the application and approval must be gained before the leave commences. In addition, for US Federal Aid purposes, an Approved Leave (LOA) must meet certain conditions to be counted as a temporary interruption in a student’s education instead of being counted as a withdrawal requiring a UWA to perform a Return calculation. If an Approved Leave (LOA) does not meet the conditions in the student is considered to have ceased attendance and to have withdrawn from UWA, and UWA is required to perform a Return calculation.

The situation described for the reason for the Approved Leave (LOA) must be generally non-academic in nature and must be one that leads to a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the Approved Leave (LOA) within the allowed time frame. The Approved Leave (LOA) together with any additional leaves of absence must not exceed a total of 180 days in any 12-month period including days in which university is not is session. All requests for Approved Leave (LOA) will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Administrator. During the Approved Leave (LOA), the institution will not change semester fees. The student will not be eligible for any additional disbursements of Federal Student Aid.

If a student is on Approved Leave (LOA), they are considered to be enrolled for Title IV loan repayment purposes. If they fail to return, UWA must report to the loan holder the student’s change in enrolment status as of the withdrawal date. One possible consequence of not returning from an approved leave is the grace period for a Title IV program loan might be exhausted. Therefore students must be aware of the possible consequences a withdrawal may have on loan repayment terms, including the exhaustion of the student’s grace period.

In line with UWA policy, a student’s return will be at the commencement of semester study. If they return early from approved leave, it must be at the commencement of a semester. Once returned from approved leave, they will continue in their course of study. Note: the maximum time for approved leave for student’s on US Federal Aid is 180 days.

If a student does not return to UWA from their approved leave, their withdrawal date for financial aid purposes will be the commencement of their approved leave. This may have serious consequences on loan repayment terms including exhausting the grace period.