Current Financial Aid News:

• UWRF Scholarships for the 2023 - 2024 school year
  The application for scholarships opens October 3 for new students starting Fall 2023 and November 15 for continuing students.
  Most scholarships have a deadline of February 1, 2023, but dates may vary, so it's important to review the scholarship's specific details in the UW-River Falls Scholarship System. For more information, please see UWRF Scholarships.
  Please note study abroad scholarships and Graduate Counseling scholarships have different application cycles - all eligible students can begin applying for these October 3, 2022. Check out the UWRF Scholarship Portal and search for "Study Abroad" or "Graduate Counseling" for details on each of the scholarships. 
   
• Student Loan Debt Relief Is Blocked

  Courts have issued orders blocking the student debt relief program. As a result, at this time, applications are not being accepted. If you've already applied, your application will be held. Subscribe and check back at Ed.Gov for updates (https://www.ed.gov/subscriptions). StudentAid.Gov will post information as soon as further updates are available.
  
  On August 24, 2022, President Biden announced the Student Debt Relief Plan. For more information and updates, please see the following sites through StudentAid.gov:
   
  • Debt Relief Announcement: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement
  • One-Time Student Loan Debt Relief: https://studentaid.gov/debt-relief-announcement/one-time-cancellation
    
    Companies that collect these loans on behalf of the Federal Government will work with the U.S. Department of Education over the next several months to implement loan forgiveness and reduce borrower accounts. Borrowers who may qualify for loan forgiveness should contact their loan servicer to ensure that their contact information is up to date. Borrowers may locate their loan servicer by going to studentaid.gov and clicking on the "Log In" link.
• Wisconsin Tuition Promise
  This program is a new initiative launching in Fall 2023. Please see https://www.wisconsin.edu/tuition-promise/ for more information on eligibility and program details.
   
• Federal Direct Loan Interest Rates for 2022-2023:
  • The 2022-2023 Annual Interest Rates for the Federal Direct Loan Program will apply for loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2022 and before July 1, 2023. All interest rates shown in the chart are fixed rates. A fixed rate will not change for the life of the loan. For more information on Federal Loan rates and fees, please see https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/interest-rates.

  • Loan Type	Borrower Type	Fixed Interest Rate
    Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans	Undergraduate	4.99%
    Direct Unsubsidized Loans	Graduate or Professional	6.54%
    Direct PLUS Loans	Parents and Graduate or Professional Students	7.54%

• Complete your FAFSA: If you are interested in receiving federal and state financial aid you must complete a FAFSA application.
  • When completing the FAFSA, please pay attention to the academic year's application you are submitting. Currently, there are two FAFSA applications available, the 2022 - 2023 FAFSA (Fall 2022 - Spring 2023 and Summer 2023) and the 2023 - 2024 FAFSA (Fall 2023 - Spring 2024 and Summer 2024). When applying for J-Term or Summer financial aid, you will also need to submit the UWRF J-Term or Summer aid form. Please note you will need to register for your J-Term or Summer classes BEFORE filling out the J-Term or Summer aid form.
  • When applying for financial aid, you should ONLY use https://fafsa.gov.
• Avoid Financial Aid and IRS Scams
  Check out StudentAid.Gov for Information on Avoiding Student Aid Scams
  Additionally, check out their page on How to Avoid Student Loan Forgiveness Scams
  Remember, you NEVER need to pay anything to apply for financial aid. Always contact our office directly if you have any questions regarding anything you receive by mail or email.
  
  The IRS does NOT send unsolicited emails to the public or with content that includes sensitive information. If you receive any phishing or scam emails appearing to be from "IRS Online" or containing an attachment labeled "Tax Account Transcript" or something similar, please do not open the email. Either delete it or simply forward it (without opening) to phishing@irs.gov. If using an employer's computer, the IRS asks the employee to notify his or her company of the email. For more details from the IRS, please see Report Phishing and Online Scams.
   
• Submitting IRS tax information to UW-River Falls for your financial aid: 
  If you received a Verification Missing Information Email, visit our Submit Verification Documents page to view instructions on submitting your IRS tax information to UW-River Falls.
   
• External Scholarships:
  • If you have received an External Scholarship Check please submit the check to the UWRF Student Billing Office, 215 North Hall.
  • Federal regulations require financial aid offices to include all outside funding in student aid awards. Utilize the Outside Resource Notification Form to promptly notify us of any outside resources you receive.