Financial Aid

FAQ - Common Undergraduate Questions

  1. Who is my financial aid advisor?
  2. Do I need to schedule an appointment to speak with an advisor?
  3. How and when do I apply for financial aid?
  4. How do I view my financial aid award?
  5. How can I authorize my parent, gaurdian, spouse or other guest to have access to my financial aid information?
  6. What information does STARS provide?
  7. How do I activate my WIU email and my STARS account?


1. Who is my financial aid advisor?
Students are not assigned a particular financial aid advisor during their time at WIU. You may email, call, or stop by our office at any time to speak with a financial aid advisor. (Phone: (309) 298-2446, Email: financial-aid@wiu.edu, Location: Sherman Hall 127)
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2. Do I need to schedule an appointment to speak with an advisor?
You do not need to schedule an appointment. You may email, call, or stop by our office at any time to speak with a financial aid advisor. (Phone: (309) 298-2446, Email: financial-aid@wiu.edu, Location: Sherman Hall 127)
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3. How and when do I apply for financial aid?
You must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for each academic year that you wish to be considered for financial aid. You can file the FAFSA starting October 1 for the following academic year (fall, spring and summer). Complete the FAFSA as soon as possible after October 1st to be considered for maximum federal and state aid programs. While paper applications are available, students are urged to apply for the FAFSA online because application information will be processed faster, and the built-in software helps you avoid errors that could lead to delays.
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4. How do I view my financial aid award?
As soon as the Financial Aid Office has determined your financial aid award, we will send you an email to your WIU account and the personal email you provided on the FAFSA, notifying you that your awards are available to view on STARS. All further notifications throughout the year will be to your WIU email account only.
Once you have logged into STARS, navigate to the "Financials" tab and select "Financial Aid Information". Then, click on the academic year you want to view. There will be a link to view your "Award Offers".
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5. How can I authorize my parent, gaurdian, spouse or other guest to have access to my financial aid information?
In order to give parents, guardians, spouses, or other guests detailed info about your financial accounts, you must grant access through your STARS Account.  After logging in, navigate to the "My Profile Tab" and select "Parent and Guest Access Management". Visit our Youtube Channel for a full tutorial. 
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6. What information does STARS provide?
STARS provides students access to their University Records from 3 a.m. to midnight (CT) daily. If you have filed a FAFSA and are an accepted WIU student, you may access financial aid information from your STARS account.
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6. How do I activate my WIU email and my STARS account?
Email:
You can activate your email account by going to wiu.edu/activate.

STARS:
The first time you access STARS, your password will be your month, day and full year of birth (mmddyyyy). For example, if you were born on January 5, 1980 then your PIN will be 01051980. You will then be required to change your password.. DO NOT GIVE YOUR PASSWORD TO ANYONE!
For STARS sign-on assistance you may contact the Student Assistance and Parent Service Center (Union), 309-298-2092.
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STARS Information (Financial Aid)

If you have filed a FAFSA and are an accepted WIU student, you may access the following financial aid information from your STARS account:

  • Choose the Academic Year you wish to view. You may choose from three Academic Years
  • Your Application Status (provides information on what action has been taken or informs you if something is missing)

You may then choose to view your:

  • Award Letter: You may view and print a personal copy of your original or revised award letter.
  • Financial Aid Awards: Displays your estimated, (if file review not complete), or anticipated/actual awards for the academic year. Received amounts indicate that the award has been applied to your Billing and Receivables Account. Clicking on the loan amount received will confirm the location of the funds. You may view your Billing and Receivables Account Detail on STARS to see the financial aid funds applied to your account. You may also choose to reduce or cancel your loans from this screen. Click on the Reduce or Cancel link beside each loan. Note: If you did not originally indicate you wanted a loan processed, you may submit a request to process a loan by using the Ask Us a Question link in the Frequently Used Links Box on this web site. Be sure to indicate the amount of the loan you would like and the loan period you are requesting (fall, spring or fall and spring terms).

STARS is a secure site where students can access their student information. If you are unable to access your award notification, you may contact the Financial Aid Office to request a paper notification be mailed to you. Note: New students will be mailed their first notification in addition to receiving an email notification. All further notifications throughout the year will be to WIU email accounts.

Email Account

Students should check their WIU email frequently for updates and electronic requests. Activate your email account by going to wiu.edu/activate.

Please contact the University Technology Support Center at (309) 298-8324 if you need assistance in accessing your STARS account or email.