Other Financial Assistance

Other Financial Assistance (OFA) is the estimated amount of assistance (or “other resources”) that a student will receive from sources other than state and federal financial aid. These other resources include any scholarships, gift cards or cash prizes received from a private party or from a WSU department, and must be accounted for by Student Financial Services (SFS). Departments should not provide scholarship funds directly to students.

Students must report any outside funding other than financial aid to SFS each award year to ensure students are not receiving financial aid beyond their Cost of Attendance. Departments may also report OFA on a student's behalf and we encourage them to do so. This is often more effecient than having the student report for themselves. 

Reporting OFA to Student Financial Services

If your department is not reporting these resources through SFS, the Bursar’s Office or Workday, please report at Student Reimbursement NOT accounted for in myWSU/Workday. If you are unsure of how to report OFA from your department, you may reach out to the SFS scholarships team at scholarships@wsu.edu.

There is no de minimus award amount for OFA. All amounts must be accounted for, no matter how small!

Visit our Partner Library

The Student Financial Services Partner Portal houses resources and information for our campus partners. For more information on OFA and other SFS processes, please visit our Partner Library. The NASFAA Rules on Other Financial Assistance can help with an overview and regulations around the types of resources that need to be reported, while the Student Payment Determination Flow Chart can assist more with clarification of financial resources from departments, and how WSU handles these payments. 

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Data Policies

Filing a FAFSA requires the student and any contributors (parents or spouse) to submit personal information such as a social security number, contact information, tax information and date of birth. All information submitted on the FAFSA is shared with the student's selected colleges as well as any applicable state grant agencies. How long this data stays in the Department of Education's system varies depending on the aid received by the student.

The Department of Education is permitted by law to share information with other federal agencies for both civil and criminal law enforcement purposes. Full FAFSA data security and data sharing policies can be found in our FAFSA FAQ.

Financial Aid Changes & The One Big Beautiful Bill Act

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed congress this summer and brings with it substantial changes to student financial aid resources, primarily loans. Some provisions became effective immediately, while others will become effective July 1, 2026 and over subsequent years.

Our office is monitoring this situation closely and will announce changes to financial aid policies as we receive guidance on how the university plans to implement required changes.

Financial Aid eRefund Changes

WSU has switched to TouchNet e-Refunds beginning Fall 2025. Student information is not carried over automatically, and all students enrolled in direct deposit for refunds (financial aid, tuition refunds and stipends) prior to June 15, 2025 will need to update their information with TouchNet. Students not enrolled in TouchNet will receive all refunds in the mail as paper checks, which can take 5-10 business days.

Student Loan Repayment

The transition from college can be particularly tricky for student loan borrowers. WSU partners with Student Connections to allow our office to more effectively communicate with graduating students about their loan responsibilities and options.

Student Connections is free to WSU students and graduates and provides outreach, resources and support to student loan borrowers, like:

• Access to loan counselors
• Payment plan assistance
• Retrieving loan information (total balance, monthly payments, etc.)
• Assistance applying for loan forgiveness or lowering monthly payments

Student Connections works alongside Student Financial Services to ensure students who have graduated or left WSU are fully award of their repayment options, timelines and the consequences of loan default.

Student Financial Services

PO Box 641068
Pullman, WA 99164‑1068

509‑335‑9711
financialaid@wsu.edu