Financial Aid Award Process
If you apply for financial aid and submit all required documents, you will receive a financial aid award notification letter. This letter lists the types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive for the entire academic year.
Financial aid award letters for first-time freshmen, first-time graduate and transfer students beginning in the fall term are mailed to the student's permanent address. Learn more about the award process:
Returning students in good academic standing receive award letters in February/March. Remaining students receive their award once Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is checked in early June after the grade submission deadline.
We encourage PennWest California students to continually monitor financial aid award(s) on VIP (Vulcan Information Portal) for the most current information regarding award status and any changes that may have been made to your awards. First-time freshmen obtain access to VIP from the Office of Admissions shortly after being accepted. The information about your Financial Aid Award Package, which is mailed to your permanent address, is the same information available on VIP.
In addition to more detailed information about the undergraduate award process and the graduate award process, please review the following for more information about award eligibility and notification, missing information, adjustments to aid and awards, disbursement of aid, and more.
For more help, please contact PennWest California's Office of Financial Aid by email (finaid-cal@pennwest.edu) or phone (724-938-4415). The office is open from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Wednesday.