Admitted Students

Available to new incoming first year and transfer students only: When your financial offer is available, we will mail it and send you an email notification to the email address you used for your Wilkes application to access your offer electronically. This email will include credentials to log into your Wilkes University Admissions Application Portal. Use the "Forgot Your Password?" link to set up or reset your password. 

If your Financial Aid Offer letter is ready, there will be a section where you can click to download a pdf of your financial aid offer. You will also be able to view prevsious decision letters. 

For assistance accessing your Admissions portal, please contact our Admissions office at 570-408-4400 or admissions@wilkes.edu. 

In order to receive a financial aid offer, you must be admitted to Wilkes University and have successfully completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Please contact the Office of Student Financial Services if you need assistance filing the FAFSA.

We began receiving 2024-25 FAFSA information. In April, we will process and release aid offers to new students admitted to the fall 2024 semester in April.

Access My Admissions Portal 

As you review your financial aid offer, please be aware of the following:

• Institutionally administered financial aid is contingent upon you enrolling on a full-time basis. Your financial aid offer will be reevaluated if you enroll with fewer than 12 credits per semester. The amount of aid will be divided equally between the fall and spring semesters, unless otherwise noted.
• You must notify the Office of Student Financial Services of any change in enrollment, financial, residence, housing, or marital status, as any changes may impact eligibility.
• You agree to notify the Office of Student Financial Services of any aid awarded from sources not shown in the financial aid offer and understand that such aid may result in a reduction of financial aid offered by Wilkes University.
• Need-based aid is not automatically renewable. You must submit a FAFSA each academic year to be considered for federal, state, and institutional grants as well as need-based loans. Renewal of awards will be based on continued eligibility and timely completion of all required documents. All need-based aid is awarded on a yearly basis and cannot be awarded all in one semester.
• Wilkes scholarships and awards are limited to eight semesters unless otherwise noted. Appeals for additional semesters will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. All scholarships and awards are awarded on a yearly basis and cannot be awarded all in one semester.
• Awards funded by state or federal programs are subject to revision due to mandated changes in state or federal regulations or funding levels.
• To receive any qualifying Federal Direct Loans, you must complete direct loan entrance counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN). Both can be completed at studentaid.gov external website. If you wish to reduce or decline student loans, you must email financialaid@wilkes.edu with "Decline Direct Loans" in the subject line.
• You must maintain satisfactory academic progress to be considered for financial aid for subsequent years. Progress is reviewed at the end of each spring semester. The progress policy can be found on our Financial Aid page.
• You are expected to abide by the regulations of student responsibilities as stipulated in the Undergraduate Student Handbook. Failure to do so may result in recalculation of institutional scholarship and financial aid eligibility.
• Your need-based aid awarded shall be rescinded if and when incorrect information is revealed on the FAFSA or as a result of verification.

Please use this as a guide for financial planning. Wilkes University has determined total Cost of Attendance for the 2024-2025 academic year based on direct and indirect costs for dependent students. All federal, state, institutional and outside funding, in combination with loans and work-study, cannot exceed your total cost of attendance.

Direct Costs

DIRECT COSTS are the expenses charged to you by Wilkes University and used when calculating your aid offer. These are estimated numbers pending approval from the Board of Trustees.

*Please note; Off Campus costs apply only to transfer students; First-year students are required to live on campus if not commuting from home (within a 50 mile radius).

Indirect Costs

INDIRECT COSTS are estimated expenses that you may incur each year. These costs are included in the cost of attendance for planning purposes but are not billed by Wilkes University.

*Please note; Off Campus costs apply only to transfer students; First-year students are required to live on campus if not commuting from home (within a 50 mile radius).

Total Costs

The following may also impact your cost of attendance and financial aid:

• Additional Fees: The general university fee includes charges for technology, student union, recreation, campus clubs and activities. In addition to the general university fee, other fees may be applied depending upon major and/or course registration each semester; these fees may include, but are not limited to parking, laboratory, and course fees.
• Books & Supplies: Required undergraduate textbooks, lab manuals and access codes will be paid for through our Colonels are Covered program. Additional supplies that cannot be returned and reused will need to be purchased by the student, such as lab goggles, art supplies, dissection kits, molecular model kids, engineering kits or nursing kits.
• Commuter Meal Plan: This is available for an additional fee to interested commuter students.
• FAFSA Corrections and Updates: Any changes or updates made to a FAFSA by the student or Wilkes University on behalf of the student may impact aid eligibility, which would create an adjustment to a student's financial aid. Information on how to review and correct your FAFSA are provided by Federal Student Aid external website.
• Verification: Some students are selected by the federal government for verification, which requires Wilkes University to verify tax and/or personal information against FAFSA filing information and make any necessary changes to a FAFSA on behalf of the student. Students selected for verification are notified by the Office of Student Financial Services by mail and through their Wilkes University email and are provided with verification completion instructions. All requested documents must be submitted to the Office of Student Financial Services within 30 days of the notice. Adjustments to financial aid may occur as a result of verification, in which case students will be notified via email.
• Wilkes Named and Endowed Scholarships: If you are selected based on donor criteria, these scholarships may be applied to tuition, but cannot exceed your total cost of attendance. Please note that the awarding of a donor scholarship may reduce other need-based aid a student may have already received.

Colonels Are Covered

Required textbooks and course materials are paid for and will be ready prior to the first day of class. All you have to do is return them once the semester concludes. Wilkes is proud to be one of only three schools in Pennsylvania, and 80 nationally, to offer this program.

The program does not include consumables that cannot be returned and reused such as lab goggles, art supplies, dissection kits, molecular model kids, engineering kits or nursing kits. It also does not include texts that are “recommended” or “optional” rather than required by professors.

The Colonels Are Covered program is offered in partnership with Barnes & Noble’s First Day Complete®. All new degree-seeking undergraduate students will be automatically enrolled.

Colonels are Covered

Federal and state grants do not need to be repaid and are awarded based on financial need. To determine eligibility, students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year. In addition, for eligibility in subsequent academic years, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress.

All aid is awarded yearly and is divided equally between the fall and spring semesters, unless otherwise indicated, and cannot be combined all in one semester. Aid will be reevaluated for adjustments based on a student's enrollment status and satisfactory academic progress. Grant eligibility will be reevaluated due to changes in financial need.

Federal Pell Grant: Pell Grants external website are awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need as defined by the federal government. Annual amounts are determined by the student’s level of need and enrollment status. Amounts can change yearly.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant: FSEOG external website is awarded to undergraduate students with the greatest amount of unmet financial need who also qualify for the Federal Pell Grant. Funds are limited, so not all Pell-eligible students receive the grant.

Pennsylvania State Grant: Pennsylvania residents are considered for this grant if they meet eligibility requirements established by the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) and complete the FAFSA each year before May 1 of the academic year. PHEAA may require additional documentation, as Wilkes University does not determine the amount of this award and simply acts as the liaison between PHEAA and the students. The amount listed on the award letter is an estimate of eligibility. Students can create an account and view their eligibility at aessuccess.org external website. Follow-up communication from PHEAA will be sent to the email provided by the student on the FAFSA application from noreply@grantus.pheaa.org.

All Wilkes University grants, awards and scholarships apply only to undergraduate studies and undergraduate tuition; they do not need to be repaid. For eligibility in subsequent academic years, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress and be enrolled full time for a minimum of 12 credits during each fall and spring semester. The FAFSA must be submitted each year to determine grant eligibility.

All aid is divided evenly between the fall and spring semesters, unless otherwise stated. Students who will complete their undergraduate degree in less than 4 years (or 8 academic semesters which are comprised of fall and spring) will then forfeit the remainder of any scholarship or award funds offered during the admission and/or financial aid process. Scholarships will not exceed half of the annual amount offered when it is allocated in one semester.

All aid will be reevaluated for adjustments based on a student's enrollment status and satisfactory academic progress. Grant eligibility will be reevaluated due to changes in financial need. Financial Aid Administrators have the right to exercise professional judgment on any grants, scholarships, and awards.

Institutional aid may be awarded in one of more of the below areas. For details on various types of aid available, please visit: Types of Financial Aid

• Wilkes University Merit Scholarships
• Wilkes University Grants
• Wilkes University Awards

Federal Direct Loans are included in your aid offer. Direct loans are issued in the student’s name and must be repaid by the student. To determine eligibility, you must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year.

The two types of federal Direct Loans external website for students are:

1. Direct Subsidized Loan: The interest will not accrue (accumulate) on this loan while you, the student, are enrolled. The interest will begin to accrue when you are no longer enrolled. You are not responsible for payments on this loan until after you are no longer enrolled at least part-time. You must demonstrate financial need to be considered for a subsidized loan.
2. Direct Unsubsidized Loan: The interest will accrue (accumulate) on this loan while you, the student, are enrolled. Financial need is not required to obtain an unsubsidized loan.

Eligible loan funds are factored into the financial aid offer and the net amount of the loan (after the origination fee) is included in the financial aid calculation on the aid offer. Students who plan to enroll at Wilkes will be required to either accept or decline their student loan(s).

Interest Rate and Origination Fee

Interest is additional money that you pay to a lender as a cost of borrowing money. Direct Loans are "daily interest" loans. On daily interest loans, interest accrues (adds up) every day. The fixed interest rate is 5.50% for undergraduate federal Direct loans through June 30, 2024.

All federal direct loans are charged an origination fee. The origination fee is 1.057% for federal student loans (subsidized and unsubsidized) through Sept. 30, 2024. The origination fee is subtracted from the actual loan amount and, as a result, the lesser amount (net amount) is shown when the loan funds are received by Wilkes. For example, a student who borrows $3,500 in a subsidized loan will see $3,463 as the amount disbursed to Wilkes for the 2023-2024 academic year.

The 2024-25 interest rate and origination fee will be determined and announced by the federal government on July 1, 2024.

MORE ABOUT FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOANS external website

If the student qualifies for but does not want to accept the Direct Loan funds or wishes to reduce the amount borrowed, the student must contact the Office of Student Financial Services by sending an email from the student's Wilkes email address to financialaid@wilkes.edu

Please state “Decline Direct Loans" in the subject line. In the email, include your Wilkes Identification Number (WIN), along with the aid year and the amount of the loan(s) to reduce or decline. Student Financial Services will then remove or reduce the loan(s) on your account.

You need to send an email each academic year that you would like to decline funds.

Parents are not able to decline or accept a student's loan(s) on the student's behalf.

If you qualify for a federal Direct Loan and wish to accept the loan, you must complete Direct Loan entrance counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) online to accept the loan(s). You only need to complete these the first time enrolling at Wilkes University.

The entrance counseling process ensures that you, the student, understands your rights and responsibilities for the loan. The MPN will serve as an authorization to borrow and promise to repay loans through the Direct Loan program.

Parents should NOT complete the requirements on behalf of their student, as this federal requirement is designed to benefit each student’s understanding of his/her rights and repayment responsibilities.

Before beginning the below steps, you (the student) will need to log in to studentaid.gov external website with your student FSA ID and password (the same as you used to complete your FAFSA).

1. Complete entrance counseling online external website.
   • Select “Start” next to "I am an Undergraduate Student"
   • Continue to add "School to Notify": Wilkes University
   • Select "Start" and complete each module.
2. Complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) online external website.
   • Select “Start” next to "I am an Undergraduate Student" and complete each section.
   • In the “School Information” step, select: Wilkes University

Once completed, Wilkes University’s Office of Student Financial Services will receive electronic notification that you have completed the requirements.

Earn money throughout the semester by applying for a part-time work-study job to help pay for educational and related expenses.

Two types of work-study funding:

1. Federal Work-Study: Federal work-study is awarded to eligible need-based students through the financial award process. Students must complete the FAFSA each year to determine yearly eligibility. Before applying for a federal work-study job, check your financial aid offer or contact the Office of Student Financial Services to see if you qualify. Adjustments to qualifying federal work-study can be made due to changes in other sources of add.
2. Institutional Work-Study: If your aid does not include federal work-study, or if you have exceeded your federal work-study funds, you may apply for a job that offers institutional work-study. Check with the hiring supervisor to make sure that the department has funds available before applying for an institutional work-study job.

Available positions are posted on the Wilkes website each semester. Positions are not guaranteed. You must apply and interview for open positions within a department. You may work a maximum of 20 hours a week, and positions are flexible to accommodate class schedules.

Students who accept employment will receive a check biweekly for hours worked. Work-study earnings are not credited to your billing account.

More About Workstudy Positions at Wilkes

If you have a passion for public service and a desire to be a positive force in your community, Wilkes University’s Bonner Leader program can help you build the skills you need to lead the charge for change. Students will commit to participate in this unique work-study experience that blends community service with enrichment and training activities. High school and transfer students who have already been accepted to Wilkes University are invited to apply. Wilkes will select only eight to ten incoming first-year students via a competitive application program.

Students who are accepted into the Bonner Leader program for fall 2024 will qualify for a Bonner Scholarship of $2,000/year. This will be distributed at the beginning of each semester ($1,000/semester). Earn work-study pay for eight to ten hours of program service, training and reflection each week.

More about the Bonner Leader Program

Our program partners with faculty, departments and schools and colleges across campus that foster independent research and innovative ideas, study abroad and internship support and other initiatives to build friendships, provide mentoring and link tomorrow’s leaders with those of today. Academically exceptional high school and transfer students who have already been accepted to Wilkes University may be invited to apply to the Honors program.

Students who are accepted into the Honors program may receive educational stipends the first year to support new educational needs and have opportunities for grant funding to support study abroad, research, internship, conference and similar co-curricular experiences outside of class. There are also no additional costs for course overload related to honors work to ease students’ pursuit of their academic ambitions.

More About the Honors Program

If you’re a student looking for exceptional opportunities to set yourself apart from the crowd and challenge yourself academically, explore Wilkes University’s prestigious Barre Scholars Program. Admitted students with excellent academic credentials may be invited to apply to become a Barre Scholar.

Students who are accepted into the Barre Scholars program may receive an educational stipend to support your educational needs and may be eligible to receive an escalating scholarship that rewards students who remain in the program each year. Barre Scholars also have fees and tuition costs for course overload waived.

More About the Barre Scholars Program

We encourage you to search for additional outside (or private) scholarships and avoid scholarship search entities that charge a fee for participation. When searching scholarships, make sure that the scholarship criteria match your college and personal attributes.

You can avoid scholarship searches that charge a participation fee by using some of these popular FREE Scholarship websites:

• fastweb.com external website
• Collegeboard external website
• Scholarships.com external website
• Scholarship America external website
• Finaid.org external website
• Peerlift external website

Contact your high school guidance counselor, local civic groups, parents’ places of employment, etc., to inquire about scholarship opportunities.

Wilkes also partners with Scholarship Universe to help our current students easily connect with private scholarships and potentially match with internal endowed scholarship opportunities. New incoming students can create an account after making their enrollment deposit.

More about Scholarships at Wilkes

Wilkes University offers more than 200 donor scholarships annually, made possible by the generous support of Wilkes alumni and friends. Most of these scholarships do not require an application and are automatically awarded to full-time students through matching criteria established by donors possibly relating to, but not limited to, a student's grade level, financial need (based on the FAFSA), academics, major, club/organization involvement, etc.

Some donor scholarships may be renewable should criteria continuously be met each academic year. Donor scholarships are not guaranteed. The awarding of a donor scholarship may impact other need-based institutional aid a student may have already received.

In order to be considered, current students will need to create an account on Scholarship Universe and answer matching questions. New incoming students can create an account after making their enrollment deposit. 

Any donor scholarships that require an application or resume will be posted on Today@Wilkes, a list of announcements emailed to current students each weekday.

Through the PATH program, qualifying students who reside in Pennsylvania and were awarded a scholarship or grant by one of PHEAA’s PATH partners may be eligible for additional grant funding.

PATH eligibility and additional information external website

Wilkes University leadership scholarships may be available to eligible returning undergraduate students who hold qualifying leadership positions on campus. Not all clubs and organizations or leadership-related positions have qualifying leadership scholarships.

Some of the following student organizations possibly have a position in which a leadership scholarship may be available:

• Student Government
• The Beacon Student Newspaper
• Zebra Communications
• Commuter Council
• Multicultural Student Coalition
• Programming Board
• 90.7 WCLH
• Manuscript Society Board

More about Student Clubs at WilkeS

The Community Foundation Locator external website can help you find foundations in your area that may provide scholarships to students from their hometown.

A Direct PLUS Loan for Parents external website, sometimes referred to as a Parent PLUS Loan, is a federal direct loan for eligible parents of dependent students. Parents can apply for a Direct PLUS Loan to help pay for their student’s school expenses for a specific semester or aid year. The parent borrower will undergo a credit check with the U.S. Department of Education. The maximum PLUS loan amount a parent can borrow is the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance the student receives.

Repayment of principal and/or interest can be deferred until after the student graduates or is no longer enrolled at least half-time. 

Interest Rate and Origination Fee

Interest is additional money that you pay to a lender as a cost of borrowing money. Direct Loans are "daily interest" loans. On daily interest loans, interest accrues (adds up) every day. 

The fixed interest rate is 8.05% through June 30, 2024.

The PLUS loan is charged an origination fee that will reduce the amount of funds actually applied to your account. The origination fee is 4.228% through Sept. 30, 2024. For example, a parent who borrows $5,000 in a PLUS Loan will see $4,789 disbursed to Wilkes University. 

The interest rate and origination fee for the 2024-25 Direct PLUS Loan for parents will be determined and announced by the federal government on July 1, 2024.

Application Process

A parent can apply for a 2024-25 Direct PLUS Loan after June 1, 2024.

The parent must log in to studentaid.gov external website with their parent FSA ID (NOT the student's FSA ID). The loan application decision will be given directly after submission. If approved, the parent must complete a Master Promissory Note. 

Step by SteP Guide for Parent

1. Complete the Parent PLUS Loan Application online external website.
   • Select “Start.”
   • Your parent should select the award year or semester in which the student is enrolling; if enrolling for fall 2024, the award year would be 2024-2025.
   • Under School Information, add Wilkes University
2. Complete the Parent’s Master Promissory Note (MPN) external website online (if approved for a loan).
   • Select "Start" next to "I am a parent of an Undergraduate Student"
   • Complete in full and submit

Denial, Endorser, and/or Appeal

If a parent is denied a Parent PLUS Loan (and another parent is not approved), the parent may either obtain an endorser (someone who does not have an adverse credit history and agrees to repay the loan if the parent does not repay it) or choose to appeal the decision and document extenuating circumstances related to the parent’s adverse credit history to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education. Once either of these courses of action has been completed, the parent will also be required to complete PLUS Credit Counseling.

Please contact the Office of Student Financial Services to alert us if there is a plan to pursue a Direct PLUS Loan by obtaining an endorser or appealing the denial decision.

If a parent is denied a PLUS Loan (without another parent being approved) and unable to appeal or obtain an endorser, you, the student are automatically eligible to borrow up to an additional $4,000 in the federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan.

Learn more about direct PLUS loans for Parents external website

Private student loans may be offered through private lending institutions not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education or Wilkes University. A private loan allows you (with a creditworthy cosigner) or a parent of a dependent student to borrow funds for educational expenses. The applicant/cosigner will undergo a credit check with each loan lender.

In most cases, repayment of principal and/or interest can be deferred until after you graduate or are no longer attending. Terms, conditions, and interest rates vary from lender to lender. Please read each lenders disclosures.

To explore and apply for a private/alternative loan, contact your bank or credit union to discuss their educational loan options or review lender options at ELMSelect external website. This lender list is offered for your convenience; Wilkes University does not specifically endorse any particular lender on this list. Lending institutions are solely responsible for posting and updating their information to ELM Select. You are not limited to lenders on this list.

We recommend that you apply between June 1 and Aug. 1 to ensure adequate processing time before the fall tuition balance is due. We strongly suggest that you apply for the entire academic year to eliminate the need to submit a second application for spring semester balances. Allow two to four weeks of processing time once the lender has notified Wilkes University of your eligibility.

If you need to cover indirect costs, such as books, supplies, and transportation, you can add funds to the amount request through a loan. The maximum loan amount you or a parent can borrow is the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance you receive.

Learn more about private loans

The Wilkes University payment plan simplifies budgeting by allowing you to divide full or partial semester balances into five equal monthly payments for the fall semester (August to December) and, if continued enrollment is desired, five equal monthly payments for the spring semester (January to May). You must enroll in the installment payment plan prior to the start of each semester.

You may use the payment plan on its own or in addition to any loan programs.

There is no interest fee attached to the plan, but a $25 fee will be charged for each semester you participate in the plan.

Enrollment for the payment plan can be completed via the Wilkes Portal and the 2024-25 semester enrollment will open:

• Fall 2024: July 10, 2024
• Spring 2025: Dec. 9, 2024