Consortium Agreement Guidelines
What is a Consortium Agreement?
A consortium agreement is a written agreement between two schools. It will allow the student to receive the maximum amount of Federal/State aid for which he/she is eligible to receive during any given academic semester based on the total number of credits taken at both schools. However, a student may only receive his/her financial aid from one school. This allows you to still be a West Chester University student, but take classes elsewhere.
How does a Consortium Agreement Work?
If a student decides to take classes at another school for any given semester, or take classes at both West Chester University and the Host school, they can submit the consortium agreement to receive Financial Aid for the total number of credits completed at both Institutions.
West Chester University will be considered the student's Home School since the student is seeking their degree at WCU and we will award the student’s Financial Aid. The Host Institution is the one at which the student is taking additional classes. West Chester will award the student’s aid accordingly, and if the student is eligible for a refund, the student can then use that refund to pay their Host School with their refund.
What if I only take classes at another Institution?
If you decide to only take classes at another institution for a semester, by completing this consortium agreement, you will still receive your aid through WCU. Once our office receives the completed consortium agreement, we will process your aid based on the total number of credits taken at that school. Then we will activate your account for that semester for you, so your aid is disbursed to your WCU account, and the bursar’s office can issue you a refund to pay your Host Institution.
When will my Financial Aid disburse?
If a student’s WCU account is activated, WCU’s financial aid office will start disbursing aid a week before our semester starts. If the student is eligible for a refund after WCU charges are paid, the student will then receive a refund to pay your Host Institution. It is the student’s responsibility to pay their Host Institution and we cannot disburse aid any earlier. If your Host Institution requires payment before we can disburse your aid, you need to make arrangements with the Host Institution directly to secure your class schedule.
Steps to complete a Consortium Agreement:
- Complete a FAFSA at studentaid.gov.
- Complete the student section of the Consortium Agreement.
- Complete the Transfer Credit Permission Form and submit to the Registrar’s Office for approval.
- Submit the consortium agreement to the Host Institution’s Financial Aid Office and follow-up to ensure it gets returned to WCU Financial Aid.
- Check Financial Aid Alerts on your MYWCU.
- Check MYWCU and accept any additional aid that you may be eligible to receive.
- Sign up for direct deposit on your MYWCU.
- Make sure your WCU account is activated for the semester, either by making a payment or if your aid covers your WCU bill, confirm your enrollment on your MYWCU.