Anne-Marie Caruso, EdD
Associate Vice President 
Williston Hall, Room 101 
(617) 989-4174

Wentworth Institute of Technology is committed to offering financial support to those who qualify for assistance. We encourage all students to apply for financial aid. Wentworth believes that the primary responsibility for meeting your cost of education rests with you and your family. Financial assistance is intended to supplement your own resources.

How to Apply for Financial Aid

Financial assistance decisions are made on the basis of financial need, satisfactory academic progress, and the availability of funds. In order to determine your financial need, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year to determine eligibility. This form can be completed online any time after October 1. The 2024-2025 FAFSA will be available in December 2023. In order to complete this form, a student must apply for an FSA ID. In the case of a dependent student, the parent completing the FAFSA must also apply for an FSA ID. 

Students who applied for financial aid the previous year can complete the Renewal FAFSA for the next academic year.  The Renewal FAFSA contains pre-printed information based on the previous year. Students must update any information that has changed, such as income, assets, and other related items, if necessary. The Wentworth priority filing date is May 1 for returning students. The Wentworth priority filing date for new and transfers student varies on the timing of admission’s application deadline.

The federal application (FAFSA) is used to determine your eligibility for all need-based financial aid offered by Wentworth. Returning students who meet their priority filing date will receive a financial aid package in the months of May and June.

General Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for any of the Federal Aid programs, a student must:

• Be a US citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be admitted to an eligible program
• Not owe a refund or a grant, or be in default status on any federal student loan
• Not have borrowed in excess of the annual aggregate loan limits
• Have financial need as determined by the federal formulas and need analysis guidelines
• Be enrolled at least half time (six credits) for Federal Direct loans per semester
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) [See requirements listed in this catalog]

International Students

International students are not eligible for federal financial aid, but may be eligible for a limited number of President scholarships.

Types of Financial Aid

Federal Programs

Wentworth Institute of Technology is approved by the United States Department of Education for the following aid programs:

Direct Federal PLUS Loan

This is a federal loan available for the parents of dependent undergraduate students, and for graduate and professional students. Parent PLUS loans are not based on financial need. A credit check is performed to determine the borrower's eligibility. A parent may borrow any amount up to the dependent student’s cost of attendance minus the student’s financial assistance. The Direct PLUS loan interest rate is fixed at 8.048% for 2023-24, with an loan origination fee. The repayment period for the PLUS loan begins the day the loan is fully disbursed. PLUS borrowers may defer repayment while the student is enrolled at least half-time and for an additional six months after you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time. The first payment will be due within 45 days after your deferment ends.

Direct Stafford Loan Program

Federal Stafford Loans are either subsidized (the government pays the interest while the student is in school) or unsubsidized (the student pays all the interest, although the payments can be deferred until after graduation). Direct Stafford loans have annual and aggregate loan limits. There are instances when a first-time borrower may lose eligibility for a Subsidized Stafford Loan if he/she has received loans for 150% of their current academic program.

The interest rate for Direct Stafford loans is fixed at 5.498% for undergraduate students and 7.048% for graduate students for 2023-24, with a  loan origination fee. Repayment begins six months after the student graduates, withdraws or ceases to be enrolled on a half-time basis. To receive a subsidized Federal Direct loan, the student must be able to demonstrate financial need. Students who are borrowing for the first time through the Direct Loan Program (subsidized and/or unsubsidized) must complete a Federal Stafford Master Promissory Note (MPN) online and complete an Entrance Interview in order to receive their Federal Stafford Loan funds at the following website. Graduate students are not eligible for the Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford loan.

The Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment 

We recommend you complete an Annual Student Loan Acknowledgment each year you accept a new federal student loan. Our goal is to help you understand your loans and how they affect your financial future.

Federal Pell Grant

This is a federal grant that does not have to be repaid. Eligibility for this grant is determined by the federal government and is based on financial need. The grant amounts range from $750 to $7,395 yearly for 2023-24.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

A federal grant that does not have to be repaid. The amount of the award is based on financial need and is determined by a financial formula.

Federal Work Study

This work program provides access to employment on Wentworth’s campus during the academic year and is awarded based on financial need. A student’s total allotment will be outlined on the award letter. A student will receive a bi-weekly paycheck for the hours that the student actually works. Although the student is awarded federal work-study, it is the student’s responsibility to obtain a position on campus.

Veterans Benefits

Veterans planning on enrolling full-time or part-time in credit courses (day, evening, or Saturday) and who are eligible to receive benefits at Wentworth must work closely with the Veterans Administration (VA) certifying official. The official will provide the procedural details for receiving veteran’s benefits.

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program (Yellow Ribbon Program) is a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows degree-granting institutions in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the VA to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state undergraduate tuition rate. The institution can contribute up to $5,000 of those expenses and VA will also contribute a portion of the tuition.

State Programs

Many states, including Massachusetts, offer state grants, which may be applied to your educational expenses at Wentworth. These grants are based on eligibility, which is determined by the state based on the information provided to them by your FAFSA. Below are the eligibility requirements for the common state grant programs at Wentworth. Please note that, if eligible, these grants will not be added to the student’s account until September of each year. If you do not see your state listed and would like further information, please reach out to that State Grant office. Below are the eligibility requirements for participating states:

Massachusetts

• FAFSA must be completed by May 1 of each year
• Expected Family Contribution (EFC) between 0 and 6206. These may change for the 2023-24 academic year.
• Student must be a Massachusetts resident
• Must be a full-time student receiving a first bachelor’s degree

Vermont

• FAFSA should be filed as soon as possible as funds are awarded on first-come, first-serve basis
• Student must be a Vermont resident
• Student must fill out Vermont State Grant application

Institutional Aid

President Scholarships for Graduate Students

If you are graduating from Wentworth from an undergraduate day program directly preceding your attendance as a full-time graduate student, under most circumstances the President Scholarship received as an undergraduate will remain during your graduate program. President Scholarships are applied toward tuition charges only. 

President Scholarships for Undergraduate Students

This merit-based scholarship is available to all new (freshman and transfer) applicants, and admitted students are automatically considered with no separate application is required. Eligibility is based on a combination of factors, including SAT scores and grades. Students must maintain a 2.0 institutional cumulative GPA as determined by the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy to retain eligibility for these scholarships in subsequent years and be enrolled full-time. If conditions are not met in any year, the scholarship may no longer be renewable. President Scholarships are applied toward tuition charges only. Therefore, any semester in which tuition charges are covered by another scholarship, third party payment or agency,  the President Scholarships will be cancelled for that semester. Visit the website at  for information on scholarships.

WIT Works

The program is designed to give students access to employment that will help them meet living expenses such as books, supplies, and transportation. To receive a WIT Works award, a student must file their FAFSA and demonstrate financial need according to federal guidelines. They must also be enrolled at least half-time in a degree program, maintain satisfactory academic progress, and be either a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen. WIT Work-Study follows all of the same guidelines and policies as Federal Work Study and is need-based.

Donor Funded Scholarships

Additional endowed scholarships are offered at Wentworth through the generosity of donors. Students need to complete the FAFSA form. Students are automatically considered for all scholarships for which they are eligible. 

Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

The Financial Aid office is required by federal regulations to periodically review the academic progress of financial aid recipients to ensure that they are moving toward the completion of their program of study. A student is considered to be making Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) if the student meets both qualitative and quantitative standards described below.

Qualitative Standard

A student must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average as noted below to be considered as making satisfactory academic progress.

Total Undergraduate Credits Earned: 0-31

Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required For SAP – Undergraduate Full-time and Part-time*: 1.75
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required For SAP – Graduate: 3.0

Total Undergraduate Credits Earned: 32+

Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required For SAP – Undergraduate Full-time and Part-time*: 2.0
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required For SAP – Graduate: 3.0

*For Certificate Programs that are Title IV eligible the student must have 

Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required For SAP Total Credits Earned 0 -9 credits: 1.75
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average Required For SAP Total Credits Earned 10+  credits: 2.0

Quantitative Standard

A student must successfully complete at least 66.67% of the total credits attempted. All attempted credits resulting in either an academic grade or administrative transcript notation may be included in the quantitative calculation.

For example, a student who enrolled and attempted 18 credits in the semester must earn at least 12 credits in order to be making satisfactory academic progress.

In general, coursework that is taken while in attendance at Wentworth Institute of Technology, and applies to the student's academic program, is taken into account when reviewing satisfactory academic progress (SAP). However, there are some exceptions. Please refer to the information below for a breakdown of how each type of course or credit is treated in the review.

Quantitative Standard

Coursework Type	Cumulative GPA	Completion Rate	Maximum Timeframe
Regular courses in a program of study:	Y	Y	Y
Repeat Courses:	Y	Y	Y
Transfer Credits:	N	Y	Y
Consortium Credits:	N (unless grades are notated in the student’s transcript)	Y	Y
Incompletes:	N	Y	Y

A student may receive student federal aid for any attempted credits towards their program of study as long as those credits do not exceed 150% of the published length of the student's program of study. For example, a student enrolled in an eligible 138 credit baccalaureate program can receive financial aid for up to 207 credits attempted.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Review Process

Q: When is my academic progress reviewed?
A: At the end of each semester

Q: Are there warning periods?
A: Yes, there is one warning period

Q: Is there an appeal process?
A: Yes

Q: Can I regain financial aid eligibility once I lose it?
A: Yes

Academic Periods Included in the Review

A student’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) will be evaluated each semester at the end of the payment period and for all periods of enrollment regardless of whether or not Financial Aid was received. Students who meet SAP standards will be coded as making satisfactory academic progress and will retain eligibility for financial assistance funds for the following semester.

Students who do not meet SAP standards will be placed on SAP warning for one semester. Students placed on SAP warning will retain their eligibility for Student Federal Aid during the warning semester. The student will be notified of an SAP warning by email to their WIT email address followed by a letter to their permanent address.

At the end of the warning period, SAP standards will be reviewed. If the student meets SAP standards, they will once again be coded as making satisfactory academic progress and will retain eligibility for Student Federal Aid for the following semester.

If the student is unable to meet the standards for SAP, they will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension and will no longer be eligible to receive financial assistance funds at the institution until such time that they are able to meet the standards of SAP. The student will be notified of an SAP suspension by email to their WIT email address followed by a letter to their permanent address.

Appeal Process

Students who become ineligible for federal student aid due to not meeting the financial assistance standards of satisfactory academic progress may appeal for a review of that determination. A student who believes they have extenuating circumstances that affected their ability to progress satisfactorily should appeal utilizing the appeal application within 30 days of the date of the letter indicating a loss of financial aid eligibility. Examples of cases that may be considered are as follows:

• Student becomes seriously ill
• Student’s relative dies
• Student is severely injured

Other cases may be considered and are reviewed on a case-by case basis. The appeal should be addressed to the Financial Aid Appeals Committee and be submitted to the Financial Aid office. The appeal should include a completed appeal form (provided directly to the student) requesting a reevaluation of the student’s aid eligibility. The form should include an explanation of the student’s past academic performance and the reason the student’s aid eligibility should be reinstated. Additionally, the student must submit an approved academic plan from their academic advisor.

An appeal may be approved only if

• Wentworth determines that the student will be able to meet SAP standards after the subsequent semester; or
• the student has an approved academic plan that will ensure that the student will be able to meet SAP standards by a specific point in time or successfully complete their academic program.

Appeals will be reviewed by the Financial Aid Appeals Committee for reconsideration based on extenuating circumstances presented by the student. Decisions by this committee are considered final. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation and will have one semester (or time as specified by the approved academic plan) to meet SAP requirements and remain eligible for financial aid.

Other Important Considerations

Change of Program

A student who changes their academic program may request an appeal in that determination if they have changed programs while enrolled at their current school. All courses attempted will be evaluated for the maximum time frame component.

Co-op

Unsuccessful completion of a required co-op impacts SAP, whether the student withdraws from the co-op or receives a "U" grade.  A student who does not successfully complete a required co-op will be placed on SAP warning or SAP suspension depending upon the SAP standing with which the student started the semester.

Consortium Credits

All courses taken at an institution other than the home institution through an official consortium are included in the calculation for completion rate and maximum time frame components, but may excluded from the student's cumulative GPA component (unless grades are notated in the student’s transcript).

Course Withdrawal

Course withdrawal may affect a student’s eligibility for financial assistance funds.

Incomplete Grades

All incomplete grades must be resolved by the midpoint of the semester following the receipt of the incomplete grade. If not resolved, the grade is either automatically changed to an "F" or is considered to be an "F" for all components of the satisfactory academic progress review. Financial assistance funds can be withheld until incomplete grades are resolved.

Repeat Courses

Only the most recent grade for a course that has been repeated will count toward a student's cumulative GPA. Therefore, grades from prior attempts will be excluded from the student's cumulative GPA. However, all attempts, including the most current, will be included in the calculation for the completion rate and maximum time-frame components. Financial assistance funds will cover a repeated course only when it is repeated to replace an unacceptable grade as determined by a specific course and/or major.

Transfer Credits

Credits that are transferred in from another institution and apply to the most current major will be excluded from the student’s cumulative GPA. However, they will be included in the calculation for the maximum time-frame component and the completion rate components.

Remedial Course Credits

Remedial course credits approved by the student's academic unit and attempted are included in the calculation for completion rate, cumulative GPA, and maximum time-frame components.

Treatment of Federal Financial Aid When a Student Withdraws

The US Department of Education requires Wentworth Institute of Technology to maintain and disseminate a written policy regarding federal financial aid recipients who withdraw or otherwise fail to complete the term for which their financial aid was disbursed.

Federal financial aid funds are awarded to a student under the assumption that the student will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When a Federal financial aid student withdraws, the student may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Federal financial aid funds that the student was originally scheduled to receive.

Up through the 60% point in each semester, a prorata schedule is used to determine the amount of Federal financial aid funds the student has earned at the time of withdrawal. After the 60% point of the semester, federal regulations affirm that a student has earned 100% of the Federal financial aid funds they were scheduled to receive during the semester. For a student who withdraws after the 60% point-in-time, all funds are earned.

If the recipient of a Federal grant or Federal loan withdraws from school after beginning attendance, the amount of the Federal grant or Federal loan assistance earned by the student must be determined. If the amount disbursed to the student is greater than the amount the student earned, unearned funds must be returned.

Withdrawal Procedure

Students who withdraw from Wentworth are required to submit a completed the Voluntary Withdrawal Form to the Registrar. If you live in a residence hall, you must meet with the Resident Life Staff and submit the appropriate forms.

Withdrawal Date and Calculation of Earned and Unearned Federal Financial Aid

For purposes of this policy, the date of withdrawal will be the date the student begins the withdrawal process or the date, as determined by Wentworth, that the student otherwise notified Wentworth in writing or verbally, of their intent to withdraw to zero credits.

The amount of aid earned is calculated by dividing the number of calendar days from the beginning of the term of the point of withdrawal by the total number of days in the term. This percentage is multiplied by the amount of federal financial aid that was awarded and accepted for the term and becomes the amount of aid that was earned. This amount is subtracted from the amount of aid disbursed and the balance becomes the amount of unearned aid that must be returned.

Responsibility for repayment of these funds will be shared by Wentworth and the student, per policies and procedures contained within the federal formula for proration of refunds of unearned Federal Financial Aid.

Post-Withdrawal Disbursements

A student may be eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement if the amount of earned aid is less than the disbursed aid. Students will be notified at the point of withdrawal if they are eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement as determined by the Financial Aid Office.

Distribution of Unearned Federal Financial Aid

In compliance with federal regulations, a school must return Federal financial aid funds to the programs from which the student received federal aid during the payment period or period of enrollment as applicable, in the following order, up to the net amount disbursed from each source:

• Unsubsidized Federal Direct loans
• Subsidized Federal Direct loans
• Federal Direct PLUS loans
• Federal Pell Grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)

Federal Work-Study funds paid to recipients will not be included in the computation of earned Federal financial aid, nor will these funds be refunded to the federal account from which they were paid.

Unearned Federal grant and Federal loan funds due from WIT will be repaid to the federal accounts for the specified semester. Unearned portions of Federal grant aid due from the student will also be repaid to the federal accounts by WIT. All repayments made by WIT pursuant to this policy will be charged to your student account. Any refund amount above the amount of unearned aid will be returned to the federal aid programs per the distribution of Unearned Federal Financial Aid schedule.

Unofficial Withdrawals

Federal Regulations require that an institution must have a procedure in place for determining whether a Federal financial aid recipient who began attendance during a payment period completed the period.

For students enrolled in 15-week courses, if a student earns a passing grade in one or more of their classes offered over an entire period, for that class, WIT will presume that the student completed the course and thus completed the period of enrollment.

For students enrolled in 7-week courses, the student is considered to have withdrawn from a payment period in which the student began enrollment if the student ceased attendance without completing all the days the student was scheduled to complete in the period

The determination of unofficial withdrawals will occur after grades are posted at the end of each semester. For unofficial withdrawals, the withdrawal date that WIT will use is either the midpoint of the payment period or the last date of an academically related activity the student participated in.

Programs Offered in Modules

A program is ‘offered in modules’ if a course or courses do not span the entire length of the payment period. Therefore our 7-week sessions are considered modules.  For all programs offered in modules, a student is considered to have withdrawn for Title IV purposes if the student ceases attendance at any point prior to completing the payment period.

Effective May 12, 2021, and in compliance with recent changes to federal regulations (34 CRF 668.22(a)) pertaining to withdrawal exemptions for programs in modules, a student is not considered withdrawn if the student successfully completes:

• One module that includes 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules.
• A combination of modules that when combined contain 49 percent or more of the number of days in the payment period, excluding scheduled breaks of five or more consecutive days and all days between modules.
• Coursework equal to or greater than the coursework required for the institution's definition of a half-time student under Section 668.2 for the payment period.

Return to Title IV Calculation Example

15-week semester - A payment period start date is September 9 and the end date is December 12. The total days for the payment period is 98 days. The student withdraws on October 1 which is day 26 of the payment period. The percentage of earned aid would be 26.5% (26 days/98 days) and the unearned aid percentage is 73.5%.

• If the student received $5,500 in Title IV aid, then the student earned $1,457.50 in Title IV aid and $4,042.50 is the unearned amount.
• If institutional charges are $6,000, then the amount of earned charges would be $1,590 and the unearned charges would be $4,410.
• WIT is responsible for returning the lesser of the unearned institutional charges or the total amount of unearned Title IV aid, so WIT would return $4,042.50 in this example. The student is responsible for immediate payment of this account balance.

7-week sessions - A payment period start date is January 9 and the end date is April 21.  Session One starts on January 9 and ends on February 24.  Session Two starts on March 6 and ends on April 21. There is a 9-day break between Session One and Two.  The total days for the payment period is 94 days (47 days in each session)

The student is registered for a course in Session One and a course in Session Two.  The student earns a B in Session One and then withdraws on March 7 which is day 49 of the payment period.  The percentage of earned aid would be 52.1% (49 days/94 days) and the unearned aid percentage is 47.9%.

• If the student received $5,500 in Title IV aid, then the student earned $2,865.5 in Title IV aid and $2,634.50 is the unearned amount.
• If institutional charges are $6,000, then the amount of earned charges would be $3,126 and the unearned charges would be $2,874.
• WIT is responsible for returning the lesser of the unearned institutional charges or the total amount of unearned Title IV aid, so WIT would return $2,634.50 in this example. The student is responsible for immediate payment of this account balance.

Return of Title IV funds requirements DO apply to a student who:

• Officially withdraws during a payment period; or
• Unofficially withdraws during a payment period (student stops attending without providing notification to the University); or
• Ceases attendance during a payment period; or
• Graduates during a payment period.

Return of Title IV funds requirements DO NOT apply to a student who:

• Withdraws from some classes but remains enrolled in other courses during the same payment period at WIT; or
• Never attended any classes, or for whom WIT cannot document attendance in at least one class for the payment period or period of enrollment. If the student never attended any classes or WIT cannot document the student’s attendance in at least one class, the student did not establish eligibility for Title IV aid for the period and all funds must be returned.