Financial Aid Consortium Agreement
To use financial aid to help pay for classes taken at another school, you’ll need to use a consortium agreement.
A consortium agreement allows a student to receive financial aid from Winona State University for coursework taken at another institution. The coursework must apply toward your WSU degree to qualify for financial aid. At the end of the semester, all consortium coursework must be transferred to WSU.
If your coursework doesn’t apply toward your WSU degree, your consortium agreement will be denied. The Financial Aid Office will notify you by email, and you have the right to appeal the denial decision at that time.
WSU is called your Home School, as this is where you’ll graduate and receive your degree. The other school(s) you attend are called your Visiting School(s). The visiting school doesn’t administer financial aid for the term.
If you intend to enroll entirely at another school while continuing to receive financial aid from WSU, you have unique considerations.
Complete the online consortium agreement for each semester after you register at another school within the Minnesota State Universities & Colleges system.
If you’re registering for Summer Session courses, you must also complete a summer financial aid application.
Complete the student section of the Non-Minnesota State Consortium Agreement form (PDF) after you register for each semester at a school outside of the Minnesota State Universities & Colleges system (a.k.a. visiting school).
Then mail or fax the consortium agreement to the Financial Aid Office of the visiting school.
If you’re registering for Summer Session courses, complete a summer financial aid application as well.
Enrolled Entirely at Another School
In some cases, you could be enrolled entirely at another school with no enrolled WSU credits and still receive financial aid through WSU with a consortium agreement.
Credits must be able to be transferred to WSU after the semester is complete and be applicable toward your degree.
Some common examples are:
- Study abroad through another school’s program.
- Student teaching through another school.
- You were enrolled full-time at WSU Spring semester and are enrolled full-time at WSU for the upcoming Fall semester. Now, you’ll take a few credits at another school during the summer.
If you’re in any of these programs, be sure that you don’t graduate from WSU before the consortium agreement semester is over. Once you graduate, you’re no longer a degree-seeking WSU student and you cannot get any financial aid.
If you aren’t enrolled in one of these programs but plan to take all your credits at another Minnesota State Universities & Colleges school, the consortium agreement may not be right for you. Before submitting a consortium agreement to WSU, check with the WSU Financial Aid Office.
How Financial Aid Is Paid Out
While you’ll receive financial aid from WSU, you’re responsible for paying the tuition bill at the other school. WSU doesn’t directly pay the other institution you’re attending or send financial aid to the other school.
When financial aid is disbursed, it’s applied to your WSU student account to pay any WSU bill for the semester. After the WSU bill is paid, extra funds are direct deposited into your bank account. You pay the visiting school with these direct deposited funds.
You can set up your WSU Direct Deposit online through Student eServices.
Please remember to check your WSU email for updates on your consortium agreement application and financial aid. This is the only email used for official communication with you on matters regarding official University business.