by our College Data Analytics TeamThe majority of students are not billed the full, advertised sticker price of a school. Instead, they will be given a financial aid offer that will include a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study. The total price of attendance at Western Michigan University can feel tremendous, but do not forget that almost all students receive some sort of financial help.
Just what financial aid solutions can WMU deliver, and just what are you going to be eligible for? Keep reading for answers. Keep reading to learn just how much financial aid will be open to you.
Eligibility for aid and scholarships is driven mostly by your household’s income and need. Continue reading to find information to help you understand just how much assistance you can expect to receive from Western Michigan University.
Financial assistance, available as scholarships, loans, and work-study, is a way schools lower the price of attendance so many students can enroll. However, some types of aid are more desirable than others, and some students will receive more than others.
For freshmen starting at Western Michigan University, 96% of new full-time first-years were awarded at least some aid approximately 2327 first-years).
| Type of Aid | % of Freshmen Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 94% | $11,048 |
| Institutional grants & scholarships | 93% | $6,958 |
| Federal Pell grants | 30% | $5,594 |
| State/local grants | 41% | $5,045 |
| Federal student loans | 51% | $5,043 |
Grants and scholarships are the most valuable form of aid because, unlike loans, they never have to be repaid. At WMU, roughly 74% of undergraduate students received gift aid averaging $9,864 (across roughly 9690 students).
| Award | % of Undergrads Receiving | Average Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Grant or scholarship aid (all sources) | 74% | $9,864 |
| Federal Pell grants | 27% | $5,445 |
| Federal student loans | 47% | $6,565 |
For students living on campus and receiving title-IV aid, grants averaged $13,964.
Since aid is largely need-based, the real cost of attendance falls steeply for lower-income families.
| Family Income | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| $0 – $48,000 | $9,760 |
| $30,001 – $75,000 | $14,034 |
| Over $75,000 | $24,768 |
Each figure is the net price after grants and scholarships, not the published sticker price.
After grants and scholarships come off the published price, what remains is the net price — the best estimate of true out-of-pocket cost.
| Cohort | Average Net Price |
|---|---|
| On-campus title-IV students | $15,273 |
| Off-campus title-IV students | $17,941 |
For an estimate tailored to your family circumstances, see WMU’s online cost calculator: wmich.edu/registrar/calculator.
The median student at WMU graduates with $20,115 in federal student debt.
| Metric | Amount |
|---|---|
| Median federal debt (all student-aid borrowers) | $20,115 |
| Median federal debt (graduates only) | $26,188 |
| Typical 10-year monthly payment (graduates) | $277.64/mo |
The 10-year payment estimate assumes a standard federal repayment plan and the median graduate debt amount.
The median alone does not show how widely outcomes vary across the student body. Use the percentiles below to see the debt range at WMU.
| Percentile | Cumulative Federal Debt |
|---|---|
| 10th percentile (lowest-debt students) | $4,750 |
| 25th percentile | $9,000 |
| 75th percentile | $30,000 |
| 90th percentile (highest-debt students) | $39,400 |
Outcomes differ by income bracket, by first-generation status, and by whether a student is financially dependent.
By Family Income
| Income tier | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Low income | $22,526 |
| Middle income | $21,204 |
| High income | $19,000 |
First-Gen vs Continuing-Gen Median Debt
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| First-generation students | $20,976 |
| Continuing-generation students | $19,500 |
By Dependency Status
| Cohort | Median federal debt |
|---|---|
| Dependent students | $19,500 |
| Independent students | $24,951 |
Federal data publishes pre-calculated indicators that summarize debt outcomes. WMU.
The Stafford program is the federal direct-loan vehicle most undergraduates use. These figures summarize annual Stafford program activity at WMU:
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Stafford loan recipients | 75795 |
| Total Stafford loan amount | $1,916,843,019 |
If you are a veteran or active-duty service member, the GI Bill and DoD Tuition Assistance are the primary federal programs you can use at this school.
Post-9/11 GI Bill recipients
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| GI Bill recipients | 226 |
| Total GI Bill amount | $3,114,944 |
| Average GI Bill amount per recipient | $13,783 |
DoD Tuition Assistance activity
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| DoD Tuition Assistance recipients | 39 |
| Total DoD amount | $129,750 |
| Average DoD amount per recipient | $3,327 |
References
More about our data sources and methodologies.