What is a consortium agreement?
A consortium is a written agreement between two or more institutions which enables a student to receive financial aid through their degree-granting institution while taking coursework at one or more other institutions.
Establishing a consortium agreement can be especially useful since a student can only receive federal aid (and some scholarship aid) from one institution during any semester. Some forms of aid are also based upon full-time enrollment.
Fun Fact: the word ‘consortium’ is pronounced “kuhn-sawr-shee-uhm”. It sounds French, but it is derived from Latin origination and means partner or partnership!
How it Works
In a consortium agreement, there is a HOME and a HOST institution. The home institution is where you will receive your degree. The other institution(s) is referred to as a hostinstitution. Not all schools participate in consortium agreements, so check with the host school first before you begin the process.
Consortium agreements are semester-specific, so a new agreement is required each time you wish to combine enrollment between institutions. Your Cost of Attendance (COA) will be adjusted based on the actual tuition and fees at all schools, and it may be reduced if costs at the host institution are lower.
Financial aid will disburse after the UW Drop Period ends or once your host school enrollment is confirmed - whichever is later. You are responsible for paying your host institution on time, even if UW aid has not yet disbursed; you may need to use personal funds initially.
You must be admitted to each institution and be degree-seeking, and you must be enrolled for a minimum of six (6) credit hours at UW for that semester, except in the following situations:
- Students in the ReNEW nursing program or the Medical Technology program
- Students enrolled in summer semester
Even if you're enrolled in 12 or more hours at UW, which is considered full-time, it's always a good idea to complete a consortium agreement if you're also enrolled elsewhere. Without a consortium agreement in place, we cannot consider any successfully completed hours at a host institution when determining your ongoing eligibility for federal or scholarship aid. So, think of it as an insurance policy! However, you should understand that enrollment in more than 12 hours total will not result in your federal aid, or scholarship aid, being increased.
Coursework taken at a host institution must be transferrable to UW and be a part of your degree's required curriculum, and your academic advisor must approve each course taken at a host institution.
No Work-Study monies awarded by UW will be available for Work-Study positions at a host institution.
At the end of each semester, you must request any host institution to send a final transcript to UW Admissions and Registrar. Your financial aid for the next semester may be withheld or placed on a 'pending' status until your academic record has been reviewed to determine whether you meet ongoing eligibility requirements.
To be considered for a consortium agreement, students must submit a fully completed form - signed by your UW advisor - at least 30 days before the first day of UW's classes for the relevant semester. Processing may take up to 10 business days after submission, as it requires approval from both the Registrar and our office.
Consortium agreements cannot be approved retroactively, meaning UW cannot process agreements for courses taken in previous semesters.
