Financial Clearance
All Wartburg students are required to be financially cleared by the Business Office before the start of each academic term. For the 2026-27 academic year, your balance must be settled or a payment plan in place by:
- Fall Term: Aug. 20, 2026
- Winter Term: Dec. 20, 2026
- May Term: April 20, 2027
You are considered financially clear if:
- You have a signed copy of your Student Financial Agreement on file.
- You have paid your bill in full (including scholarships, grants, and loans) OR have enrolled in an approved payment plan and made the first payment.
Failing to obtain financial clearance may result in delays in the move-in process, student ID card deactivation, withdrawal from classes, and removal from campus housing.
Steps to Financial Clearance
*if applicable
1. Complete the FAFSA Process
Students interested in receiving federal, state, and/or institutional aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Wartburg strongly encourages students to file their FAFSA by May 1 for full consideration for all federal, state, and institutional aid. Iowa students who do not file their FAFSA before July 1 cannot be considered for state aid like the Iowa Tuition Grant. Out-of-state students are not eligible for Iowa state aid but should still complete their FAFSA as soon as possible.
If you have any questions about the financial aid process, contact the Wartburg Financial Aid Office at (319) 352-8262 or finaid@wartburg.edu.
FAFSA Resources
One-third of all FAFSA applicants are randomly selected to complete a federal verification process. The Financial Aid Office is required by federal regulations to collect additional documents and verify the FAFSA was completed properly. Students selected for verification will receive materials in their Wartburg email.
2. View & Accept Your Financial Aid Offer
Students will receive an email notification when their Wartburg financial aid offer is ready. The notification also will include instructions for accessing Net Partner, our online financial aid system.
Once you log in to Net Partner, you can:
- Check the status of your financial aid.
- View and accept or decline federal work-study and loans in your financial aid offer.
- Review the missing documents checklist.
- Track the status of your federal loans for the current year.
- View your federal loan history.
DEADLINE TO ACCEPT FINANCIAL AID
July 1
3. Review Missing Documents Checklist
Submit all items on your Missing Documents checklist on Net Partner to ensure the timely processing of your financial aid. These can include:
- Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Final high school transcript (must show graduation date)
- Direct loan entrance counseling
- Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)
- Verification worksheet
- Parent IRS tax return transcript
- Student IRS tax return transcript
- Student W-2
MISSING DOCUMENTS SUBMISSION DEADLINE
July 1
International students will not have missing documents for financial aid purposes.
4. Apply for Loans and Report Scholarships
Additional Loan Options
- Federal Parent Loan (PLUS) (biological parent or stepparent listed on FAFSA)
- Private Loan (student or parent/sponsor)
Outside Scholarships
Many schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups, and professional and social organizations offer scholarships. These scholarships can help students manage expenses and reduce the need for loans. New students should notify the Financial Aid Office of gift assistance from outside organizations by completing the Outside Scholarship Form (PDF).
Please remember, federal regulations require all scholarships to be reported as a financial resource.
DEADLINE TO
COMPLETE
July 1
You should begin applying for additional loans in early June.
5. Sign the Student Financial Agreement (SFA)
This legally-binding agreement between the student and Wartburg College explaining the terms and conditions of the student’s financial responsibilities, includes:
- Terms of payment.
- Policies related to delinquent and defaulted accounts.
- Communications.
You can complete the SFA through Transact. Click here for step-by-step Transact instructions.
DEADLINE TO
SIGN THE SFA
June 30
6. View Billing Statement
Billing statements are available as a static, point-in-time bill; it will show all activity that occurred up until the billing date. Real-time account activity is also available.
Billing statements and account activity can be found on Transact, which is available through My.Wartburg. Click here for step-by-step Transact instructions.
The Business Office does not provide paper copies of billing statements. However, you can print statements from Transact.
7. Make a Payment and/or
Set Up a Payment Plan
There are many ways to pay your bill, including:
- Cash or check
- Direct debit from bank account
- Debit or credit card (w/processing fee)
- Monthly E-payment plan
- 529 plan distributions
- Student payroll deduction
Monthly E-Payment Plan
Watch for payment plan enrollment information emailed by June 15.
- Interest-free payments
- $35 nonrefundable activation fee
- No finance charges are assessed as long as the plan remains active and in good standing.
Student Payroll Deduction
No finance charges are assessed as long as least 25% of a student’s wages is applied to their tuition bill AND they are actively working each month.
DEADLINES TO
PAY BILL OR SET UP A PAYMENT PLAN
FALL TERM DEADLINE
Aug. 20
WINTER TERM DEADLINE
Dec. 20
MAY TERM DEADLINE
April 20
Finance charges will be assessed
monthly on balances 30 days or older.
Business Office
Luther Hall 212
(319) 352-8411
businessoffice@wartburg.edu
www.wartburg.edu/business-office
Financial Aid Office
Luther Hall 212
(319) 352-8262
finaid@wartburg.edu
www.wartburg.edu/financial-aid
