The short version
If you remember three dates for 2027–28 entry, make them these:
- December 1, 2026 — be admitted by this date to be reviewed in the first round of merit awards, including the President’s Scholarship and the Founders’ Scholarship.
- February 1, 2027 — the fall priority date. Everyone admitted by now is reviewed automatically for Porter’s merit and access scholarships, and FAFSAs filed by now get the strongest consideration for limited grants and work-study.
- March 5, 2027 — the Foundation scholarship application closes. One form, more than 180 donor-funded awards.
Because decisions take about two weeks, applying by mid-November is the practical way to make the December 1 round.
Full calendar for 2027–28 entry
| Date | What happens | Who it affects |
|---|---|---|
| October 1, 2026 | 2027–28 FAFSA available; Porter’s federal school code is 009399 | Everyone seeking aid |
| November 1, 2026 | Spring 2027 priority application date | Spring entrants |
| December 1, 2026 | First-round merit review for students admitted by this date; Foundation scholarship application opens | First-year applicants; all students |
| January 15, 2027 | Portfolio deadline for design scholarships (B.F.A. and Apparel & Textile Design); Honors Program priority date | Design and Honors applicants |
| February 1, 2027 | Fall priority application date; automatic scholarship review; FAFSA priority date | First-year and transfer applicants |
| March 5, 2027 | Foundation scholarship application closes, 11:59 p.m. | All incoming and continuing students |
| March 15, 2027 | Verification documents due for priority aid consideration | Students selected for verification |
| April 1, 2027 | Most aid offers for priority filers posted in MyPorter | Admitted students |
| April 30, 2027 | Foundation scholarship recipients notified | Foundation applicants |
| May 1, 2027 | Enrollment deposit due; accept or decline your aid offer | Admitted first-year students |
| July 1, 2027 | Report outside scholarships so fall aid is correct | Anyone with an outside award |
| August 1, 2027 | Final fall application deadline; aid still awarded, but limited funds are largely committed | Late applicants |
Nursing and Apparel & Textile Design also have program-specific admission dates; check those program pages.
What “priority” means
A priority date is not a cutoff. Applications are reviewed after February 1, and students admitted later still receive scholarships while funds remain. But merit and need-based funds are finite and are awarded in order: last year 88 percent of first-year merit dollars went to students admitted by the priority date. Applying in March is fine for admission and expensive for scholarships.
The FAFSA works the same way. Federal Pell Grants do not run out, but Porter’s own grants, state grants and work-study positions do. See the FAFSA, line by line for the form itself.
Automatic awards versus applications
- Automatic with admission: the President’s and Founders’ Scholarships, the First-Generation Award and most access awards. Nothing to submit; awards appear with or shortly after your admission decision.
- The Foundation application: one online form, open December 1 to March 5, matching you to awards by major, county, need, first-generation status and activities. Leaving the activities field blank removes you from awards you would have matched. Tips are on applying for scholarships.
- Transfer students: admitted by February 1 for automatic review, including the Transfer Momentum Award.
- Outside awards: report them by July 1 (see reporting outside scholarships); they should replace loans before grants.
The complete list of named awards is in the scholarship directory.
The misses we see every year
- A FAFSA filed without Porter’s school code, so it never reaches the aid office.
- A verification request sitting unanswered in a Porter inbox nobody has checked yet.
- A Foundation application started in February and never submitted.
- A student admitted February 3 who assumes the scholarship window has closed and stops looking. It has not; it has narrowed.
Scholarship questions after admission go to the Scholarships Office, Founders Union 118, (715) 555–0231. Questions about getting admitted in time go to admissions.
Fictional information
UW–Porter Falls is a work of parody. These scholarship dates, award names, school code and funding statistics belong to a fictional university; no money is awarded, and real students should rely on their own colleges’ published deadlines.