Financial Aid for Undergraduates

Money is Available to Help You Pay for Your Education

A college education is one of the most important investments you can make in your future.

The good news is there are many options available for financial assistance, and more than 90 percent of students here make use of these resources to meet their obligations.

The Office of Financial Aid can help. Our counselors work with you to explore resources by combining grants, scholarships, loans, and on-campus jobs.

  • Grants may be need- or merit-based and provided by both federal and state government agencies. Most grants do not have to be repaid.
  • Scholarships do not have to be repaid and a number of scholarship opportunities exist both on- and off-campus.
  • Loans are federally subsidized or unsubsidized and are available through the federal government. For most loans, repayments begin six months after your cease half-time (6-credits undergraduate) enrollment.
  • On-campus jobs include work-study funded by government sources, and work-aid funded by the university’s own budget.

Several factors determine the amount and type of financial aid you are awarded:

  • Financial need
  • The timing of your application (apply early)
  • Your willingness to accept various types of aid
  • Submission and completion of necessary documentation
  • Availability of funds

First Step

To be eligible for all forms of financial aid, including work-study and most university-funded scholarships, you first need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). We may also require additional paperwork — such as your or your parents’ income tax returns — as evidence of eligibility for financial aid.

TIP: Complete your FAFSA application as soon as possible; online processing takes about a week. 

All FAFSA applications should be filed by April 1 for the following academic year to receive priority consideration for most types of financial assistance.

If you file late, or your supporting documents are not received in a timely manner, you may receive less aid in the form of grants and scholarships that don’t need to be repaid — and be forced to rely more on loans that do.

Financial aid is awarded annually and is renewable each year that you maintain satisfactory academic progress and meet all other eligibility requirements.