Financial Resources
Below are resources compiled by the Office of Admissions DEI committee to help students manage the costs of their degree. This list is not expansive; there are more great resources and support available to college students. If you are aware of resources or support that should be on this list, please contact Alaina Dunn so that it can be added for students to access.
California State Resources
CalFresh is a California financial aid program to help students buy food while they are in school. It will not affect existing financial aid.
Benefit: Up to $291 a month; average $150 for single college students.
Eligibility: California residents meeting one of the following requirements.
A current bank balance (checking and savings combined) under $2,001 or
A current bank balance (checking and savings combined) under $3,001 and share your household with one of the following
A person or persons age 60 and over or
A person with a disability (a child, your spouse, a parent, or yourself).
Most part-time workers, EOP students, CAL Grant recipients, parents, and students approved for work-study are eligible.
Timeline: Apply online, mail, or phone. Interviews are scheduled approximately 10 days after your application is submitted. Funds typically available 30 days after application submission.
Medi-Cal offers free or low-cost health coverage for California residents who meet eligibility requirements. For many individuals who enroll in Medi-Cal, there is no premium, no co-payment, and no out-of-pocket cost.
Benefit: Free or low-cost health care.
Eligibility: Income under $20,121 for a single person, increases based on family size. If your income exceeds the maximum you may still be eligible for a low-cost health care plan through Covered California.
Timeline: The process for verifying your Medi-Cal eligibility, from the time your completed application is received to when you receive your Benefits Identification Card (BIC), normally takes 45 days.
Scholarships, Loans and Financial Literacy
Internal and external scholarships are available to PAU students.
Benefit: Varies; See individual scholarship.
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students. Varies; See individual scholarship.
Timeline: Varies; See individual scholarship.
PAU Financial Resources
Private Loans PAU Lender List
A financial literacy course is available to all students starting Fall 2024. Please visit here to access the course. For more information about financial literacy, please visit the PAU Financial Literacy page.
Federal Programs
Federal Financial Aid Programs
Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant Subsidized loans, Unsubsidized Loans, Parent Plus Loans, and GradPLUS Loans are all available through the federal government. You can find more more detailed information about all financial aid resources on the PAU Financial Aid Resources page.
The PSLF Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.
Benefit: Varies; the remainder of loans is forgiven.
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students.
Be employed by a U.S. federal, state, local, or tribal government organization. Or a Non-profit organization. The Non-profit needs to file its taxes as a 501c3.
Work full-time for an eligible employer for 10 years
Must have Direct Loans
Must be on a qualifying repayment plan. A qualifying repayment plan would be any of the income-drive repayment plans
Make 120 qualifying payments
Employment certification will need to be completed annually
Timeline: Minimum 10 years, 120 payments.
The lifetime learning credit (LLC) is for qualified tuition and related expenses paid for eligible students enrolled in an eligible educational institution. Submit your 1098 T Form found on your MyPAU page.
Benefit: $2,000 tax credit. Cannot be combined with the American Opportunity Tax Credit
Eligibility: Undergraduate or graduate students.
You, your dependent or a third party pay qualified education expenses for higher education.
You, your dependent or a third party pay the education expenses for an eligible student enrolled at an eligible educational institution.
The eligible student is yourself, your spouse or a dependent you listed on your tax return.
Timeline: Funds received 2-8 weeks after your taxes have been filed with your tax refund.
Student Loan Interest Tax Deduction
Student loan interest is the interest you paid during the year on a qualified student loan. It includes both required and voluntarily pre-paid interest payments. Submit your 1098 E Form.
Benefit: You may deduct the lesser of $2,500 or the amount of interest you actually paid during the year.
Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students.
You paid interest on a qualified student loan in tax year 2020
You're legally obligated to pay interest on a qualified student loan
Your filing status isn't married filing separately
Your MAGI is less than a specified amount which is set annually
Neither you nor your spouse, if filing jointly, can be claimed as dependents on someone else's return.
Timeline: File your 1098 E form. Form is automatically generated if you pay $600 or more of the interest of your student loan during the tax year. The deduction is taken while you file your taxes.
PAU Resources
The PAU CommuteSmart Program is where you can help save the planet and earn rewards for using alternative transportation other than your car. Accepted modes of transportation include walking, biking, ridesharing, or taking public transportation such as a train or bus.
Benefit: Reward $5 a day up to $100 a month.
Eligibility: You must be a student, staff member, or faculty member of the Palo Alto University community.
Timeline:
Apply
Submit log 2nd Friday of the following month.
Once approved by the Business Office, a check will be mailed to the address supplied by you in your application. Checks will be mailed on the 4th Friday of the month.
An online website, browser extension, or application that can be downloaded that checks spelling and grammar and provides writing assistance.
Benefit: Free membership.
Eligibility: PAU students.
Access:
Add info@send.grammarly.com, info@em.grammarly.com, and donotreply@grammarly.com to your contact list
Go to https://www.grammarly.com/enterprise/signup, create or log in to your PAU email account
Enjoy using Grammarly Premium!
If you encounter any issues setting up your account or have questions about using Grammarly, please contact Dr. Robert Randolph at rrandolph@paloaltou.edu.
Download applications or access online. Includes Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
Benefit: Free products.
Eligibility: PAU students and employees log in using One Login.
All students have access to the statistics software SPSS.
Benefit: Free products.
Eligibility: PAU students and employees download from IT.
General Student Discounts
An application and website dedicated to teaching mindfulness and meditation.
Benefit: $10 subscription fee for 1 year.
Eligibility: Requires a .edu email
Prime benefits include free two-day shipping on millions of eligible items, unlimited streaming of movies and TV shows, access to hundreds of playlists through Prime Music, and access to unlimited photo storage with Prime Photos.
Benefit: 6 months free and then a $59 yearly subscription fee.
Eligibility: Requires a .edu email
A monthly student bundle that includes Spotify, Hulu, and Showtime.
Benefit: $5 monthly subscription fee.
Eligibility: Requires a .edu email
A discount is provided to those who are enrolled in school or are employed by a school.
Benefit: Varies by product.
Eligibility: Search Apple Education Store. School ID or .edu email may be requested.