Financial aid

Download these financial aid analyzers to break down your cost of attendance.

Financial Aid Terms:

Direct PLUS Loans - are federal loans that graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students use to help pay for education expenses.

Direct Subsidized Loan - is a federal student loan for which a borrower isn’t generally responsible for paying the interest while in an in-school, grace, or deferment period.

Entrance counseling - explains the obligations you agree to meet as a condition of borrowing a Direct Loan. Topics include: Understand Your Loans, Manage Your Spending, Plan to Repay, Avoid Default and Make Finances a Priority.

Family Size - Household size does not mean people who physically live with you. It's about who you support financially. If you do not financially support anyone, you will just put 1 for yourself.

Federal Pell Grant Program - The Pell Grant is the largest federal grant program offered to undergraduates. It is designed to assist students from low-income households. To qualify for a Pell Grant, a student must demonstrate financial need by completing and submitting the FAFSA® form.

Federal student aid - is aid from the government in the form of grants, loans, and/or work-study to assist students with college or career school. Students have to complete the FAFSA® form to apply for this aid.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) - is a grant that is awarded to an undergraduate student who demonstrates exceptional financial need to help pay for their education. Awards can range from $100–$4000 and do not need to be repaid.

Federal Work-Study - provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need. The program encourages community service work and work related to your field of study. To receive funds, you will need to be awarded work study and secure a job.

FSA ID - consists of a username and password which gives you access to the U.S. Department of Education’s online systems and can serve as your legal signature when completing electronic documents.

Grant - A grant is a monetary gift for people pursuing higher education. It is often based on financial need and does not need to be repaid (unless, for example, you withdraw from school and owe a refund).

Loan - A loan is money borrowed from the federal government or a private source like a bank or financial institution, and must be paid back with interest.

Master Promissory Note (MPN) - An MPN is a legal document that contains the Borrower’s Rights and Responsibilities and Terms and Conditions for repayment. Direct PLUS and Direct Subsidized / Unsubsidized loans have different MPNs.

Unsubsidized loan - borrowed through the Direct Loan Program offers students a low, fixed interest rate and flexible repayment terms. It is not based on financial need. The borrower is responsible for paying all the accumulated interest, until the loan balance is paid off.

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