How we determine your financial need

We build financial aid packages that will include scholarships, grants, work, and loans.

We determine your financial need based on the following:
Our Cost - Student Aid Index = Financial Need

Cost

This includes:

• Tuition and fees
• Housing and food
• Estimates for books, personal expenses and transportation (around $2,000 per year)

Student Aid Index (SAI)

Student Aid Index is a number used to determine your eligibility for need-based aid and is calculated using information the student and their contributors provide on the FAFSA.

Financial Need

The difference between the cost and SAI is financial need or financial aid eligibility.

Quick Calculations

Make some quick calculations of your SAI with this online tool provided by the College Board. This is just an estimate. Your personal financial aid package will be different.

Evaluating Your Financial Aid Award

Financial aid is one of many important considerations when choosing a college, but how do you compare aid packages from one college to another?

Download the Comparing Financial Aid Awards worksheet (PDF) to evaluate your options.

Also, ask yourself:

• Should I expect the package to stay the same for each of my four years of enrollment? If not, how might it change?
• Is the loan amount reasonable, considering the eventual monthly repayment amount?
• Can I earn the full work-study award through an on-campus job?
• How many hours per week can I expect work?
• How much is left over for my family to pay?

• Terms and Conditions
• Financial Aid Policies for Winter/Summer Terms
• Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
• Verification Policy
• Title IV Leave of Absence Policy