Financial Aid
Introduction
Financial assistance is available to graduate and credential students who have been officially admitted into their programs and maintain satisfactory academic progress toward their degree. To qualify for assistance, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CLU Graduate Financial Aid Application each academic year.
Minimum Enrollment Requirements
The minimum enrollment requirements for financial aid include at least half-time enrollment for student loans and half-time enrollment, with financial need, for CLU graduate/credential scholarships. To be eligible for financial assistance, students must also be enrolled for the specified number of semesters (terms) each academic year in order to receive aid for those terms. The following guidelines apply to the graduate/credential programs at CLU.
Credential Programs
Full-time 12 Credits
Half-time 6 Credits
Graduate Programs
Full-time 6 Credits
Half-time 3 Credits
Graduate Scholarships
Graduate scholarships are offered to graduate/credential students based on financial need and half-time enrollment. The average scholarship award (including the summer term) ranges from $250 - $500 per term. In order to qualify for priority consideration, you must be officially admitted and have all required financial aid paperwork completed no later than 60 days before the start of your first term of enrollment.
Graduate Assistantships
Each semester, a limited number of assistantships are offered to qualified graduate/credential students. The program was established as a method to provide qualified graduate/credential students with professional development experience, while attending their graduate/credential program.
A graduate assistantship provides a tuition remission award of up to five credits per semester in exchange for the student’s assistance in an academic area or administrative office. Students are required to work 40 hours for each credit earned. Assistants are under direct and assigned supervision of regular faculty members or administrators. Typical duties include educational research, editing educational materials, assisting in classroom or laboratory instruction, administrative responsibilities, assisting with the production of written reports or documents, or other appropriate assignments. Because of the time required to perform this service, students who are employed full time usually do not qualify for the award.
Information about all requirements and the application process for graduate assistantships is available on the CLU website at:
http://www.callutheran.edu/financial_aid/grants_scholarships/graduate/assistantships.php.
Congregational Partnerships in Education (CPE) Award
This award allows any religious congregation to assist outstanding full-time graduate/credential students who have demonstrated a commitment to the life and work of their church. CLU will match gifts from the congregation in support of a student up to $2,500 per academic year. More information about the CPE Award is available on the CLU website at: http://www.callutheran.edu/university_ministries/church_relations/cpe.php
Assumption Program of Loans for Education
K-12 teacher candidates may apply for the Assumption Program of Loans for Education (APLE) which offers loan assumption benefits in return for four years of teaching service in specific qualifying areas. To qualify, you must have completed at least 60 semester units of undergraduate study and continue to be enrolled at least half time through the end of each term. You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, a legal California resident, in good academic standing, and have a valid Social Security number. You must have a student loan awarded. You also must not have completed the course work necessary to obtain a preliminary teaching credential. Applications should be downloaded from the CLU website at: http://www.callutheran.edu/financial_aid/grants_scholarships/graduate/grants.php.
As a result of the 2012-13 Budget Act, the California Student Aid Commission will not accept 2012-13 applications for the APLE program. The Commission will continue to accept and process other forms and documentation to administer program benefits for existing participants who are in the program. Please refer to www.csac.ca.gov for future updates regarding the APLE program.
Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan
This fixed interest rate loan is available ONLY to credential students depending upon family income level and financial need as determined by the FAFSA. Effective July 1, 2012, graduate students are no longer eligible to receive subsidized Stafford loans. The loan is certified by the school and funded by the U. S. Department of Education. The maximum for a given academic year is $5500 for credential only students. The federal government pays the interest on the subsidized Stafford Loan while the individual is enrolled in school on at least a half-time basis. After the loan has been applied to charges owed, any remaining proceeds from the Stafford Loan will be issued after the end of the add/drop period or later for students who do not meet the priority deadline.
Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan
This fixed interest rate loan is available to students as determined by the FAFSA. The loan is certified by the school and funded by the U.S. Department of Education. The borrower is responsible for interest that accrues while in school. Borrowers may not exceed the total Federal Stafford limits set by the federal government. A student must be enrolled at least half time to receive student loans. After the loan has been applied to charges owed, any remaining proceeds from the Stafford Loan will be issued after the end of the add/drop period or later for students who do not meet the priority deadline.
Veterans’ Benefits and Responsibilities
Veterans or their eligible dependents may be entitled to education benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs to be used at California Lutheran University. Students who receive VA benefits are responsible for promptly notifying the VA Specialist in the Office of the Registrar of changes in academic program, course load, address, marital or dependant status, and of withdrawal from one or more courses. For more information about benefits, contact Veterans Affairs.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Good academic standing is defined as maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better. In order to receive financial aid, students must also achieve a 67 percent completion rate of their coursework each academic year in order to remain eligible for financial aid. This is measured in terms of:
Hours completed/Hours attempted = Percent completion rate
Graduate/credential students must complete their academic programs with 150 percent of the established program length. Students are not eligible for financial aid for the period in excess of 150 percent of the academic period normally required to complete their program of study.
Refunds
Students who receive federal aid are subject to Federal Return of Title IV funds policies. These policies state that a student is only eligible for the percentage of aid that corresponds to the percentage of the term in which a student was enrolled. Students who withdraw prior to the end of the term will have their financial aid adjusted accordingly and may owe funds depending on the date of withdrawal.
Student Consumer Rights and Responsibilities
Education is a significant investment. To help students make good choices and decisions, CLU provides a variety of information on academic programs, facilities, dropout rates, full cost of attendance, refund policies and financial aid programs.
Student Rights
Students have the right to ask:
- What financial assistance is available, including information on all federal, state and institutional financial aid programs.
- What the deadlines are for submitting applications for each of the financial aid programs available.
- What the costs and refund policies are.
- What criteria are used to select financial aid recipients.
- How the University determines student financial need. This process includes how costs for tuition and fees, housing, food, books and supplies, personal and miscellaneous expenses, etc., are considered in establishing the budget.
- What resources (such as other financial aid, assets, etc.) are considered in the calculation of student need.
- How much of a student’s financial need, as determined by the University, has been met.
- For an explanation of the various programs in the student aid package. If a student believes he or she has been treated unfairly, reconsideration of the award may be requested.
- What portion of the financial aid received must be repaid and what portion is grant aid. If the aid is a loan, students have the right to know the interest rate, the total amount that must be repaid, the payback procedures, the length of time they have to repay the loan, and when repayment is to begin.
- How the University determines whether students are making satisfactory academic progress and what happens if they are not.
Student Responsibilities
Students have the following responsibilities:
- To review and consider all information about the University’s programs before enrolling at CLU.
- To pay special attention to the application for student financial aid. It should be completed accurately and submitted on time. Errors can result in delays in the receipt of financial aid. Intentional misreporting of information on application forms for federal financial aid is a violation of law and is considered a criminal offense subject to penalties under the U.S. Criminal Code.
- To return all additional documentation, verification, corrections and/or new information requested by either the Financial Aid Office or the agency to which the application was submitted.
- To read, understand and keep copies of all forms they are asked to sign.
- To accept responsibility for all signed agreements.
- To notify the institution of changes in the student’s name, address, or school status, if the student has a loan.
- To know and comply with the University’s refund procedures.
- To report any change in status or resources while receiving aid. Failure to do so may result in denial of further financial aid. If receipt of additional resources results in a determination of less financial eligibility than was computed when the award for the year was originally made, then the award will be adjusted. If funds in excess of the revised eligibility figure have already been received, then the student is responsible for the immediate repayment of those funds. Similarly, if circumstances change to increase financial need, consideration will be given for an increased award if funds are available.
For further information, contact the CLU Office of Financial Aid at (805) 493-3115.