This is one of our most common, yet one the most difficult questions to answer! Financial aid is intended to cover basic costs of attendance and living. Students who plan and budget well can live within the established budgeting guidelines. Although additional loans are available to student’s it is wise to first consider where you can reduce costs; such as room sharing, public transportation or buying an economical car, canceling cell phones and pagers, making more meals at home, taking advantage of free entertainment on campus, etc. Financial Aid Counselors are available to help you budget your financial aid funds. If you feel that you have unusual costs (such as medical or child care), you may discuss it with the Financial Aid & Scholarship Department.
If you have a special circumstance that changed your financial situation and you feel you need more money, we do have an appeal process. Appeal forms are available after the third week in September. Students encountering an extreme change in circumstance (such as death of parent or spouse) are welcome to discuss their financial situation with a Financial Aid Counselor at any time during the year on a walk-in basis. Increases approved usually will be met by additional Federal Stafford Loan funding.
An additional source of funding is scholarships. Off-campus scholarship listings are posted in the Student Services Building North Hallway outside Room BH 140, inside the Financial Aid and Scholarship Department in Room BH 130 and online at Scholarship Opportunities. Assistance is available in Room BH 130 to help you look for scholarships throughout the year. The University Scholarship program application is available online from mid-November to the scholarship deadline each year.