Every student who wishes to be considered for financial assistance for 2008-2009 must complete the appropriate renewal application process. This includes students who receive only merit-based scholarships and students who receive only tuition exchange or internal dependent tuition benefit scholarships. Required forms:
Deadlines and Award Notification:
To be considered for the maximum amount of aid, a student's file needs to be complete by the Gustavus priority date of April 17, 2008. Aid award letters completed prior to May 15 will be sent to the student on campus. After May 15, awards will be mailed to the student at the home address. It is the student's responsibility to notify the parent(s) that an aid award has been received.
Students completing the application process after the priority date will be awarded based on funds remaining and awards will be mailed to students at home during the summer.
Gustavus provides almost $23 million annually in merit scholarships and need based grants to students. We are able to provide this level of assistance because of the generous contributions made by our generous friends and alumni. If a student is selected to be a recipient of a named scholarship, the Gustavus tuition grant or merit scholarship may not be listed or will be listed as honorary on an award notification. In its place, the named fund would be listed on the award.
Changes in family circumstances that may impact funding levels:
The expected parent contribution is based on a family's ability, not willingness, to pay. The federal financial aid formula assumes that the income and other information you provide on the 2008-2009 FAFSA will be representative of your income for 2008. Some families find that this is not the case due to one of the reasons listed below.
Student Status:
Students who entered Gustavus as a dependent student will remain a dependent student for institutional aid purposes. Students may be granted independent status for federal and state aid based on the following criteria:
Students who believe they have extenuating circumstances and should be considered independent should contact the Financial Aid Office to review the appeal process. Appeals must be documented by a third party, not affiliated with the College, and must be a non-family member (e.g. social worker, clergy, guidance counselor).
To request only a renewal of merit scholarships, tuition exchange scholarships, or internal tuition-benefit scholarships, a student must complete pages 1 and 4 of the 2008-2009 Gustavus Financial Aid Application, answering 'no' to the question about filing a FAFSA. Return the form to the Office of Student Financial Assistance before April 17, 2008.
Guidelines for renewal for merit scholarships:
Students receiving the Presidential, Trustee, or Dean's scholarship must maintain at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average (GPA) for renewal of your merit scholarship for the 2008-2009 academic year.
If your GPA will be lower than 3.0 at the end of spring semester, you must appeal in writing to the Financial Aid Office to be considered for renewal of your scholarship. If you do not appeal, your scholarship will be revoked for the full academic year. No mid-year reinstatements will be considered.
If you are not making satisfactory academic progress (probation or continued probation), your scholarship will not be renewed for the 2008-2009 academic year. No appeals will be considered for SAP merit scholarship consideration.
The Norelius and Alumni award will be renewed as long as you are making satisfactory academic progress.
Other merit renewal requirements:
The following checklist should be followed if you are filing for need based aid:
If your FAFSA is flagged for verification, or requires further data, the file will not be considered complete until the family provides the additional documentation. See Section V for more information on the verification process.
If you have questions while you are preparing your Renewal FAFSA and Gustavus Supplement Form, please call the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
Student employment earnings from Gustavus are taxable and must be included on the student's tax return; a W-2 will be mailed to the students in January 2008.
In January, students will also receive a 1098-T form that lists charges for tuition and total scholarship assistance awarded by Gustavus for the calendar year, which is required to assist students or parents with the preparation of their 2008 federal income tax return. The 1098-T includes Gustavus aid (including the matching portion for church matching awards), Minnesota State Grant, Federal Pell and SEOG. It does not include outside scholarship assistance such as amounts received from churches and organizations such as Tozer, Thrivent, etc. The difference between tuition charged and scholarships applied (including the outside scholarships) are important for determining eligibility for a HOPE or Lifetime Learning Tax Credit on federal income tax returns. Please consult your tax advisor and/or IRS Publication 970 at www.irs.gov for more information.
The amount a student earns from need-based student employment or claims in an education tax credit on the federal income tax return should be listed under Worksheet C of the Renewal FAFSA. Depending on who claims the tax credit (student or parent), the amount goes under Worksheet C in the appropriate income section of the Renewal FAFSA.
Note: Tax returns need only be filled out--not mailed to the IRS--to be considered completed. If tax returns cannot be completed by mid-March, file the Renewal FAFSA using estimated data and return to www.fafsa.ed.gov and make any corrections to income data once the tax returns have been filed (asset data may only be updated if the original amounts submitted were in error). Gustavus reserves the right to reduce or remove institutional awards if the corrections are not made by the end of August 2008.
A divorced/separated/widowed custodial parent who has remarried as of the date the Renewal FAFSA is filed must include the 2008 income and assets of the new spouse. Pre-nuptial agreements cannot override this provision of the federal FAFSA regulations.
Once the Renewal FAFSA is filed, students are prohibited from updating marital status. Changing marital status may increase your federal and/or state aid eligibility. It does not increase your Gustavus aid eligibility.
Questions relating to household size and number in college look ahead to the period July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009. The family members and college enrollment status on the Gustavus Supplement must match the totals listed on the Renewal FAFSA.
Siblings enrolled in graduate school should not be included. A letter of special circumstance should be included with your renewal application if your parents will be supporting a sibling enrolled in medical or law school for the 2008-2009 academic year. Students who will be in graduate school during 2008-2009 must file their own FAFSA's as independent students. However, a graduate student may be counted as a number in household and a number in college for another undergraduate student's FAFSA within the same family if the parent will provide more than 50% of the graduate student 's total support.
Gustavus' policy is to consider the student as part of the household and/or number in college only if the expenses paid exceed $18,500 (which is the federal Stafford loan amount a graduate student is eligible to receive toward his/her graduate expenses).
The federal processor selects a number of Renewal FAFSA's at random each year for "verification" similar to the audit process used by the IRS. The financial aid office may also select your FAFSA for verification if we find discrepant information between the renewal application and your FAFSA. You will be notified that your application was selected for verification on your Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal processor and by a letter from the Office of Student Financial Assistance requesting additional information to complete the federal review process.
You and your parents will be asked to complete and return a Verification Worksheet along with signed copies of your and your parent's 2008 federal tax returns and copies of W-2 forms. This information will be compared with your Renewal FAFSA and any discrepancies will be corrected.
Once an application is selected for verification, the College must complete this review before you can receive federal or state aid. The College's awarding process will also be delayed until verification is completed. Please refer to the Verification Policies and Procedures for additional information.
To be considered full-time for Federal or Gustavus aid programs, a student must be enrolled for at least 3.0 credits per semester; however, the State of Minnesota has a higher standard for recipients of Minnesota State Grant (MSG) assistance. To maintain maximum grant eligibility, MSG recipients must be enrolled in at least 3.75 credits per semester. MSG recipients may split 1.0 credit earned during January Interim between fall and spring semesters to compensate for lower semester loads. Please note that only 2 January Interim courses count toward your graduation requirements. Only these courses can be used toward your State Grant eligibility. For the 2 years you are not required to take a January course, you must take 3.75 credits each semester in order to receive your full state grant for the academic year.
As an example, a MSG recipient could be enrolled for 3.5 credits in fall semester, 1.0 credit in January Term, and 3.0 credits in spring semester to meet the state's requirements because 0.25 of the January-Term credit would apply to the fall and 0.75 to the spring bringing both terms to 3.75.
The State of Minnesota also limits a student"s eligibility to eight semesters, or an equivalent, even if the student may not qualify for MSG assistance during all eight semesters. Post-Secondary Education Option (PSEO) and advance placement credits do not count toward the eight-semester total; however, summer (or full semester) enrollment at another institution or a semester in which a students withdraws- even for medical reasons- are counted.
Generally, students are eligible for 8 semesters of financial aid. However, more students are bringing post-secondary option credits (PSEO) and advanced placement credits with them as they enroll at Gustavus. Some of these students still plan to attend and graduate after four full years at Gustavus. However, once a student has met graduation requirements for one degree program (even if they have not formally applied for graduation), institutional, federal and state financial aid ends.
There are three components necessary to receive a Gustavus diploma:
Some students complete all three components by the middle of their fourth year and enroll for the spring semester with the intention of completing a second major, or a minor. These students are not eligible for any institutional, federal or state aid, which includes federal student loans. Alternative loans may be used to pay the expenses of your final semester of enrollment. Appeals for Gustavus aid for your final semester should be submitted prior to registration.
Therefore, it is extremely important for students to plan their academic program as far in advance as possible and to have it reviewed by their academic advisor and/or the staff of the Registrar's Office or the Advising and Counseling Center.
Some students find it necessary to enroll for a ninth semester or a full fifth year of study, commonly due to student teaching or making up a term in which the student had to withdraw. Specific rules for financial aid apply in these situations.
As mentioned in Section VI, Minnesota State Grant assistance is not available beyond eight semesters of study and Gustavus does not award additional funds to offset the loss of MSG funds.
Students who enrolled in the Guaranteed Cost Plan as a first-year student will continue into a fifth year with the same limited cost increase.
Student teachers will receive special consideration for the term of teaching including a 50% tuition reduction. Gustavus merit scholarships, however, will be reduced by half for the term and need-based aid will also be reduced due to the reduced cost of attendance.
Students who file a Renewal FAFSA will still be eligible for federal student loans and grants if they qualify depending on the Expected Family Contribution and the cost of attendance for the term.
Many students elect to enroll in travel courses during January Term, or study off-campus (e.g. abroad, Washington Semester, HECUA domestic programs) for a semester or full year. This choice does not impact grant/scholarship aid. Additional aid, however, is available through student or parent loan assistance.
Semester and year-long off-campus study: If the program costs exceed the student's regular cost of attendance at Gustavus, the Office of Student Financial Assistance can add these costs to allow for additional loan eligibility. It is recommended that students and parents continue to use the same alternative loan program(s) they have used in the past (if any).
January Term travel courses (including UMAIE): Costs of courses resulting in academic credit may be added to the student's regular cost of attendance to increase loan eligibility. It is recommended that students and parents continue to use the same alternative loan program(s) they have used in the past (if any).
If a student/parent is borrowing only to cover the costs of a January Term course, it is recommended that the student apply for the loan in September when the final costs of the course are closer to being locked in.
If the student/parent normally borrows for the regular Gustavus costs, it is recommended that the additional January Term costs be added to the regular loan request during the summer. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will, within the rules of each loan program, ask for up to three disbursements (one-half of the base loan for fall semester, the extra for January Term which is due by October 31, and the second half of the base loan for spring semester).
If the January Term travel course is canceled, or the student withdraws from the course for any reason, the Office of Student Financial Assistance will return any loan funds to the lender. Students withdrawing from a travel course after the program's stated deadline may still be responsible for the cost of the course, but may not be eligible for any loan assistance. Each student's case is different so plans should be discussed with the Office of Student Financial Assistance.
The College includes housing and meals in determining a student's need for financial assistance even though the College is not billing the student for these expenses meaning a student/parent can borrow additional funds for living expenses. After the direct charges to the College are paid each semester, any excess can be requested as a refund to assist with living expenses. For more details about the refund process, please contact the Student Accounts Office.
The Office of Student Financial Assistance administers approximately 300 scholarships which are funded either from earnings from various endowments or from annual gifts. The generosity of past and current donors makes it possible to annually award approximately $2 million in scholarship assistance, which would not otherwise be possible. Academic departments may nominate students for certain endowed or restricted scholarships. The scholarships are generally based on financial need and can result in an increase of up to $1,000 of additional grant/scholarship aid from Gustavus over what would normally have been awarded.
In some cases, Gustavus will replace an existing award (e.g. Deans, Norelius, etc.) with one or more endowed/restricted scholarships. Students will retain honorary award status for the original scholarship(s).Students are considered for these scholarships as part of the regular awarding process and do not require special applications. We strongly recommend that students write a thank you letter to their donor as outlined in the enclosure which will be included with your award notice. A release statement is included on the Financial Aid Application. Students may email their letter as text to ajohns13@gustavus.edu. For prompt notification to our generous donors on your behalf, please submit your letter to the Stewardship Office no later than August 1, 2008.
Gustavus is committed to making an affordable education possible for its students. One way to accomplish this goal is to partner with church congregations who run their own scholarship programs. Gustavus acts as a partner to match approved congregations' scholarships for up to $1,000 per year. This is not limited to Lutheran congregations, and Gustavus will also match qualifying scholarships from synagogues or mosques. It should not be confused with the Gustavus Association of Congregations Scholarship, which is open only to students from the congregations comprising the Gustavus Association of Congregations.
To qualify a congregation must have an "established scholarship program" defined in writing that is funded from one or more of the following sources: earnings from an endowment, special collections from the entire congregation, or allocated funds from the annual unrestricted budget of the congregation. A committee, or officer of the congregation, must award the scholarships based on criteria applicable to all students in the congregation. It is not permissible for parents or other relatives to write checks to the congregation to be recycled as a scholarship.
Deadlines:
Participating congregations are responsible for notifying Gustavus of which students will be receiving scholarships for the following academic year, which begins in September. We ask for the congregation's first estimate of the award amount as soon after January 1 as possible with final details provided to the College when available. An initial estimate must be submitted by March 15 to ensure the availability of matching funds.
Students also include scholarship expectations, based on information from their congregations, when completing the Gustavus Financial Aid Application.
Payment from the congregation to Gustavus is requested by August 31 in order to apply the scholarship and matching funds to the fall semester fees due by that day. If a congregation stipulates that payment will not be made until after students provide first semester grades the scholarship and matching funds will be applied to spring semester fees due by January 31.
In almost all situations Gustavus communicates with students first, unless parental data is required. Data from custodial parents is required for students considered dependent under U.S. Department of Education rules, which differ from dependency rules set by the IRS.
The Office of Student Financial Assistance, as well as other administrative and academic offices, communicate with students using three official methods: the student's Gustavus e-mail account, the student's Gustavus voicemail account, and the student's Gustavus post office box.
Each student is expected to set up and check each of these accounts regularly and is responsible for information sent to them; even if the student uses other communication methods (other e-mail address, cell phone, etc.) for other purposes. Even if a student believes the message to be in error, he/she should follow up with the appropriate office in a timely manner.
January 2, 2008 |
FAFSA available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov for the 2008-2009 award year |
January 31, 2008 |
Forms W-2 and 1098-T must be postmarked and mailed by this date |
February 25, 2008 |
Approximate date renewal student employment contracts will be distributed to supervisors |
January 2 - March 25, 2008 |
Families complete federal income taxes and submit copies to our office for review. |
February 25 - March 24, 2008 |
Students complete student-employment renewal process |
March 1 - March 25, 2008 |
Parents and students notified of the $500 Fall Registration Deposit and informed of holds for fall 2008 registration and/or loss of housing priority |
March 31, 2008 |
Due date for Fall Registration Deposit and deadline to resolve spring financial issues relative to fall registration |
April 15, 2008 |
Priority deadline for valid, complete FAFSA from Federal processor and/or Gustavus Financial Aid Application to be considered for maximum Gustavus grant/scholarship aid |
June 1 - August 1, 2009 |
Timeframe for families to make financial arrangements for 2008-08 including applying for GATE and alternative loans |
May 1 - August 31, 2008 |
Enrollment open for the Tuition Management Systems Payment Plan. |
August 31, 2008 |
Due date for fall semester fees--finance charges assessed after this date |
October 2008 |
Parents and students notified of January and spring registration holds |
October 31, 2008 |
Deadline to resolve fall financial issues relative to Jan/spring registration |
January 31, 2009 |
Due date for spring semester fees |
March 1 - March 25, 2009 |
Parents and students notified of the $500 Fall Registration Deposit and informed of holds for fall 2008 registration and/or loss of housing priority |
March 31, 2009 |
Due date for Fall Registration Deposit and deadline to resolve spring financial issues relative to fall registration |
