Financial Aid

The Financial Aid office at The College of St. Scholastica seeks to support the mission of the College by providing services that assist students in identifying resources - federal, state, institutional and others - to finance their education. St. Scholastica's institutional philosophy on student aid places primary responsibility on the student to provide funds for educational expenses; however, the institution's commitment to a diverse and representative student body is reflected in the fact that nine out of every 10 St.Scholastica students are recipients of some form of aid. Students interested in receiving need-based financial aidmust complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The College participates in all the usual federal and state financial aid programs.

These include:

Federal
Pell Grants
Academic Competitiveness Grants (ACG)
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (National SMART)
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants
Direct Loan (Subsidized)
Direct Loan (Unsubsidized)
Direct Parent PLUS Loan
Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
Perkins Loan
Nursing Student Loan
Work Study
Robert C. Byrd Scholarship
Reserve Officers Training Corps Scholarship
Veterans Administration Scholarship
Federal Indian Scholarship Program
State
Minnesota Achievement Scholarship
Minnesota GI Bill®
Minnesota State Grant Program
Work Study
S.E.L.F. Loan Program
State Indian Scholarship Program
MN Rehabilitation Services
Post-Secondary Child Care Grant Program
Public Safety Officer's Survivor Grant

There is also a substantial amount of institutional aid invested in financial aid programs. In addition to the $2.5 million in St. Scholastica grants, the College awards need-based scholarships provided by over 154 donors.The generosity of these people and foundations is essential in helping to meet the financial needs of our students.

Academic/leadership scholarships are awarded by the Admissions Office to incoming students. Incoming students can receive information about the following scholarships from the Admissions Office: the Benedictine Scholarship, Access Scholarship, and the Summit Scholarship.

Financial aid is awarded in the form of scholarships, grants, loans or student employment.

General Eligibility Criteria for Financial Aid

A student must:

Be accepted as a degree-seeking student at the College.
Be a citizen of the U.S.or possess permanent resident status.
Maintain satisfactory academic progress in the course of study pursued according to the standards and practices of the institution. (See section of catalog entitled Satisfactory Academic Progress.) If the student loses eligibility for financial aid due to unsatisfactory academic progress, there is a procedure to regain eligibility.
Not be in default on any educational loan previously received at St. Scholastica or another institution.
Complete the application process as outlined below, and respond to notices or requests from awarding agencies within the specified time. (Failure to respond correctly may result in cancellation of funding for a student.)

Financial Aid Refund Policy

Students who withdraw from classes or drop out of school after the term has begun may be eligible for a refund. There are two types of refunds: refunds of institutional charges (tuition, room, meal plan, etc.) and refunds of financial aid. A refund of institutional charges credits money to the student's account (decreasing what he or she owes). A refund of financial aid reduces the amount of financial aid available to pay the institutional charges (increasingwhat he or she owes).

Students planning to withdraw from all classes must notify the dean of students (Tower 2149A). There they will complete a withdrawal form.

Tuition, Course Fees, Housing, and Meal Refunds

These refund amounts are based on the date of official withdrawal with the dean of students.

Refund Table for 16-Week Classes

If the registrar certifies that the student dropped during the add/drop period of the course or
before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 percent
Weeks three and four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 percent
Weeks five and six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 percent
Weeks seven and eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 percent
Weeks nine and thereafter . . . . .. . . . . . No refund

Refunds are calculated using the starting dates of each term and not the day individual classes begin.

Refund Table for 8-Week Classes

If the registrar certifies that the student dropped during the add/drop period of the course or
before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 percent
Week two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 percent
Week three. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 percent
Week four . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . 25 percent
Weeks five and thereafter . . . . . . . . . . . No refund

Refunds are calculated using the starting dates of each term and not the day individual classes begin.

Financial Aid Refunds

Students who withdraw from all classes during the 100 percent tuition refund period will receive a full refund of all their financial aid unless they complete aWithdrawal Survey Form (available in the Dean of Student's Office) documenting their attendance at each class. Upon receipt of theWithdrawal Survey Form, the federal financial aid refund policywill be calculated. If students receive a full (100 percent) refund of tuition, they are ineligible for any state, institutional, or private sources of financial aid.

Federal (Return of Title IV Funds) Refund Policy

Students with federal aid who withdraw (or are expelled) after a semester starts but before completing
60 percent of the term may need to return a portion of their federal (Title IV) aid. The percentage of Title IV aid to be returned is equal to the number of days remaining in the semester divided by the number of calendar days in the term. Scheduled breaks of more than four consecutive days are excluded.

Minnesota Office of Higher Education (OHE) Financial Aid Refund Policy

St. Scholastica is required to use the OHE financial aid refund policy when calculating refunds for Minnesota State Grants and Minnesota SELF loans. After applying St. Scholastica's "billing refunds"and the"Return of Title IV Funds"refund calculations to the student's account, a proportionate share of the state aid is refunded using the following formula: "remaining refund" times
"MN financial aid funds" divided by all "non-title IV financial aid." Students retain funds earned
through the Minnesota State Work Study Program prior to withdrawing from St. Scholastica.

Financial Aid Refunds for Institutional and Private Funds

After calculating the federal and Minnesota financial aid refund policies, institutional and private gift aid is reduced by the same percent as the student's tuition was reduced.

Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy

In accordancewith federal and state regulations, all financial aid recipients must maintain the following minimum standards:

Satisfactorily complete at least 75 percent of all attempted credits.When students retake classes to improve their grade point average, the class counts as "attempted credits" every semester, but only counts as "earned credits' once (assuming the student earns a passing grade). Students should take care to ensure that they do not retake so many classes that their ratio of attempted to completed credits falls before the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirement.
Obtain first baccalaureate degreewithin 192 attempted hours.
Freshmen must obtain at least a cumulative GPA of 1.75 at the end of the first semester and a cumulative GPA of 2.0 after the second semester.
Sophomores, juniors and seniors must maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0.

Financial Aid Probation and Termination

Students who do not meet the above standard of satisfactory progress at the end of the academic year (spring term) will automatically be placed on financial aid probation for the following academic semester. Financial aidmay still be received during the probation period. At the end of the probation period, the student must again be making satisfactory academic progress as outlined above or financial aid will be terminated. Students will be removed from financial aid probation if they achieve the requirements for satisfactory academic progress.

If at any point it becomes clear that a student will not be able tomeet the quantitative standard by graduation, the student becomes ineligible for aid and will be terminated from financial aid without a probation period. Students who are academically dismissed (and not reinstated on appeal) from the College are immediately terminated from financial aid without a probation period.

Appeals

Students who fail to meet satisfactory academic progress standards and lose financial aid eligibility can appeal this decision. The appeal must be made in writing and should be accompanied by appropriate supporting documentation. Appeals should be submitted to the Financial Aid Office. Acceptable reasons for appeal include injury or illness of the student, illness or death of an immediate relative of the student, or other extenuating circumstances beyond the student's control.

Reestablishing Financial Aid Eligibility

Students who have had their financial aid terminated due to lack of satisfactory academic progress may enroll without benefit of financial aid. Such students may request a review of their academic record after any semester in which they are enrolledwithout the receipt of financial aid to determinewhether they havemet the satisfactory academic progress standards. If the standards are met, financial aid eligibility is restored for subsequent terms of enrollment. Students shouldmeetwith the Director of Financial
Aid if they have any questions about this policy, the appeal process, or reinstatement of financial aid eligibility.

Financial Aid Application Process

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year.The FAFSA is available on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov in high school guidance offices. The priority deadline to submit the FAFSA is March 1.
Incoming students need to complete The College of St.Scholastica Financial Aid Application Form on the CollegeWeb site.
Review the Financial Aid Award Letter and respond to enclosed materials.

Student Rights and Responsibilities

Payment of financial aid awards from College controlled funds will be made by giving the student credit on his/her student account. Such payments will normally be made each semester. Payment of financial aid awards from sources beyond College control will be made at the discretion of the donor.
Each student who receives or applies for financial aid must notify the Financial Aid Office of any financial aid award received from sources outside the College.
Each applicant/recipient has the right to review his/her financial aid application and supporting documents.
Each student who receives a Federal Nursing Student Loan or a Federal Perkins Loan (formerly the National Direct Student Loan) must complete Entrance Counseling online through the College Web site. Each student has the responsibility to complete the necessary promissory note, truth-in-lending statement, etc., within 10 days after the start of a semester. Failure to do so may result in loan cancellation.
Every student who has received a Federal Perkins Loan, a Federal Nursing Student Loan or a Federal Family Education Loan while in attendance at St. Scholastica must have an exit interview regarding these loans prior to graduation or withdrawal. Failure to do so will result in credentials being withheld.
Federal, state and institutional policies and procedures change. Applicants should be sure that they have the latest information.

Outside Financial Aid Resources

Designated scholarships are offered by many organizations such as labor unions, fraternal orders and religious organizations. Students may obtain information concerning these scholarship opportunities from the secretaries of these groups. Special application forms are usually required.

High school seniors should be in close contact with their guidance office to become aware of scholarships for their high school and/or area graduates.

The Financial Aid Office operates a scholarship directory service (free of charge) to assist students in locating funding from outside sources. Students can access this directory on the College Web site.

Financial Aid

Students with physical handicaps who wish to further their education or expand their area of employability may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation benefits. Students should check their home state Division of Rehabilitation Services to determine the amount of financial aid which may be available under this program.

The Veterans Administration pays veterans' benefits directly to qualified students. The college veterans' coordinator will answer questions concerning the G.I. Bill, Dependent Educational Assistance Program Benefits and V.A. Contributory Benefits. The college veterans' coordinator may be contacted through the Registrar's Office.

War Orphans Educational Assistance Act (Ch. 35, Title 38, U.S. Code) provides benefits to sons, daughters, wives and husbands of deceased veterans and of living veterans who have disabilities considered to be total and permanent in nature. The veteran must have died or become disabled as a result of service in the armed forces and must have been discharged under conditions other than dishonorable. Generally a young person must be between 12 and 23 years of age to attend school under this program. The eligible young person may receive up to 36 months of education. Applications and further information may be obtained from any county veterans' office or college veterans' coordinator.

Indian scholarship funding may be available from the Minnesota State Indian Scholarship Programand/or the tribe in which the student is enrolled. Students are encouraged to apply early as there may be limited funding. Please either contact these organizations directly or consult with the Financial Aid Office.

Air Force ROTC Scholarships

St. Scholastica students are invited to apply for Air Force ROTC college scholarships. Air Force ROTC offers high school seniors and college students five-, four-, three-, two- and sometimes one-year scholarships which cover tuition, fees, and a book allowance. Awards are based on the applicant's potential as an Air Force officer, as demonstrated by a combination of the Air Force Officer Qualifying Test score, academic achievement and recommendation of an AFROTC scholarship committee. Application for four-year scholarships must be made early in the senior year of high school. Students seeking scholarships should contact the Department of Aerospace Studies:

University of Minnesota - Duluth
1049 University Drive
Duluth,MN 55812-3011
(218) 726-8159

Tuition and Fees

Fee Schedule

The following is the official fee schedule for the 2009-2010 academic year for traditional undergraduate and graduate students at The College of St. Scholastica. Basic fees for the year include tuition, room and board, health service fees and some of the special course/lab fees. Students will make payment and accept refunds for courses in accordance with the terms and conditions outlined in the current published tuition/fees and refund policy statement of the College. Late fees and collections costs will be assessed if the amount is not paid in full.

Tuition	Per Academic Semester	Per Year
For students carrying 12 through 18 credits per semester Less than 12 credits or each credit over 18 will be charged at $844 per credit. Graduate tuition: $675 per credit. Physical therapy and occupational therapy students will be charged the graduate tuition rate upon acceptance into the program. Tuition rates may vary for some programs.	$13,557	$27,114

Health service fee
Required of all undergraduate and graduate students with 9 or more credits per semester.	$85	$170

Student Health Insurance (2008-2009 rate)
Automatically charged to undergraduate and graduate students with 12 or more credits unless a waiver card is filled out and returned to Student Accounts within the first two weeks of a semester. Undergraduate studentswith 9 to 11 credits or graduate studentswith less than 12 credits have the option to enroll in the program by contacting the Student Accounts Office.* * Student insurance is mandatory for all international students (undergraduate or graduate) regardless of number of credits enrolled. Insurance can be either through a separate policy or the College's policy. Proof of insurance is required if the policy is not through the College student insurance plan.	$1,020

Housing
Grove Apartments	$1,872	$3,744
Birch, Maple, Pine, and Willow Apartments	$2,340	$4,680
Cedar Hall, Scanlon, Kerst 2 Bedroom	$2,417	$4,834
Cedar Hall, Scanlon, Kerst 4 Bedroom	$2,660	$5,320
Somers Residence Hall Complex
Double	$3,639	$7,278
Suite	$3,873	$7,746
Includes board plan of 14 meals per week (students have the option of choosing 17 or 10 meals per week by contacting Food Services). A damage deposit of $150 is required to secure the reservation of housing (nonrefundable after May 1).

Other
$200 enrollment fee is due on May 1. For applications made after May 1, payment is due upon receipt of acceptance for admission.

Extended Studies - Accelerated Degree Evening Program
Tuition for undergraduate and graduate degree programs is calculated by course credit. Please refer to the Extended Studies Webpage for a current academic year tuition schedule.

Special course fees (per semester)
Some courses may have lab or course fees associated with them. Details are listed in the class schedule.

The College reserves the right to make adjustments in tuition and fees
without advance notice in order to meet current costs.

Student insurance

The Student AccountsOffice, in conjunction with the Health Service, offers information about our student insurance coverage.The College requires all undergraduate and graduate studentswith 12 or more credits to be covered by a health and accident insurance plan. Arranging such coverage is the student's responsibility and can be done through the College or through a separate policy. If the student is covered by a separate policy, the College requires the student to fill out an insurance waiver card each year and return it to the Student AccountsOffice.Without submission of the insurance waiver card, the full-time student is automatically charged the nonrefundable premium and covered under the College's student insurance plan. Undergraduate students ith 9 to 11 credits and graduate students with less than 12 credits have the option of enrolling in the insurance plan and should contact the Student Accounts Office within the first two weeks of the semester to enroll. Students enrolled under the College's insurance plan are also required to pay the Health Service Fee.

Student insurance is mandatory for all international students either through a separate policy or the College's policy. If the policy is not through the College, proof of insurance is required.

Late fee assessments

When student accounts are not paid in full or a payment plan has not been arranged, a monthly interest charge of 1 percent will be assessed to the unpaid balance until the account is paid in full. Late fees are assessed the last business day of each month. Students waiting for financial aid should contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if the late fee should be waived due to financial aid arriving late. Students are expected to apply for financial aid on a timely basis. If financial aid has not been received prior to the due date for fees, a late fee will be assessed if the student still has a balance owing. Late fees will be waived only in those instances in which the student submitted all required paperwork in a timely manner. Students must contact the Financial Aid Office or Student Accounts to make arrangements.

Refunds

Generally, no refund on room, board, tuition or other fees is made for late entrance, suspension, dismissal or withdrawal.

Application fee: No part of the application fee shall be refunded.
Enrollment fee: The $200 enrollment fee will be refunded to applicants who drop enrollment prior to the May 1 deadline.
Registration drop/add or withdrawal from College: A student who drops a course after courses begin must obtain a drop/add form from the Registrar's Office and personally process it through his/her instructor(s), advisor and the registrar. When a student who has officially registered for an academic term drops a class(es) to bring him/her out of the 12-18 credit plateau, the student may be entitled to a refund as outlined below. The student is responsible for filling out a drop/add formon a timely basis. Failure to do so may result in a reduction or forfeiture of refund. The official date of drop will be the date the dropwas received in the Registrar's Office. A student may not drop a course after June 30 of each year. Students may appeal to the Registrar's Office if extenuating circumstances exist.

A student who is withdrawing must obtain a withdrawal form from the VP/Dean of Student Affairs and personally process it through the offices listed on that form.

Refund Table for 16-Week Classes

If the registrar certifies that the student dropped during the add/drop period of the course or
before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 percent
Weeks three and four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 percent
Weeks five and six . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 percent
Weeks seven and eight . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 percent
Weeks nine and thereafter . . . . . . . . . . . No refund

Refunds are calculated using the starting dates of each term and not the day individual classes begin.

Refund Table for 8-Week Classes

If the registrar certifies that the student dropped during the add/drop period of the course or
before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100 percent
Week two . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 percent
Week three . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 percent
Week four . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 percent
Weeks five and thereafter . . . . . . . . . . . . No refund

Refunds are calculated using the starting dates of each term and not the day individual classes begin.

If a student drops a course or withdraws from the college, the refundwill be calculated according to the above schedule (subject to federal, state and institutional financial aid regulations).

Payments

Tuition and other fees are due two weeks prior to the beginning of a term. The College offers students several options to pay on their student account. Cash, personal checks, money orders and cashier checks are accepted. The College also accepts both ACH and credit card payments electronically. Electronic payments are processed through a private and secure Web site that meets all current payment card industry data security standards (PCIDSS). Credit cards accepted against a student account include MasterCard, Discover, American Express and Diners Club. There is a 2.75 percent convenience fee assessed by our third party credit card processor on all credit card transactions. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that his/her account is paid in full and on time. Accounts with an unpaid balance are subject to a 1 percent monthly late fee. Failure to receive a bill either electronically or by paper does not relieve the student from his/her financial obligation or late fee if the amount due is not paid by the due date. Students are encouraged to contact the student accounts staff in the Business Office for information and assistance regarding their accounts with the College.

Payment plans

When a student cannot pay his/her account on time, the studentmust contact and work with the student accounts staff in the BusinessOffice to set up a payment plan. The cost for this plan is $45 a year. An agreement form is filled out to indicate the amount the student would like to budget for the year. Normally, this amount is divided into ten payments, beginning in July and ending in April. These predetermined payments are processed through the student's bank account on the 5th of each month. An application form and brochure are available in the Business Office.

Student refund checks

Overpayments or excess financial aid will be returned to the student unless the student gives the College written authorization to keep the funds on the student's account. In the case of a PLUS loan, the excess balance will go to the parents. Refunds are processed automatically when a student account reaches a credit balance. Student refund checks will be distributed to St. Scholastica mailboxes. According to federal regulations, The College of St. Scholastica is required to have all students who receive Title IV federal financial aid fill out an authorization formpermitting the College to apply the Title IV funds to charges other than tuition, fees, roomand board. To ensure compliancewith federal regulations, all students receiving refunds are required to fill out an electronic authorization form informing the College howtheywould like their financial aid disbursed. The formneeds to be filled out only once per academic year unless the student wishes to change the authorization status of his/her refund.

Billing

A student will receive schedule/bills each term to the student's Google Apps e-mail address approximately one month prior to the termdue date. The student is responsible for any changes in courses or fees after the initial schedule/bill. Late registration and/or changes in fees do not extend due dates. A statement of accountwill be sent to the student's Google Apps e-mail address monthly. Thiswill allow students to monitor their account status. Students may request that an invoice is also sent to their parents' e-mail address by filling out a change of billing address form, available in the Business Office.

Holds

If a student has a balance in excess of $500 and has made no arrangement for payment, the student will not be allowed to register for the next semester. Also, if a student has a balance owing the College, is past due on a Federal Perkins and/or Federal Nursing Loan or has not completed an exit interview for the above loans, a hold will be placed on their official grade transcripts. If a student is on a payment plan, payment in full will be required prior to the release of transcripts. The student should contact the student accounts staff in the Business Office to make payment arrangements.

If a student leaves the College with a balance owing, the College may refer the account to a collection agency or credit bureau and pass any collection costs on to the student. Late fees are still in effect if a student becomes inactive and owes a balance.

Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 (TRA97) provides a tax credit to all students who qualify. The Collegewill send a 1098-T formby January 31 of each year to the most recent home address on file, as required by the IRS. The College will not give out tax advice but will provide information to assist in determining eligibility. For more information on this tax credit, please visit The College of St. Scholastica's Web site: www.css.edu/x1048.xml.

Tuition changes

The College typically changes tuition each year to enable it to meet its financial obligations. Although the College attempts to provide students with adequate notice of such changes, the College reserves the right to make adjustments in tuition and fees without advance notice in order to meet current costs.