Financial_Aid

F I N A N C I N G Y O U R

K U T Z TOW N UNI V ER SIT Y EDUC ATION

T O O U R S U D E N T S A N D F A M I L I E SWelcome to Kutztown University! We know your education and your

future are top priorities, and we are committed to making a quality

education financially possible for you and your family.

This brochure offers information about the types of aid

available and provides guidance on what to do next.

If getting a college education seems out of reach to

you financially, don’t be discouraged from applying

for admission to Kutztown. Our Financial Aid

Services Office will work with you and your family to

offer aid that meets your eligibility and allows room

for work, study and personal time.

There is a broad range of resources available to help

you, and more than 75 percent of our students annually

receive merit-based scholarships, grants, loans or campus

employment to defray their educational expenses.

Please feel free to call us at (610) 683-4077 or e-mail

[email protected] to ask questions or make an

appointment for a personal visit. We are here to help you.

Applying for Financial Aid at Kutztown

When you look at the quality and cost of a Kutztown

University education, you can see it is a tremendous

value. But the cost of attending college is a significant

investment and one to be carefully considered.

If you think you need assistance to pay for

educational expenses, we recommend you apply for

financial aid early in the admissions process. While

you and your family have the primary responsibility

of paying for your education, funding is available from

the federal and state governments, private sources and

KU to help pay for tuition and fees, room and board,

books and supplies, and transportation.

“Because of sound decisions made by the Financial Aid staff, my sons Steven and Kevin

now have college careers. I really appreciate all the staff have done for us and cannot

thank them enough!”

Sue Kasopsky, KU parent

T Y P E S O F A I D AVA I L A B L E

Our commitment to meeting your full demonstrated

financial need continues through your academic

career. In order to remain eligible for need-based

aid each year, students must maintain satisfactory

academic progress, reapply for aid by the application

deadline and continue to demonstrate financial

need. The level of support is based on the family’s

demonstrated need during each year using annual

income and need assessment. Learn more @ FinancialAid.kutztown.edu

Scholarships and Awards

Scholarship programs provide non-repayable gift

assistance to students who are academically and/

or financially qualified. General conditions and

eligibility requirements are set forth by the donors

or governing body.

Grants and Loans

The federal government offers a number of grant, loan

and work-study programs. When you file the Free

Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the

Financial Aid Services Office reviews your eligibility for

these programs and provides awards within program

guidelines and formulas, subject to available funds.

Work-Study

Kutztown University offers qualified students part-time

positions on campus. Actual amounts average 15 hours

per week, and the hourly rate is at least minimum wage.

Openings are posted online on the university website

under “Student Employment.”

Cost of Attendance

You will incur direct costs to the university for

which you will be billed: tuition, fees, room and

meals. Other, indirect costs include books, supplies,

transportation and personal expenses. Both direct

and indirect costs are added together to determine

the “Cost of Attendance” upon which financial aid is

based. Use this information only as a guide.

2011-12 Kutztown University Direct Billed Costs

PA Resident Non-PA Resident

Tuition $6,240 $15,600

Total Fees $2,119 $2,297

Room $5,280 $5,280

Meals $2,750 $2,750

TOTAL $16,389 $25,927

Note: Please add $1,000–$1,500 per year for the cost of books and supplies.

Meal and room costs are for the 14 premium meal plan and standard double-occupancy room, respectively; actual costs dependent on selection.

First-time students have two additional fees (first semester only) that equal $108 total.

J U S T T H E F A C T S

Application Process

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid (FAFSA) by the filing deadlines indicated below.

Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.gov. This

is the only application needed to apply for aid at

Kutztown University.

Note: This is the official website to apply for financial

aid and it is free. There are other websites bearing similar

names, but they are private companies and charge a fee to

complete the FAFSA.

The Financial Aid Services Office will automatically

certify a Federal Direct Stafford Loan for students

who complete a FAFSA. Families should go to www.

studentloans.gov to (1) complete entrance counseling

and (2) sign a master promissory note in order for the

funds to be forwarded to the university.

Other programs include a Federal Direct PLUS Loan

for the parent borrower and nonfederal alternative

loans for students who have a creditworthy cosigner.

KU’s Title IV federal school code is 003322

Filing Deadlines

The FAFSA must be filed every year for the upcoming

school year. Students are urged to file as early as possible

after January 1. The following are priority deadlines:

• January 1 — Earliest date to file FAFSA for upcoming

academic year.

• March 1 — KU’s priority filing deadline to be

considered on time in applying for university-based

scholarships and high-need campus-based aid

(Perkins Loan and SEOG Grant).

• May 1 — Pennsylvania (PHEAA) State Grant

filing deadline.

Billing Process

The KU Bursar’s Office will send an email notification

to students’ KU email accounts informing them it is time

to view and pay their bill in MyKU. This will occur each

semester and should reflect expected financial aid as a

credit. You will be responsible to pay the balance by the

due date in order to maintain your class schedule. Payment

plans are offered through Tuition Pay administered by

Sallie Mae. Visit the website at TuitionPay.SallieMae.com

to sign up or call (800) 635-0120. You may also contact the

Bursar’s Office at (610) 683-4133, [email protected],

or bursar.kutztown.edu.

“Many people told me that going to school on my own would be impossible. A KU Financial

Aid staff member guided me through the paperwork and aided me with my financial

planning. She was a big part of how I achieved my goal, and I will always be thankful to her.”

Dana Haraske Miller, Class of 2003

How can I get the FAFSA?

Every year, complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.

gov. First, apply at www.pin.ed.gov for a PIN for the

student and another for the parent. The PIN serves as

an electronic signature. This is the only application

needed to apply for aid at Kutztown University. By

listing KU as a school of choice, the FAFSA data is

electronically transmitted to the school.

F R E Q U E N T LY A S K E D Q U E S T I O N S

When will I find out how much aid I can expect to receive?

The Financial Aid Services Office processes the aid and

sends a one-time paper award letter to freshmen

beginning in March. Subsequent changes can be accessed

online at the Financial Aid Self Service portal. Returning

students may access their financial aid online after spring

grades are posted. The award notice lists the type of aid

and the amount of each type of aid you can expect to

receive for the fall and spring semesters.

How much aid will I be eligible to receive?

The amount of financial aid a student is qualified to

receive is determined by the results of the FAFSA.

The FAFSA asks about your family size, the number

of family members in college, and the student’s and

parents’ income and assets. The calculation tells

the Financial Aid Services Office how much aid you

are eligible to receive. Grants and scholarships are

applied to your aid package, if you are eligible for any,

and then the student loan is processed.

When will my financial aid be disbursed so that I

will be able to get my refund?

For students who are officially registered and have

cleared their bill, aid will be disbursed around the

end of the first week of classes. Eligibility for aid is

rechecked at the end of the Drop/Add period in order

to generate any refunds the second week of classes.

One of my parents lost their job, and my family is in a

financial bind. Can the Financial Aid Office help me?

If your family experiences a change in income due

to unusual circumstances (e.g., loss of employment,

separation or divorce, high non-reimbursed medical

expenses, etc.), contact the Financial Aid Services

Office about a possible reevaluation of aid eligibility.

Will I receive enough financial aid to pay all

my expenses?

Most students and families will receive some financial

aid, but most often the aid is not enough to cover

the total cost. In addition to the Federal Stafford

Student Loan, families often use Federal Parent PLUS

loans, alternative loans and payment plans to meet

educational costs.

Note: The cost of textbooks is not included in the

semester’s bill. Books are approximately an additional

$700 per semester.

Do I need to qualify for aid each year?

Yes. In addition to filing the FAFSA every year,

students must maintain satisfactory academic

progress. At the conclusion of each period of

enrollment, the student must successfully complete

two-thirds (.6666) of their total cumulative credits

attempted and have a minimum 2.0 GPA overall.

Learn more @ FinancialAid.kutztown.edu

Cost of Attendance www.finaid.org/calculators/costprojector.phtml

How much will college cost? Use the College Cost

Projector to estimate how much college will cost when

you are ready to enroll.

Savings Plan Designerwww.finaid.org/calculators/savingsplan.phtml

The Savings Plan Designer shows you how much

money you must contribute each month to an interest-

bearing bank account or investment fund in order to

reach your savings goal for a college education.

T O O L S Y O U C A N U S E

Financial Aid Estimatorwww.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml

Choose “Federal Methodology” when you go to the

Financial Aid Estimation Form and estimate your

financial need using a formula similar to that used by the

federal processor to determine federal aid eligibility.

Student Loan Repayment www.finaid.org/calculators/loanpayments.phtml

The Loan Payment Calculator computes an estimated

monthly loan payment in equal installments using a

standard repayment schedule.

Kutztown University Financial Aid Services209 Stratton Administration CenterKutztown, PA 19530

Kutztown University of PennsylvaniaP.O. Box 730, Kutztown, Pennsylvania 19530

(610) 683-4000, TDD (610) 683-1315 or (610) 683-4499

www.kutztown.edu