Applying for Financial Aid

• The recommended deadline for filing the FAFSA is March 15 for maximum financial aid consideration.
• You must file the FAFSA no later than March 15 to receive your Fairleigh Dickinson award letter in April.
• For priority consideration of FDU’s Merit Scholarships (ranging up to $24,000 annually), your application must be submitted by March 15.
• You must reapply for financial aid each year while you are in school by filing the FAFSA.

Renewal of financial aid is based on continued financial need, enrollment status, availability of funds, and maintaining satisfactory academic progress. Students with extenuating circumstances that are not reflected on the FAFSA are encouraged to visit the Office of Financial Aid at any point during the year. Additional financial aid may be available; documentation of circumstances will be required for a re-evaluation and consideration of additional financial aid.

Students who are selected for verification by the Department of Education will be required to submit additional documentation to the Office of Financial Aid so that the information reported on the FAFSA can be verified. As a result of verification, your financial aid award may need to be adjusted. Students selected for verification will be notified of the required documentation and the time in which the documentation must be received. Failure to provide the documentation may result in cancellation of financial aid.

International students are eligible for academic scholarships as well as athletic funding, as provided by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) guidelines. However, international students are not eligible for federal, state, or University need-based financial aid.

A financial aid package, or award letter, combines all types of aid that you qualify for at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Your financial aid award letter will list separately each type of aid – such as scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study – and the annual amount of each. Aid comes from a variety of sources – federal, state, university, and private.

Each type of aid has its own eligibility requirements. Some are based entirely on financial need; others are based on academic merit, or a combination of both financial need and academic merit.

• Scholarships and grants are “free” money and do not need to be repaid.
• Work study funds are “earned” dollars for campus-based employment.
• Federal loans must be repaid once the student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half-time status.

Any financial aid you receive that is administered by the Office of Financial Aid (e.g., scholarships, grants, and loans) will appear on your account and will be applied directly to your institutional charges.

Financial aid disbursements will appear as a credit on your FDU student account within 10 days of the end of the Add/Drop period for the term and will apply towards any outstanding eligible charges such as tuition, fees, and on-campus housing, if applicable.

• Financial aid refund checks are disbursed after your tuition, fees, and any other eligible charges on your FDU student account are paid. Any remaining financial aid will be refunded to you.
• Generally, if financial aid has disbursed into your student account and a credit is created, you can expect to receive a refund within 10 days of the disbursement.
• Expenses such as books, which are included in your estimated financial aid budget, do not appear on your account statement. They are an indirect cost. You can use the funds received in a refund to help pay these costs.
• Federal Work-Study funds do not appear on your account statement as it is not an award that is paid up front towards your bill.
• Work-Study gives you the opportunity to apply for a work study job, and if hired, you earn the award by working and receiving paychecks.
• If you have a private scholarship and the scholarship check was sent to you, please submit this check to the Enrollment Services Office to be credited to your student account.

Fairleigh Dickinson University makes every attempt to assist students and families in meeting a student’s financial need, though this is not guaranteed. The financial aid package may not cover all college expenses. Students and families may look to various educational loan programs to assist with these costs or may wish to use a tuition payment plan. Click here for more information.