Financial Assistance
Financial aid is available to all qualified students. Financial need may be met through a combination of state, federal, and institutional aid. Federal grants are outlined elsewhere in this catalog. Institutional awards and grants are offered in the areas of academics, leadership, athletics, and the fine arts.
The financial aid program provides assistance to students with financial need who would otherwise be unable to receive an education. Financial need is calculated as the difference between the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution from the student and his/her parent(s). The primary responsibility for paying the student’s education expenses rests with the student and his/her family, and the University expects both the student and his/her parent(s) to make a realistic contribution to meet these costs; financial aid is a supplement for those students and families who cannot afford the entire cost of a university education.
Financial aid is provided in the form of an award, grant, or loan and/or work funds that will help meet this need. What the student is expected to pay is determined by a standard analysis of the financial statement the student and his/ her family must file. Lindenwood University uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine eligibility for all Title IV and institutional assistance. Upon completion of all documentation necessary to establish eligibility, financial assistance will be posted to students’ accounts at least once each term.
To be considered for financial assistance, a student applying for need-based aid must complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The LU school code is 002480. If students have any questions about their SAR (Student Aid Report), they are encouraged to call 1-800-433-3243. Lindenwood does not require students to fill out supplementary fee-based forms to determine eligibility for institutional financial aid.
All students wishing to receive Title IV aid must submit a valid set of Student Aid Reports or a valid ISIR (Institutional Student Information Record), which results from the processing of the FAFSA, and must complete any required verification.
A variety of scholarships are awarded to students who have excelled in fields of study, community activities, the arts, or athletic competition. Lindenwood University’s admissions counselors can advise prospective students of the full program of scholarship availability. Although Lindenwood University scholarships and grants are credited in total at the beginning of each term, they are actually earned as tuition and room and board charges are incurred. If, as a result of being “unearned,” a student’s Lindenwood scholarship or grant is reduced, the corresponding charges for tuition, room, and board will be proportionately increased. All institutional aid will be reduced in accordance with the student’s reduced scholarship or grant.
Lindenwood University undergraduate grants/scholarships are intended for and may only be used for undergraduate programs; they are not intended for and may not be used for graduate programs.
Lindenwood University offers a 50 percent scholarship to all persons age 60 and over. The University also offers partial institutional grants for employees of selected companies, municipalities, and school systems. These grants may only be applied toward courses taken for credit and do not apply to courses that are audited. Any other funding may first replace the Lindenwood University funding. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the admissions counselor of any scholarship opportunities for which the student may be eligible.
Most full-time resident students are eligible to defray a portion of their university costs by participating in the Lindenwood University Work and Learn Program on campus. Generally, compensation that would otherwise be provided for this work is instead credited against the student’s account. If the student chooses not to participate in the Work and Learn program or to complete his/her work study, the balance is payable to the Business Office at that time.