Financial Aid

OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID

Keely Haynes, Director Christopher Newport Hall First Floor (757) 594-7170 finaid@cnu.edu

Christopher Newport University offers financial assistance to qualified graduate students to help pay for all or part of their college expenses. The University participates in a variety of federal, state and University programs, most of which are administered through the Office of Financial Aid. Types of available aid include scholarships, grants and loans. Although most forms of financial aid are based on financial need, some use criteria other than financial need for eligibility. All students are encouraged to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually as soon as possible after October 1.

Student eliGibility To be eligible for financial aid, graduate students must:

Be admitted as a degree-seeking student in an eligible graduate program; Be enrolled at least half-time; Be in good academic standing; Be making satisfactory academic progress; Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen; Not owe a refund of a federal grant; Not be in default on a federal student loan.

Half-time students must be enrolled in at least five credits in the fall semester or in the spring semester, and a total of at least three credits for all summer sessions combined to receive aid. Annual loan limits are established by the federal government. The total aid received cannot exceed the cost of attendance (tuition, fees, room, board and miscellaneous expenses as defined by the Office of Financial Aid).

FEDERAL DIRECT STUDENT LOAN

Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 per academic year, not to exceed the cost of attendance. Loans made under the Federal Unsubsidized Direct Student Loan program are at a fixed interest rate and are long-term, deferrable loans. With an Unsubsidized Direct Loan, the interest that accrues while the loan is in deferment is the responsibility of the student. These loans are deferred until six months after the student graduates or stops attending half-time. Loan proceeds are sent directly to Christopher Newport and are applied to charges before any refunds are made to the student.

TEACH GRANT

The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 a year to students who are completing course work needed to begin a career in teaching. At Christopher Newport, students must be enrolled in the Master of Arts in Teaching Program to qualify. Undergraduate-level programs do not qualify.

As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, student must sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve in which you agree to (among other requirements) teach:

• In a high-need field • At an elementary school, secondary school or educational service agency that serves students from lowincome families • For at least four complete academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which you received the grant

IMPORTANT: If you do not complete your service obligation, all TEACH Grant funds you received will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education, with interest charged from the date the TEACH Grant was disbursed (paid to you or on your behalf).

To receive a TEACH Grant at Christopher Newport, you must do the following: • Complete the Free Application for Federal Student

Aid (FAFSA) • Be enrolled as a graduate student in the MAT Program • Meet and maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25 • Receive TEACH Grant counseling that explains the terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant service obligation (you must complete counseling each year that you receive a TEACH Grant) • Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve • The TEACH Grant Counseling and the Agreement to Serve must be completed online.

If you are considering applying for the TEACH Grant, we strongly urge that you educate yourself on this opportunity before submitting an Agreement to Serve. Read the fine print and make sure you fully understand the strict requirements before committing. It has been reported that about one-third of all TEACH grants disbursed since the program’s inception in 2008 have been converted into capitalized loans.

VA TEACHING SCHOLARSHIP LOAN PROGRAM

The Virginia Teaching Scholarship Loan Program, furnished by the Virginia Department of Education, is crafted to increase the number of elementary and secondary school teachers who have an interest in pursuing studies in one of the critical teacher shortage areas. The list of those areas is updated each year. The list usually includes math, science, foreign language and special education. Teacher education schools must participate.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Graduate students are encouraged to seek outside scholarships as an additional source of funding to pay for college. Students are encouraged to visit studentaid.ed.gov to complete a scholarship search.

Students are encouraged to view scholarship information and available resources on the scholarship link of the financial aid webpage at cnu.edu/scholarships.

State WaiVeRS

Virginia Military Survivors and Dependent Educa-

tion Program (VMSDEP) provides eligible students, as confirmed by the Virginia Department of Veterans Services (DVS), with waiver of all tuition and mandatory fees at a Virginia public college or university. In addition, as funds are available, eligible students may receive a stipend to offset other educational expenses, such as room and board.

To be eligible, children and spouses of qualifying veteran service members must meet the following requirements:

1. The dependent child must be between the ages 16 and 29 inclusively; there is no age restriction for spouses

2. The qualifying military service member must be a current Virginia citizen or maintained a physical presence in the Commonwealth of Virginia presently and for five consecutive years prior to the date of application submission or must have entered military service as a citizen of Virginia

3. In the case of a deceased qualifying military service member, the surviving spouse can meet the residency requirements by: a. having been a Virginia citizen or maintained a physical presence in the Commonwealth of Virginia for five consecutive years prior to marrying the military service member, or

b. presently being a Virginia citizen or maintained a physical presence in the Commonwealth of Virginia for five consecutive years prior to the date of application submission.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Per federal regulations, students receiving financial aid must be making progress toward a degree. Graduate students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 and successfully complete at least 67 percent of all credits attempted. Please review Christopher Newport’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy online at cnu.edu/financialaid/conditions/sappolicy.

Budget Planning

Budget planning for attending Christopher Newport should consider both direct and indirect costs. Direct charges are tuition and fees. Indirect costs include but are not limited to room, board, books, transportation and miscellaneous expenses. Students should be prepared to pay out-of-pocket for books and initial living expenses, as student loans are not disbursed until the close of the add/ drop period, each semester.

Additional Information

Students interested in receiving financial aid should view the Christopher Newport University website at cnu. edu/financialaid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) should be submitted online at fafsa.gov by the March 1 priority filing deadline. Individual guidance is available on a walk-in basis at the Office of Financial Aid or you may call the office or email your questions.