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St. Cloud State University

St. Cloud State University


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SCSU's academic year resident tuition and fees are less than $4,000.
Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid

Types of Financial Aid
Announcements - Forms - Entrance Loan Counseling - Frequently Asked Questions - Contact Us

Basic Requirements

The following are basic guidelines to determine financial aid awards.

Your student must:

  • be accepted for enrollment or be enrolled as a student working toward a degree.
  • be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-U.S. citizen (federal regulations limit the types of financial assistance available to non-U.S. citizens--see International Students for more information);
  • have a valid social security number;
  • be registered with Selective Service, if required;
  • be making Satisfactory Academic Progress;
  • use federal student aid only for educational purposes; and
  • not owe a refund on a federal grant or be in default on any federal educational loan.

Determining Financial Aid Eligibility

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid must determine your student's need before we can award financial aid. When you and your student complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), a need analysis is done using a federal formula. This analysis determines your expected family contribution (EFC).

Each student's need is determined by subtracting the EFC from SCSU's cost of attendance.

SCSU Cost of Attendance
- Expected Family Contribution
= Financial Need

Students are expected to contribute toward the cost of education to the best of their ability. Income and assets of parents will also be used in determining the EFC for a dependent students.

Types of Financial Aid Available

Once we have determined the financial need, our office will determine a student's eligibility for all sources and types of aid. There are basically four types of financial aid: scholarships, grants, employment, and student loans.

Financial aid may be either "need-based" or "non need-based". Once we determine a your financial aid need, we will determine your eligibility for all types of financial aid.

  • Need-based aid takes into consideration your family's income and assets when determining your financial aid eligibility. Need-based aid may comprise grants, work study, and subsidized loans.
  • Non need-based aid may be available regardless of your EFC. Non need-based aid may replace the EFC. Most scholarships and some loans are non need-based.

Financial aid generally comes from four different sources: 1) federal government, 2) state government, 3) the school you plan to attend, or 4) from private sources such as businesses or organizations.

Estimate your EFC

Once students are admitted to St. Cloud State University, they will receive information about receiving a financial aid estimate from our office. If you prefer to calculate your own estimate of your family contribution, a Financial Aid Estimator is available at www.getreadyforcollege.org.

Important Information

Forms - Entrance Loan Counseling - Frequently Asked Questions - Contact Us