Students must reapply for financial aid each year. All applicants for aid must be degree candidates. Foreign students who are in the United States on immigrant or permanent visas are eligible for aid through the Financial Aid Office. To be eligible for financial assistance, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress in the course of study being pursued. For more information on maintaining satisfactory academic progress, see the separate section on this subject.
Financial aid consists of federal, state, and institutional funds.
Most financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need. There is a state-funded scholarship for undergraduate students based on merit. The primary responsibility for financing post-secondary education rests with the students and their families. Students are not required to complete separate loan applications, thus eliminating the banks, guaranty agencies, and other private lenders. The Federal Direct Student Loan Program makes the process of applying and receiving loan funds easier for the students.