- Accepting Your Financial Aid Reward
- Augustana Net Price Calculator
- Bureau of Indian Affairs
- Complete Student Loan Exit Counseling
- Cost & Tuition FAQs
- Direct Loan Entrance Counseling Guide
- Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN)
- FAFSA Verification
- Federal Loan Exit Counseling Information
- File the FAFSA
- Satisfactory Academic Progress
Cost of Attendance (COA) | The total cost of going to a particular college for one academic year. This includes the cost of tuition, fees, housing, and meals, as well as allowances for the cost of books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses.
Demonstrated Financial Need | The difference between total college costs (COA) and the student’s ability to pay as calculated by the expected family contribution (EFC).
Direct Cost of Attendance | Charges that are billed directly to a student’s account. These could include tuition, fees, housing and meals, books and supplies, and other miscellaneous fees.
Direct PLUS Loan | Direct PLUS Loans are loans made to graduate or professional students and parents of dependent undergraduate students. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required.
Direct Subsidized Loan | The Direct Subsidized Loan is a federal need-based loan awarded to students based on their FAFSA results. Students do not pay interest on subsidized loans while enrolled at least part-time. Direct Loans have a one-time six-month grace period before repayment begins after graduation or once the student ceases to be enrolled at least part-time.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan | The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is a non-need-based loan awarded to FAFSA filers. Interest begins to accrue once the loan amount is disbursed. Direct Loans have a one-time six-month grace period before repayment begins after graduation or once the student ceases to be enrolled at least part-time.
Enrollment Deposit | A payment that confirms a student’s intent of attending a particular university. At Augustana, the enrollment deposit is applied to the student’s account as a prepayment towards their first semester. It is refundable prior to May 1.
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) | A measure of a family’s financial ability to pay for college as calculated by the FAFSA. The Expected Family Contribution is an index number ranging from 000000 to 999999. Colleges and universities as well as state grant programs and private organizations use this number to help determine a student’s eligibility for need-based aid.
Federal Pell Grant | Undergraduate students working on their first degree are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant based on the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated by the FAFSA. Federal Pell Grant does not need to be repaid. Federal Pell Grant eligibility is determined annually by the FAFSA.
Federal School Code | Every school has a unique FAFSA filing code. Students can list up to 10 schools at one time to receive their FAFSA results. Augustana University’s federal school code is 003458.
Federal SEOG Grant | Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) may be available to Federal Pell Grant eligible students. FSEOG does not need to be repaid. Grant amounts range from $100 to $4,000 annually and are determined by the college/university as these are considered campus-based funds.
Financial Aid | Money given or loaned to students to help pay for college. Financial aid can come from federal and state governments, colleges and universities, or private and community organizations.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is an online form administered by the Federal Department of Education. The FAFSA provides students access to federal financial aid programs such as the Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, Federal Work Study and Federal Direct Loans. Information from the FAFSA may also qualify students for state-sponsored financial aid. Augustana’s federal school code is 003458.
Gift Aid | Financial aid that doesn’t have to be paid back. Usually in the form of grants or scholarships.
Grants | Financial aid that doesn’t have to be paid back. Grants are generally awarded based on financial need.
Indirect Costs | Costs that are not charged to a student’s university account, but are still part of life as a college student. This includes books and supplies, transportation, and personal or miscellaneous expenses.
Loan | Money borrowed from the government, a bank, or another source. Loans need to be paid back, usually over an agreed period of time. Most loans accrue interest over the life of the loan.
Merit-based Aid or Non-need-based Aid | Financial aid offered without regard to financial need. It can be based on academic achievement, individual talents (i.e. sports or music), leadership skills, or other characteristics.
Need-based aid | Financial aid offered to students based on their demonstrated need. Need-based aid may come in the form of grants or scholarships, but it can also be a job on or off campus or loans.
Net Price | The amount a student will actually pay for college after tuition discounts, scholarships, and grants are accounted for. For private colleges like Augustana, this amount is usually far less than the advertised ‘sticker’ price.
Net Price Calculator | An online tool that gives a personalized estimate of what it will cost to attend a specific college. Most colleges are required by law to post a net price calculator on their website.
Offer of Financial Aid | The document sent from a college explaining the terms of the financial aid that the college is offering a student. This information includes the types and amounts of financial aid offered and instructions for accepting the offer.
Outside Scholarship or Private Scholarship | A scholarship offered by a private organization — not the government or a college/university. Outside scholarships are offered by all kinds of groups, individuals, corporations, churches, and nonprofit organizations.
Renewable Financial Aid | Financial aid that will be available to a student each consecutive year they attend a college. Most forms of financial aid have basic eligibility criteria that must be maintained in order to continue receiving the aid.
Room and Board | Room and board is terminology that refers to the cost of campus housing and a campus meal plan while attending a college.
Scholarships | Financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid. Scholarships are usually awarded based on certain characteristics or qualities of the student and can be merit-based or need-based. Scholarships may be offered directly to the student by the college or university or they may be offered by an outside/private organization.
Student Aid Report (SAR) | The Student Aid Report is a paper or electronic document provided to each FAFSA filer. The SAR lists the submitted answers to the questions on the FAFSA and provides some basic information about federal aid eligibility. The SAR includes the student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Work-Study | Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate or graduate students with financial need. Work-study jobs are typically on-campus jobs, but might be off-campus jobs. Students must file the FAFSA to be considered for Federal Work-Study.
Following are the general policies of the University and the Financial Aid Office.
The University reserves the right to renew/replace its scholarship commitments from any University funding source. Students must be full-time and in good academic standing to maintain scholarships during each year of study. Renewal of any federal need-based aid is contingent upon a student's financial need as determined by the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), as well as the availability of certain funds at the University.
Augustana's commitment as a residential university is affirmed by its policy of awarding financial aid that is intended to assist with direct educational costs for tuition, fees, university-owned housing, and board. As noted on offers of financial aid, if a student is approved to live off campus or does not enroll in a qualified meal plan, Augustana gift assistance will be prorated at 90%; if approved to live off campus and not enrolled in a qualified meal plan, Augustana gift assistance will be prorated at 80%. See Study Abroad policy for award details during semesters abroad.
Augustana students who choose to study abroad during the fall or spring academic terms will have their Augustana gift aid pro-rated according to a specified formula. The determination of whether a student is allowed to apply any Augustana gift aid toward study abroad expenses is contingent upon three factors: the cost of the program selected, Augustana’s current costs, and the amount of Augustana gift aid the student normally receives. Federal, state, and other aid is generally applicable for eligible Study Abroad programs.
Students interested in study abroad programs are encouraged to first visit with the International Programs Office to learn about program availability and costs, then to contact the Financial Aid Office for determination of individual financial aid eligibility. More information regarding study abroad can be found at augie.edu/studyabroad.
Applying for federal student aid can be challenging when your family's current ability to pay for university cannot be accurately reflected on the FAFSA. Families may request an appeal of the financial aid award in the event of unusual circumstances, which may include, but are not limited to: income reduction, unemployment of a wage-earner, unusually high medical costs, divorce, natural disaster, or others. The Special Circumstances Form is available online — choose either the Dependent or Independent form, depending on your status.
Students are expected to maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to retain eligibility for institutional and federal assistance. Students whose academic progress falls below certain standards will be placed on probation or dismissed from the university. The complete academic policy is outlined in the Online Catalog.
The Satisfactory Academic Progress for federal aid policy can be found here.
Students who withdraw from the institution will have 100 percent of their tuition and fees refunded during the first calendar week of the term. Beginning with the eighth calendar day of the term, tuition will be recalculated on a prorated basis. Room and board charges will be refunded on a prorated basis beginning with the first day of the term. Any financial aid credited to the student's account will also be adjusted. No refund is made after 60 percent of the term has passed. Review the complete policy online.
Once a student has gone through the institutional complaint process and the complaint has not been resolved, they can submit a formal complaint to the Division of Consumer Protection through the South Dakota Office of the Attorney General. Augustana University is authorized to provide higher education by the South Dakota Secretary of State, but complaints should be directed to the South Dakota Office of the Attorney General.
South Dakota Office of the Attorney General
Jason Ravnsborg
Division of Consumer Protection
1302 E Hwy 14 Suite 3
Pierre, South Dakota 57201-8053
Phone: 605.773.4400
Fax: 605.773.7163
Website: https://consumer.sd.gov/
Complaint Form: https://consumer.sd.gov/complaintform.aspx
Examples of such complaints may include:
Information for students (past or current) enrolled in an online degree program who want to file a complaint may be found at:
South Dakota Board of Regents' Website
SARA Complaint Resolution Form
SARA Complaint Procedures Flow Chart
Designated as both a Yellow Ribbon School and a Veteran Friendly School, Augustana University is committed to assisting veterans in their pursuit of postsecondary education. The University also participates in the Air Force ROTC program for students who are interested in military careers. Veterans and their families can utilize the traditional GI Bill® as well as the Post 911 GI Bill benefits for tuition and fees at Augustana. Review the complete policy online including procedures for Active Duty Deployment.
The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 requires the development and enforcement of a Code of Conduct to govern all educational loan activity. See Code of Conduct for more information.