No tuition and room fees will be refunded after the 56th
day of the semester unless the dean of students approves a request for
emergency reasons such as illness or a death in the immediate family. The
College retains the right to charge an administrative fee for withdrawing
before graduation. Exceptions to the policy that a student or parents
feel
are warranted due to unique individual circumstances should be addressed
to the Vice President for Administration &
Finance.
Summer
Session
If a student cancels her enrollment before
the first day of classes, the College will refund 100 percent of her
fees.
If the student decides to withdraw during the first five days
of classes, the College will refund 80 percent of her fees. During the
sixth through the 10th day of classes, 65 percent of the fees will be
refunded if she withdraws. During the 11th to the 15th day of classes, 50
percent of the fees will be refunded if she withdraws. No refunds will be
made after the 15th day of classes.
Return of Title IV Funds
This policy applies
to students who complete 60% or less of the enrollment period (i.e.,
Fall,
Spring or Summer session) for which they received Federal Title IV aid.
The term "Title IV aid" refers to the following Federal financial aid
programs: Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans, Subsidized Federal
Stafford
loans, Federal Perkins loans, Federal PLUS (Parent) loans, Federal Pell
Grants, and Federal SEOG (Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant).
To conform with the policy, Stephens College must determine
the student's withdrawal date. The withdrawal date is defined as:
-
the date the student began the withdrawal process or
officially notified Stephens College of her intent to withdraw;
or
-
the midpoint of the enrollment period for a student who
leaves without notifying Stephens College.
The calculation required determines a student's earned and
unearned Title IV aid based on the percentage of the enrollment period
completed by the student. The percentage of the period that the student
remained enrolled is derived by dividing the number of days the student
attended by the number of days in the period. Calendar days ( including
weekends) are used, but breaks of at least 5 days are excluded from both
the numerator and the denominator.
Until a student has passed the
60% point of an enrollment period, only a portion of the student's aid
had
been earned. A student who remains enrolled beyond the 60% point is
considered to have earned all awarded aid for the enrollment
period.
Earned aid is not related in any way to institutional
charges. In addition, the College's refund policy and Return of Title IV
Funds procedures are independent of one another.
The responsibility
to repay unearned Title IV aid is shared by Stephens College and the
student. For example, the calculation may require Stephens College to
return a portion of Federal funds to the Federal Title IV programs. In
addition, the student may also be required to return funds based on the
calculation. A student returns funds to the Federal Stafford loan
programs
based on the terms and conditions of the promissory note of the loan. The
return of Federal aid is in the following order: Unsubsidized Federal
Stafford loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford loans, Federal Perkins loans,
Federal PLUS (Parent) loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal SEOG
(Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant).
Students who owe
funds to a grant program are required to make payment (or payment
arrangements) with the U.S. Department of Education. The student is
ineligible for future Title IV aid unless payment (or payment
arrangements) are made within 45 days. At the time of this writing, the
Department of Education is currently reviewing its policy on this issue.
See the Office of Accounting for further details.
Returned Checks
Writing a
check without sufficient funds is a violation of state law, and the
violator is subject to prosecution. A check returned to the College due
to
insufficient funds will result in a $10 charge plus the amount of the
check.
Financial Aid
Stephens College
understands that a college education represents a major financial
investment for a student and her family. This financial investment may be
beyond the resources of the student who otherwise has the academic and
personal qualifications needed to experience a successful college career
at Stephens. The following information is to acquaint you, the student,
and your parents with alternatives that can be provided to assist you in
financing your higher education.
As an institutional commitment,
Stephens College endeavors to provide assistance to its admitted students
who demonstrate financial need. This assistance is made possible through
the generosity of friends of the College, alumnae, state and federal
government programs and the College itself. More than 80 percent of
Stephens students receive financial assistance from the
College.
There are two basic categories of financial assistance:
(1) scholarships that are based on academic ability and special skills;
and (2) financial aid that is awarded on the basis of need. The chart
below is a summary listing of various types of scholarships and financial
aid available at Stephens College through Federal, state and
institutional
sources.
Student Cost of
Education
In planning to attend Stephens College, a
student should expect the following typical costs for an academic year
based on the 2002-2003 residential fee structure.
Tuition and General Fees: $ 16,715
Double Room
(single room, $1,000 extra): $ 2,950
Board: $ 2,740
TOTAL DIRECT FEES:
$ 22,405 (includes amount for
14-meal/$0 flex cash)
Additional Estimated Expenses:
(Books, supplies,
etc.) $ 3,135
These fees are subject to change at the discretion of the
Stephens College Board of Trustees. In addition, allowances for
transportation costs of at least two (2) round trips per academic year
from your residence to campus should be anticipated. The Office of
Financial Aid will consider the total cost of education, which consists
of
the above items, when making financial aid commitments.
Educational
costs of independent students and nonresidential students will vary from
the above amounts. Please contact the Financial Aid office for the exact
costs of attendance for these categories of students.
Academic Standing Criteria for Financial
Assistance
Students receiving financial aid must
fulfill certain criteria to determine that they are in good standing and
maintaining satisfactory progress in their course of study. For financial
assistance purposes, a full-time student must maintain satisfactory
academic progress defined as successful completion of at least 7 courses
per year with a cumulative 2.0 GPA. Students who carry a normal load of
5.0 courses per semester, who maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA and who meet
other degree requirements, can expect to receive a baccalaureate degree
in
four academic years. For purposes of financial aid, Stephens College sets
a maximum time frame of six academic years for a full-time student to
complete a baccalaureate degree. At the end of each semester, a
determination of continued eligibility for financial assistance is made.
Any student who fails to meet the established criteria will be placed on
financial probation for one semester. Continued failure to meet the
established criteria will result in financial assistance suspension and
loss of all eligibility for financial assistance.
In the event of
loss of eligibility for financial assistance due to extenuating
circumstances, the student may appeal to an Appeals Committee for
reinstatement of financial assistance eligibility. The student must
complete the Financial Assistance Appeal Statement, which is available
from the director of financial aid. Examples of extenuating
circumstances,
which must be documented by the student and which would be considered by
the Appeals Committee, include the death of a relative of the student or
an injury or illness of the student.
Where there are no extenuating
circumstances, the student may petition for reinstatement of financial
assistance eligibility when she subsequently obtains academic standing
consistent with the established criteria as stated in the first paragraph
of this section.
Successful course completion requirements for
financial assistance eligibility will be pro-rated for transfer,
three-quarter and half-time students. GPA requirements are the same for
part-time students as for full-time students.
Eligibility for Financial Assistance
To establish eligibility for need-based institutional, federal and
state financial assistance, students must complete a need analysis form.
Stephens College requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA). Completion of this form establishes what the student's family
can
reasonably be expected to contribute to the student's
education.
The expected family contribution (parents' contribution
plus student contribution) is subtracted from the cost of education (as
discussed under "Student Cost of Education") to determine the amount of
financial assistance for which the student is eligible.
Students
who have been determined eligible for financial assistance are offered a
financial assistance "package" consisting of various types of assistance
such as grants, scholarships, loans and student employment. Financial
assistance award letters will be sent to each student applying for
financial assistance. The award letter will list each amount of financial
assistance offered. The student may accept or decline any portion of the
award offered.
All students who complete the financial assistance
process by the publicized priority deadline (March 15) will be given
first
consideration in awarding financial assistance. Applications received
after the priority deadline will be considered only if funds are
available.
How to Apply for
Financial Aid
-
Apply for undergraduate admission to Stephens College.
The student must be accepted for admission before financial aid can be
awarded. Students may apply for admission as early as September 1 to be
considered as candidates for merit-based institutional scholarships.
Scholarships will be awarded from October through May. All students who
are accepted for admission will be considered as a candidate for these
scholarships if they meet the academic criteria.
-
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) as soon after January 1 as possible. The Stephens College
priority deadline is March 15. For Missouri residents, the deadline for
state aid is April 1. The FAFSA should be available from your high
school or the Stephens College Office of Financial Aid after December
1.
This form should be completed either via Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov
or on the paper form and submitted to the Department of Education. Be sure
to designate Stephens College as a recipient of the results of this
FAFSA form by including the Stephens College school code: 002512. Upon
receipt of the required form from the processing service, the Stephens
College Office of Financial Aid will analyze the report to determine
eligibility for assistance. The basis for computing financial need is
the difference between the cost of education and the expected family
contribution (EFC) as established by the need analysis form.
*If your
family chooses not to complete the FAFSA and only wants institutional
merit scholarships, you will need to contact the Financial Aid office
for the appropriate institutional application. The Financial Aid office
will provide the "Financial Aid Application for Scholarship-Only
Students" upon your request. You need to request and complete this form
each year in order for your merit scholarships to be renewed.
-
Certain students (approximately 30 percent) will be
selected for verification under federally mandated guidelines. The
family will be asked to provide a signed photocopy of the student and
parents' most recent U.S. income tax return and fill out an
institutional verification form. Therefore, we recommend that you keep
copies of tax returns.
-
You must reapply each year for financial
assistance
Applications for financial assistance should be received
by the March 15 priority deadline. Financial aid decisions will be made
after completing items 1-3. Late applications will be considered only if
funds are available.
Sources of
Financial Aid
Stephens College provides financial
assistance through Federal aid, state-administered aid, gifts from
alumnae, parents, friends, faculty and staff, business firms,
foundations,
trusts, corporations and the Columbia community.
In addition to its own
funds, Stephens College participates in the following federal programs:
the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grant
(FSEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work Study Program (FWS), Federal
Subsidized Stafford Student Loan, Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students
(PLUS) and Unsubsidized Stafford Student Loan for independent students as
defined by the federal regulations.
Institutional Merit-Based Aid
Freshman Scholarships:
High Honors Scholarship
High school GPA of 3.60 to 4.00.
ACT 27 +, SAT I 1300 +. $8,000 to $10,000 per year.
Renewable.
Presidential Scholarship
High school GPA of
3.00 to 3.50. ACT 25 +, SAT 1070 +. $6,500 to $8,000 per year.
Renewable.
Stephens Award
High school GPA of 2.5 to 2.9.
ACT 20 +, SAT 1000. $2,000 to $6,000 per year.
Renewable.
Leadership Award
Freshmen with outstanding
achievements. $1,000 to $3,000 per year. Renewable.
Transfer Students
Scholarships:
Phi Theta Kappa Founders
Scholarship
AA degree and 3.0 + GPA. $7,000 to
$10,000 per year. Renewable.
Transfer Scholarship
24+
hours of transfer credit with 2.5 + college GPA. $5,000 to $6,000 per
year. Renewable.
Institutional
and Federal Need-Based Aid
Stephens
Grants
Full-time students with proven financial need. Value varies
with established need.
Mid-Missouri Grant
Full-time
student from Audrain, Boone, Callaway, Cole, Cooper, Howard, Moniteau,
Randolph counties. Family must have resided there one full year prior to
student's enrollment. $1,700 per year.
Sister
Grant
Sisters concurrently enrolled full-time in Stephens College
will receive award. $500 per year.
Federal Pell
Grant
Full- or half-time undergraduate students meeting program
requirements. Up to $4,000 per year.
Federal Supplemental
Education Opportunity Grant
Undergraduate students with proven
financial need, who also receive the
Pell Grant.
Value varies.
Maximum cumulative to $9,000 for undergraduate program; $4,500 maximum
for
first two years of study.
Federal Perkins
Loan
Undergraduate students with proven financial need. Value
varies. Cannot exceed $4,000 per year.
Federal Work Study
Program (FWS)
Undergraduate students with proven financial need.
Value varies according to need. Paid hourly rate (minimum wage) every two
weeks. Students must earn these funds.
Stephens Employment
Program
Full-time undergraduate students with preference to
financial aid students. Value varies. Paid hourly rate (minimum wage)
every two weeks.
Federal Stafford Student Loan Program
(subsidized and unsubsidized)
Full- or half-time students meeting
program requirements. Up to $2,625 per year for freshmen; $3,500 per year
for sophomores; $5,500 per year for juniors and seniors.
Parent
Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)
Full- or half-time students
meeting program requirements. Cost of education less other financial
aid.
Federal Stafford Additional Unsubsidized Loan
Full- or half-time students meeting program requirements who are independent or dependent
students denied PLUS. Up to $4,000 for freshmen and sophomores; up to $5,000 for juniors and seniors.
State-Administered
Programs
Charles Gallagher Grant
Program
Legal residents of Missouri with proven
financial need. Full-time undergraduate students. Up to $1,500. Renewable
by application with continued determined need. Free application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) must be processed by April
1.
Missouri Bright Flight Scholarship Program
Missouri
resident with composite ACT or SAT I score in top 3% of all Missouri
students. $2,000 per year.
Other
Sources of Financial Aid
Veterans
Administration (G.I. Bill)
Veterans, widows of veterans and
children of disabled or deceased veterans. Value
varies.
Rehabilitation Commission
Students with certain
physical or emotional disabilities. Value varies.
Local
Awards
Value varies.
Reserve Officer
Training (ROTC)-Army, Navy, Air Force
Full-time undergraduate
students who are physically qualified. Three-year and two-year
scholarships available. Tuition, fees, books and monthly subsistence
for duration of scholarship.
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