Financial Aid

Erin Chiaro, B.S., Director of Financial Aid

The University of New Haven offers a comprehensive financial aid program, with students receiving assistance in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and part-time employment. Funds are available from federal and state governments, private sponsors, and University resources. Approximately 95 percent of the University's full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial assistance.

Most financial aid awards are based on an individual applicant's demonstration of need. Some funds are available on a merit basis for students who have exceptional academic records or athletic ability. Need-based awards are available only to U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.

Financial aid award decisions are made after careful consideration of a student's application for assistance. Eligibility for financial aid is based on financial need. Need is determined by subtracting the Expected Family Contribution (EFC), as determined by the federal "needs analysis" formula using the financial information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), from the Cost of Attendance. In calculating need, the Financial Aid Office attempts to consider all aspects of a student's financial circumstances and attempts to meet the need of aid applicants through a "package" of assistance, generally including a combination of grants, loans, and employment.

Students interested in applying for financial aid are encouraged to do so as early as possible. The priority FAFSA filing deadline for new students is March 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Returning students priority FAFSA filing deadline is January 1. All students are encouraged to apply for aid as early as possible to ensure full consideration for available funds. Financial aid applications must be completed three weeks prior to the last day of the term or academic year for which you are seeking aid in order to ensure enough time is available for processing and disbursing of funds. Completing your application too late may result in the inability to process any financial aid for the academic term or year.

Applications completed after the deadline will be considered on a rolling basis depending upon the availability of funds.

The following application materials must be completed and submitted by each financial aid applicant:

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is required to be considered for financial aid from federal, state, and institutional student financial aid programs. Students should list the University of New Haven on the form as one of the colleges authorized to receive this information. The University's Title IV School Code is 001397. Students should apply online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
• Verification. Federal regulations require that our office verify the accuracy of the information provided on the FAFSA by an applicant for federal financial aid. This process is called verification.  Students selected for Verification must provide a Verification Worksheet that will be made available to students on the online financial aid system. In addition, students' families who choose to not use or who are not able to use the IRS Data Retrieval process to complete or correct their FAFSA MUST provide a copy of the student and parent IRS TAX RETURN TRANSCRIPT or a signed copy of their federal tax returns.  Students are asked to provide the verification Information as soon as possible. Delays in receipt of the verification documentation almost always delays the processing and disbursing of your financial aid.  As a result, late fees and holds may be placed on your account so it's important that you pay close attention to the information you receive from our office.

Other forms and documents may be requested from applicants as their aid applications are reviewed. Upon completion of the review of an application, the Financial Aid Office will notify an applicant of their eligibility for financial aid.

Financial Aid Refund Policy

When students are entitled to a refund as a result of withdrawal from courses, refunds of charges and financial aid will be based on the institutional refund policy, as described in the academic policies section of the Undergraduate Catalog, and on the Return of Title IV Funds calculation, as required by Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. Federal regulations require that any unearned Title IV aid be returned to the program(s) that provided the funds.

Return of Title IV Funds

A withdrawal requires that the University calculate the amount of unearned aid a student has received. The University must determine the student's official withdrawal date as documented in the Registrar's Office. The withdrawal date is used to determine the percentage of the payment period completed and, therefore, the amount of aid a student earned. Students who have completed more than 60 percent of the term are not subject to the federal calculation.

The University must then calculate earned aid by multiplying the total aid disbursed or which could have been disbursed (excluding Federal Work Study) by the percentage of the payment period the student completed.

If less aid has been disbursed than a student has earned, then a post-withdrawal disbursement must be made. The University will notify the student or parent in writing within 30 days of the withdrawal date that a post-withdrawal disbursement is available. The student/parent must respond within 14 days of notification in order to receive the funds. The student/ parent may accept all or part of the post-withdrawal disbursement.

If more aid was disbursed than earned, then the University, the student, or both must return all unearned aid in a specific order:

Students are responsible for repaying all unearned aid a school is not required to return, as well as any balance created on their Bursar account by the application of the Title IV return of funds formula. The University will notify the student in writing within 30 days of determining an overpayment. Students must repay as follows:

Loans: repayment according to terms of the loan

Grants: repayment is 50 percent of unearned grant

Students who owe Title IV grant repayments have 45 days to repay in full, arrange to repay the University, and arrange to repay the U.S. Department of Education.

Students who fail to take action to repay will be reported to the Department of Education and National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) immediately after the 45-day period has elapsed.

Additional information is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Academic Requirements for the Retention of Financial Aid Eligibility

In accordance with federal regulations all financial aid recipients are required to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards their degree and be in good academic standing in order to remain eligible to receive federal or state financial aid. In other words, you must achieve a certain number of credits over a period of time, called "pace", and a certain cumulative GPA each year. At the end of the spring term, we will check your academic transcript to make sure that you have achieved the required pace/cumulative GPA and are not on academic probation. If you do not make satisfactory academic progress then you will not be eligible to receive federal or state financial aid for the next school year until you are in good standing. All federal financial aid including federal Direct student loans, federal Direct Parent Plus loans, grants, scholarships, and work study are subject to meeting the minimum SAP standards set by the university.

"Successful completion of coursework" is defined as the receipt of a passing letter grade (A+ to D-), and does not include the receipt of an F (Failure), INC (Incomplete), DNA (Did Not Attend), or W (Withdrawal). The requirements for good academic standing are described in the Academic Policies section of the Catalog.

Undergraduate students are also required to maintain a minimum cumulative quality ratio in accordance with the following scale:

Quality point ratio of 1.75 for 3-27 credit hours attempted

Quality point ratio of 1.85 for 28-57 credit hours attempted

Quality point ratio of 2.00 for 58 or more credit hours attempted

In addition to achieving pace and a specific Cumulative GPA, financial aid eligibility is limited to accumulated attempted credit hours totaling no more than 150% of the published credit hours required to receive an undergraduate degree. This is your maximum timeframe for receiving financial aid. At all times throughout the students' enrollment, federal regulations require schools to ensure that students are successfully completing 67% of the credits they are attempting to stay on track for graduating on time. For example, a program that requires 120 credit hours x 1.5 = 180 maximum allowable credit hours attempted for financial aid eligibility. Every term that you are enrolled in school will be counted, even the terms when you do not receive financial aid. Transfer credits accepted by the University from other institutions will count as both hours attempted and hours completed towards the maximum credit hour limit.

A student's academic progress is reviewed at the end of each spring term. The Financial Aid Office will mail a letter to each student who fails to maintain the minimum academic progress standards detailing their deficiencies and the steps for reinstating their federal and state financial aid eligibility. Students who have lost their federal and state financial aid eligibility have the opportunity to appeal for reinstatement.

A student can appeal their academic ineligibility in order to be granted federal and state financial aid despite academic deficiencies. The student must write a detailed letter explaining the extenuating circumstances (death, divorce, illness, etc) that hindered them from making satisfactory progress. The letter must come complete with documentation of the extenuating circumstances (death certificates, doctor's note, etc.), and explain what has changed that will allow the student to make satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation period.

A financial aid appeals committee made up of various members of the University community, including academic and administrative personnel, will meet to review the appeal letters. Decisions to reinstate eligibility or deny and appeal are made in a fair and equitable manner based on the information the student provided in the letter, the supporting documentation, and a review of the academic record. If the financial aid appeals committee approves the appeal, then the student will be awarded their federal and state financial aid package for one term following the appeal and would be considered on "Financial Aid probation". After completion of that term, the student must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements to be eligible for federal and state financial aid for future terms. If the appeals committee upholds the loss of federal and state financial aid, then the student will need to make payment arrangements with the bursar's office.

Major Aid Programs

Grants

Federal Pell Grants - The Pell Grant is a federal program providing grant assistance to low-income students. Grants for the 2023-24 academic year range from $400 to $7,395 with the student's eligibility being determined by the U.S. Department of Education.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants - (SEOG) is a federal program to provide grant assistance to exceptionally needy students. Students are selected by the University to receive the grants.

Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Grant Program - A need based program for Connecticut residents enrolled at least half-time at the university. Eligibility is based on the student's EFC as determined by the FAFSA.

Roberta B. Willis Scholarship Program - Connecticut students who have finished in the top 20 percent of their junior year high school class, or college undergraduates who ranked in the top 20th percentile of their senior year class and/or have scored 1800 or higher on their combined Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores or an ACT of 27 or higher, that are enrolled at least half-time in their first undergraduate program, and who have an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC), as calculated by the FAFSA, equal to or below the eligible cutoff determined by the Connecticut Office of Higher Education, may be eligible for this award. Students should contact their high school guidance office or  www.ctdhe.org for more information.

University Grants-in-Aid - University grants are made on the basis of need.

Athletic Grants-in-Aid - Athletic grants are provided to students for participation in sports. Selection for the awards is made by the athletic department based on students' athletic abilities. Awards can range up to full tuition, room, and board. Athletic grants are available in the following sports:

Miscellaneous State Scholarships - Students from other states may be eligible to apply for state scholarships that can be brought to Connecticut for attendance at the University of New Haven. Students should contact their state scholarship agencies for information.

Donor Scholarships - Many scholarship awards are available each year through the generosity of businesses, charitable organizations, and friends of the University. Scholarship funds are awarded from annual gifts from sponsors and from income from the University's endowments.

Merit Scholarships

Presidential Scholarship - A student who has achieved academic success in high school is considered for this scholarship.

Distinguished Scholar Awards - Students who have achieved academic success in high school but may not meet the requirements for the First-Year Presidential Scholarship are considered for this award.  

Charger Award - This award is presented to students who exhibit strong and consistent academic performance, but may not qualify for one of the other academic awards (Presidential and Distinguished Scholarships).

Transfer Scholarship for Transfer Students - Incoming transfer students who have completed a minimum of 12 credits at their previous institution and have a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0 may qualify for an academic scholarship. The award amounts vary depending on the student's G.P.A. Students may receive the award as they remain full-time students, and make satisfactory academic progress. The deadline for consideration is May 1.

If a transfer student demonstrates academic success but has completed fewer than 12 credits, the student will be evaluated for a scholarship based on the freshman academic scholarship criteria.

Phi Theta Kappa Scholarships - A transfer student who has been inducted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society may be considered for an additional $2000 scholarship. This award is in addition to being considered for the Transfer Presidential Scholarship and is renewable each academic year, provided the student maintains a B (3.0) cumulative average, remains a full-time student, and makes satisfactory academic progress.

Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized Student Loan - The Subsidized Student Loan is a federally subsidized loan program available on the basis of financial need to students enrolled at least half-time. The annual loan limits are as follows:

The interest is subsidized by the federal government while the student is enrolled on at least a half-time basis. Repayment begins six months after graduation or withdrawal from college. Entrance and exit counseling sessions must be conducted with all borrowers. The entrance session must be completed prior to the students receiving the first loan check. Exit counseling must be conducted prior to a student's graduation or withdrawal. Applicants must submit a complete financial aid application.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Student Loan - The Unsubsidized Student Loan is similar to the subsidized loan above except that it is not based on financial need and there is no in-school interest subsidy.  Undergraduate students will receive a minimum of $2000 at each grade level.

Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) - The PLUS Loan Program is a federal program in which parents of dependent students are permitted to apply for up to the cost of attendance minus any financial aid. Information on this program is available from the Financial Aid Office.

Student Employment

Federal Work Study Program (FWS) - This is a federal financial aid program that provides employment opportunities for needy students.

Alternative Financing Options

As a convenience to our students, we are pleased to offer the option of making tuition payments on a monthly basis.  Our installment plan option is an interest-free alternative to lumpsum payments that are due at billing time. This option allows you to spread out your payment for the semester over a period of months and can limit the amount of loan money you may need to borrow to meet the cost of education.  Further information regarding the monthly installment plan can be found on the Bursar's Office webpage at www.newhaven.edu/bursar.  

Donor Scholarships 

The University of New Haven has over 200 scholarships funded by generous donors that support qualified students with academic need. Those scholarships are administered by the Office of Financial Aid, and recipients are chosen based on academic excellence and financial need in their second, third, fourth, and graduate years. Students are not required to apply for these funds.