Financial Information (CUS)

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• Payment
• Financial Aid

All charges for tuition, fees, and room and board are due in full by July 1, 2013, for the fall 2013 semester and December 1, 2013, for the spring 2014 semester.  Payment for the summer and winter terms are due upon registration.

Students unable to pay the full amount by these dates may utilize financial aid and/or participate in a monthly payment plan offered through the University called FACTS (a Nelnet Business Solutions company). This plan is a monthly automatic withdrawal of funds from the student’s bank to be deposited with CCU and allows the student to pay the expenses for two semesters over a 12-month period starting in July and ending in June. More detailed information about this payment method is available at the Payment Options Web page.

Students whose accounts are not paid in full or who are not enrolled in one of our payment options may be restricted from attending class, and will not be allowed to register for the following semester. Delinquent accounts will be assessed late fees, amounting to one and one-half percent interest on the balance at the end of each month.

All outstanding amounts resulting from nonpayment of tuition and fees are the responsibility of the student. Any student who is negligent in making adequate and timely arrangements to pay his or her account, or in completing arrangements for his or her financial aid, may be subject to immediate dismissal. Withdrawal from the University, officially or unofficially, will not cancel any financial obligation already incurred.

Colorado Christian University (CCU) retains all legal remedies to collect unpaid tuition, fees, and other amounts due to the University for housing, traffic fines, etc. CCU uses a variety of methods to keep students informed of amounts due the University, including financial web sites, statements, and various forms of correspondence. It is the student’s responsibility to remain aware of obligations to the University and to make payment in a timely basis.

If CCU is unable to collect amounts due the University within a reasonable time, the debt may be referred to an outside collection agency and/or attorney for collection.  You agree to reimburse us the fees of any collection agency, which may be based on a percentage at a maximum of 33% of the debt, and all costs and expenses, including reasonable attorneys’ fees we incur in such collection efforts. Your application and registration to CCU includes your consent and approval of use of the personal information you provide to CCU for the purpose of collecting any debt incurred while at CCU. This includes the consent to contact you on your cellular phone, either manually or by automated dialing, by CCU or by an agency hired by CCU to collect on the debt..

Failure to pay all amounts due CCU, including collection fees, may also result in various actions, including but not limited to withholding services and restricting the student’s ability to register for class, participate in graduation, receive a transcript or diploma, or be considered for readmission to the University. The University also reserves the right to report both positive and negative payment histories to credit-reporting agencies. This agreement entered into with CCU is to be enforced in accordance with Colorado state statutes.

CCU correspondence to students is primarily through e-mail. Students are responsible to keep their e-mail contact information up-to-date and to check their e-mail regularly for information regarding their CCU account. Information regarding students’ current account balance is always accessible through their WebAdvisor online account, and student account payments can be made online through WebAdvisor.

Fees

To cover the extra costs incurred, special fees are required of students participating in certain courses, events, and programs. See our website for Tuition and Fees information. Fees are not refunded.

Deposits

A non-refundable $300 tuition deposit, credited toward tuition, is required of all students entering the College of Undergraduate Studies. An additional $200 housing deposit is required to reserve a room on campus. After the housing deposit, application and contract are received, the Residence Life Office will send a letter designating the housing assignment. If a student does not reside on campus (for an approved reason in accordance with CCU’s On-Campus Housing Policy ), after applying for housing and signing the housing contract, the housing deposit for fall applicants is fully refundable until June 1, and partially refundable until July 15; for spring applicants, the deposit is fully refundable until December 1, through a written request to the Residence Life Office. No refunds of deposits will be given to students who decide not to live in on-campus housing or who apply for housing after these respective dates. Once a student has completed the terms of the contract, the deposit will be returned to the student if there is no outstanding balance due CCU and check-out procedures have been properly followed.

Housing and Meal Plans

On-campus housing contracts apply to the entire academic year. If a student is leaving at semester break, a Housing Contract Release Request must be submitted and approved by December 1st in order to avoid spring housing and dining charges. After the first two weeks of the semester, housing and/or meal plan charges will only be refunded in extraordinary cases, as determined by the Department of Residence Life.

Refunds

Students contemplating complete withdrawal from the University should first contact their Academic Advisor to complete the appropriate paperwork. Refunds on tuition will be made according to the following schedule:

For these figures, weeks are calculated from the start date of the course. Fees are not refunded. If a withdrawing student has any outstanding obligations to the University, any approved refund will be applied to the outstanding obligation and the student will be liable for any unpaid balance. Please note that classes are not considered “dropped” until the appropriate paperwork is filed with the Service Central office and processing is completed. This paperwork must be completed by the above deadlines to be considered for a refund.

If a student withdraws before completing 60% of any given semester, any portion of ineligible Title IV funds disbursed to a student (Pell Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Loan, and Federal PLUS Loan, but not Federal Work-Study) must be returned, according to the provisions of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998. The calculation of the return of these funds may result in the student owing a balance to the University and/or the Federal Government.

Qualifying for Federal Financial Aid

To receive any federal aid, whether a grant or a loan, a student must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on an annual basis. Students are encouraged to apply as early as possible to maximize the possibility of receiving certain grants and loans that have limited funding. You may submit the FAFSA as early as January 1 for the next fall. Students are encouraged to submit the FAFSA via the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov, and use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA. An undergraduate student must provide proof of high school or GED completion before financial aid can be disbursed.

Some students will be selected by the government for a process known as verification. If this happens, the student will need to supply the University with a completed verification worksheet and other information as requested. Families are encouraged to file their federal tax forms early because awarding will not be done until the verification process is complete.

Most, but not all, federal aid is based on need. A student’s financial need is determined by federal methodology using information supplied on the FAFSA. Students who do not qualify for need-based aid may qualify for federal non-need-based loans. The FAFSA form takes into account family size, family income, assets, and the number of family members attending college. Exceptional circumstances should be addressed to the Service Central office. All students are encouraged to apply for federal financial aid.

Students may request an electronic refund of the credit balance in their CCU account created by the disbursement of financial aid.  To request an electronic refund, students must do so by logging into their WebAdvisor account and creating an electronic funds transfer into their individual bank account.

Financial aid will not be available in time to purchase books for any semester, and alternative plans for necessary purchases should be arranged. Title IV financial aid may be available to Pell Grant recipients to assist in purchasing books 10 days before the start of the first class.  Contact Service Central for additional information.

Federal Financial Aid

Colorado Christian University administers the following federal aid programs: the Federal Pell Grant program, the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant program,  the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH Grant), the Federal Work-Study program, the Federal Perkins Loan program, the Federal Stafford Loan program (both subsidized and unsubsidized), and the Federal Plus Loan program. General information about these programs is available through the Service Central office or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

College Opportunity Fund

Students at Colorado Christian University may be eligible to receive Colorado’s College Opportunity Fund (COF) stipends to offset their cost of attendance. COF stipends are paid to eligible undergraduate students by the State of Colorado when they attend a participating institution of higher education. The stipend is a per credit hour dollar amount that is determined by the Colorado State Legislature, and is subject to annual state funding availability.

Eligible students who attend a private Colorado college or university must meet the following criteria:
• Be a documented Colorado resident
• Be a graduate of a Colorado high school OR
• Successfully complete a non-public home-based educational program in Colorado
• Demonstrate financial need as determined by federal Pell Grant eligibility
• Authorize CCU to receive the COF stipend

Colorado Student Grants

CCU undergraduate students who are residents of Colorado with high financial need may qualify for Colorado Student Grants. Students must file a FAFSA to qualify for Colorado state financial aid funding.  

Veteran’s Benefits

CCU is approved for federal veteran’s education benefits to qualified students. Applicants for these benefits may secure forms from the Veteran’s Benefits Office. Eligible students should keep in mind that benefits may not be received for a number of weeks after enrollment and should be prepared to meet University expenses until the veteran’s benefits arrive. See our Web site for additional information on CCU’s Veteran’s Benefits.

Institutional Financial Aid

The University funds a variety of grants and scholarships for qualifying students. Awards are available for, but not limited to, the following:

• Students who have academically excelled
• Students participating in music ensembles and/or orchestra.
• Students participating in intercollegiate athletics
• Students who have shown leadership abilities
• Students exhibiting higher than average financial need

To qualify for institutional aid, a student must meet the following requirements:

• Be enrolled full-time in the College of Undergraduate Studies
• Not be receiving tuition waivers as employees or dependents of employees

For detailed information regarding CCU’s institutional grants and scholarships, contact the Service Central office or the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. To maintain financial aid eligibility, students must be enrolled in coursework that satisfies the degree requirements for an eligible program of study.  

Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

To remain eligible for financial aid, a student must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. For financial aid purposes, the University has established the following standards for satisfactory academic progress. Questions about satisfactory academic progress should be referred to the Service Central office.

• A student must be enrolled as a regular student seeking a degree or diploma.
• An undergraduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher. A graduate student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. Students failing to maintain the minimum cumulative GPA requirements will be put on financial aid warning and must bring their average up to the required standard in the next semester. Failure to do so will make the student ineligible to receive financial aid until the standard is met or the student successfully appeals, which will result in a probationary status.
• Students should meet the following cumulative GPA standards, as well as all other student aid eligibility requirements, to maintain their eligibility for an academic merit scholarship.
  
  Trustees’ Scholarship - 3.5
  President’s Scholarship - 3.3
  Deans’ Scholarship - 3.2
  Honors’ Scholarship - 3.0

• Students must successfully complete at least two-thirds of the courses they attempt. Courses with grades of W, F, or I will remain in the financial aid credit calculation and are not considered to have been successfully completed, but are taken into account in calculating the completion rate. Students failing to successfully complete two-thirds of the courses they attempt will be put on financial aid warning. At the end of the warning semester, they must have successfully completed two-thirds of all courses attempted or they will become ineligible to receive financial aid. The ineligibility will continue until they meet the standard or successfully appeal, which will result in a probationary status.
• Students will no longer be eligible to receive federal, state, and/or institutional financial aid once they have attempted 150% of the number of credits needed to complete their degree as stated in the CCU Academic catalog.  All terms in which a student is enrolled count toward the maximum time frame even if the student withdraws from the school.  Terms of enrollment in which no aid is received will count towards the maximum time frame.  Transfer credits will also be included in this calculation.
• Students who are on financial aid probation have one semester to come into compliance with both the quantitative (completion rate) and qualitative (cumulative GPA) components of the satisfactory academic-progress policy. Those who do not will be ineligible to receive financial aid.
• A student is allowed to repeat a passed course one time and still be eligible to receive financial aid for the repeated course. If a student repeats a passed course a second time, financial aid cannot be used to pay for the course. The student’s financial aid will be adjusted to reflect a lower number of credits that are eligible. Students will need to pay for the repeated course from their own resources.
• Students may repeat a failed course until it is passed and be eligible for financial aid. Once a student has completed any course with a passing grade, the student is eligible for only one additional retake of the course, regardless if the repeat of the passed course results in a failing grade. Students may not repeat a failed course in the same semester and be eligible for financial aid for both courses.

Because real progress in an academic program is of greatest concern, students are evaluated for eligibility every semester, whether or not financial aid has been received. Students who become ineligible may appeal the decision with the Financial Aid Committee. The ruling of that committee is final.

Undergraduate students are required to take a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester in order to qualify for federal financial aid except for provisions in the Federal Pell Grant Program that will allow less than half-time students to receive a Pell Grant. However, once a student has received their first undergraduate baccalaureate degree, they no longer qualify to receive a Federal Pell Grant.

Undergraduate students are required to take a minimum of 12 credit hours per semester in order to qualify for institutional grants and scholarships. Full-time status is 12 hours or more, three-quarter time status is 9-11 hours, and half-time status is 6-8 hours.

How to Apply for Federal, State and Institutional Aid

• Apply for admission. Entering students cannot be candidates for financial aid until they have been admitted.
• Complete and submit the FAFSA or Renewal FAFSA forms via the Internet at www.fafsa.ed.gov. A paper application may be obtained from the Federal Student Aid Web site. Paper applications should be mailed directly to the federal processor, not to the University, using the address provided on the application. Students and their parents are encouraged to use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA.
• Students may receive requests for additional information or documentation. To help expedite the application, students should promptly submit the requested information.
• An undergraduate student must provide proof of high school or GED completion before financial aid can be disbursed.

Applications for financial aid should be submitted by April 1 for priority awarding. Applications completed after April 1 are considered only if funds are still available. Students are notified as awards are made.

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