Guide to Financial Aid for Incoming Students
Cabrini University uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine a student's eligibility for need-based financial aid.
Visit our Financial Aid webpages to learn more about other forms of financial assistance, including:
Scholarships and Grants
Based on academic merit, financial need, or both.
Veteran Benefits
For those who have served in the US military.
Federal Work Study Program
Helps eligible students earn money for college costs.
Student Loans
Financial aid that requires repayment of the funds received, usually with interest.
Financial Aid Checklist
Want to keep track of your financial aid requirements and progress? Use our Financial Aid Checklist!
FAFSA
The FAFSA is a federal application for financial aid. You are not charged a fee for completing the form. The FAFSA asks for information about the student's and, in most cases, the student's parents' income and assets for the tax year.
Other variables, such as number of people in the family and if anyone else will be attending college at the same time, are also asked. All information supplied on the FAFSA is confidential.
The FAFSA data is submitted to the Department of Education and it calculates, through a formula called Federal Methodology, what it believes the family can afford to pay for the student's education. This figure is called the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Financial Aid Determination
When Cabrini University's Financial Aid Office receives the FAFSA data from the Department of Education, it compares the EFC against an estimated cost of attendance, which includes "direct costs," which are billed to the student by Cabrini, and "indirect costs," which are not billed, but can be presumed that a student would have to pay for as part of going to college (e.g., gasoline or books).
Financial need is determined by taking the appropriate estimated cost of attendance below and subtracting the EFC.
The Financial Aid Award Letter
The financial aid award letter will itemize all grants, scholarships, loans, and possible student employment funds. It shows how much money will go toward each semester of education for the school year. The notice also estimates the total cost of your education, allowing families to subtract their financial aid so they can determine what they might have to finance themselves.