Students must be pursuing their first undergraduate degree to be considered for these grants.

• Federal Pell Grant – must be a high need undergraduate student, and not already received more than six full-time equivalent years of Pell Grant funding
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) – a limited aid program, must be a high need and Pell eligible undergraduate student

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant is available to graduate or undergraduate students who are enrolled in an eligible program leading to teacher certification in the State of Washington. This grant may revert to an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan if certain criteria are not met after graduation. Annual awards to eligible students are up to $4,000. Eligible Programs at CityU:

• B.A. in Education (Elementary) with Mathematics
• B.A. in Education (Elementary) with Special Education
• B.A. in Education: Special Education
• Master in Teaching: Special Education

Eligible students must meet academic achievement requirements, such as maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25, and must sign the TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve and complete the TEACH Grant Entrance Counseling.

Federal Work Study is a student employment program designed to help contribute toward your educational expenses while decreasing your student loan debt and gain valuable work experience. To be eligible for Federal Work Study, a student must submit a FAFSA® for the current aid year, be enrolled in a Financial Aid eligible program, and be eligible to receive Need Based aid. Please contact finaid@cityu.edu to review your eligibility for Work Study and to find out more information on what positions are currently available.

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Program includes the following programs.

Subsidized Stafford Loans

• Available to undergraduate students only
• Interest is paid by the government while you’re enrolled at least half-time
• An origination fee (approximately 1%) is assessed by the Department of Education and deducted from the total amount of your loan before disbursement
• Repayment begins six months after you’ve left school or dropped below half-time status
• There is a 150% borrower limitation that will continue to be applied to subsidized loans with an earliest disbursement date prior to July 1, 2021. If you are a borrower in this category, you may not receive a subsidized loan for more than 150% of the published length of your program.

Unsubsidized Loans

• Available to both undergraduate and graduate students
• Interest is accruing while you are enrolled. You will receive quarterly interest statements that may be paid or deferred. Deferred interest will be capitalized (added to the loan) if no payments are made while you’re in school
• An origination fee (approximately 1%) is assessed by the Department of Education and deducted from the total amount of your loan before disbursement
• Repayment begins six months after you’ve left school or dropped below half-time status

Federal PLUS Loan

• For parents of dependent undergraduate students
• Loans are taken out by parents who do not have an adverse credit history, to cover up to the difference between the cost of attendance and the amount of financial aid you received
• Parents are responsible for all interest, which can be capitalized (added to the loan) if no payments are made when you’re in school
• If your parents choose to apply, they need to complete the loan application at studentAID.gov, as well as the Parent PLUS Loan Data Sheet available on the forms page
• Parents with adverse credit may avail themselves of an endorser option

Federal Graduate PLUS Loan

• Available to graduate students only
• Loans are taken out by graduate students who do not have an adverse credit history, to cover up to the difference between the cost of attendance and the amount of financial aid received
• Repayment begins 60 days after disbursement, unless you’re approved for an in-school deferment
• Interest begins accruing immediately
• Students must complete the Grad PLUS MPN and the Grad PLUS Entrance Counseling at studentAID.gov
• Students with adverse credit may avail themselves of an endorser option

Before you borrow think carefully about how much you’re borrowing, how much your monthly repayment will be and for how long, and what you expect to make in your intended career. Remember that the idea of going to school is to get ahead, not behind.

For more information about federal student aid, please go to studentAID.gov. For information and resources about student loan repayment, or to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit www.wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy or contact the Student Loan Advocate at loanadvocate@wsac.wa.gov.

You are not necessarily required to submit a FAFSA® in order to be considered for these funds.

Veteran Benefits
Thank you for your service! Our Veterans Affairs Officer is happy to assist you with any questions you may have. Call 206.239.4539 or email veterans@cityu.edu any time for personalized assistance. You can learn more information on our military students admissions page.

CityU Scholarships
CityU offers several need- and merit-based scholarships that are awarded four times per year (each quarter). If you’ve applied and have been accepted to CityU, you can complete the scholarship application available on our scholarships webpage.

Outside Scholarships

We have compiled a list of external scholarship and grant resources which we offer as an additional reference for students. These resources are not affiliated with the university.

Washington Award For Vocational Education (WAVE)
The Washington Student Achievement Council oversees the selection of the WAVE scholars from each Washington legislative district each year. Recipients receive a monetary grant for up to two years. If you’re a WAVE scholar (congratulations!), please contact our Financial Aid Office after you’ve been notified.

Private Educational Loans
Students have the option of supplementing their Federal Student Financial Aid funding with a private educational loan. Private educational loans may also be helpful to students in those programs of study that are not eligible for Federal Student Aid. To apply for most private educational loans, you may complete the application online directly on the lender’s website. The lender will ask you to certify your cost of attendance and enrollment status. If you are approved for the loan by the lender of your choice, they will request us to certify your application. City University of Seattle must also certify the loan prior to the funds being disbursed to the school.

The general application process is outlined below. While this won’t match everyone’s situation perfectly, it’s a great place to start if you have never applied for financial aid. Please note that most of the forms listed below can be found on CityU’s forms page.

Step 1: Complete an admission application to City University of Seattle. Continuing CityU students must meet all of the satisfactory progress requirements.

Step 2: Fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) for the upcoming academic year at studentAID.gov. Summer Quarter is the first term of our academic year. The CityU Federal School Code Number to list on the FAFSA® is 013022. You will need to register for a FSA ID. Keep track of your FSA ID, as it is your electronic signature and is used to reapply each year. Be sure to follow all the prompts on the site, including utilizing the Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) if it is made available to you.

Step 3: Your FAFSA® data will be processed within 24-48 hours and then you’ll receive an Electronic Student Aid Report (SAR). If all was filled out correctly, CityU will receive your FAFSA® data electronically approximately one week later. If you did not include CityU’s Federal School Code Number (013022) on your FAFSA® you can add it to your FAFSA® by revisiting studentAID.gov or by calling 1.800.4.FED.AID. If your Electronic Student Aid Report information shows you were selected for a process called verification, you will be contacted for additional documentation. Please note that FAFSA processing times may be longer at the beginning of a new aid year.

Step 4: Respond to any emails you receive from CityU’s Financial Aid Office; it will keep your application moving forward. Summer and fall quarters can be a busy time in our office, so processing can take several weeks. If we do not need any additional documents or information from you, we will contact you when your aid offer is available.

Step 5: Upon receiving and reviewing all of your documents, we will calculate your eligibility for Federal Student Aid and notify you of your aid package through your CityU email.

Step 6: Note that first-time borrowers at CityU will need to sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and complete the Entrance Counseling at studentAID.gov using their FSA ID. These two documents must be completed before student loan funds will disburse.

Step 7: The FAFSA® application process must be repeated each academic year.

To apply for U.S. Federal Financial Aid, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be formally admitted to CityU.
• Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen.
• Have a high school diploma or equivalent.
• Be seeking a degree in an eligible program.
• Not be in default on any federal education loan.
• Not owe a refund because of overpayment of a federal grant or loan at any college or university, and
• Have a valid Social Security number.

What to Expect

Once you submit your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®), here is what you can expect to happen next:

• You’ll receive a Student Aid Report (SAR) from the federal government. You’ll need to review it for accuracy and make any necessary changes online.
• CityU will receive your financial aid application information electronically. If we need more information to determine your eligibility, we’ll contact you through your CityU email.
• About one-third of all applications will be selected by the Department of Education for a process called verification. If you’re chosen, CityU’s Financial Aid Office will need to verify the information you provided on your FAFSA®. We’ll ask you to send additional documentation, which may include a copy of your tax return transcript(s). Be sure to respond to all requests right away, so we can keep your application moving along.
• We’ll review your application and notify you by email of your electronic Financial Aid Aid Offer. At this point, you’ll be given the option to decide how much of the financial aid offer you want to accept.
• If you wish to accept student loans, first-time CityU borrowers will need to visit studentAID.gov to complete the Entrance Counseling and Stafford Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN). In order to sign this, you will need your FSA ID (used to file your FAFSA®), your Social Security number, as well as two personal references.

How Your Financial Aid is Determined

The type of federal financial aid you are offered depends on your financial need, which is based on your income and other factors you reported on your FAFSA®. Your need for financial aid is based on the difference between the Cost of Attending school (COA) and your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). We try to meet that need in different aid programs such as grants, work study and student loans. Typically, your aid offer will include the maximum amounts for which you are eligible.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Your COA, also referred to as Student Budget, is based on several factors including the program you enroll in at CityU and the number of credits you take each quarter. The following expenses comprise a student’s COA:

• Tuition and normal registration fees (not including late fees)
• Books and supplies
• Room and board
• Personal expenses
• Transportation

2023-24 Cost of Attendance (Per Quarter)

2023-24 the Cost of Attendance (per quarter)

	Living with Parent	Not Living with Parent	*High-cost Regions
Tuition & Fees	See Tuition Chart*	See Tuition Chart*	See Tuition Chart*
Books & Supplies	$254	$254	$254
Housing & Food	$2,864	$5,956	$6,552
Transportation	$600	$646	$711
Misc./ Personal	$650	$650	$650
Total	$4,368	$7,506	$8,166

*Tuition rates
Student Budget values are established using student surveys, CPI index, and actual institutional expenses.

Expected Family Contribution (EFC)

Your EFC is calculated according to a formula prescribed by law. It measures your family’s financial strength based on the information you provide on the FAFSA®. CityU understands each family’s situation is unique. Though the processor uses a standard formula to determine a family’s expected contribution, CityU can consider unusual or special circumstances when evaluating your eligibility for aid. If you feel you have an unusual circumstance such as extraordinary medical expenses, recent unemployment or a direct educational expense not reflected in your COA, please contact your Financial Aid Counselor. We will require documentation to consider your special situation.

After your need has been calculated, need-based financial aid may be offered for up to the difference between the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution. Funding to meet your need may include grants or loans. The composition of your financial aid offer will depend upon your need level, eligibility requirements of the various aid programs, the date you applied and the availability of funds.

Special and/or Unusual Circumstances Appeal

Students may contact the CityU Student Financial Services Office to request an adjustment based on special or unusual circumstances.

Special Circumstances refer to financial situations (e.g., loss of a job, reduction in pay, additional expenses outside of the standard cost of attendance, etc.) that justify an aid administrator adjusting data elements in the student’s cost of attendance or in their EFC (expected family contribution) calculation.

Unusual Circumstances refer to conditions that justify an aid administrator making an adjustment to a student’s dependency status based on a unique situation (e.g., human trafficking, refugee or asylee status, parental abuse or abandonment, incarceration), more commonly referred to as a dependency override.

The Student Financial Services office may be reached via email at finaid@cityu.edu or by phone at (206) 239-4540.

Net Price Calculator

Net Price Calculators are designed to help you estimate your financial aid options. Please be sure to complete the entire process to ensure the best possible results, and note that the tool demonstrates possible aid for domestic students only. This tool is meant to be used to help approximate financial aid options for students and cannot be used as a guarantee. Click here to access the Net Price Calculator.

• Disbursements
• Drops & Withdrawals
• Financial Aid Offers
• Refund & Repayment due to Withdrawal
• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
• Financial Aid Code of Conduct