Financial Aid For Part-Time Students

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Overview

Realizing Your Dream of a Fairfield Education

Investing in a college education is often a major financial decision, and many students need to look beyond their own resources or those of their employer for assistance. A Fairfield education offers a lifetime of benefits, both personally and professionally, and its value will far exceed the expenses involved. We recognize that each student has unique academic and career goals, and distinctive financial circumstances when planning to further their education.

Fairfield offers you the kind of education that:

  • Makes you an agile thinker with the multidisciplinary education to form a well-rounded citizen and scholar.
  • Encourages you to develop the intellect, skills and confidence to make your own way in the world, and perhaps change it for the better.

Students who choose to attend Fairfield University as Part-Time Studies students are welcome to utilize all the services offered by our Office of Financial Aid.  This office is a valuable resource for students to learn more about various financial aid opportunities through scholarship, loans, tax credits and veterans' benefits, and other programs.

Tuition Information for Part-Time Students

View our tuition and fee schedule for all schools with part-time undergraduate programs.

Scholarships

For assistance with applying for financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Albert M. Loch Scholarship awarded by The Learning for a Lifetime Program

This scholarship is for tuition for up to three credits and is available to one undergraduate student.

Undergraduate student applicants must:

  • Demonstrate financial need
  • Be matriculated in a degree program
  • Have a GPA of 2.8 or higher

Students must submit one faculty letter of recommendation and a completed application, including cover letter, to Elizabeth Hastings. Applications can be picked up at the Kelley Center.

Loans and Other Aid

There are various loans and other aid options available to assist students.

Tax Credits

Some expenses are associated with education such as registration fees, travel costs, meals and lodging may be tax deductible. Students may be eligible for tax credits, which can come in several ways. Consult IRS tax publications or an accountant to determine tax benefits.

Veterans' Benefits

Veterans may apply educational benefits to degree studies pursued at Fairfield University. Fairfield has a long history of working with veterans, and we have recently introduced our Veterans Pride Program, which further enhances tuition benefits for qualified veterans.

Cost Of Attendance

The cost of attendance (COA) is the total amount it will cost a student to attend Fairfield University for a specified period of enrollment. This information is very useful for financial planning purpose and for securing loans, if necessary. This cost includes two types of related educational expenses, direct and indirect.

  1. Direct Costs are the costs for which a student will be billed by the Office of the Bursar. These costs include, but are not limited to, tuition, registration/student activity fees, and other fees associated with the program.
  2. Indirect Costs are the costs for which a student will not be billed, but may incur as an expense while attending Fairfield University. These costs include books, supplies, transportation, personal expenses and off-campus living expenses.

The total cost of attendance is also called a budget. Students who are currently enrolled can view their program budgets in the financial aid section of my.Fairfield. The budget total represents the maximum amount a student may borrow for the direct and indirect costs of attending Fairfield degree program. All budgets vary by program of study and are used when determining financial aid eligibility.

The tuition total in a either a graduate or part-time undergraduate student's program budget generally assumes a minimum of 6 credits per semester (unless otherwise noted for select programs). A budget can be adjusted to reflect the most accurate tuition and fee costs, which may result in a change to financial aid eligibility. If a student plans to enroll for more than six credits in any semester, he/she should inform the Office of Financial Aid.

Not all students will need to borrow for all allowable expenses. Student borrowing needs while at Fairfield University may vary. We recommend that students consider borrowing only what is needed. However, the budgeted amount for borrowing may be changed to help meet a student's needs while in school. To begin the conversation about borrowing in excess of both the direct and indirect costs as stated in a student's assigned program budget, it would be best for the student to contact his/her financial aid counselor. There is a Cost of Attendance Appeal process that our financial aid counselors can talk about in more detail, on a case-by-case basis with interested students.

The Office of Financial Aid is available to help answer questions regarding the program cost of attendance, budgeting and financing options.

Applications & Eligibility

Admission Requirements

Part-time students may qualify for federal financial aid at Fairfield University. In order to be eligible for one or more of the federal student aid programs, students must:

  • Be matriculated in a degree-granting program
  • Maintain at least half-time enrollment (six credits)
  • Maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as defined by Fairfield University
  • Meet various federal regulatory requirements 

How to Apply

In order to apply for any of the federal student aid programs, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students (and parents of dependent students) must sign the FAFSA with a personal identification number (PIN) as assigned by the Department of Education. To submit the FAFSA to Fairfield University, use the federal school code: 001385. The FAFSA should be submitted at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the semester the student is applying for aid.

Deadlines

Federal student aid will be awarded to all eligible part-time students on a rolling basis as applications are received by the Office of Financial Aid. Need-based University aid, which may be available, could be awarded to eligible students when the FAFSA is received by the following deadlines:

Fall Applicants:
The FAFSA must be received by the federal processing center by June 1.

Spring Applicants:
The FAFSA must be received by the federal processing center by November 1.

Federal Verification

Verification is the process when a school is required to compare the information from the FAFSA to the information from a student's (and parent's, if applicable) tax and income information filed from the previous year. If a student's application is selected for verification by the Department of Education, he/she will be notified through the Student Aid Report (SAR) and by Fairfield University. A SAR is the summary of a student's FAFSA results. Students selected for verification will need to submit additional documentation as requested by the Office of Financial Aid.

Registration Procedures

Part-time students can register for courses by phone, in-person, or online via the student portal, my.Fairfield, and will be billed accordingly by the Office of the Bursar. Students can either arrange to make tuition payments in accordance with tuition payment policies or can seek options with financial aid, loans and other financing to assist with program expenses.

Students will be allowed to register in the fall and spring semesters with payment required upon receipt of an electronic billing statement via notification to the student's university e-mail account. This billing arrangement is available from the first day of registration up to three weeks prior to the start of classes. 

If registration takes place within three weeks of the start date of classes, payment in full or approved financial aid that covers the full cost of tuition/fees is required at the time of registration. Students who plan to utilize financial aid to cover all expenses in order to register during this time should submit a completed Financial Aid Registration Authorization form to the Office of Financial Aid. This form should be submitted at least 24-48 hours prior to in-person registration. If financial aid does not cover the all expenses at the time of registration, students are responsible for paying any remaining balance before registration can be complete.

For questions regarding registration, contact the University Registrar.

For questions regarding billing and tuition, contact the Office of the Bursar.

For questions regarding financial aid, contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Summer Aid

The summer semester is considered to be the last semester or trailer semester of an award year. Federal student loans may be available to students planning to enroll for the summer semester provided the student:

  • Will enroll for six credits in the summer semester,
  • Has not used their total annual aggregate loan amount during the fall and spring semesters at Fairfield University or at any other institution,
  • Will be matriculated into a degree-granting program,
  • Has met all federal regulatory requirements,
  • Is making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as defined by Fairfield University

NEW student applicants who are applying for financial aid for the first time for the summer semester should complete the current and next academic years' FAFSAs. Contact the Office of Financial Aid for further instructions regarding the FAFSA.

CURRENT student applicants who have not used their total federal student loan award for the current academic year and would like to utilize their remaining loan(s) for a summer session, should submit a Loan Request Form. This form should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid at least 24 hours prior to registration. Students can also use alternative loans for summer courses.

 

The FAFSA is only available online and should be signed electronically with the Personal Identification Number (PIN) as assigned by the Department of Education. Fairfield University's Federal School Code for the FAFSA is 001385.

Note: Tuition and fees vary by program and by academic year.  Please consult the Office of the Bursar with questions about payments and tuition/fees, or consult the Office of Financial Aid with questions about financial aid options.

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