Need-Based Grants

• Pell and Federal Supplementary Opportunity Grants (SEOG) for students and families that qualify ($200 - $5,550)
• Minnesota State Grant for students and families that qualify ($100 - $9,050)
• Concordia Need-based Grants (amounts vary)

Merit-Based Scholarships

• Academic, based on GPA and ACT scores ($500 - $7,000)
• Lutheran Heritage, for LCMS church members ($1,000)
• Athletics - NCAA Division II rules (amounts vary)
• Talent Scholarships: Music and Theatre ($500 - $1,000)

Lutheran Church Vocation Grants

• Church Worker Assurance ($9,850)
• Church Vocation ($1,000)

Requirements for Lutheran Church Vocation Grants:

• District Financial Aid Application (PDF)
• Completed Congregational Assistance Form(PDF)
• Completed FAFSA
• LCMS District Financial Aid Office

Educational loans require a completed FAFSA, except for some alternative loans, which may have no requirements.

1. Stafford (assuming the student is dependent on the FAFSA)
   Freshman (0 -31 credits)    $5,500 maximum
   Sophomore (32-63 credits)    $6,500 maximum
   Junior or Senior (64 or more credits)    $7,500 maximum
   
   There are two types of Stafford loans:
   - Subsidized (federal government pays interest while student is in school)
   - Unsubsidized (student pays interest while in school or it accrues)
   
   To accept a Federal Stafford Loan, please complete the Stafford loan entrance counseling and sign this Stafford Master Promissory Note (MPN).
   
   New Borrowers:
   If you have never previously borrowed a Federal Stafford Student loan, please complete the Stafford loan entrance counseling and sign this Stafford Master Promissory Note (MPN)
   
   
2. Federal Parent PLUS Loans
   
   • A Federal Loan in the parent's name
   • Checks for credit-worthiness of parent
   • Maximum amount is cost of attendance minus financial aid
   • Interest rate is fixed at 7.9%
   • Re-payment starts 60 days after first disbursement or six months after the student graduates or is no longer attending at least half time.
   
   To apply for a Federal Parent PLUS Loan, please complete the Parent PLUS Master Promissory Note (MPN).
   
   
3. Private Educational Loans
   If your tuition was not covered fully by Federal Stafford loans and Need-Based Grants, you will need to pay the remainder out of pocket or apply for a Private Educational loan. There are many types of student loans, and it is important for you to choose the one that best meets your needs.
   
   FASTChoice is a tool that helps you to compare lenders and their loan products.

Take the guesswork out of estimating your monthly student loan payments.  Use this Loan Repayment Calculator to get an idea of how much you'll pay each month on your Federal Stafford, PLUS or private student loans, and how different interest rates affect your future monthly payments.

To get the most accurate picture of a student’s financial aid award, it is preferable for parents to complete the FAFSA after they have filed their federal tax return. The earliest students and their families may apply for financial aid is January 1. Awarding begins in March so it is best to apply for financial aid before the May 1 priority deadline to ensure full consideration for all financial aid. Also, the earlier students and their families apply for financial aid, the sooner they will receive their award package.

A typical financial aid package starts with the Expected Family Contribution. From that point, Concordia University will award institutional grants and scholarships, federal grants and scholarships and Minnesota State Grants (residents only). Campus work-study and student loans also will be awarded to meet demonstrated financial need only. The PLUS loan, a loan for parents and private education loan options will be presented if additional help is needed.

Students must be admitted to Concordia University and have completed a FAFSA. Approximately 10 days after the application file is complete students can expect to receive their financial aid award package.

The U.S. Department of Education requires a PIN to complete the application. The PIN provides an added level of security to financial information, and allows the applicant to log out and return to their application later if they are unable to complete the application in one session. It also allows students to access their U.S. Department of Education financial aid records. Apply for the PIN at www.pin.ed.gov.

Grant money is applied to student accounts on the first day of classes. Federal loan money is applied to student accounts following the drop-add period. Private loans are disbursed as soon as all requirements are met.

If a credit balance remains after all tuition and fees have been paid for the semester, students receive the overage within 14 days. Overages are determined after the drop/add deadline.

What does this mean?

Verification is a process that all universities receiving federal aid are required to complete. The purpose of verification is not to find fraudulent FAFSA applicants, but to find and correct common mistakes made during the filing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. If the verification process is not completed, a student will not be considered for any need-based financial aid.

To Complete This Step:

• Submit a copy of the Federal Verification Worksheet and a copy of the previous year's tax information.
  Must be the same tax documents that were used to complete the FAFSA
• If you are dependent, and were required to submit your parent's information on the FAFSA, you will need to submit a copy of yours and your parent's tax information.