Financial Aid FAQ & Resources

2 easy steps!

1. Apply to CSP
2. Apply for FAFSA and add in Concordia University, St. Paul with the code 002347

After you have completed the steps above, your information will be processed by the Department of Education and sent to Concordia University, St. Paul. We will then create your Financial Aid Award Letter, which will outline any grants, scholarships, and loans you may be eligible to receive. While you are waiting for your award letter, you may use the Net Price Calculator to get an estimated cost of attending Concordia University, St. Paul.

If you are a dependent student, your parent(s) or other contributor(s) will also need to provide this information.

Required

• FSA ID
  • One for you and one for each contributor (such as a parent)
  • Must be created before starting the FAFSA
• Social Security number (for you and contributors)
• Alien Registration Number (if you are not a U.S. citizen)
• Consent for the IRS to transfer federal tax information
  • Required for your FAFSA to be processed
  • Contributors must also provide consent

Yes. If you would like federal student aid to be applied to each academic year, you can complete a renewal FAFSA each year.

Verification is the process schools use to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA form is accurate. This doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. If you’re selected for verification, CSP will request additional documentation that supports the information you reported on your FAFSA.

Steps to complete verification:

• Login to CSPConnect
  • If you experience login issues, contact the IT Help Desk for assistance.
• Go to the Financial Aid Card
• Click on Verify My FAFSA
• Create an account and upload the requested documents

Questions?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Verification Team with any questions. They are here to help!

[email protected]

Federal Work-Study provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses.

Complete the FAFSA and indicate an interest in work-study to see if you qualify. Your financial aid award letter will show this option if you are eligible.

Students awarded work-study are encouraged to apply for on-campus jobs through Handshake. Earnings from work-study can be used toward tuition or deposited directly into your bank account.

Completing Entrance Counseling and signing a Master Promissory Note (MPN) are required for students who wish to accept any Stafford loan.

Complete Entrance Counseling
The entire counseling process must be completed in a single session. Most people complete counseling in 20-30 minutes. You will need your verified FSA ID to complete entrance counseling.

Complete Your MPN
The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is a legal document in which you promise to repay your loan(s) and any accrued interest and fees to the U.S. Department of Education. It also explains the terms and conditions of your loan(s)

For more details on federal aid, please go to the Accepting Financial Aid page on studentaid.gov. There, you will find information on the types of financial aid offered, the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and how to determine which loans (if any) to accept.

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.

• Understanding Federal vs. Private loans

These tools can help you find loan and scholarship options, compare lenders, and more.

• FASTChoice
• Fast Web
• Sallie Mae
• Top Lenders

The Parent PLUS Loan is a federal loan option that allows parents to help cover the cost of their student’s education. Learn more.

Financial aid award letters typically take 4–5 weeks to process, depending on volume and the time of year. Awards for the upcoming term are prioritized. If you have questions or want to confirm that your FAFSA was received by CSP, please contact Admissions.

Before an award letter can be issued:

• You must be admitted to CSP
• You must have a completed FAFSA on file and sent to CSP

PLEASE NOTE:

• All financial aid awards are estimated until funds are officially disbursed.
• Awards may change at any time, with or without consent of the recipient, as determined by the Department of Education (DOE).

A typical financial aid package begins with the SAI (Student Aid Index) which is calculated once you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Concordia will use the EFC to determine what types of aid you may be eligible for including MN State Grant, Pell, Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (SEOG), work-study, Stafford loans, Perkins loans and private education loans.

Within your financial aid award letter, you will find:

• Tuition cost
• Room and board cost
• Scholarships and grants you qualify for
• Stafford loan options for you
• Work-study (if you qualify)

To officially receive any aid from CSP, please complete the following items:

• Accept or decline your aid in CSPConnect (Financial Aid card)
• Accept the terms & conditions of your financial aid offer

If you are taking out student loans:

Complete your Master Promissory Note (MPN)
Complete your Student Loan Entrance Counseling

Congratulations on receiving CSP’s Pell Commitment! This means you are receiving additional aid covered by CSP’s Pell Grant. Learn more here.

• Grant money is applied approximately three weeks after the semester starts
• Federal loan money is applied to student accounts approximately three weeks after the start of your program.
• 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 will receive any leftover funds after the drop-add period (approximately 2 weeks after classes start).

If a credit balance remains after all tuition and fees have been paid for the semester, students receive the overage within 14 days. Refer to your CSPConnect for specific details.

Tuition is due on Tuesday of week six, each semester; read full payment information.

Learn more here.

All students are asked to set up direct deposit upon enrollment at CSP. Direct deposit is necessary for student employment payroll, student refunds, or any other reimbursements.

Please set up your direct deposit before the first day of classes by following these steps:

• Login to CSPConnect
• Under the My Account tab
• Click on Update Direct Deposit Information
• Under Accounts Payable Deposit, click +Add New
• Input your 9-digit Bank Routing Number
• Input your Account Number

Setting up a proxy is necessary for students who would like to allow their parent(s) or guardian(s) to access their education records, including grades, billing, tuition and fees assessments, and financial aid.

Please follow the instructions below to set up proxy access:

• Sign up for an account on the CSP Community and Family Portal
• Once you are logged in, click on the “graduation cap” icon to view/add your student connection
• Enter your student’s CSP email address (@csp.edu email)
  • Please note you will only be able to add your student connection after they have registered for classes
• Enter your relationship to the student
• Create a 4-digit pin
• You can now request access to all your student records or customize which records you prefer to gain access
• Click the “Connect to Your Student” button to send a request to your student’s email address
• You will see that your request is pending until your student logs into their CSP email account and approves your request
• Once your request is approved, you will have access to all approved items within the CSP Community and Family Portal

• Refunds are produced when the aid received is greater than tuition and fees charged. Federal Loans, Subsidized and Unsubsidized, will initially disburse to qualifying students after the add-drop period for the most current term has expired.
• Once funds are disbursed, if a refund is produced it will be issued within two weeks (14 calendar days). Refunds are issued two times per week: Wednesday and Friday.
• If Federal Stafford Loans are borrowed, a Disclosure Statement will be mailed to your permanent home address from the Department of Education. Please retain these records for your future use, and review them to determine loan disbursement amounts and dates.
• Refunds are sent to students via a paper check issued to a permanent home address, or via Direct Deposit. CSP encourages students to use the Direct Deposit option.

Loan Advocacy – Minnesota

If you are having issues with your student loan lender or servicer, the Student Loan Advocate with the Minnesota Department of Commerce is here to help. To file a complaint, please visit our web page. For general questions, please contact Student Loan Advocate Jabra Kawas at [email protected] or 651-539-1022.

Loan Advocacy – Washington State

Notice for Washington State Residents

• For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking 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 [email protected].

To be eligible for institutional or federal financial funds produced from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you must accomplish ALL the following:

• Minimum cumulative Grade Point | Average [GPA] of 2.0
• Minimum cumulative successful completion rate of 67% of all attempted credits
• Complete your program within 150% of published course length

If you do not satisfy one or more of the mandated requirements, the following may occur:

• Financial Aid Warning
• Financial Aid Probation
• Financial Aid Suspension

Full Policy

HEERF reporting information

• CSP SAFAP Policy Information
• Year Round Pell- Institutional Policy
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act – Confidentiality
• Return of Title IV Funds Policy
• Credit Balance Policy
• CSP Military Educational Benefits Policy
• Professional Judgment Policy

• Home Congregation Application (PDF)
• LCMS District Application (PDF)

If you do not plan to apply for FAFSA, please fill out the FAFSA Waiver Form:

• FAFSA Waiver

• • Minnesota State Program(s) Eligibility Form (PDF)
  • MN Office of Higher Education Student Portal: Applications for the following MN State Programs are found by setting up an account in the student portal. Programs in the portal: MN Dream Act, MN Indian Scholarship, MN Student Teacher Grants, MN Child Care Grant

• Request for Loan Change Form (Stafford) (PDF)

• 2025-2026 TEACH GRANT APPLICATION
• TEACH GRANT WAIVER (PDF)

Students must complete the Certificate of Finances form that reflects the information stated on their bank statement. This form should reflect information for the term that you
intend to start your studies in.

Please see CSP’s Tuition and Financial Aid page for more information on tuition and fees. International students are eligible for scholarships and are automatically awarded during the admissions process.

Consortium Agreement