Our code is 001795.

All colleges, whether public or private incur similar costs to educate students — salaries, utilities, supplies, and maintenance of facilities. However, public colleges receive tax dollars from the state to help fund their operating costs, allowing them to offer a lower tuition rate. Other ways that public colleges are able to offer lower tuition is that they usually have a much higher student to faculty ratio, use graduate assistants and/or part-time rather than full-time faculty to teach lower division courses, and employ fewer individuals dedicated to assisting students in a one-on-one fashion.

Most University of Evansville students receive some form of financial aid. Students receive aid through scholarships, grants, student loans, and the work-study program, which significantly decreases their out-of-pocket expense. As a result, given the substantial amount of merit-based and need-based financial aid we award, most UE students pay substantially less than our stated tuition.

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers a helpful tool which will allow you to compare college costs and financial aid offers from multiple schools. Click into the "Compare financial aid offers" tab and follow the prompts to compare up to three schools at a time.

Merit-based aid is awarded based on the student's "merit." Merit can be defined by academic strength, athletic ability, artistic talent, or any other quality or affiliation which a college chooses to reward with a scholarship. Colleges and organizations are free to create their own types of scholarships with their own set of eligibility criteria. For more information about University of Evansville Scholarships check out the following links:

• Scholarships for Entering Freshmen
• Scholarships for Transfer Students

Need-based aid is not determined by the student's merit. It is awarded based on the family's ability to contribute for college, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The University of Evansville offers both merit and need-based financial aid. A student may ultimately receive a financial aid package which consists of both merit and need-based aid, in the form of scholarships and grants (free aid which does not have to be paid back), student loans (which will be paid back by the student after graduation from college), and work-study (money which is earned by working part-time on campus).

First, apply for admission to the colleges you are considering. Ask each college what scholarships are offered and how to apply for them. Secondly, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For maximum aid consideration from UE, the form should be received by the federal processor no later than April 15 each year. This form will determine your eligibility for need-based aid (based on family income) from federal, state, and university sources. Some colleges require an additional application to be considered for their own aid. And finally, tirelessly research scholarships sponsored by local groups and businesses, parents' employers, your church, and any entity with which you have a connection.

In most cases, all forms of aid from the FAFSA and outside sources may be added to your UE merit-based scholarship(s).

The 2024-25 FAFSA uses a sophisticated formula, determined by the United States Congress and Department of Education, to assist with the equitable distribution of need-based aid. The 2024-25 FAFSA starts with the family's taxed and untaxed income from all sources. Based on the number of people in the household, allowances are given to shelter amounts for basic needs such as housing, food, taxes, household maintenance, medical care, transportation, and savings. Neither consumer debt nor lifestyle choices are taken into account. After sheltering a large portion of income to cover basic needs, a figure called parent contribution or PC is determined. A different formula is applied to the student's earnings and assets, and a figure is derived called student contribution or SC. The sum of the PC and SC is called the Student Aid Index or SAI. This is the number that determines financial aid eligibility. The SAI is how colleges distribute and assess financial aid eligibility in a standard manner.

There is no exact income "cut-off." Income is just one data element used by the 2024-25 FAFSA to determine financial need. For example, family size is a major factor of the SAI calculation. Families with similar incomes but different family size may have different eligibility. In addition, financial need can be affected by student earnings and assets. The 2024-25 FAFSA formula is just too complex to offer an income "cut-off."

Provide information about the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months. If both parents provided an exact equal amount of financial support or if they don’t support you financially, provide information for the parent with the greater income and assets. If the 2024-25 FAFSA parent is remarried, the resident stepparent's income is included on the student's 2024-25 FAFSA. If the household receives child support from the non-2024-25 FAFSA parent, that amount will be reported on the 2024-25 FAFSA. Likewise, if income leaves the household because the stepparent is paying child support to another family, that amount will also be reported.

The 2024-25 FAFSA wants to know about the number of people who live in the 2024-25 FAFSA parent’s house and receive at least half of their support from the student's parents. Support includes shelter, food, and payment of transportation, medical, insurance, or educational costs. The student is always counted, as well as the biological parent(s) or resident stepparent (in the case of a remarriage — see above). Dependent siblings/stepsiblings are also counted, even if they live away at college during the academic year. An older sibling who is in graduate school can be counted on the dependent student's 2024-25 FAFSA in family size if the parents still provide at least half of their support. The graduate student, however, is eligible to file his or her own 2024-25 FAFSA as an independent student. Other family members such as grandparents, nieces, or nephews may also be counted if they live in the household and receive at least half of their support from the student's parents.

Probably not. The philosophy which governs financial aid eligibility focuses on the parents' ability to assist the student with college expenses, not willingness to do so. Students must include parent information on their FAFSA, unless they meet one or more of the conditions defined by the FAFSA to be considered independent. If you are concerned that your parents cannot help you pay for college because their income is low, then take heart — that is why financial aid exists! In the case of an irreparable family breakdown where the parents are truly absent, yet the student does not meet one of the FAFSA's conditions for independence, the Office of Student Financial Services should be contacted to discuss whether the student qualifies for a "dependency override."

The FAFSA should be completed answering the questions exactly as they are asked on the form. The FAFSA will require two years’ prior tax information and household size information for the upcoming academic year. Contact the Office of Student Financial Services to discuss unusual circumstances or changes that take place after the FAFSA has been filed. Students who are still making their college decision will need to work separately with each prospective college. Some issues which could be discussed are loss of employment, divorce, retirement, extraordinary medical expenses, tuition expenses for private elementary or secondary schools, and large one-time additions to normal income.

Yes, the FAFSA is completed each year between October 1 and April 15 (preferably) to determine aid eligibility for the next academic year. Therefore, eligibility for need-based aid may change annually, while eligibility for merit-based aid is unaffected by changes to the FAFSA data.

Parents have many options from which to choose when paying college costs. The balance due to UE may be paid in two or four installments, or monthly using the University's payment plan. Many parents choose to pay for college by borrowing and spreading the cost out over a period of several years. One resource is the Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). To use the PLUS Loan, the student's parent does not have to demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA; however, s/he must be credit-worthy. Unlike student loans, which are automatically deferred until after graduation, parents will begin to make payments toward their PLUS loan beginning in February of the student's freshman year unless they request deferment when applying. Parents apply each year that they wish to continue using the loan to pay for college costs. The most current information about interest rates and loan origination fees can be found at studentaid.gov.

Refunds are automatically processed within the first 14 days of the term or within 14 days of disbursement, whichever occurs first.

Students who have entered bank account information in WebAdvisor will receive refunds via direct deposit. If no bank information is on file, the refund will be in the form of a check and made available for pick up in the cashier area of Student Financial Services. If the refund is not picked up in the time provided, the check will be mailed to the permanent home address.

The UE Student Emergency Fund is designed to provide temporary, short-term financial assistance to students who are striving to balance demanding academic requirements while struggling with debilitating financial circumstances. Provided as a one-time award, the emergency fund is not a loan that students must repay. The funding is not intended to provide relief for ongoing expenses, nor is the primary purpose to fund educational expenses owed to UE. The fund is meant to recognize that a financial situation may put a student in jeopardy of continued enrollment at the University of Evansville. Each student’s circumstance is carefully considered by the UE Student Emergency Fund Committee, and shared information is confidential. To apply, please contact the Office of Student Financial Services for the application or view more information.

Students are able to access the 2023 1098-T within the Student Finance area of Self-Service under tax information. Students will need to consent to receive their 1098-T electronically.

IRS regulations require that account information be reported in the calendar year where it occurred. Qualifying educational expenses for spring 2023 were billed and due in December of 2022. However, financial aid for spring 2023 didn't disburse until classes began in January, so spring 2023 financial aid is included in Box 5. This is important to note due to the crossover from one calendar year to the next, but this does not mean there are no qualifying educational charges to offset that aid.

It is also important to note that the 1098-T is an informational document only, so in order to ensure accurate reporting for your taxes, you will likely need to gather additional information from multiple sources: the 1098-T, financial aid award detail, semester billing statements, and any 2023 receipts of payment.

If you have additional questions, please email the Office of Student Financial Services.

Any activity on your student account will generate an account activity email, even on accounts with zero balances. This is just a notification that a change has occurred and prompts you to review your account.

You can download the slides from the following link: SFS SOAR 1 Fall 2023.