Whitlock Building 251
Phone: (859) 622-2361
Fax: (859) 622-2019
www.finaid.eku.edu

Financial assistance is available to help students offset the cost of their college education. There are five types of financial aid: grants, loans, employment, entitlements, and scholarships. The grants, loans, and federal work study programs are need-based. To determine how much money and for which programs the student qualifies, he/she must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid each year.

Entitlements include but are not limited to resources from the Veterans Administration and Vocational Rehabilitation. Scholarships are awarded from the University as well as outside sources. For information regarding entitlements, students should contact the Division of Student Financial Assistance at (859) 622-2361. This office can guide the student to the proper source depending on the type of entitlement or scholarship the student is interested in pursuing.

For scholarship information, students should contact the Scholarship Office in the Whitlock Building, Room 346 (859) 622-8032.

Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR)

EKU supports the efforts of OVR to serve eligible individuals with disabilities. The Kentucky Office of Vocational Rehabilitation provides vocational rehabilitation services to eligible individuals with disabilities. Individuals receiving OVR services may also contact the EKU Center For Student Accessibility for academic accommodation. For more information about eligibility criteria call the Office of Vocational Rehabilitation toll free at 1-800-372-7172 or (502) 564-7172, or visit the website at https://kcc.ky.gov/.

Grants

Grants are considered gift aid and do not usually have to be repaid.

The Federal Pell Grant is the largest grant program. The maximum award is $5,920 for 2021-22.

The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is awarded to students who demonstrate exceptional need, and priority is given to Federal Pell Grant recipients. The average Federal SEOG award at Eastern Kentucky University is generally $550 for the academic year.

The College Access Program Grant (CAP) is awarded to eligible Kentucky residents. The amount of this grant is determined by the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). It is given to students enrolled for a minimum of six hours. Full-time students will receive up to $950 per semester, $1,900 for the 2021-22 academic year.

Scholarships

Eastern Kentucky University offers a range of academic scholarships designed to reward scholastic achievement and enhance the university community through the attraction of academically talented students.

Unless noted otherwise in the specific description, each of these scholarships is awarded for eight consecutive regular semesters of full-time undergraduate work to students earning their first undergraduate Bachelor degree, provided a satisfactory grade point average is maintained.

In addition to the general scholarship program described below, the University also awards a number of scholarships funded through private funds administered in the Eastern Kentucky University Foundation. Students need to complete the scholarship application form to be considered for all foundation scholarships the University awards (www.scholarships.eku.edu).

Some discipline specific scholarships are awarded based on selection processes within the appropriate academic department. If the department housing the major indicated on the application form awards such scholarships, you will receive information from that department.

In addition to completing the scholarship application, it is also necessary to apply for admission to the university and for financial aid. All necessary forms are available through the Office of Admissions. If you have a question, or need admission forms, please call 1-800-465-9191, or send an email to admissions@eku.edu. Scholarship applications are available online at www.scholarships.eku.edu.

Except for the book award to participants in the Honors Program, the university does not make multiple awards of the described scholarships. Recipients will receive the highest award for which they apply, are eligible and selected.

The following information is applicable to freshmen enrolling at Eastern Kentucky University for the first-time in the Fall semester, 2017.

Transfer Scholarship: Students need to apply for admission to be considered automatically for merit scholarships. To be considered for the fall semester, students must apply for admission by June 15th. To be considered for the spring semester, students must apply for admission by November 15th. To be considered for the summer semester, students must apply for admission by April 15th. The transfer scholarship qualifications and requirements for this scholarship can be found at www.scholarships.eku.edu.

Awards

Four-year awards can vary up to $52,000. Merit scholarships are awarded automatically upon admission to EKU. Applicants must be admitted prior to February 1st to receive priority for scholarships. We will continue to award after February 1st until funds are exhausted. The last date for scholarship upgrades is March 1st. There are no upgrades after that date. Students that are in a 100% online degree program are not eligible for merit scholarships. Requires maintenance of a certain grade point average to retain, dependent upon the amount of the award and student must be enrolled in a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. If a student does not return for a semester, then the scholarship is considered forfeited and cannot be reinstated.

To determine your eligibility, please refer to our scholarship calculator at www.scholarships.eku.edu/estimator. Students should input their unweighted high school GPA and their ACT SAT scores. Many academic departments offer scholarships. Check with the department of your intended major or program to learn more about these options. Private donors, corporations and a wide range of organizations also have endowed scholarships. Discover more at www.scholarships.eku.edu.

Number of Awards: Limited

J.W. Thurman Alumni Scholarship: Applicants must be a dependent child of an EKU graduate. Applicants must score at least an 18 composite on the ACT exam and have a minimum high school grade point average of 3.0. Applicants may use the University’s foundation scholarship form and check the block indicating the application is for the J. W. Thurman Alumni Scholarship, and mail the application to the EKU Scholarship Office.

Alumni Fund Scholarship: Applicants must be incoming freshmen with an ACT score of at least an 18 and a high school GPA of 3.0. Students that demonstrate financial need to the University through the FAFSA application shall be given priority. Applicants must be involved in at least three extracurricular activities.

Honors Program Award: Students who are accepted into the University Honors Program will receive books-on-loan for up to eight consecutive semesters, provided they remain in the Honors Program.

Dr. Rodney Gross Scholarship: The Dr. Rodney Gross Diversity Scholarship provides financial assistance to high-achieving students from all segments of society: Alaskan, Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or Latino. Applications may be obtained by contacting the Scholarship Office by phone (859) 622-8032 or via the web at www.scholarships.eku.edu.

EKU Retention Scholarship (Contingent on outside funding): Students completing their freshman year with a 2.0 grade point average or better and returning for the following fall term may apply for the competitive Retention Scholarship. If applicants have been enrolled in developmental courses they must have earned at least a grade of a “C” or better and be degree seeking students. This non-renewable scholarship provides up to $1000.00 for an academic year toward tuition and fees. Applications may be obtained by contacting the Scholarship office by phone (859) 622-8032 or via the web at www.scholarships.eku.edu.

Student Loans

The Federal Perkins Loan is a 5 percent simple interest loan awarded to exceptionally needy students. This loan is made to undergraduates, as well as post-baccalaureate and graduate students. Repayment begins nine months after the student ceases to be enrolled on at least a half time basis. There are certain occupations which allow a student to cancel a percentage of the money they borrow from this program. Contact the Loan Accounts Office in the Whitlock Building, Room 216, for more information regarding the cancellation and deferment options. All first time Federal Perkins Loan borrowers must be enrolled for thirty (30) days before their first Perkins disbursement can be released.

The Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Program is a need based program available to students who are enrolled at least half time. This loan is for undergraduate, and post-baccalaureate students. The interest rate is fixed and is not to exceed 8.25%. Contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance after July 1 for the current year interest rate.

The Federal Government pays the interest while the student is enrolled at least half time. A student has six months after ceasing to be enrolled as a half time student before repayment begins.

All first time Federal Direct Loan borrowers (subsidized as well as unsubsidized) must complete entrance counseling before their loan can be processed. Counseling can be completed at www.studentloans.gov.

The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program is not based on need. It has a different interest rate as the Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Program, and the student is responsible for paying the interest on this loan. The unsubsidized and the subsidized loan cannot exceed the maximum amount allowable by a student’s classification. For example:

First Year Students - $5,500 is the annual loan limit. No more than $3,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans. All first time Federal Direct Loan borrowers must be enrolled for thirty (30) days before the first disbursement can be released.

Second Year Students - $6,500 is the annual loan limit a student can borrow. No more than $4,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Note: This is the maximum amount ($6,500) that a student working on an Associate Degree is eligible to receive.

Third and Fourth Year Students - $7,500 is the annual loan limit. No more than $5,500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans.

Graduate Students - $20,500 is the annual loan limit. No more than $8,500 of this amount can be in subsidized loans.

Independent students may be eligible for an additional unsubsidized funds. An independent student could borrow up to an additional:

• Freshman/sophomore - $4,000
• Junior/senior - $5,000

Keep in mind that the unsubsidized and subsidized Direct Loans combined cannot exceed the student’s cost of education minus all other student financial assistance.

Each annual loan limit is for one award year (12 month period; i.e., fall, spring, and summer).

To apply for a Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan, all students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. After the student is evaluated for all federal programs, his/her eligibility for the Direct Loan program is determined. The Office of Student Financial Assistance will certify the loan and electronically submit the information to the U.S. Department of Education (DOE). If the student has a signed Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file at DOE, the loan funds will be sent to Eastern Kentucky University on the specified disbursement dates. If the student does not have a signed MPN on file at DOE, a MPN must be signed electronically at www.studentloans.gov.

Post-Baccalaureate Students—Students returning to work on a second undergraduate degree are not automatically eligible for the senior annual loan limit of $7,500. Each student must submit documentation which indicates how many hours that student has toward the second degree.

The Federal Direct Plus Loan program enables parents to borrow the cost of education minus other aid for their student who is enrolled for at least 6 hours. This is not a need based loan. As long as the parent who is applying for the loan is credit worthy, the loan is usually approved. The interest rate is fixed and not to exceed 9%. Interest begins to accrue 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed. The parent must complete the PLUS application process at www.studentloans.gov each year. If the parent has a signed Master Promissory Note (MPN) on file at DOE, the loan funds will be sent to EKU on the specified disbursement dates. If the parent does not have a signed MPN on file at DOE, an MPN must be signed electronically at www.studentloans.gov.

The Student Aid Society (Emergency Loan) program is designed to provide emergency short-term loans to students. It must be repaid. Students may borrow a small amount of money on a personal note at a legal rate of interest for a one month period. Money is made available through contributions of the University, alumni, private organizations and many individual friends of the University.

You must be enrolled as a full-time student, have a 2.0 (“C”) overall grade point average, a means of repayment, and must not have a past due balance. All students are eligible to apply for these short-term loans regardless if they are receiving other forms of financial aid. An application form obtained from the Loan Accounts Office in the Whitlock Building, Room 210 must be completed.

The loan must usually be repaid within four weeks, and the student is charged an interest rate of 2 percent. Students who have delinquent loans will have their grades sealed in the Registrar and will not be allowed to register for the next semester. Delinquent loans will be collected through a collection agency. Any additional expenses incurred in the collection of the note will be added to the student’s repayment.

Student Employment

Eastern Kentucky University offers its students two employment programs. One is the federal work study program which provides part-time jobs to students who have financial need as determined by the Application for Federal Student Aid. This program is federally funded. The other is the EKU institutional work program. Eastern Kentucky University provides funds to employ students who want to work on-campus, but do not qualify for the federal work study.

Both of these programs employ students on a part-time basis, and students are paid every two weeks for the hours they have worked. Their job schedule is built around their class schedule. A variety of jobs are available including typing, filing, farm work, food service, resident hall assistants, tutorial work, as well as community service jobs. Contact Human Resources for more information at the Jones Building, Room 203, between 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.(M-F) or by phone at 859-622-5094, Option.