FAQs

• Whether you’re a student, parent, or borrower, you’ll need to create your own account to apply for, receive, and manage your federal student aid. Instructions on how to create a StudentAid.gov account and answers to frequently asked questions are provided on the Federal Student Aid website.

• If you have forgotten your StudentAid.gov username and/or password, please click here. 

• Assets must be reported as of the day you signed the FAFSA; therefore, these figures cannot be updated.

• A student’s financial need is determined by subtracting their Expected Family Contribution (EFC) from their Estimated Cost of Attendance.

• We strongly encourage all students to file the FAFSA to ensure you are receiving the maximum aid offer available. 
• Even if you don’t qualify for Federal or state grants, you may qualify for additional grants from Valpo.
• You can submit this application online here.

• No, but if you reside in Indiana, please make sure you file your FAFSA by the state deadline, April 15th, to be considered for their state grants.

• The Student Aid Index (SAI), starting with the 2024-25 FAFSA, is an eligibility index number that is used to determine how much federal student aid a student would receive. This number results from the information that the student provides in their FAFSA^® form. Many families raise funds through a combination of savings, current earnings, and borrowing.

• For help determining the correct parent(s) to use on the FAFSA, please click here

• Continuing students should file their FAFSA each year. For instructions, please click here.

Direct costs are items that will appear on your Valparaiso University bill and have been outlined on your financial aid offer. This includes billable items such as tuition, fees, and room and board (if you live on campus).

Indirect costs will not appear on your bill but are estimated costs associated with going to college and you may want to include them in your budget. You can access indirect costs on DataVU under My Award Letter or see indirect costs such as books and personal (travel, miscellaneous and loan fees) here.

The combination of Direct and Indirect costs equal the total Cost of Attendance.

• The Office of Student Accounts will generate an e-bill once you have registered for classes.
• E-bills will be available online at Student Finance Self-Service in early July for the Fall term, mid November for the Spring term, and mid May for all summer sessions. You may set up proxy access for others to view your bill such as parents or anyone else who may be paying towards your account.

• Fall semester – August 15th
• Spring semester – January 5th
• Full Summer/Summer I – June 10th
• Summer II – July 20th

• You can access your bill on-line by selecting Student Finance on DataVU.

• The e-bill does not include credits for outside scholarships until the funds have been received by the cashier at the university.

• Please make sure you have completed all required documents on your checklist on the Student Self-Service site on DataVU.
• If you were planning on utilizing your federal loans, please make sure you have accepted them on the Student Self-Service site on DataVU.
• For the 2021-2022 Award year the Annual Student Loan Acknowledgement is not required. If you have completed it, it will not update on Self-Service until Valpo submits and retrieves loan records to the Department of Education (after registration)

• You may request a refund through DataVU by completing the Refund Request Form or by completing a paper Refund Request Form through the Office of Student Accounts. You must complete a new Refund Request Form each time you wish to receive a refund.  You can receive either a full or partial refund of the credit balance on your account.

• No.  You only have to take action on the loans that have been offered to you.

• The Federal Direct Subsidized loan is based on demonstrated need as determined by the results of your FAFSA.  The federal government pays the interest for Direct Subsidized Loans while the student is in college or while the loan is in deferment. Interest begins accruing for Direct Unsubsidized Loans as soon as the loan is taken out.

https://www.valpo.edu/student-financial-services/planning/loans/federal-direct-parent-plus-loan/

• Please make sure you have completed all requirements on your checklist on the Student Self-Service site on DataVU.

• Your federal loans will be deferred as long as you maintain half-time enrollment. Repayment begins 6 months after you are no longer enrolled half-time.
• If you borrow a private loan, please confirm with your lender. Most allow you to defer repayment while you are in school, and typically have a 6 to 9 month grace period after you are no longer enrolled.
• For a parent who borrows a Parent PLUS Loan, the parent can choose to begin repayment 60 days after the full disbursement of the loan, or defer while the student maintains half-time enrollment. If deferment is chosen, the Parent PLUS Loan will go into repayment 6 months after the student is no longer enrolled half-time.

• You can decline or reduce your loans on your Student Self-Service account on DataVU.

• Interest rates are adjusted every July 1. To find the most current interest rate, please visit here.

• Based on your grade level, there is a maximum amount of federal loans you can borrow. Please click here to view your limits.

• Outside scholarships are ‘stacked’ on top of everything you have been offered.  Gift aid would only be reduced if you exceed cost of attendance
• If the outside scholarship puts you over your federal defined need, self-help aid (federal work study and loans) will be updated based on your need

• The Admissions Office reviews your application for merit based scholarships at time of admission. Freshman Scholarships. Transfer Scholarships.

• No, academic scholarships offered by VU are based on either high school performance or previous undergraduate performance and are set at the time of admission.

• The Valparaiso University Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) policy governs federal, state and most VU aid programs.  In addition to the requirement that you must maintain enrollment in a degree program, there are three components to the SAP policy you can view them here.

Valpo uses Google Apps for Education, including email, calendars, and other applications.
To access your new email account, go to www.valpo.edu/gmail and sign in using your username and
password.

• Please refer to our special circumstances form.  This form includes any changes to income since the FAFSA has been filed or extraordinary expenses that the family is paying.

• Scholarships and grants are offered for a total of 8 semesters (need not be consecutive).  However, a written appeal will be considered if a student has extenuating circumstances which require them to go longer.

• Yes.  Living expenses are part of the total cost of attendance and are based on standard amounts as determined by our office.   Should you find that your expenses are different than these amounts, you may submit a request to have these revised along with the proper documentation.

• If you are participating in a program sponsored by VU, your aid will be in place just as if you were to remain on campus, possibly with some adjustments to the cost of attendance.  If it is not sponsored by VU, you may work directly with the other institution for private alternative loan options.