The expense budget is calculated using tuition and fees and the California Student Aid Commission nine-month Student Expense Budgets for the current academic year. The EFC is calculated by the Department of Education using the information you submitted on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Generally, not all your financial need will be met by financial aid.

Change in Financial Status:

What if my family's financial situation has changed since we filed the FAFSA?

Federal law allows PLNU to consider any significant change to a student's financial circumstances. Please see our Appeal for Special Circumstance page for more information

Verification

What does it mean when it says that I have been selected for verification?

The Department of Education randomly selects students who have completed the FAFSA for a process called verification. Therefore, if you are selected for verification, you were selected by the Department of Education, not PLNU, but you must verify the requested information by turning in paperwork to the Student Financial Services Office at PLNU.

If selected for verification:

You may be required to verify information such as, but not limited to, income and taxes paid, number in household and in college, child support paid, SNAP, high school graduation, and identity.
The PLNU Student Financial Services Office will notify you if you have been selected for verification once you have filed your FAFSA.
If you are a returning PLNU student, you are required to submit all requested forms and tax information (see below for recommendations) before you are awarded financial aid. If you are a new PLNU student, you are required to submit all requested forms and tax information (see below for recommendations) before aid can be disbursed to your account.
The PLNU Student Financial Services Office sends email notifications that will let you know what forms and information are needed for you to complete verification.
If verification is not completed by the first day of school or by a specified deadline, any federal aid, state aid, and institutional need-based aid may be removed from your awards.

For more information, see our Verification page.

Enrollment Status and Impact on Aid:

How many units do I need to be enrolled in to receive financial aid?

To receive your full financial aid awarded you must be enrolled in 12 units or more at PLNU each semester. To receive federal and state aid (including student loans), you must be enrolled in at least 6 units. Aid may be pro-rated for certain awards.

The enrollment status breaks down as follows:

Enrollment Status	Full time	¾ time	½-time	Less than ½-time
Number of Units	12+	9 – 11	6-8	Less than 6

What happens if I drop a class while receiving financial aid?

Dropping units may result in cancellations or reductions of previously awarded financial aid. Consult with your Student Financial Services advisor to discuss how dropping units may affect your billing and financial aid award.

Disbursement and Refunds:

Why are the disbursement dates so late in the semester?

Providing accurate and timely financial aid is important to our department. We verify all application steps have been completed and you are enrolled in the correct number of units before disbursing aid to your student account to ensure your financial aid awards are accurate and will not result in lost aid.

How do I get money for books?

Students are not able to access funds on their student account until all aid has posted and a credit balance exists. Financial aid is not posted until the third week of each semester. However, if a student's pending financial aid is greater than the charges on the account, we can offer up to $600 as a book money advance, once the semester has begun.

During the first two weeks of school, students who will have a credit balance on their account can contact a Student Financial Services advisor for a cash advance of up to $600 (or the amount of the credit expected, whichever is less).

How do I get my refund or return my aid if I withdraw from school?

There are some policies and procedures to consider. Visit the Refunds page for more information.

Federal Work Study

How does Federal work-study work?

Read about federal work-study here.

FAFSA Clarification - Unique Situations:

What is a dislocated worker?

If you checked the box that you are a dislocated worker on the FAFSA (Q85 or Q103), you may be required by PLNU to submit documentation of your status.

A person may be considered a "dislocated worker" if he/she:

Is receiving unemployment benefits due to being laid off or losing a job and is unlikely to return to a previous occupation
Has been laid off or received a layoff notice from a job
Was self-employed but is now unemployed due to economic conditions or natural disaster
Is a "displaced homemaker," a person who previously provided unpaid services to the family (e.g., a stay-at-home mom or dad) but is no longer supported by the husband or wife
Is unemployed or underemployed, and is having trouble finding or upgrading employment

The parent or student may be required to submit proof of dislocated worker eligibility prior to being packaged for financial aid.

Proof may be the one of the following:

Termination letter or layoff notice
Final paycheck stub
Current unemployment benefits statement
Divorce decree for displaced homemaker
Death certificate for widow or widower
Business statement or dissolution statement for self-employed

Independent Student Status:

My parents don't support me, so I want to be independent. How can I be considered independent?

A student is considered independent for financial aid purposes, if the student can answer “yes” to any of the criteria listed below. The student will not have to provide parent Information, but PLNU may ask for supporting documentation to verify independent status. If the student can answer "yes" to multiple criteria, documentation is only required for one. The criteria and the necessary documentation is provided below:

Are you 24 years old or older? — No documentation necessary unless there is a discrepancy
Married? — No documentation necessary unless there is a discrepancy
Working on Master's/Doctoral program? — Post-baccalaureate determination
Active duty military? — Current military ID card
Veteran of U.S. Armed Forces? — Form DD214 or Veteran Certification
Children you support? — If discrepancy, Clarification of Household Size Form
Dependents other than child/spouse? — If discrepancy, Clarification of Household Size Form
Orphan/ward of court/foster child? — Death certificate(s) or ward of court/foster care documentation
Emancipated minor? — Emancipated minor court documentation
Legal guardianship? — Legal guardianship court documentation
Homeless determined by school? — High school or school district determination letter
Homeless determined by HUD Shelter? — HUD shelter program determination letter
At-risk for homelessness? — Runaway/homeless youth program determination

I don't fall under the independent criteria listed above. How can I be considered independent?

You can request an independent status appeal for us to review your circumstances. Just because your parents will not pay for college or they consider you independent because you are 18 years old does not mean you are automatically independent. Most appeals for independence involve some type of adverse home situation like abuse, parents in jail, etc.

Study Abroad:

How does the Billing and Financial Aid work if I'm studying abroad?

Students who study abroad are eligible for financial aid with some exceptions. All students are eligible for federal and state financial aid (grants and loans) during the semester they study abroad. Students awarded federal work study are not eligible during the semester they are studying abroad. Students are eligible to apply for an alternative private loan.

If the study abroad program is required for their major (please refer to the current PLNU handbook), students are eligible to use all their institutional aid awarded up to the cost of the program (including academic awards; ministry discounts; church matching; and district, restricted, and department awards) with the exception of tuition remission. Tuition remission (including CCCU) may not be used for any study abroad program.

If the study abroad program is not required for their major, students are generally not eligible to use their institutional aid for study abroad costs with some exceptions. If a student is studying abroad during fall semester, they are eligible to use up to $1,000 of their institutional aid awarded. There are a few institutional study abroad programs that are eligible for additional institutional aid; please contact the study abroad office with any questions.

For the purpose of applying for federal and state financial aid, PLNU is considered the “home school” for study abroad programs approved for credit.

For more information in regard to study abroad or study abroad specific scholarship information, please visit the Office of Global Studies.

Satisfactory Academic Progress:

What is Satisfactory Academic Progress?

Federal regulations require that PLNU students adhere to a policy of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to retain eligibility for federal and state financial aid.

The policy consists of a qualitative (GPA) and quantitative (unit) standard. Student Financial Services conducts SAP reviews at the end of each semester, including summer. The policy, in some circumstances, may be stricter than the institution's standards.

Download the SAP PDF for more information.

SFS CheckList

Account Set-Up:

OneLogin: The majority of web sites that PLNU users log into utilize a 'single sign-on' provider called OneLogin. You can access your OneLogin profile at login.pointloma.edu.
If you have any difficulties, please contact the help center at helpcenter@pointloma.edu or (619) 849-2222.

PLNU Email: All official PLNU communication, like billing notifications, will be sent to the student’s PLNU Gmail account. Students are responsible for reading said communication.
Third Party User Workday: Parents, Guardians and other authorized users can create their own Workday account to view statements and make payments.

In order to create an account, your student needs to update their friends and family in Workday. An email will be sent to the email provided once the Friends and Family is properly completed.
An email from accountsetup@pointloma.edu will be sent shortly after the Friends & Family is properly complete.

Friends & Family Set Up | Updating FERPA Release:

Friends and Family Authorization: Per the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) laws, students must grant Third Party User access to any person they would like to view billing activity and make payments. Students can add and update their Friends and Family via Workday.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although pre-existing Information releases are listed in Family & Friends, you need to grant Third Party User access to those you would like to make payments and view account activity.

Link: How to Update Family and Friends / Grant Third Party Access

Financial Aid:

Accept or Decline Financial Aid Offer: You must decide if you would like to accept or decline the aid offered. You may do so on the Financial Aid Portal

Link: How to View and Accept/ Decline Aid.

Verification: The US Department of Education requires a percentage of financial aid applicants to complete a process called “Verification.” This process is used to check the accuracy of the information the student provided when completing a FAFSA.

PLNU partners with Inceptia's Verification Gateway, an approved third-party servicer, to assist collecting all documents required for any student selected by the Department of Education to make the verification process easier.
In the event you are selected for Verification, visit verificationgateway.com/pointloma2021 to complete the process. *If you have additional questions, feel free to contact Inceptia directly at (888) 374-8427.

Missing Documents: Occasionally, SFS may need additional information in order to complete your file for financial aid. The Document status can be seen on the homepage of your Financial Aid Portal. Please complete & submit the documents marked as ‘Not Received’, 'Not Signed', or ‘Incomplete’ as directed on the document.

Direct Student Loan Documents: If you plan to utilize your direct student loans, you must complete both of the following documents at studentaid.gov.

Master Promissory Note (Loan Agreement): The loan agreement 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).
You will need two references, not living with you, with different home addresses and phone numbers
Entrance Counseling: The loan counseling is required to help you understand how student loans work, what your rights and responsibilities are, and what your loan(s) will look like in the future, as well as how best to manage your finances and meet payment deadlines.

Disbursements & Refunds: Financial aid will disburse during the second week of each semester (as long as all documents have been received and aid has been accepted). The aid will be applied towards tuition and mandatory fees on your student account. If applicable, excess funds can be issued upon request as a refund after the aid is disbursed.

If there is a credit balance on your account after your bill has been paid, you have three basic options:

Return the extra funds back to the Department of Education, reducing your loan debt and the amount of interest you will owe. (To return the funds to your lender, either send an email to Student Financial Services at sfs@pointloma.edu or submit a Loan Adjustment Form.)
Leave the credit balance on your account to help pay next semester’s bill. However, if your credit balance is caused by federal student aid, we are required to refund it to you within 14 days of the disbursement.
Request the credit balance, or any portion of it.

To request a credit, simply send an email to our office at sfs@pointloma.edu. Refund checks cannot be issued until all aid has been posted to the student account.
Electing a bank account for direct deposit account through Workday will allow student refunds to be deposited directly to the elected bank account instead of issuing a check.

Link: How to Set Up Direct Deposit