FINANCIAL AID FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions


1. What are the requirements to apply?
You must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen. You must also apply for admission to a certificate or degree program.

2. How do I apply for aid?
We suggest you apply for financial aid or academic scholarships as soon as you have VU among your final college choices. You do this by applying for admission and submitting the free FAFSA application. Incoming freshmen who apply for financial assistance using the FAFSA will be notified of their eligibility in April before the freshman year or as soon as their FAFSA processing is complete, which may involve verification. Vincennes University academic scholarships are announced after March 1.

3. What is the FAFSA and where do I go to get it?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is your application for federal and state financial aid.  Residents of Indiana need to complete it before April 15th. Not meeting that deadline means you can't get a state grant for that year even if you would qualify financially

4. Is there a FAFSA checklist that would help me avoid common filing errors?
Yes. View and print a Financial Aid Checklist. It contains important FAFSA information.

5. What is Vincennes University's Federal School Code?
It is 001843.

6. I probably don't qualify for aid. Should I apply for aid anyway?
Yes. Many families assume they don't qualify for aid but actually do. There is no good excuse for not applying.

7. Is there an online student guide that can help me calculate my financial aid and understand more about the process?
Yes. Check out VU’s Net Price Calculator which will guide you through the calculation process. If you want to learn more about financial aid and loans in general, you can go to StudentAid.gov and explore the options available as a student or as a parent.

8. Does my application to VU have to be accepted before I can apply for financial aid?
No. You can apply for financial aid any time after October 1. To actually receive funds, however, you must be admitted and enrolled at the university.

9. What if my circumstances have changed since filing the FAFSA?
The financial aid award you have received is based on the information you reported on your FAFSA. If your financial situation has changed, you may qualify for an adjustment that better reflects your family's situation. Student financial services recognizes that there will be occasions when a student's/family's financial status has been reduced due to an event that occurs after the tax year required on the FAFSA. To fairly and consistently review these situations, student financial services has adopted specific guidelines to review special conditions. You may submit an appeal to request a review of your eligibility by following the instructions contained in the appropriate year's Special Circumstances Request form. All special circumstances appeals must be submitted in writing and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

10. What is VUX and how will it help me?
VUX is a secured-access web portal that VU has licensed to centralize information about campus offices, university activities, academic support and provide access to web-based services. We consider students who have been accepted to VU as part of our family. If you have already applied and been accepted through the Admissions Office, you have a VUX ID and can log in. Your VUX portal allows you to accept or decline financial aid offers, find out if you need to submit any missing documents, and provides you with secure access to paying your bill.

11. Can I receive federal financial aid if I repeat a course?
You are aid-eligible for one repeat of an already passed course. Suppose you get a D in a course but need a C for it to count toward graduation. You get one more try with aid. After that, we can’t count those credits in your credit load for federal financial aid purposes.

12. What happens if I withdraw from all my courses?
If you withdraw from all classes, you must officially drop through the Dean of Students office. Do not just stop going to class. Whether you officially or unofficially withdraw out of all your classes, we have to recalculate your eligibility for the aid you have received. Depending on when you withdraw, we may have to return some of your aid to the Department of Education (DOE). You will probably owe VU as well for a portion of the aid returned.

13. Can I use my financial aid to buy books and supplies?
Students whose disbursed or authorized financial aid exceeds their charges may have a Title IV credit balance (or federal financial aid refund due). Starting on the Thursday before the start of classes until the Tuesday after the first week of classes, students with a credit balance can use those funds to charge books and supplies at the bookstore up to the amount of the credit balance or $1200 maximum. The amount of the credit balance will show on the student’s FAST PASS which is accessed through the VUX portal.

The charge for books and supplies purchased this way will appear as a charge on the student’s billing account. There is no requirement to use a credit balance to purchase books and supplies at the bookstore. To opt out, a student can simply not use a FAST PASS and purchase books and supplies on their own.

Some courses have a first-day e-book charge that shows on the students' billing accounts. To opt out of that kind of book charge, students in these courses will need to follow the directions in the email they receive from the Old Post bookstore.

To use a FAST PASS or to allow financial aid to pay for first-day e-book charges, a student must authorize VU to pay non-institutional charges. That authorization can be found on the financial aid card in VUX under “View if you have any outstanding requirements.” Remaining credit balances based on federal financial aid will be disbursed to students up to 14 days after the start of classes or up to 14 days after the funds have been posted to the students’ billing accounts.

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