Financing a Stevens Education

The mission of the Financial Aid staff is to identify financial resources and to provide those resources to students who would otherwise be unable to pursue their educational and professional goals. The Financial Aid staff strives to facilitate the financial aid process by educating students and their families about the availability of aid, as well as by providing solutions and alternatives in educational financing. The staff is committed to ensuring the highest quality of service to Stevens students. This involves evaluating each student's aid application individually and the continual assessment of our application, awarding, and disbursement processes.

Stevens requires the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS/PROFILE from all students applying for financial aid. New incoming students should submit the FAFSA and the PROFILE by February 15 prior to their entrance to Stevens; returning students should submit the FAFSA by April 15 each year. For more information and to complete the FAFSA online, please visit: www.fafsa.ed.gov. For more information and to complete the CSS/PROFILE, please visit: https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/prf/index.jsp.

Undergraduate Financial Information

Institutional Financial Aid Programs
Stevens has a strong commitment to assisting and investing in talented students. We offer a wide range of need-based grants and merit-based scholarships, of which many are made available due to our generous friends and successful alumni. All institutional merit scholarships received at Stevens are renewable for four years (eight semesters), provided the recipient meets the predetermined academic requirements stated in the original award notification. Eligibility for renewal is determined after each spring semester. A student must enroll as a full-time undergraduate (12 credits per semester) in order to receive any award(s). In no case will the scholarship exceed the tuition cost. Dollar amounts range between $1,000 and full tuition. Merit scholarships are only offered upon enrollment into Stevens after review by the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Therefore, new merit awards are not available for returning students.

Stevens merit-based scholarships include the following:

• The Edwin A. Stevens Scholarship is named in honor of the Institute's founder. Students may be eligible for this award if they have a demonstrated record of excellence in high school as evidenced by grade point average, class rank, SAT scores, and recommendations.

• The Women in Engineering and Science Scholarship and the Martha Bayard Stevens Scholarship are available to outstanding young female students in all fields of study at Stevens; they are based on high academic achievement and leadership.

• The Ann P. Neupauer Scholarship is named in honor of the late Mrs. Neupauer, a generous friend of the Institute. This is a four-year, full-tuition award granted to select, academically-talented students.

• ROTC Matching Scholarship is awarded to students selected to receive an ROTC Scholarship while studying at Stevens. Students receive an additional supplemental scholarship from the Institute in the amount of the full difference between any ROTC Scholarship of at least $15,000 and Stevens' tuition; the two awards combine to equal full tuition.

• Other available awards include the Becton Dickinson/Wesley J. Howe Scholarship, Johnson Controls Scholarship, President's Award, Scholar of Excellence Award, Society of Automotive Engineers Scholarship, FIRST Scholarship, Science and Technology Center Volunteer Scholarship and the DeBaun Performing Arts Scholarship.

Students may also be considered for the following need-based award:

The Stevens Grant is a need-based award that may be offered if a student continues to demonstrate significant financial need after all other possible sources of grant and scholarship assistance (from Stevens, the U.S. Department of Education, or the State of NJ) have been applied to his/her financial aid package. The student must be a full-time undergraduate and eligibility is determined based on the data the student and his/her family supply on the FAFSA. Amounts can fluctuate from one year to the next if financial circumstances change. The Stevens Grant has no specific grade point average requirement other than the Institute's standards for satisfactory academic progress. Students must complete a FAFSA each year by April 15th to confirm their eligibility.

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Federal Financial Aid Programs

The federal government offers grant, loan, and work opportunity programs to assist students and their families in covering the cost of higher education. Eligibility for federal student aid is determined by the results of the FAFSA. If eligible, one must enroll in a degree program, maintain minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress, and, for most federal programs, enroll at least half-time each semester.

Federal aid programs include:

• Federal Pell Grant For 2013-2014, awards range from $605 to $5,645 per academic year. This program is designed to assist the neediest of undergraduate students earning their first baccalaureate or four-year professional degree.
• Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) SEOG grants can range from $100 to $4,000 per academic year, and typically range from $500 to $1,000 annually. Like the Pell Grant, this program is available to students with exceptional need who have not yet earned their first baccalaureate degree. Pell Grant recipients are given priority for SEOG funds.
• Federal Work Study (FWS) An FWS award provides an opportunity to earn an hourly wage through an on-campus job. Thus, an FWS award is an earning eligibility rather than a guarantee of funds to be received. Awards usually range from $1,000 to $1,200 per academic year, are offered to eligible students on a first-come, first-served basis, and are limited by availability of funds.
• Federal Carl D. Perkins Loan The Perkins Loan carries a 5% interest rate. The loan is subsidized - which means that no interest accrues as long as the borrower is continuously enrolled at least half-time in a degree program. During a nine-month grace period after the student graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment, no interest accrues and no payments are required. Awards range from $750 to $4,000. Perkins funds are reserved for students with exceptional financial need.
• William D. Ford Federal Direct Stafford Loan Depending on the results of the borrower's FAFSA, this loan may be subsidized (i.e. no interest accrues as long as the borrower is continuously enrolled at least half-time in a degree program), or unsubsidized (i.e. the borrower is responsible for the interest that accrues while he or she is enrolled in school). There are instances when the loan amount can be a combination of subsidized and unsubsidized. Repayment begins six months after the borrower graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment. The fixed interest rate is currently 3.9% on subsidized loans and 6.8% on unsubsidized loans, for loans disbursed after July 1, 2013. As of July 1, 2013, Freshman may borrow $3,500; Sophomores $4,500; Juniors and Seniors $5,500. Students who need additional funds may be eligible to borrow unsubsidized funds in the amount of $2000 per academic year.

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State of New Jersey Financial Aid Programs

New Jersey residents attending Stevens may qualify for a variety of grants and scholarships offered by the State, mostly through the New Jersey Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (NJHESAA). Few states in the country exhibit New Jersey's commitment to assisting students and their families with the cost of higher education. To be considered for state aid, a student must file the FAFSA no later than June 1 of each year (note that Stevens recommends new students file the FAFSA by February 15 and the deadline for current students is April 15). No late applications are considered for state awards, and state awards cannot be used at out-of-state colleges or universities. In addition, they are only available if the student has resided in New Jersey for at least 12 months as of September 15 of the academic year. If one is considered a dependent student, his/her parent(s) must also meet the same residency requirement. These are estimated awards set by the state and awards will be finalized by the state.

• Tuition Aid Grant (TAG) TAG is a need-based grant, available to assist low and middle income students. Annual award amounts range between $1,922 and $11,958. Eligibility is based on the data supplied on the FAFSA and may fluctuate with the student's or family's financial circumstances from one year to the next. TAG is available for a maximum of nine semesters of undergraduate study. Students must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting program. However, students in their final semester who need fewer than 12 credits to fulfill their degree requirements may qualify for TAG during that term with as few as 6 credits. Students must meet the June 1st yearly TAG deadline in order to be re-awarded for the next academic year.
• Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) New Jersey residents admitted into The Stevens Technical Enrichment Program (STEP) upon entry into Stevens may also qualify for an Educational Opportunity Fund, or EOF, Grant. This need-based award is in the amount of $2,500. In order to qualify for this grant and admission into the EOF program, a student (and/or family) must meet income guidelines established by the State of New Jersey, and the student must also be from an educationally disadvantaged background.

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Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

The following guidelines apply to all undergraduate students at Stevens, including those seeking financial aid awards from federal, state, institutional, or other sources administered through Stevens, except in cases where the donor or donors establish specific requirements.

1. The student is subject to federal, state, and university limits on the total number of semesters of aid he/she may receive.
2. To be eligible to receive aid for which he/she qualifies financially, a student must make satisfactory progress toward a degree as follows:
   • Progress is routinely monitored at the end of the spring semester. A student must meet the minimum grade point average of 2.00 prior to the start of the junior year.
     
     

     Students in 4-year programs:
     Semester of Study	Credits Earned	GPA
     2	20	1.5
     4	48	1.9
     6	72	2.0
     8	96	2.0
     Students in 5-year programs:
     Semester of Study	Credits Earned	GPA
     2	20	1.5
     3	36	1.7
     4	48	1.7
     5	60	2.0
     6	72	2.0
     8	96	2.0
     10	120	2.0

   • The maximum timeframe in which we expect a student to complete the academic program is six years.
   • Progress is routinely monitored at the end of the spring semester. Individuals who do not meet the requirement of the schedule at the conclusion of the spring semester may be placed on Probationary SAP status for a period of one year. This will be determined by Director of Financial Aid and by the Dean of Undergraduate Academics. Failure to regain SAP status by the following year will result in being ineligible to receive further need- or merit-based financial aid, until SAP status is achieved.
3. We require all full-time students who drop or withdraw from courses, to the extent that this would bring the course load to fewer than 12 credits in any semester, to attend an academic progress conference. For example, if a student registers for 15 credits, then drops or withdraws from courses totaling four or more of those credits, the Student Service Center notifies the Dean. If a student is a financial aid recipient, this is likely to affect aid eligibility.
4. Monitoring the eligibility of students for the continuation of financial aid is the responsibility of the Dean. The record of each student who receives aid in one year is reviewed prior to the beginning of the next year. The Student Service Center is notified in cases where the student is not eligible to receive financial aid.

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Tuition, Fees & Other Expenses for Undergraduates

Stevens is committed to making education affordable and we work diligently to provide families with the resources to help. For families who qualify for financial need, we structure packages around a core of state, federal, and Stevens aid sources, all of which are considered financial aid components. Independent of need, Stevens also offers merit-based awards to new students who demonstrate a commitment to excellence through a variety of admission factors, known as "need-blind" admissions.

For the 2013-2014 academic year the cost of attendance is as follow

Full-Time Students

Students enrolled in 12 credit-hours or more are considered full-time academic students and tuition is $21,460 per semester.

Part-Time Students
Students enrolled in fewer than 12 credit-hours are considered part-time. Part-time undergraduates are charged $1,431 per credit-hour. If a student enrolls in fewer than 12 credit hours, he/she is not eligible for state or Stevens financial aid and may not be eligible for federal financial aid. Students with fewer than 12 credit-hours should check with the Office of Financial Aid to see if they are eligible for any federal financial aid.

Fees

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Books & Supplies

Students can purchase all required textbooks and other supplies at the Campus Store. Purchases may be charged to the student's Duck Bills, personal credit card, or to the student's account if he/she is in good financial standing at the beginning of the fall and spring semester add/drop periods. All charges to the student's account are to be paid upon receipt of the monthly statement.

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Co-op Students

Students participating in the Stevens Cooperative Education program are charged a $415 fee for each semester of work, but no tuition. Co-op students are not entitled to any federal, state, or Stevens financial aid when they are on a co-op work term; however, they are entitled to take one course free of charge at Stevens each semester they are on Co-op. Each Co-op student studies full-time during one summer semester and is eligible to receive federal, state, or Stevens financial aid. Students are required to pay the student activities, health insurance, technology, computer maintenance/software license, and other applicable fees each year.

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Health Insurance

Stevens requires all students to have health insurance. Copies of the insurance brochure can be viewed online by visiting www.universityhealthplans.com. Undergraduate students are charged approximately $1,297 each year for health insurance; however, they can waive the charge if the student has equivalent coverage that meets NJ state requirements for undergraduate students. Students may go to www.universityhealthplans.com and click on "Stevens Institute of Technology" to submit an online waiver of the Institute coverage by a specific deadline designated each semester by Stevens. If Stevens does not receive the online waiver information by the published deadlines (approximately August 22 for the fall semester or December 23 if entering Stevens in the spring semester), Stevens cannot waive the insurance charge. All full-time students are also charged a mandatory $94.00 health service fee each fall and spring semester. This fee cannot be waived.

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International Students

All international students will be charged a $115.00 International Student Service fee for the fall and spring semesters.

Personal Notebook Computer

During orientation, all new, entering freshman and transfer students are provided with a personal notebook computer from Stevens' Computer Service Center. Students with a notebook computer who leave Stevens are required to return the notebook to, or purchase it from, the Computer Service Center.

Should a student elect to return the notebook, the Computer Service Center determines if the notebook is in "good condition." If it is not in good condition he/she must pay to have it repaired. "Good condition" is defined by the Computer Service Center and a buyout price is determined by Stevens. These rates reflect a portion of the cost to the Institute for the notebook program.

Stevens requires that all returning upper-class students keep the provided notebook and the pre-installed software in operation at all times. Students must have the provided notebook that meets the specifications established by the faculty for their incoming classes. If the student no longer has the provided notebook with the installed software, and in working condition that meets the requirements, he/she must contact the Computer Service Center.

Changes are made to the personal computer specifications from year to year. Typically, information regarding the personal computer configuration is announced in the spring and is available at http://www.stevens.edu/csc/ prior to fall orientation. In addition, there is a $446 technology fee per semester for all students.

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Transcripts

Stevens will release a student's transcript upon request, provided that his/her account is not overdue and that he/she requests the transcript in writing. Students should allow approximately one week to process the transcript. The transcript is sent directly by Stevens in a sealed envelope to the requested party. Stevens will only release an official transcript directly to the student in a sealed envelope. All transcripts are sent by U.S. mail, unless other arrangements are made. If a student needs the transcripts in less than one week, he/she is required to pay for overnight, two-day, or priority mail. All transcript requests must be made in writing over the student's signature or directly from a Stevens email address. No verbal requests for transcripts will be honored under any circumstances, nor will any requests from a third party unless the student has signed a release for the transcript to that third party.

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Student Housing & Meal Plans

Residence Halls
Students intending to live on campus should visit the Office of Residence Life website at www.stevens.edu/housing to apply for housing online. All completed applications must be accompanied by a non-refundable $400 deposit which is applied to the housing charge.

The residence hall rates below are per SEMESTER for the 2013-2014 academic year:

Meal Plans and Duck Bills

There are a number of plans for students to select from. All meal plans and their prices are subject to change. We require all undergraduates living in Stevens Housing to purchase a meal plan. The meal plan options are designed to provide students with increased flexibility, and the number of meals in your plan may be used over the entire semester, not by week. With a meal plan, students are able to dine in the Pierce Dining Hall, which is all-you-care-to-eat and open seven days a week. Students may also use the a-la-carte service in our campus cafés, Colonel John's, America's Cup, and Burchard Café. In addition, each plan offers these same benefits to commuter students and apartment residents.

At Stevens, we want to make it easy to dine and socialize with friends without having to carry cash; therefore, we created Duck Bills, a prepaid, dollar-for-dollar debiting system that is stored on the Stevens ID card. The Duck Bills system allows the holder to pay for food or services on campus and at select off-campus locations. Duck Bills remain in effect as long as the student is a registered member of the Stevens Community. Any unused Duck Bills will be forfeited after a twelve-month period of inactivity. They vary in amount and may be used in any of our facilities - the Pierce Dining Hall, Colonel John's, Java City Café, and America's Cup. While meals do NOT carry over from the fall to the spring, Duck Bills do. Meals may be used over the course of the entire semester and not just by week, but they do NOT carry over to the next semester. Students have four weeks from the opening of each semester to make any meal plan changes.

Students may purchase additional Duck Bills at any time during the year on the Internet at http://www.stevens.edu/cardoffice/home/ or through the Office of Residence Life.

Meal plan rates are per semester. The options for 2013-2014 are:

Ultimate Access Meal Plan $3,530 (per semester)
This plan includes unlimited access to food around-the-clock, with a bonus $100 Duck Bills for your use.

Flex Access Meal Plan $2,100 (per semester)
This plan is designed for Co-op or commuter students and includes $100 Duck Bills.

For a more detailed description of each plan, visit http://www.stevens.edu/housing/Information/Rates.htm#mealplan.

Please note:
Meals may be used over the course of the entire semester and not just by week, but they do NOT carry over to the next semester.
Students have four weeks from the opening of each semester to make any meal plan changes.
For commuter students or residents of off-campus housing who elect none of the meal plans above, the following Duck Bill options are available:

For more information about campus housing, dining services, and meal plans, please visit www.stevens.edu/housing, or contact the Office of Residence Life at reslife@stevens.edu or by calling (201) 216-5128.

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E-Billing Statements

An email notification will be sent to the student's Stevens email account to notify when a new statement is available. Students can authorize parents, guardians and employers as third-party payees. Authorize users will also receive email notifications when a new statement is available.

Payment Options

Tuition, fees, and charges for room and board are due and payable by the designated due date sent in the students' e-bill. Payments should be received by the due dates. Students participating in Stevens' Study Abroad program or Co-op program have the same payment deadlines. Payment may be made in U.S. dollars either by cash, or check in person at the Student Service Center. Stevens Institute of Technology no longer accepts student account payments directly by credit card (tuition, housing, and meal plan fees). However, as a convenience to students and authorized payers, Stevens has contracted with a third party vendor, Touchnet Paypath which accepts MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit card payments online. A non-refundable convenience fee of 2.75 percent will be assessed by the vendor to payers making payment by credit card.

As an additional convenience to our students and families Stevens is now accepting e-checks for payments related to tuition, housing and meal plan fees free of charge. If you chose to mail us a check please make it payable to Stevens Institute of Technology. Your campus-wide ID number should be included on the check. Students may also pay their bills on the Internet from any browser by accessing www.stevens.edu/es/student or www.stevens.edu/ebilling.

Prompt payment of student account balances ensures students keep the classes they selected and their advance housing selections. Grade reports and transcripts will be withheld if any balance remains unpaid. Balances paid after the due date will result in a late payment fee of $550.00. Amounts paid with checks returned by the bank will result in additional fees.

Students with unmet financial obligations are not considered to have valid registrations. They are not allowed to attend classes, receive transcripts or grades, participate in graduation ceremonies, or receive their diploma. If a student withdraws or graduates from Stevens with a balance due, Stevens will actively try to collect the unpaid balance. This may include referring the delinquent account to a credit reporting agency and/or collection agency.

Monthly Payment Plan
In order to assist students and their families, Stevens participates in a monthly payment plan. An installment program can be arranged through Tuition Management Systems (TMS) or Sallie Mae Tuition Pay. Five payments for the fall semester and five payments for the spring semester are expected. The first payment for the fall semester is due July 1 and the last payment for the fall semester is due November 1. The first payment for the spring semester is due December 1 and the last payment for the spring semester is due April 1.. Brochures about this program are available from the Student Service Center. Stevens neither sponsors nor has a financial interest in the program, but allows students who have enrolled in either program to attend classes, reside on campus and participate in other Institute activities while payments are being made to the provider.

Deferred Payments
Our deferred payment plan is only available to students who are in good credit standing and are not in arrears (past due) for any account balance at Stevens. The initial payment is 50% of the net amount due for the current term only. Then, the 50% deferred balance is due October 15 for the fall semester and March 1 for the spring semester. The deferred payment fee is $75. A $550 penalty fee is charged on any late payments; however, there is no prepayment penalty. A separate application and agreement form is required for this plan per term.

Should you have any questions regarding this or other payment options, you may visit www.stevens.edu/ssc/payment_options.html or you may call the Student Service Center at (201) 216-5555.

Late Payment Fees
There is a $550 fee assessed for late tuition payments unless the student is enrolled in the monthly payment plan or a deferred payment plan. Please refer all questions to Student Financial Services, (201) 216-5555.

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Withdrawals & Refunds

Undergraduate students must officially withdraw from classes in writing to the office of the Dean of Undergraduate Academics, who determines the official withdrawal data for tuition and fees.

Students must officially withdraw from housing and/or the meal plan in writing to the Office of Residence Life. The Office of Residence Life determines the official withdrawal date for housing and/or meal plans (which may be different than the date determined by the Office of the Dean).

All tuition, fees, and institutional financial aid are reversed based on the official withdrawal date and are calculated from the official opening date of classes in accordance with the following schedules:

Regular Academic Semester Tuition Refund Schedule:

Summer Session:

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