Frequently Asked Questions

Office of Financial Aid

Where is the Office of Financial Aid located and what are the office hours? +

The Office of Financial Aid is located on the floor 5 of the Anderson Center (2 Pine Tree Drive) in the same suite as the Business Office. We are available for walk-ins or scheduled meetings from 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

During the fall and spring terms, a financial aid counselor is available on campus (3900 Bethel Drive) for walk-ins or scheduled appointments on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. in the Student Services Hub in the Clausen Center (CC314D).

How can I contact the Office of Financial Aid and/or set up a time to meet with my financial aid counselor? +

We are available via phone, email, virtual, and in-person meetings. To schedule a meeting, please use our online scheduling tool. Once we receive your request, your financial aid counselor will be in touch via email to schedule a meeting.

How can I contact the Office of Financial Aid and/or set up a time to meet with my financial aid counselor? +

Financial aid and FAFSA

What is financial aid? +

Financial aid includes any grant, scholarship, loan, or student employment offered to help a student pay for college expenses.

What is the FAFSA? +

The FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Bethel uses the FAFSA application to determine your need-based aid and your federal loan eligibility.

What is Bethel's school code? +

Bethel's school code is 002338.

How do I create an FSA ID? +

Please review this Federal Student Aid video resource for instructions on how to create an FSA ID.

My parents don't support me financially. Why do I need to provide their information on the FAFSA? +

Per U.S. Department of Education policy, all dependent students completing the FAFSA must provide contributor information to be considered for federal financial aid. Dependent students must report parent information on the FAFSA, and in most cases, a parent will be identified as a contributor. If you have special or unusual circumstances (e.g., homelessness, unaccompanied youth), please email our office at finaid@bethel.edu for the next steps. Visit the Federal Student Aid website for clarification on what makes a student dependent vs. independent for federal aid purposes.

As a dependent student, how do I report information about my noncitizen parent(s) on my 2024-25 FAFSA form? +

Both you and your parent(s) will be able to create a studentaid.gov account (FSA ID) and complete and sign your portions of the 24-25 FAFSA. For more information on how to complete the FAFSA, please review this informational page and watch this video.

When is financial aid disbursed each term? +

If all enrollment checklist items are complete, your aid for each term will disburse on your first day of class.

How do I accept my financial aid and complete the terms and conditions? +

Learn how to accept your Financial Aid Terms & Conditions by visiting the instruction document (pdf).

Can I opt out of completing the FAFSA? +

If you do not wish to be considered for any federal or need-based aid (including federal loans), you can opt out of completing the FAFSA by submitting this opt-out form.

What is the status of my financial aid? +

View your financial aid award, then click Award Overview.

What do I need to do to accept my financial aid? +

Please accept the loans and gift aid. Once you accept gift aid, a thank-you note requirement will be generated. The thank-you note needs to be completed in order to fully accept your aid. You will also need to fulfill the annual requirement to read and acknowledge financial aid terms and conditions.

Can I attend classes if I haven't received financial aid yet? +

Yes. Make sure you can afford the payments on your student account balance if you are not using financial aid.

Course program of study/enrollment

What is CPoS (Course Program of Study)? +

CPoS stands for Course Program of Study. Federal and state financial aid regulations allow courses that are required to complete a student's program of study to be included when determining financial aid eligibility. Courses that do not fulfill graduation requirements cannot be counted toward your financial aid enrollment status or financial aid eligibility. Please review our CPoS policy for more information.

How many CPoS credits do I need to be considered full-time? +

CAS/CAPS—At least 12 CPoS credits per term are necessary to be considered full-time.

GS/SEM—At least six CPoS credits per term are necessary to be considered full-time.

Please note: Some licensure program students must abide by undergraduate financial aid rules and policies.

How will I know if a class counts towards my course program of study (CPoS)? +

Please reference your DegreeWorks dashboard to determine if the courses you have registered for count toward your graduation requirements. Major, minor, and concentration course requirements that have not yet been fulfilled will count toward aid. Electives may also count towards aid if they are listed in the "Elective Credits Required for this Degree" section in DegreeWorks. Electives listed in the "Extra Electives Not Required for This Degree" section are not eligible for aid. If you have questions regarding CPoS, term schedules, or your academic plan, please contact your academic advisor.

If I enroll less than full-time, will my financial aid be impacted? +

Generally speaking, yes, if you are a CAS/CAPS student. If you are enrolled less than full-time, your financial aid (which may include federal, state, and/or institutional scholarships, grants, and loans) is subject to proration. GS/SEM students may have loan eligibility decrease if enrolled less than full-time. Please review the financial aid terms and conditions for more details.

When does enrollment lock each semester for financial aid eligibility? +

CAS and SEM students—All financial aid (federal, state, and institutional aid) locks each term on day 10 of classes. However, eligibility for loans is not locked at this time. Loan eligibility is based on enrollment at the time the loan disburses. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to receive loans.

CAPS and GS students—Federal and institutional aid does not lock for CAPS/GS students. However, if you drop or withdraw from one or more courses during a term, your financial aid is subject to change.

What if a course doesn't count toward my program of study but I think it should? +

Students may submit a petition form via the Office of the Registrar explaining the circumstance. Bethel will review the petition and respond via email when a decision has been made.

Scholarships

Where can I find scholarship opportunities through Bethel? +

• CAS students
• CAPS students
• GS students
• SEM students

Where can I look for outside scholarships? +

• CAS students
• CAPS students
• GS students
• SEM students

Loans

What is the difference between a federal subsidized loan and an unsubsidized loan? +

Subsidized loans are for undergraduate students with financial need, as determined by your calculated SAI from the FAFSA. Subsidized loans do not accrue interest while you are in school at least half-time enrolled or during deferment periods. Your need is determined by your academic year cost of attendance budget minus SAI and other financial aid (such as grants or scholarships).

Unsubsidized loans are loans for both undergraduate and graduate students that are not based on financial need. Interest is charged while in-school, during deferment, and during grace periods. Unlike a subsidized loan, you are responsible for the interest from the time the unsubsidized loan is disbursed until it is paid in full.

What are the current federal borrowing thresholds and interest rates? +

Visit the Federal Student Aid website for the most current information on federal subsidized and unsubsidized loans.

What happens if I want a PLUS or Private educational loan to cover additional costs of being a student? +

If you need additional funds after you have borrowed your federal loan eligibility for the academic year, you can look into borrowing a PLUS loan or a private educational loan. Usually, students choose one option (which requires a separate online application) and apply for the amount needed to cover the remainder of their net costs for the fall, spring, and/or summer terms.

Do you have any preferred private lenders that I could reach out to? +

Please visit Bethel's preferred private lender list.

I accepted my PLUS/Private loan eligibility via MyBethel checklist. Are there additional steps? +

Yes. After accepting your Private/PLUS loan eligibility via your my.bethel.edu checklist, your next step is to complete a separate online application for either a federal PLUS loan or a private educational loan.

Private loans for students: These are loans in the student's name and are borrowed through a bank, credit union, or other lending institution. Interest rates, terms, and fees will vary depending on the loan program. A student applying for a private loan will generally need a credit-worthy co-signer. Review and begin the application process with the lender of your choice.

Private loans for parents: These loans are in the parent's name and are borrowed through a bank, credit union, or other lending institution. Interest rates, terms, and fees will vary depending on the loan program. Parents can review options and begin the application process with the lender of their choice.

Parent PLUS Loan: This is a federal loan program available to parents of dependent undergraduate degree-seeking students. The Parent PLUS loan is borrowed in the parent's name and cannot be switched over to the student's name. Parents who are interested in borrowing through this program need to complete both an application and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the U.S. Department of Education. When completing the application and MPN, the parent borrower logs in using their FSA ID and password. This is the same FSA ID and password used when completing the FAFSA. Visit the Federal Student Aid website to begin the application and MPN.

Grad PLUS Loan: This is a federal loan program available to graduate degree-seeking students. The Grad PLUS loan is borrowed in the student's name. Students who are interested in borrowing the PLUS loan need to complete both an application and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) with the U.S. Department of Education. When completing the application and MPN, the student borrower logs in using their FSA ID and password. This is the same password used to complete the FAFSA. For more information and to begin the application process, visit the Federal Student Aid website.

Who is my lender for my federal loan(s), and how do I find their contact information? +

Please visit the Federal Student Aid website for information on how to locate your lender regarding managing your federal loan(s) repayment.

What is the difference between a federal loan and a private loan? +

Your direct federal loan eligibility for the academic year is determined by the FAFSA. There is no separate application to apply for direct federal loan eligibility. However, if you are a first-time borrower, you will be required to complete both Entrance Loan Counseling and a Master Promissory Note via your studentaid.gov account.

Various lenders offer non-federal private loans for students who need more than their subsidized/unsubsidized loan amounts provide. Students pursuing private loans will need to apply separately with the lender of their choice. Loans are based on credit, and a student will generally need a credit-worthy co-signer. Terms and conditions will vary by lender, and student borrowers are responsible for the interest that accrues while in school.

Student employment

What is work study and how does it work? +

Many Bethel students work on campus to help with their college expenses. Some students are offered work study as part of their financial aid package. Work study is a student's earning potential and is not guaranteed earnings. Employed students will receive a paycheck based on hours worked.

How do I apply for an on-campus job? +

You do not need to be work-study eligible to work on campus. Please visit our Student Employment page for a list of current student employment job openings.

Who do I contact for on-campus employment questions? +

Please contact the Office of People & Culture for questions.

Financial aid satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

What is satisfactory academic progress (SAP) and how is it evaluated? +

Please visit our satisfactory academic progress page for our full SAP policy.

How am I notified of my SAP status? +

If you are not meeting financial aid SAP standards after a specific term, you will be notified via email only, and the communication will be sent to your associated Bethel email. Students meeting SAP standards will not receive a SAP communication.

Can I submit a SAP appeal? +

Yes. You may appeal a SAP decision by completing the SAP appeal form (pdf).

Special circumstances appeals

What if I need more aid and/or my FAFSA does not reflect my current financial situation? What can I do? +

Our office has financial aid appeal options. Please review our special circumstances.

Verification

I was selected for verification. What does this mean? +

About one-third of all FAFSA files are selected for verification. Being selected for verification is not out of the norm and is no reason for alarm. Verification simply means that our office is required to collect additional information and documentation from you to verify specific data points on your FAFSA. A student's financial aid cannot be finalized or disbursed until the verification process is complete, so please submit the required information/documentation shown on your MyBethel checklist as soon as possible.

What if my financial aid offer changes because of the verification process? +

If your financial aid offer changes due to the outcome of the verification process, you will be notified via email to log in to your my.bethel.edu account to view your updated offer. If you have questions about the changes, please reach out to our office.

Refunds

What happens to my financial aid if I drop/withdraw from a course? +

If you withdraw from a course during the semester, talk to your Financial Aid Counselor because it could impact other semesters, reduce the amount of scholarships/grants for the current semester, or it may have no impact at all. If you plan to drop or withdraw from a course, it is best to reach out to our office to receive clarification on how it may affect your financial aid.

What happens to my financial aid if I decide to leave or withdraw from all my courses? +

Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to understand the impact of withdrawing from all your courses. Many factors may influence how this decision will impact your financial aid.

My private loan is more than my student account bill. Can I get a refund to help cover my living expenses? +

If your private loan disbursement amount for the term exceeds the amount of your current term balance, you may request the overage of funds to be mailed to you by the Business Office. Please contact the Business Office with all refund check requests.

Billing/payment

Who do I contact about questions regarding my bill? +

For all billing and payment questions, please visit the Business Office website. If you have additional questions, please contact the Business Office directly.

Customer service survey

Where can I provide my comments and feedback? +

We value your feedback, and our team is dedicated to providing you with a great experience. Please consider completing our customer service survey.

Proxy/authorized user

If a family member calls on my behalf with questions about my aid, can you answer them? +

In order for us to speak with someone else on your behalf regarding specifics about your financial aid and/or other account information from various offices, you will be required to set them up as a proxy or an authorized user. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) prohibits us from discussing or releasing information about your financial aid without your authorization. Please visit our proxy page for authorized user setup instructions.

What are my financial aid rights and responsibilities as a student? +

Please visit the students' financial aid rights and responsibilities page.