George Fox University | Offices and Services | Graduate

Additional Financial Information

Graduate Students

Schedule of Required Deposits
Admitted students are required to pay a nonrefundable tuition deposit by the date established by the specific graduate or seminary program.

Financial Arrangements
All charges made by the university are due Aug. 15 for fall semester, Dec. 15 for spring semester, or may be made on an installment basis through an approved monthly payment plan (an enrollment fee applies). Students receiving scholarships, grants, or loans must complete all necessary arrangements well in advance of the semester start. Students who are securing a loan from financial institutions or agencies (e.g., a federally insured bank loan) that may still be pending when payment is due must have a letter of commitment from the lender acceptable to the university. Service charges will be made on unpaid accounts even though financial aid and loans are pending, so the application process should be started early.

Payment for summer tuition is due in full when billed. Students may be asked to leave at any time during a semester if appropriate arrangements have not been made at the beginning of the semester or if arrangements made are not honored.

Restrictions
The university will withhold transcript of records and diploma until all university bills have been paid. Students will not be permitted to attend for a new semester, including summer term, until all bills are paid for the previous session.

Removal of Institutional Charges and Financial Aid Policies

Explanation of Terms
The term "Title IV Funds" refers to federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended). At George Fox University, these programs include unsubsidized Stafford Loans and subsidized Stafford Loans. Federal Work-Study wages, if applicable, are not included.

The term "Institutional Financial Aid Funds" refers to George Fox University financial aid dollars, including grants and scholarships.

The "Return" of funds, either Title IV or institutional, refers to the amounts charged or scheduled to be charged, removed from the student account.

The "withdraw date" is the date established by the Office of the Registrar in accordance with the Official Withdraw Process. (See Registrar's Office for information about Official Withdraw Process)

The "period" used in calculating the return of Title IV and institutional funds is either the payment period or the enrollment period, depending on the academic program involved. Both periods are based on calendar days. They include weekends but exclude scheduled breaks of five days or more. The period used to calculate the removal of institutional charges is always the enrollment period.

The "enrollment period" is defined as the period for which a student is enrolled.

The "payment period" is defined as the loan payment period for which the student is eligible. The payment period is used only when calculating the return of funds for academic programs that have two loan disbursement periods within one academic period, such as the School of Professional Studies MOL and MBIS programs.

A "Postwithdrawal Disbursement" is a financial aid or loan disbursement that the student was eligible for prior to withdrawal, but had not yet received.

Removal of Institutional Charges
Students who choose to reduce their course load, and who do not completely withdraw from the university, will receive a removal of tuition, course fees, and other associated fees consistent with the following policy (also available in the Office of the Registrar and the Student Financial Services Office). Each "week" refers to 1/15 of class hour total. The add/drop fee is $25.

1st week: 100% of institutional charges removed, add/drop fee assessed
2nd week: 75% of institutional charges removed, add/drop fee assessed
3rd week: 25% of institutional charges removed, add/drop fee assessed
4th week: all institutional charges remain, add/drop fee assessed

Adjustments of charges for summer graduate housing will generally be calculated as follows:

Students are charged on a weekly basis for housing. Any portion of a week used is charged at the weekly rate. Housing is limited to out-of-area residents with limited availability. Charges are removed for weeks not used. The Office of Student Life determines weeks used.

After the second week of the enrollment period, there is generally no adjustment of health insurance, student body fees, health counseling fees, activity fees, parking permit fees, and course fees. (Removal of course fees will be considered if the student submits faculty approval showing that the institution did not incur costs as a result of the student's anticipated participation in activities and/or supplies were not issued.)

Generally, there is no adjustment of add/drop fees or interest. When a student withdraws completely from the university for reasons other than documented and verified medical or hardship reasons, refunds of tuition, excluding abbreviated sessions (see "Abbreviated session" information below), will generally be calculated as follows:

• A student whose withdraw date is within the first week of the enrollment period generally receives a 90 percent removal of charges.
• A student whose withdraw date is within week two generally receives a 75 percent removal of charges.
• A student whose withdraw date is within week three generally receives a 50 percent removal of charges.
• A student whose withdraw date is within week four generally receives a 25 percent removal of charges.
• A student whose withdraw date is within week five, or later, generally receives no adjustment.

Abbreviated sessions are shorter in length resulting in a smaller percentage of tuition, if any, that may be removed. Generally speaking, a removal of tuition will only be considered if the student has been granted an academic drop for the course and if financial aid eligibility is not impacted.

Students requesting medical or hardship financial considerations must do so in writing to the Student Financial Services Office within 30 days of last date of attendance.

Note: No transcripts will be released until the student's account is paid in full. This includes current charges, balances that are the result of financial aid funds returned, and fines that may be assessed after the student leaves.

Removal of Institutional Aid
If a student withdraws and is granted a removal of tuition, George Fox University allows the student to retain a percentage of the disbursed institutional financial aid equal to the percentage that they have been charged, but not to exceed standard charges minus $100. Standard charges are considered to be tuition and fees. The order that institutional financial aid is removed is at the discretion of Student Financial Services.

Removal of Title IV Funds

The Return of the Title IV Federal Funds
These policies apply to students who withdraw entirely or take an approved leave of absence from George Fox University without earning credit for the enrollment period, or to students who are asked to withdraw for academic, disciplinary, or financial reasons.

Note: Both The Return of the Title IV Funds and Removal of Institutional Aid policies and the George Fox University Removal of Institutional Charges Policy must be considered when determining the financial impact of withdrawing completely from the university.

Return of Title IV Funds
Federal law requires that all Title IV funds disbursed to the school be included in the return calculation, including funds in excess of the student account balance that the institution has forwarded to the student and eligible funds pending disbursement. (See Postwithdrawal Disbursement.)

The percentage of Title IV funds returned is based on the number of calendar days the student was enrolled; including the established withdraw date, and allowable charges.

After 60 percent of the period has transpired, there is no return.

To estimate the amount that will be returned to federal aid programs:

When considering the impact of withdrawing, it is recommended that an estimated calculation be requested from the Student Financial Services Office prior to deciding to withdraw.

In accordance with federal regulations, the return of Title IV funds is made in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
• Subsidized Stafford Loans
• Other Title IV programs

Return of Title IV Funds by the Student
When the Return of Title IV Funds calculation results in the student (or parent for a PLUS Loan) having a repayment responsibility, Student Financial Services will notify the student of his or her responsibility.

Postwithdrawal Disbursement
When a Postwithdrawal Disbursement is available, the institution may, without the student's or parent's permission, credit the late disbursement to the student account to cover allowable institutional charges. When loans are applied to the student's account, the student is notified of the disbursement. If the student wishes to cancel all or a portion of a loan, they must do so, in writing, to Student Financial Services within two weeks of receiving notice of the disbursement.

When the Postwithdrawal Disbursement results in excess funds being available to the student, or when pending disbursements are needed to cover minor noninstitutional charges:

• Authorization from the borrower is required.
• If the borrower has not signed an authorization, the institution will request the needed authorization either electronically or in writing.
• The borrower will be advised that no late disbursement will be made for these purposes unless authorization is received within 14 days of the date the institution sent the notification.

These policies are in compliance with the Higher Education Reauthorization Act. For refund examples, please stop by Student Financial Services or call 503-554-2291.

Financial Aid

Basis of Student Aid
George Fox University offers several financial assistance programs for its degree-seeking students. Loans are a primary source of financial aid for graduate study. Limited tuition need-based and academic-based grants, scholarships, and employment are available to eligible students enrolled in seminary degree programs. All students in need of financial aid are encouraged to apply.

Information on financial aid options and application procedures is available from Student Financial Services. Options and procedures change annually, so please make sure you have information for the current year.

With few exceptions, students must be enrolled full time (at least 8 hours per semester) to receive financial aid. However, eligibility for assistance from the Federal Stafford Loan program requires half-time enrollment (4 hours). Students must also meet eligibility requirements of the programs from which they receive assistance. Such requirements include maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward a degree, maintaining a minimum GPA, having financial need, and meeting other specific conditions of federal, state, or university regulations. Students enrolled in certificate programs only are not eligible for financial aid.

Additional Satisfactory Academic Progress Information for Financial Aid Eligibility: Satisfactory academic progress is defined in the academic policy section of this catalog. Students must meet two standards of satisfactory academic progress to continue eligibility for federal student financial aid. They are measurements of quality and quantity.

Quality Standard: A student must maintain the minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement. This standard requires that a cumulative GPA of 3.0 (2.0 for SPS students) must be achieved by the end of the second academic year and must be maintained thereafter. A cumulative GPA less than 3.0 (2.0 for SPS students) does not meet the quality standard.

Quantity Standard: A student must progress toward graduation requirements by satisfactorily completing at least 67 percent of the attempted credit hours and not exceeding 150 percent of the program length. A student who fails to meet these criteria does not meet the quantity standard.

Withdrawals and incompletes are considered attempted hours for financial aid purposes. These hours, as well as credit hours transferred in, are included in the determination of satisfactory academic progress for financial aid eligibility regardless of whether the student received aid while attempting those hours.

Failure to meet either standard could include warning, probation, or revoke status. An appeal process is available for students who can document that extenuating circumstances impacted their ability to meet the standards. Circumstances may include, but are not limited to, external factors that impacted their ability to study, health, or family issues. Contact your Student Financial Services counselor for information on the financial aid appeals process.

Awards Based Upon Financial Need
Financial need is determined by a uniform method of analysis of information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The need analysis helps the university determine the contribution the student is expected to make. The difference between this expectation and the cost of attendance at the university is the "need" that financial aid attempts to fill.

Financial assistance awarded by George Fox University takes the form of grants, loans, and employment. "Need-based" financial assistance comes from the federal government and from the university. Students awarded federal aid are subject to the laws regulating those programs. For instance, all federal assistance requires signed statements from the recipient attesting that the funds will be used only for educational purposes, that the student is not in default on any government loan nor owing a refund on any government grant, and that the student has registered with the Selective Service or that he or she is not required to do so.

Loans, Scholarships, and Grants
The university participates in the federal William D. Stafford Subsidized and Unsubsidized Direct Loan programs. Eligibility for both Stafford loans is determined from the FAFSA information, as well as by the number of hours enrolled in and whether the student has been accepted to a qualified degree-seeking program. Students are encouraged to be cautious when applying for loans, but to consider the value of receiving financial assistance when needed and of paying some of the cost of education later when they are better able to do so. The university expects loans to be a significant part of the financial aid award for graduate students, but the student must decide whether loans are necessary based upon his/her financial situation. Students who are taking out a Stafford loan for the first time with George Fox University are required to go through an entrance interview. The Student Financial Services Office will provide information about that requirement and how to satisfy it.

Governmental Funds and Provisions
Prospective and enrolled students may request and receive information from the Student Financial Services staff concerning available financial assistance and student consumer information.

Financial resources are supplied by the federal government through Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended. Students may inquire at Student Financial Services about eligibility for aid, criteria for selection, award amounts, and rights and responsibilities.

Veterans Affairs (VA) Assistance
The university is listed with the U.S. government as a recognized graduate school for the training of veterans. All prospective students eligible for VA assistance should write to the university registrar for VA-approved program information and follow procedures required by the Veterans Affairs for transfer of training to George Fox University . To be recommended for VA assistance, the student must continue as a bona fide registrant throughout the semester. Those receiving VA assistance must meet the minimum academic standards of the university for enrollment and progress toward degree completion and to enroll must have an approved VA benefits voucher authorizing payment. The Montgomery GI Bill is considered a resource against all aid sources except for the subsidized Stafford loan.

Seminary Institutional Aid Programs

Several scholarship/grant programs are available for eligible students. Seminary grants are awarded annually.

Unless otherwise specified, students must be enrolled full time with 8 hours or more for each semester to receive a scholarship or grant.

The Clapp Scholarship is awarded to master of divinity students.

The Julius Clifton Bruner Scholarship Fund was established by Iris J. Bruner in memory of her husband for graduate theological education.

The Ketterling-Schlenker Memorial Scholarship Fund was established to assist students demonstrating financial need. Preference is given to students from North Dakota, Montana, or the Midwest.

The Clara and Harlan Macy Memorial Scholarship was established by family members to help seminary students going into pastoral ministry.

The Chuan Cheng Morrisey Missions Memorial Scholarship Fund is awarded to students preparing for cross-cultural ministry (preferably with Chinese) or to Chinese students preparing for cross-cultural ministry to non-Chinese.

The H.W. and Wilma Ogden Scholarship is awarded to Free Methodist students in the ministry program at the seminary.

The Richard Parker Scholarship was established by Jeannette Parker in memory of her husband. It is awarded to students in the master of divinity, master of arts in Christian ministries, or master of arts in theological studies programs.

The John and Emma Pike Scholarship is awarded to master of divinity students committed to full-time pastoral ministry upon graduation.

Earnings from the Arthur T. Shelton Scholarship Fund are awarded to students coming from the states of Oregon and Washington.

Earnings from the Lydia C. Sundberg Memorial Fund are awarded to international students who will return to their homeland, or students planning to enter missionary service.

The Glenn and Allee Yoder Memorial Scholarship was established in 1993 by their family for the educational advancement of Christian students.

Eligibility for all of the above scholarships is based on evidence of financial need and is limited to tuition only. If a student's enrollment status changes, the amount of the scholarship may be decreased accordingly. A student may not be on academic probation more than one semester to maintain eligibility. Awards are limited to the amount of funds available and to seminary courses taken for credit only, not audit courses or off-campus courses and seminars.

Seminary Church Matching Grants: The Church University Fellowship Award Program was established to partner with churches who offer scholarship programs to assist their students who attend George Fox University. The church must apply and send payment postmarked by Aug. 1, 2006, for the fall semester and Dec. 1, 2006, for the new seminary students in the spring. Qualifying students may receive up to $600 of matching funds. See General Program Description/Application for matching policies.

Seminary Multiethnic Scholarships are awarded to current and prospective students who are U.S. citizens and ethnic minorities. These scholarships are based on need.

Partners in Ministry Grants are provided for all spouses enrolled in the partners in ministry certificate program. Scholarships are limited to one course per semester. Scholarships will be applied only to those courses in the program.

Pastor and Teacher Enrichment Grants are available for full-time pastors, Christian educators, and mission personnel not pursuing a degree program, for courses taken on an audit basis.

Seminary Grant
The Seminary Grant is available to all students whose federal financial aid form determines need and who have at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Also, the federal financial aid form results must be received by the Student Financial Services by May 1. All new entering seminary students will be considered on need only, but the cumulative GPA must also be maintained with at least a 3.5 cumulative GPA to continue receiving the Seminary Grant.

Seminary International Student Award
All international students will be awarded an International Grant based on 20 percent of the tuition for a full load of 8 hours. Students must maintain at least 8 hours per semester and can receive 20 percent of any credits over 8 hours, as well. It is the student's responsibility to let Student Financial Services know if taking more than 8 hours. All international students must apply for admission by May 1 of each year in order to receive the International Grant.

Seminary Research Scholars and Teaching Assistants
Several seminary students are selected each year to serve as research scholars and teaching assistants for full-time faculty. Prospective research scholars and teaching assistants should make application for the position with the endorsement of the faculty member by May 1 prior to the academic year. Qualifications for the position are considered. An applicant must be a registered student. Though not required, a research scholar is typically in her/his second or third year of study. Research scholars and teaching assistants are considered student employment positions. Remuneration will be at the established university student employment rates.

Seminary Student Employment
Several seminary students are selected each year for campus employment assignments at the Portland Center of George Fox University. These positions vary throughout the year depending on the staffing needs. Both financial need and qualifications for the position are considered. Applications are available from the Portland Center admissions office. A campus employment student must be a registered student. Remuneration will be at the established university student employment rates.

Other Scholarship Programs for Seminary Students
Information and applications for the following scholarship programs may be obtained by contacting the appropriate denominational and conference offices directly.

Brethren in Christ Church Scholarships: A $500 annual tuition scholarship is provided students of the Brethren in Christ Church .

Evangelical Church , Pacific Conference: The Pacific Conference of the Evangelical Church offers financial aid to its ministerial students who are attending the seminary and who are under the guidance of the conference Board of Ministerial Relations. Both basic tuition scholarships and service-grant loans are available.

Evangelical Men Scholarship: The Evangelical Men of the Evangelical Church (Pacific Conference) grant an annual tuition scholarship to a student of their choice.

Free Methodist Church Scholarships: Tuition scholarship assistance is provided for all Free Methodist students who meet the standards determined by the denomination through the John Wesley Seminary Foundation.

Higbee Memorial Scholarship: The Oregon Conference of the Free Methodist Church is custodian of a scholarship fund for Free Methodist students. The fund is in honor of Dellno Higbee.

Northwest Yearly Meeting of Friends Church Scholarship: A limited number of Friends students may receive tuition scholarship assistance from allocated funds set apart for this purpose by Northwest Yearly Meeting.

Paul T. and Vera E. Walls Foundation Scholarships: These scholarships are designated to provide assistance to seminary students who are members of the Pacific Northwest Conference of the Free Methodist Church.

Waldo Hicks Memorial Scholarship: His widow, Frances Hicks French, and her two sons, Bruce and David, have designated this annual scholarship to assist a student of the Friends Church.

Wesleyan Church Scholarship: Funds are made available to Wesleyan students on a loan basis. Repayment is dependent on years of service in the denomination following seminary training.