Financial Aid FAQ & Resources

Why is the 2024-2025 FAFSA different than in previous years?

Due to the passing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Simplification Act on December 27, 2020, as a part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, the FAFSA was changed for the 2024-2025 aid year, which determines your financial aid eligibility for the fall 2024, spring 2025, and summer 2025 terms.

What are some of the changes for the 2024-2025 FAFSA?

• Expanded eligibility for federal student aid, including Pell Grants
• A streamlined FAFSA application process, with fewer questions, aimed at making FAFSA easier for students to file
• Learn more about the 2024-2025 FAFSA

When will I know that CSP has received my 2024-2025 FAFSA?

The U.S. Department of Education has stated that they will release completed FAFSAs to colleges and universities by the end of March 2024. CSP admissions will send you a confirmation email as soon as your FAFSA has been received by our Financial Aid Office.

When will I receive my CSP financial aid award for the 2024-2025 academic year?

Once FAFSA information is released to us from the U.S. Department of Education, we hope to begin sending financial aid offers within four weeks. You will receive an emailed notification from CSP when your financial aid award offer is ready for your review.

Does CSP offer any resources for filing the 2024-2025 FAFSA?

Yes, please reach out to your admissions counselor or [email protected] with questions about the FAFSA and financial aid. You can also schedule an appointment (on campus or virtual) anytime if you’d like to walk through things step-by-step together.

2 easy steps!

1. Apply to CSP
2. Apply for FAFSA and add in Concordia University, St. Paul with the code 002347

Once you have been admitted to CSP, your financial aid award letter will be sent via email within 1-2 weeks of acceptance, as long as you have completed the FAFSA.

If you are a dependent student, you will also need most of this information for your parent(s).

• An FSA ID to sign electronically
• Your Social Security number
• Your Alien Registration number (if you’re not a U.S. citizen)
• Your federal income tax returns, W-2s, and other records of money earned (Note: You may be able to transfer your federal tax return information into your FAFSA form using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool)
• Bank statements and records of investments (if applicable)
• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

Yes. If you would like federal student aid to be applied to each academic year, you can complete a renewal FAFSA each year.

Verification is the process schools use to confirm that the data reported on your FAFSA form is accurate. This doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong. If you’re selected for verification, CSP will request additional documentation that supports the information you reported on your FAFSA.

Steps to complete verification:

• Login to CSPConnect
• Go to the Financial Aid Card
• Click on Verify My FAFSA
• Create an account and upload the requested documents

Questions?
Don’t hesitate to reach out to our Verification Team with any questions. They are here to help!

651-641-8776

[email protected]

Work-study programs are jobs offered through the college financial aid office to help you earn money to pay for your education. If you work on campus you can use this money to go towards your tuition or have the money directly deposited to your account.

Completing Entrance Counseling and signing a Master Promissory Note (MPN) are required for students who wish to accept any Stafford loan.

Complete Entrance Counseling
The entire counseling process must be completed in a single session. Most people complete counseling in 20-30 minutes. You will need your verified FSA ID to complete entrance counseling.

Complete Your MPN
The Master Promissory Note (MPN) 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)

For more details on federal aid, please go to the Accepting Financial Aid page on studentaid.gov. There, you will find information on the types of financial aid offered, the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans, and how to determine which loans (if any) to accept.

If your tuition was not covered fully by Federal Stafford loans and Need-Based Grants, you will need to pay the remainder out of pocket or apply for a Private Educational loan. There are many types of student loans, and it is important for you to choose the one that best meets your needs.

• Understanding Federal vs. Private loans

These tools can help you find loan and scholarship options, compare lenders, and more.

• FASTChoice
• Fast Web
• Sallie Mae
• Top Lenders

Learn more about PLUS Loans.

Prior to be being awarded, you must be admitted to Concordia University, St. Paul and have a complete FAFSA on file. Approximately 1-2 weeks after these requirements are met you can expect to receive your financial aid award letter via email.

PLEASE NOTE: All financial aid awards are approximations until actual disbursement, and may change at anytime with our without consent of the recipient as determined by the Department of Higher Education (DOE).

A typical financial aid package begins with the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) which is calculated once you complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Concordia will use the EFC to determine what types of aid you may be eligible for including MN State Grant, Pell, Supplemental Equal Opportunity Grant (SEOG), work-study, Stafford loans, Perkins loans and private education loans.

• Accept or decline your Stafford loans by following these steps:
  • Login to CSPConnect
  • Go to either the Financial Aid or Financial Aid Awards Card
  • Click on Financial Aid Award
  • Select the Award Offer tab to view and determine your financial aid/assistance approximations

Congratulations on receiving CSP’s Full Tuition Pell Commitment! This means your tuition is fully covered by CSP’s Pell Grant. Learn more here.

• Grant money is applied approximately three weeks after the semester starts
• Federal loan money is applied to student accounts approximately three weeks after the start of your program.
• Private loans are disbursed as soon as all requirements are met.
• If a credit balance remains after all tuition and fees have been paid for the semester, students will receive any leftover funds after the drop-add period (approximately 2 weeks after classes start).

If a credit balance remains after all tuition and fees have been paid for the semester, students receive the overage within 14 days. Refer to your CSPConnect for specific details.

Tuition is due on Tuesday of week six, each semester; read full payment information.

Learn more here.

All students are asked to set up direct deposit upon enrollment at CSP. Direct deposit is necessary for student employment payroll, student refunds, or any other reimbursements.

Please set up your direct deposit before the first day of classes by following these steps:

• Login to CSPConnect
• Under the My Account tab
• Click on Update Direct Deposit Information
• Under Accounts Payable Deposit, click +Add New
• Input your 9-digit Bank Routing Number
• Input your Account Number

Setting up a proxy is necessary for students who would like to allow their parent(s) or guardian(s) to access their education records, including grades, billing, tuition and fees assessments, and financial aid.

Please follow the instructions below to set up proxy access:

• Sign up for an account on the CSP Community and Family Portal
• Once you are logged in, click on the “graduation cap” icon to view/add your student connection
• Enter your student’s CSP email address (@csp.edu email)
  • Please note you will only be able to add your student connection after they have registered for classes
• Enter your relationship to the student
• Create a 4-digit pin
• You can now request access to all your student records or customize which records you prefer to gain access
• Click the “Connect to Your Student” button to send a request to your student’s email address
• You will see that your request is pending until your student logs into their CSP email account and approves your request
• Once your request is approved, you will have access to all approved items within the CSP Community and Family Portal

• Refunds are produced when the aid received is greater than tuition and fees charged. Federal Loans, Subsidized and Unsubsidized, will initially disburse to qualifying students after the add-drop period for the most current term has expired.
• Once funds are disbursed, if a refund is produced it will be issued within two weeks (14 calendar days). Refunds are issued two times per week: Wednesday and Friday.
• If Federal Stafford Loans are borrowed, a Disclosure Statement will be mailed to your permanent home address from the Department of Education. Please retain these records for your future use, and review them to determine loan disbursement amounts and dates.
• Refunds are sent to students via a paper check issued to a permanent home address, or via Direct Deposit. CSP encourages students to use the Direct Deposit option.

Loan Advocacy – Minnesota

If you are having issues with your student loan lender or servicer, the Student Loan Advocate with the Minnesota Department of Commerce is here to help. To file a complaint, please visit our web page. For general questions, please contact Student Loan Advocate Jabra Kawas at [email protected] or 651-539-1022.

Loan Advocacy – Washington State

Notice for Washington State Residents

• For Washington State residents seeking information and resources about student loan repayment or seeking to submit a complaint relating to your student loans or student loan servicer, please visit www.wsac.wa.gov/loan-advocacy or contact the Student Loan Advocate at [email protected].

To be eligible for institutional or federal financial funds produced from the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) you must accomplish ALL the following:

• Minimum cumulative Grade Point | Average [GPA] of 2.0
• Minimum cumulative successful completion rate of 67% of all attempted credits
• Complete your program within 150% of published course length

If you do not satisfy one or more of the mandated requirements, the following may occur:

• Financial Aid Warning
• Financial Aid Probation
• Financial Aid Suspension

Full Policy

HEERF reporting information

• CSP SAFAP Policy Information
• Year Round Pell- Institutional Policy
• Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act – Confidentiality
• Return of Title IV Funds Policy
• Credit Balance Policy
• CSP Military Educational Benefits Policy
• Professional Judgment Policy

• Home Congregation Application (PDF)
• LCMS District Application (PDF)

If you do not plan to apply for FAFSA, please fill out the FAFSA Waiver Form:

• FAFSA Waiver

• • Minnesota State Program(s) Eligibility Form (PDF)
  • MN Office of Higher Education Student Portal: Applications for the following MN State Programs are found by setting up an account in the student portal. Programs in the portal: MN Dream Act, MN Indian Scholarship, MN Student Teacher Grants, MN Child Care Grant

• Request for Loan Change Form (Stafford) (PDF)

• 2024-2025 TEACH GRANT APPLICATION
• TEACH GRANT WAIVER (PDF)

Students must complete the Certificate of Finances form that reflects the information stated on their bank statement. This form should reflect information for the term that you
intend to start your studies in.

Please see CSP’s Tuition and Financial Aid page for more information on tuition and fees. International students are eligible for scholarships and are automatically awarded during the admissions process.

Consortium Agreement