Financial Aid FAQs Answered

Many students who attend college need financial aid to some degree. Financial aid can come in the form of a loan, scholarship or grant; scholarships and grants need not be paid pack, but student loans must be paid back over time. If you are thinking about applying to Colorado Christian University but cannot enroll without some type of financial assistance, here is some information about financial aid you may find helpful.

Common Questions About Financial Aid

What are the typical eligibility requirements to qualify for financial aid?

For most institutions of higher learning, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen
• Have a valid Social Security number
• Have a high school diploma or GED
• Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree or certificate in an eligible program at a school that participates in the federal student aid programs
• Not owe a refund on a federal grant, not be in default on a federal student loan, or have satisfactory arrangements made to repay the overpayment or default

How much financial aid can one receive?

The amount of aid you qualify for depends on your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), your year in school and enrollment status, and the cost of attending the school you’ve chosen.

Do part-time students qualify for financial aid?

Financial aid is available for students who attend at least half-time. Part-time students attending at least half time must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form to see what their financial aid eligibility is.

Where can I find a copy of FAFSA?

Visit www.fafsa.gov to apply online or call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 4-FED-AID.

Is there a fee to fill out the FAFSA form?

No, FAFSA is free, and you should never pay any individual or group to help you fill out FAFSA.

When should the FAFSA form be filled out?

Fill out and submit the form as soon as possible after January 1, and the FAFSA form should be completed and submitted every year you’re in college.

Other Ways to Save Money on the Cost of College

CCU’s College of Adult & Graduate Studies offers many options to help reduce the cost of attending college:

• CCU honors your previous accredited college coursework toward your completion of an undergraduate degree and offers specific transfer guides for Colorado Community Colleges. Graduate students should refer to the transfer policy for their specific graduate program.
• Adult undergraduate students may be able to earn credit for valuable life experiences through our Prior Learning Assessment program.
• CCU gives you the opportunity to earn credit through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) and DSST, a quick and cost-effective way to accumulate credit for general education and elective credit hours toward your bachelor’s degree.
• CCU offers benefits to military service members and veterans such as reduced tuition, education credit for Basic Training and other formal military educational experience and convenient class locations at Colorado military bases.
• CCU offers a number of online degree programs.

To learn more about financial aid opportunities at CCU CAGS, please contact someone in the CCU Financial Aid Office. Our friendly, professional staff is happy to answer your questions, provide information and assist you in your search for financial opportunities’

Tuition Assistance for Veterans

Taking care of veterans and active service members and their families is very important to the faculty and staff of Colorado Christian University.  In order to make education more accessible for students in the military, CCU offers academic programs online and at convenient locations throughout Colorado. These flexible education opportunities cater to the needs of adult students who have full-time employment, work shifts, and face short notice relocations and/or deployments. CCU’s staff works cooperatively with personnel at the following locations in Colorado and Wyoming.

• Buckley AFB (Colorado)
• FE Warren AFB (Wyoming)
• Fort Carson (Colorado)
• Peterson AFB, including the 302nd Air Wing (Colorado)
• Schriever AFB (Colorado)
• United States Air Force Academy (Colorado)

CCU’s College of Adult and Graduate Studies (CAGS) offers tuition assistance for veterans and servicemembers through a reduced undergraduate tuition rate for service members and their adult dependents. This program applies to undergraduate programs and means that military members taking CAGS undergraduate courses will not pay out-of-pocket tuition costs; courses may have required fees which are unaffected by this policy. Undergraduate credit may be given for basic training and other experience gained while serving our country. CCU is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium whose goal is to make it easier to military men and women to earn college degrees through flexible credit policies and by providing credit for military training and experience. CLEP and DSST testing programs are also available to service men and women.

All master’s degree, bachelor’s degree, and certificate programs in CAGS are approved for payment of GI Bill education benefits.

The Post-9/11 GI Bill is an education benefit program for veterans who served on active duty on or after September 11, 2001.

Learn more about GI Bill payment information and Montgomery GI Bill payments on CCU’s website. CAGs also offers reduced undergraduate tuition for active duty military and their dependents that began in January 2012.

GI Jobs Magazine Names CCU “Military Friendly School”

Men and women in the military face challenges that civilians do not when it comes to selecting a college or university. Military servicemen and women, veterans and members of the reserves must find an institution of higher learning that provides that support and financial benefits they need. Colorado Christian University, with several campuses throughout the state, is proud to announce that it has been named by GI Jobs magazine a one of America’s “Military Friendly Schools” for 2012. The list honors the top 20% of college, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to “embrace America’s service members and veterans as students.” According to Michael Dakduk, Executive Director for the Student Veterans of America, stated, “The Military Friendly Schools list is the go-to resource for prospective student veterans searching for schools that provide the greatest opportunity and overall experience. Nothing is more compelling than actual feedback from current student veterans.”

CCU and Military Members

CCU offers academic programs online and on campus; the flexibility offered by CCU allows adult students to pursue a college degree while honoring commitments to work, relocation or deployments. We work with base education services personnel at these locations:

• Buckley AFB (Colorado)
• FE Warren AFB (Wyoming)
• Fort Carson (Colorado)
• Peterson AFB, including the 302nd Air Wing (Colorado)
• Schriever AFB (Colorado)
• United States Air Force Academy (Colorado)

CCU also offers military financial aid through a reduced undergraduate tuition ratefor military service members and their adult dependents. Service members taking undergraduate classes in CCU’s College of Adult and Graduate Studies program will incur no out-of-pocket tuition costs, but courses may require fees unaffected by this policy.

Colorado Christian University is a member of the Servicemembers Opportunity Colleges (SOC) Consortium, which makes it easier to complete college degrees through flexible transfer credit policies and academic residency requirements; as well as credit for military training and experience, and CLEP and DSST testing programs. CCU also participates in the Concurrent Admissions Program (ConAP), whose goals are as follows:

• Increase enlistment of active-duty and reserve soldiers who are college capable
• Increase the number of soldiers, veterans and reserve members in college
• Increase the use of Montgomery GI Bill education benefits

How the List Was Compiled

Through extensive research and data-driven surveys of over 8,000 American colleges and universities, information was compiled. The schools on the 2012 list (1518 altogether), offer scholarships and discounts to veterans, veterans’ clubs, full-time military staff, military credit and other services to our country’s veterans and active service members. Military Friendly Schools, a website devoted to this list of military friendly schools, provide additional information about the list and how schools make the cut. The site also features interactive tools to help veterans learn more about personal school decisions and how to transition from the military to academia.

Military Experience Conversion to College Credit

The military is a real-life classroom, so, therefore, your experience and training may be worth college credit. The American Council on Education (ACE) created recommendations for colleges to accept military experience and training for course credit. CCU military service personnel and veterans may receive undergraduate college credit for basic training and other formal experience gained while serving. When you enroll, you can order an official transcript from the branch in which you served as transferring credits earned in the military will help you complete your degree more quickly and will save you money.

Army soldiers can request their transcript through the Army American Council on Education Registry Transcript System (AARTS).
Navy sailors and Marines can get their transcript through the Sailor/Marine American Council on Education Registry Transcript (SMART).

Military friendly schools like Colorado Christian University are proud to have servicemen and women enrolled in their degree programs. Learn more by reading about VA-GI Bill Benefits, Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits and special undergraduate military tuition assistance.

What are CLEP and DSST Exams?

Colorado Christian University faculty and staff encourage adult students to seek out ways to help you through your bachelor’s degree programs. For instance, testing for credit through the CLEP (College Level Exam Program) and DSST (formerly DANTES Subject Standardized Tests) is one quick and economical way to gather credits for general education and elective hours that can be put toward your bachelor’s degree. At CCU, up to 45 semester hours of credit by examination and up to 30 semester hours toward an associate’s degree will be accepted.

 Benefits of Testing for Credit

Whether you’re a nursing major, in the business program or a future educator, testing for credit is something CCU advocates because of the numerous benefits of tests such as CLEP and DSST. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of testing for credit:

• No age limitation
• Saves money and time
• Allows you to skip introductory courses and begin with advanced courses
• Helps you to graduate on time or early
• Testing results show your knowledge in certain subjects
• Great idea for double degree candidates
• CLEP is free for military personnel

CLEP testing is simply an opportunity for you to show what you’ve learned in school and in life. Completing a CLEP study will earn you credits. There are even CLEP (and DSST) study guides to help you. Some students have skipped a year or more of college by testing for credit. There are a total of 33 CLEP examinations ranging from American Literature to Principles of Marketing.

DSST exams were used by the Department of Defense so military personnel could earn college credits, but now the exams are available to all students as multiple choice questions. There are 38 subject-level exams in a variety of disciplines; the exams cover upper and lower-level bachelor’s degree courses.

CLEP and DSST exams (90 minutes and 120 minutes, respectively) do not affect GPA and only count toward general education and elective hours. If you fail a CLEP or DSST exam, you may take it again in six months. A maximum of 45 hours of testing credit will be accepted by CCU.

To learn more about testing for credit, please visit the CCU Adult Degree Completion Admissions page or contact CCU.

Sigma Nu Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda Scholarship

Every January CCU’s Sigma Nu Chapter of Alpha Sigma Lambda (ASL) submits two scholarship applications to the ASL national offices. Eligible students must be at least 24 years of age, completed 30 semester hours and have a GPA of 3.4 or higher.

Visit Alpha Sigma Lambda for more information.

Membership Criteria for Alpha Sigma Lambda – Sigma Nu

• A minimum of 24 completed credits at Colorado Christian University. (These credits cannot include transfer, CLEP, DSST, or PLC credits.)
• At least 12 credits in the Liberal Arts/Sciences requirements.
• A minimum grade point average of 3.2 on a 4.0 scale for all courses taken at CCU.
• In the top 10% of students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program in CCU’s College of Adult and Graduate Studies.
• At least 24 years old.