Scholarships, Grants, and Loans

It is important that you use all resources available to you in financing your education. New students must complete the Application for Admission and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to receiving a financial aid award. To qualify for federal financial aid, continuing students must complete the FAFSA on an annual basis. Questions regarding financial aid awarding should be referred to the Service Central office.

Colorado Christian University recognizes that paying for a college education can often be challenging. We strongly recommend that all of our students search for outside scholarships. Below is a list of free scholarship search engines that we recommend. A profile is required with most search engines in order to help personalize your search.

• Please remember that though we can recommend these search engines, the integrity of the sources offering scholarships cannot be guaranteed. Research on the source may be necessary from time to time.
• There are other scholarship search engines from which you can find additional outside scholarships. This is not a comprehensive listing of Web sites.
• Finally, please keep in mind that if a scholarship search engine requests money to find your scholarship listings, they are probably not a good site to use. Although some sources are legitimate, the rule of thumb is: any site requesting money to find money is probably a scam!

1. Peterson's Graduate Scholarship Search
   Maintained by the same group that authors many scholarship books by the same name. This is an excellent resource for scholarships specifically for graduate students.
   
2. Broke Scholar
   Recommended by a former CCU graduate student as being one of the better sites for graduate scholarship searches.
   
3. Fast Web
   This is the easiest and most direct Web site. Be sure to check back every few weeks, as they will update your account with new scholarships.
   
4. Military.com Scholarship Search
   Includes scholarships specifically offered for current and former military personnel.
   
5. College Board
   This non-profit organization is the author of the SAT. Offers helpful resources for scholarship searches and tips for applying.
   
6. College Answer
   Named as a “Forbes Favorite” for college planning. Register for a monthly drawing for a $1,000 scholarship.
   
7. www.scholarships.com
   This site offers over 8,000 scholarship sources. They are listed with the Better Business Bureau online.

Employer Reimbursement
Many employers offer tuition reimbursement plans to employees continuing their education. Contact your company's human resources or benefits department to see if this cost-saving option is available to you. If available, please set-up this payment option with CCU by contacting the Service Central office. Students may also take advantage of CCU’s Third Party Deferred Payment Option while waiting for reimbursement from their employer.

Veterans’ Benefits
Many veterans use GI Bill benefits.  If you will be using VA benefits, please contact the Service Central office at VASupport@ccu.edu to set up this payment option.

Loans
Loans can be an important financial resource for students who need help getting through school and are willing to pay for their education with future earnings. For additional detailed descriptions of different types of loans available to adult and graduate students, please refer to the CAGS Financial Aid Policies Handbook (PDF).

• A subsidized Federal Stafford loan is a low-interest loan made to the student by a lending institution such as a bank, credit union, or savings and loan association.  These loans are insured by a guarantee agency and reinsured by the federal government.  The federal government pays the interest on the loan while the student is enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours/semester for a graduate student) and during a “grace period” which follows separation from the school.
• Unsubsidized Federal Stafford loans are available for students who do not have full or any Subsidized Federal Stafford loan eligibility, or for independent students who need more aid than a Subsidized Federal Stafford loan can provide.  They have all the same terms as the Subsidized Federal Stafford loan (interest rate, fees) except that the student pays the interest while in school, rather than the government.
• Federal PLUS loans are low interest loans made to the parent of a dependent student attending at least half-time (6 credit hours/semester for a graduate student).  Capital is provided by an outside lending institution and is subject to credit approval.  A parent can borrow up to the cost of education as determined by CCU’s Service Central office, minus any other aid received.
• Alternative (private) loan eligibility may be based on past credit history and may require a co-signer.