Consumer Information

Briar Cliff University's Financial Aid office ensures that students are able to afford their education by working with them on a number of factors unique to every student's journey. This service works to inform students about financial aid or scholarship options available to assist incoming or current students. 

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The Cost of Attendance (COA) is an estimate of the total expenses a student may incur while attending a university for one academic year. It typically includes tuition and fees, room and meals, books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses—helping students and families plan and budget accordingly.

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Students may receive financial aid from a variety of sources, including federal aid (like Pell Grants, student loans, and work-study), state aid (such as grants and scholarships offered by their home state), and institutional aid provided directly by Briar Cliff (including merit, talent, and need-based scholarships or grants). These different types of aid can be combined to help reduce the overall cost of attendance.

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A calculator that is intended to provide estimated net price information (defined as estimated cost of attendance - including tuition and required fees, books and supplies, housing and meals, and other related expenses - minus estimated grant and scholarship aid) to current and prospective students and their families based on what similar students paid in a previous year.

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General eligibility requirements include financial need for need-based aid, are a US citizen or eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at an eligible college or career/trade school.

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Students who wish to apply for scholarships, grants, or loans must:

1. Complete an admissions application and be accepted for admission to Briar Cliff University
2. Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) annually
3. Merit and talent scholarships will be awarded based on High School or College Transcripts and by what was set for the fine arts or athletic recruiter

If your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has been selected for verification, a standard review process, you may need to complete additional required forms. Federal regulations require Briar Cliff to verify the accuracy of the information you provided on your FAFSA before awarding any Federal Student Aid.

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Students who wish to activate their loans must complete the Master Promissory Note and an Entrance Counseling session. These items can be completed by visiting studentaid.gov.

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Students who borrow federal student loans are required to complete Entrance Loan Counseling and Exit Loan Counseling.

Entrance Loan Counseling ensures that students understand their rights and responsibilities before receiving a federal student loan. All first-time federal student loan borrowers must complete entrance counseling before their loan funds can be disbursed.

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Exit Loan Counseling provides student loan borrowers with important information on loan repayment and managing student loan debt. Before graduating or dropping below half-time enrollment status, students with federal student loans must complete exit counseling.

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Briar Cliff University partners with FastChoice to help provide private lending options.

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Adjustments to a student's financial aid can be related to several factors:

• Receipt of new information concerning the student's aid application
• Clarification of existing information
• Change in enrollment status
• Complete withdrawal from the University

During the first week of each semester, called "Validation Week" or “Census date” students will have an opportunity to change their enrollment status/registration or room/meal plan with no financial penalty. After Validation Week, there will be no adjustment to tuition or financial aid if the student drops a class or changes to a different room/board plan.

If a student adds a class later in the semester (change in enrollment status), he or she will be charged the appropriate tuition and fee but may not receive an increase in financial aid.

It is extremely important that students validate their enrollment during the first week of each term to receive the maximum financial aid for which they are eligible.

Return to Title IV (Federal) Aid Policy
If you receive federal funds as part of your financial aid package and you either officially or unofficially withdraw from all classes during an academic semester, you may be required to return all or a portion of those federal funds. This is called the Return to Title IV Policy (Title IV is a federal statute that relates to federal financial aid).

Withdrawing or Ceasing Attendance: Implications for Federal Financial Aid
It is very important that you attend and complete your classes. If you withdraw from school officially (drop all courses) or unofficially (fail to attend courses or stop attending and do not successfully complete ANY classes with a letter grade of either "A," "B," "C," "D," or "P") before the semester is completed, and you have already received federal financial aid funds, the U.S. Department of Education will initiate a Return of Funds Calculation. This calculation may result in all, or a portion of, your financial aid for that semester being returned to the U.S. Department of Education. This means you will owe those funds back to Briar Cliff University. It will be your responsibility to repay these funds in a timely manner.

Repaying Financial Aid Received
If the Return of Funds Calculation determines that you must repay all or a portion of the financial aid you received, you will receive a letter from the BCU Office of Financial Aid notifying you of the amount that was returned to the Department of Education.

The Return of Funds Calculation does not consider the reasons for your withdrawal. It is simply a calculation of how much you must repay. If you are notified to repay all or a portion of the financial aid you received for a semester, the decision is final. The U.S. Department of Education provides no appeal process for the amount you are required to repay. The amount is based on the Return of Funds Calculation due to your withdrawal from classes.

Financial aid is money to help pay for college. Grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships help make college affordable. 

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In accordance with FERPA (Family Educational Rights Privacy Act) laws and regulations, Briar Cliff University is required to protect the privacy of student records. Consequently, Briar Cliff University cannot release information to third parties without written consent of the student. To authorize Briar Cliff University to share your academic progress, grades, financial aid and billing, a student must complete the following request.  

Complete the Form

This is the term used to denote a student's successful completion of course work toward a degree. Students must maintain specific, satisfactory academic progress requirements to be eligible for financial aid. For more information, visit the Student Handbook or contact the Office of Financial Aid.

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Financial aid is disbursed (released) to students in different ways depending on the type of aid and other factors. For more detailed information regarding method and frequency of fund disbursement, refer to your corresponding Financial Aid guidebook.

To request more information about financial aid, contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Briar Cliff University adheres to a code of conduct regarding relationships with providers of educational loans. For more information, read the code of conduct by clicking the link below, or request a print copy by contacting the Office of Academic Affairs.

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Briar Cliff University is committed to treating all students fairly and respectfully. If you encounter a problem or a grievance arises concerning tuition, fees or your financial aid process at Briar Cliff, we encourage you to contact the Office of Financial Aid.

You may also file a formal complaint with the Department of Education.