Financial Aid FAQs

DBU School Code for filing the FAFSA is: 003560
This is used to inform the Department of Education which college/university you are interested in attending and where you want your FAFSA information sent.

To apply for financial aid at DBU, applicants must complete the following steps:

• Obtain a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) from the U.S. Department of Education at fsaid.ed.gov. If you are a dependent student, one parent will also need an FSA ID.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form as soon as possible after October 1 of each year. This application is available both online at www.fafsa.ed.gov or via a mobile application. The myStudentAid mobile app is available from the Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android). When completing the current year FAFSA you will be using income data from the prior-prior (2 years before the fall attendance year). You should plan to use the FAFSA IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to populate the income data from the IRS. Students complete their portion then (if the student is dependent status) parents complete their portion.
• Complete our own DBU Supplemental Application for Financial Aid. This is an annual application and must be submitted annually by every financial aid applicant to be considered for aid in a coming academic awarding year.

In general, all application materials should be fully completed no later than 30 days before Advance Registration begins. Otherwise, the student will be expected to make payment arrangements with the Cashier's Office using personal resources at the time of registration. Late aid applications will be processed after registration for aid as it becomes available. Each scholarship program has an individual deadline that must be met in order to be considered for an award from that particular scholarship program.

The Priority Date for a completed financial aid file that will ensure the student access to Maximum Federal and/or State financial aid funds is March 15.

Note about Dependent or Independent Status

A student is NOT considered an independent student just because parents have not included them on their own income tax filing, if parents provide little support, or if a student will be paying for all expenses. The information below will list what constitutes an independent student. If these do not fit your situation, you will need to file with your parents' information and signature.

To be considered an independent student is one who is at least 24 years of age by January 1, of the award year. A student who has not attained this age is also considered to be independent if he/she:

• is married;
• is a graduate (master) level or above, or professional student;
• applies for and is approved for a dependency override;
• is not married, but has legal dependents--as defined by Federal regulations;
• is a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces, or currently serving on active duty for purposes other than training; or
• is an orphan, in foster care, an emancipated minor, homeless youth, or a ward of the court (documentation required for confirmation).

Learn about Dependent or Independent Status >>

If still in doubt, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 214-333-5363 or finaid@dbu.edu. 

The Office of Financial Aid attempts to award aid each year consistent with the student's prior year awards. As long as funds are available and provided the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements of each aid program likely posted aid will reflect previous aid.

To renew aid in a new semester/term follow the steps below:

• Complete the DBU Supplemental Application for Financial Aid and submit to the Office of Financial Aid by the March 15 priority date. This will enable a student to be considered for maximum eligible aid.
• Complete the FAFSA as early in the calendar year, before the new term, as possible.

For most aid programs the financial aid year begins in the Fall (header term/semester) and ends with the Spring term. For DBU, Summer is a trailer (ending term/semester) and concludes the year. It requires a separate DBU Supplemental Application, but not a new FAFSA.

Summer Aid

Applying for summer aid is not part of any renewal of the aid process. Eligibility for Summer assistance is determined by submission of the DBU Summer Supplemental and the prior year FAFSA results. It is not part of the renewal of the aid process.

Summer Aid Note: There could be little to no loan funds left for summer classes if a student has elected to use their annual loan limits during the Fall and Spring terms. It is always wise to limit borrowing to just what is needed to supplement costs for each term of enrollment.

Are there priority dates or deadlines for Financial Aid?

Priority Dates

Priority Dates exist because some aid programs have limited funds available and are awarded on a first come, first served basis. However, the Office of Financial Aid makes every effort to provide funds to students as long as funds are available. If the priority date is not met, the student's application will still be processed. However, because some funds are limited, a student may not receive the maximum amount that could be available to students who have completed financial aid files by this date.

File Complete Dates are critical dates to keep as they ensure financial aid is in place before the semester begins. These are the best last day of a current term to submit paperwork to ensure funding for that term.

Fall and Spring Semesters

• Priority Date of March 15 – a financial aid file should be completed by this time in order to receive maximum consideration for Federal or State financial aid for the Fall and Spring semesters of the upcoming year.
• Priority Date of March 15 is the priority date for continuing students to complete scholarship applications for anticipated enrollment in the upcoming Fall semester.

Summer Semesters

• March 15 is also the priority date for students wishing to be awarded for the Summer award period. To be considered for Summer assistance, a DBU Summer Supplemental Application must be submitted by this date. Because Summer is separate from the standard academic year, eligible enrollment must fit into attendance patterns that include at least one-half of the Summer. New students beginning with DBU in a Summer term must also have a FAFSA completed and submitted to DBU.

To be considered for and awarded for the fullest amount of financial aid available students should:

• Complete all financial aid applications at least thirty (30) days prior to registration for the academic award period in which aid is desired.
• Applications completed after this time cannot be guaranteed to be awarded by registration.
• Applications received later than that will be reviewed but cannot be guaranteed to be awarded within the semester.
• Funding may not be available if documents are submitted in a timely manner.

Deadlines

Of both financial aid applications required to be reviewed for financial aid, only the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) has a true deadline. The FAFSA deadline is midnight of June 30 for the preceding years (i.e., June 30, 2018 for the 2017-2018 awarding year). Corrections for that same academic year must be made by midnight of September 15.

Financial aid review for awarding and aid posted can only be done after the receipt of a completed FAFSA and a DBU Supplemental Application for Federal Student Aid.

On occasion, a student's record is selected for verification. This is a process most often requested by the Department of Education to review the student's submitted FAFSA data for errors or inconsistencies. In this case, all required documentation and corrected FAFSA information must be received before the application process is complete. Only when these are done is a student's financial aid file considered full and complete and ready to be reviewed for all aid for which they may be eligible.

Learn about Verification >>

For financial aid programs in which need is the factor in determining eligibility, the Federal Pell Grant is posted first.

After the Federal Pell Grant, other Federal and State programs are posted. Followed by institutional aid.

Next, Financial Aid will post any gift aid, such as outside scholarships and Church Gift, with any eligible Matching Grants.

After these sources have been applied, then additional awards are packaged from self-help types of aid, such as student employment and loans.

When eligibility for all other funds has been exhausted or when all other funds for which the student is deemed eligible have been awarded, loans will be awarded to fill the remaining unmet need.

Programs that have limited funds available for awards will be awarded based on the completed application date. Once all available funds are awarded, eligible students will be placed on a waitlist should additional funds become available. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the semester. No retroactive applications are allowed past the end of an enrollment period.

Once the awarding process is completed an Award Letter emailed/mailed to the student, as well as posted to WebAdvisor (which may be viewed if the student is registered). This Award Letter contains the names and amounts of the financial aid awards the student was deemed eligible to receive. The Award Letter notice also contains some instructions, as well as important information about restrictions and conditions that can affect the ability of the student to receive the amounts awarded. It should be read carefully.

Any questions or need for additional instruction or information should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid via phone at 214-333-5363 or email at finaid@dbu.edu. 

Determination of Financial Aid

After the Office of Financial Aid has received a student's FAFSA information and DBU Supplemental Application for Financial Aid, the student's financial need and types of awards for which he/she qualifies may then be determined. 

The Office of Financial Aid, working within the Federal government's policies set to measure need, determines the student's "financial need" using the following formula:

[Cost of Attendance (tuition, room, board, books, fees, and other expenses)]
- [Family Contribution or EFC as calculated by the Federal Government]
= [Financial Need, or the amount of need-based aid a student may receive]

If a student is determined to demonstrate financial need, the Office of Financial Aid then makes every effort to assist the student in meeting his/her determined financial need using all resources available. Both need-based and non-need based aid–in the form of Federal and State programs, as well as institutional aid–could be available to meet that need.

Financial Aid Counselors are available to discuss any question a student or his/her family may have regarding the student's or family's financial situation.

• Enrollment Status
• Withdrawal
• Title IV

Eligibility Guidelines

Institutional Scholarships

Recipients of Institutional Scholarships should be:

• A student in good standing
• Making satisfactory progress toward his/her educational goals
• Have completed the DBU Supplemental Application Form and the FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) annually.

Additional eligibility requirements may exist for each specific award; please check the scholarship section for more information.

Federal or State Financial Assistance

Students seeking Federal or State assistance must be eligible for Federal or State financial assistance by meeting the guidelines established by the U.S. Department of Education, the State of Texas and:

• Successfully complete (in a timely manner) the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and any other documentation required in this application process;
• Possess a valid Social Security Number (SSN). SSN matches are conducted by the government processor for each applicant for Federal aid programs;
• Be registered for Selective Service, if male and required to do so. Federal or State financial aid cannot be disbursed until the Office of Financial Aid receives notification that the student has successfully registered with Selective Service;
• Be a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or other eligible non-citizen. (Check with the Office of Financial Aid for details);
• Be a degree-seeking, non-transient student enrolled in a degree-granting eligible program for the purpose of obtaining a degree, or certificate;
• Enrolled in an eligible pattern of enrollment. In most cases, this means enrolled in at least one long semester class. (Check with the Office of Financial Aid for details);
• Fully admitted to the University. Students admitted to the University on a conditional basis (incomplete admission file) may be awarded financial aid, but no aid will be disbursed until the student completes his/her admission file;
• In good standing and making satisfactory academic progress toward a degree and not on Financial Aid Suspension;
• Possess a high school diploma or GED. Students who have successfully completed at least two years of college-level work that is acceptable for full credit toward a baccalaureate degree at DBU may also be eligible to apply for Federal aid. Students completing their high school education in a home school environment may also be eligible to apply for Federal financial aid under certain conditions. (See the Office of Financial Aid for more information.);
• Not owe a refund on grants previously received under the Federal Pell Grant, the Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, or the Leveraged Educational Assistance Grant.
• Not be enrolled and receiving aid at another school concurrently;
• Not be in default (or delinquent) on any educational loan programs with the State or Federal government, or have borrowed in excess of the loan limits on Federal loan programs;
• Also...for Federal programs, be enrolled at least halftime during the Fall, Spring, or Summer terms. Halftime at DBU is defined as six (6) semester hours for Undergraduate and 4.5 hours per semester for Graduate students. Some students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant may be enrolled in fewer than six hours and still receive this grant.
• For State programs, students must be enrolled full-time.

Visiting (or transient) students at DBU who are pursuing degrees at other colleges are not eligible for financial aid.

Transfer and Professional Studies Students

To receive Federal or State Financial Assistance Transfer and Professional Studies students must meet all of the above requirements, as well as the following standards for admittance to DBU.

Transfer and professional studies students desiring to receive Federal or State financial aid must be admitted to the University under one of the following standards as set forth by the U.S. Department of Education:

• An official high school transcript from an accredited high school which denotes that a diploma was received through graduation; or,
• A General Education Development Certificate (GED); or,
• An academic transcript showing successful completion of at least a two-year degree program that is acceptable for full credit toward the student's anticipated degree at DBU.

Yes. When awarding the Office of Financial Aid attempts to award students using the most current enrollment information available. So a student’s current enrollment, changes in enrollment and the timing of these changes can all affect aid eligibility and amounts, as well as tuition charges. We encourage all students to be familiar with this important information as it may heavily affect both charges and aid.

Students who drop or withdraw from any classes (who cease to be enrolled full-time) may be subject to an adjustment of previously awarded aid based on eligibility requirements for each individual Federal and State, or institutional award eligibility, requirements and policy criteria. Students are cautioned that dropping classes after being awarded on a full-time basis may affect their eligibility for certain types of aid.

The estimated amounts for scholarships and grants that are paid per semester hour will be adjusted to the actual number of hours enrolled at registration. Awards offered in set amounts may, in some cases, be pro-rated for enrollment that is less than full-time.

Since financial aid rules can be complex and can vary by the particular type(s) of financial aid we encourage students to contact our office ahead of considered changes to classes or enrollment.

For the purposes of Financial Aid budgeting and awarding:

For Undergraduate Students:

• Undergraduate students must be enrolled in at least twelve (12) credit hours or more during a semester or term (Fall, Spring and/or Summer) to be considered full-time.
• Undergraduate students taking nine (9) to eleven (11) credit hours are considered to be attending three-quarter time during a semester or term (Fall or Spring semester or Summer term), and
• Undergraduate students taking six (6) to eight (8) credit hours are considered to be attending halftime during a semester or term (Fall or Spring semester or Summer term).

For Graduate/Master's Level Students:

• Graduate students must be enrolled in at least nine (9) credit hours or more during a semester or term (Fall, Spring and/or Summer) to be considered full-time.
• Note: Doctoral students are full time at 6 hours

For purposes of estimating award amounts on the award notification letter, expected full-time enrollment for undergraduate students is 15 hours per semester, for Graduate students, it is 9 hours per semester, and for Doctoral students, 6 hours of enrollment per semester is considered full-time.

In general, financial aid can only be used to help pay for coursework that is used to meet degree requirements (this includes major, electives and general education requirements). Students should always contact the Office of Financial Aid for information on how academic actions such as add/drops, withdrawals, and other enrollment status considerations may affect aid.

• SAP
• Regaining SAP
• Appeal
• Academic Plan
• Other Guidelines