Financial Aid FAQs

DBU's School Code for filing the FAFSA is: 003560
This code is used to inform the U.S. Department of Education which college 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:

1. Obtain a Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) from the U.S. Department of Education. One parent will also need an FSA ID if you are considered a dependent student (see note below). 
   
   
2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form as soon as possible. The FAFSA becomes available in December each year.  
   
   When completing the FAFSA, you will use tax return data from the prior-prior year (i.e. two years before the year you plan to enroll). The U.S. Department of Education provides the FAFSA IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) to populate the tax return data from the IRS. Learn more about the DRT.

Your FAFSA 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 when he or she registered for classes.

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 to be considered for an award from that particular scholarship program.

Attention Fall Enrollees

Complete your financial aid file by March 15 to be eligible to receive the maximum amount of federal and/or state financial aid funds.

Note about Dependent or Independent Student Status

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

To be considered an independent student, the student must be at least 24 years old by January 1 of the award year. A student who has not attained this age is also considered to be independent if he or 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).

If you are still unsure if you qualify as an independent student, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at (214) 333-5363 or finaid@dbu.edu. 

The DBU Office of Financial Aid attempts to award students the same aid they received the previous year. As long as funds are available and the student continues to meet the eligibility requirements, the chances are high that students will receive the same or similar aid package as the previous year.

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

• Complete the FAFSA as early in the calendar year as possible and no later than 30 days prior to Advance Registration.

For most aid programs, the financial aid year begins in the Fall semester and ends in the Spring semester. For DBU, the Summer semester falls at the end of the annual cycle and concludes that year's financial aid year.

Summer Aid

Eligibility for Summer assistance is determined by submission of the student's prior year's FAFSA and does not require a separate filing.

Summer Aid Note: There may be little or no loan funds left to cover summer classes if a student elects to use their annual loan limit 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.

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.

Fall and Spring Semesters

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

Summer Semester

• March 15 is also the priority date for students wishing to be awarded for the Summer semester. 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 the fullest amount of financial aid available, students should:

• Complete the FAFSA no later than 30 days prior to Advance Registration for the academic semester in which aid is desired. See the Academic Calendar for Advance Registration dates.
• Applications completed after this date cannot be guaranteed to be awarded by registration.
• Applications received later than this date will be reviewed but cannot be guaranteed to be awarded within the semester.
• Funding may not be available if documents are NOT submitted in a timely manner.

FAFSA Deadlines

The priority deadline to submit your FAFSA to DBU is March 15. 

The FAFSA form must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. CT on June 30 of the academic year for which the FAFSA applied. For example, for the 2023-2024 academic year, the deadline is on June 30, 2024. Any corrections or updates must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. CT on September 14.

Financial aid review for awarding and posting of any aid can only be done after the receipt of a completed FAFSA.

Verification Process

On occasion, a student's record is selected for verification. This is a process most often requested by the U.S. Department of Education to review the student's submitted FAFSA data for errors or inconsistencies. If you are selected for verification, you will be asked to provide additional documentation that supports the information you reported on your FAFSA. Don’t assume you are being accused of doing anything wrong if you are selected for verification. People are selected for verification randomly. 

If a student's file is selected for verification, all supporting documentation must be submitted before a student's financial aid file can be considered complete and reviewed for awarding of aid.

Order in Which Aid is Awarded

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 any institutional aid.

Next, the Office of 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.

The Award Letter

Once the awarding process is completed, an Award Letter will be emailed to the student and posted in Self-Service under the student's MyDBU account. 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 and 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 should be directed to the Office of Financial Aid at (214) 333-5363 or at finaid@dbu.edu. 

• 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 FAFSA annually.

Additional eligibility requirements may exist for each specific award; please check the scholarship page 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  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 that 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.

Determination of Financial Aid

After the Office of Financial Aid has received a student's FAFSA information, the student's financial aid is determined using their Student Aid Index (SAI), a number calculated based on information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form, which essentially measures a student's financial need; a lower SAI indicates a greater need for financial aid, allowing colleges to allocate aid packages accordingly, including grants, loans, work-study, and institutional aid opportunities.

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 (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need

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 help 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.

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 12 credit hours or more during a semester or term (Fall, Spring, and/or Summer) to be considered full-time.
• Undergraduate students taking 9 to 11 credit hours are considered to be attending three-quarters time during a semester or term (Fall or Spring semester or Summer term), and
• Undergraduate students taking 6 to 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 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, the 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