Financial Aid – New
Financial Aid
- Overview
- How to Apply
- Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee
- Undergraduate Aid
- Graduate Aid
- Costs of Attendance
- Costs and Aid Snapshot
- Net Price Calculator
- Professional Judgement
- FAQs
Overview
Office of Financial Aid
Mission Statement
We believe you deserve a high-quality educational experience to achieve your academic and professional goals. We support academic success by providing student-focused services and timely financial assistance, and remove financial barriers in compliance with all federal, state, and University policies.
Our core values center on effective and clear communication, transparency, empowering individuals, and fostering a positive and collaborative environment. We help you navigate various resources to make informed financial decisions.
Contact Us
The Office of Financial Aid staff is here to assist you with all of your education-related financial aid needs. Please contact us at financialaid@scuhs.edu or call us at 562-947-8755 ext. 766
How to Apply
How to Apply for Financial Aid
At SCU, we are committed to helping you understand the financial aid process and navigate available resources to aid in your education. Please complete the following steps to start the financial aid process.
- Create an FSA ID and Password – Create an account via studentaid.gov if you haven’t done so already. Your FSA ID and password will serve as your log in credentials to all federal student aid systems.
- Complete the FAFSA – Complete the FAFSA on studentaid.gov every year with our school code, which is 001229.
- Complete Entrance Counseling and MPN – To be eligible to borrow student loans, you will need to complete both requirements via www.studentaid.gov.
If you experience a technical error with our SCU pages, please clear your cache and consider using a different internet browser. If issues persist, please contact our IT department at (877) 796-2350.
Once all steps have been completed, your Financial Aid counselor will review your file for aid eligibility. You will receive an email to review and accept your awards once your financial aid package is complete. Please be advised that all our email communication is sent to your SCUHS email account.
Eligibility Requirements
Your family income, size, and the number of people in your family attending college along with the cost of attending SCU are all factors that help determine your financial need. SCU uses formulas established by the federal government to determine need based on the information you provide on the FAFSA.
While financial aid is intended to support only your school expenses, an allowance for indirect costs such as books, course supplies, living expenses, food, personal expenses, and transportation is part of our Cost of Attendance (COA).
The difference between the COA and your student contribution is what is called your financial need.
SCU considers several factors for financial aid eligibility. To qualify, you must:
- Demonstrate financial need through the FAFSA application process
- Be accepted into a degree or certificate program
- Register at least half-time
- Be a US citizen or an eligible non-citizen
- Not be in default status on previous loans or owe an overpayment on aid
To apply for a professional judgement, please fill out the digital form to the best of your ability and include supporting documentation. If you have any questions, please contact the financial aid office at financialaid@scuhs.edu.
Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee
Fixed Rate Tuition Guarantee
One price means clarity, certainty, and savings. The tuition price when you walk in the door will be the same as when you stride across the graduation stage.
Fixed Rate Tuition is the tuition program for students entering Southern California University of Health Sciences (SCU). The tuition rate a student pays will stay the same as long as a student maintains continuous full-time enrollment in a degree program. Continuous full-time enrollment means that the student stays enrolled and graduates either on time or with one additional term, and the student does not take a leave of absence of more than one term. Fixed Rate Tuition rates are higher than traditional rates because they are based on the projected average of flat rate tuition over the duration of the academic program. As with traditional tuition, the Fixed Rate Tuition amount will vary depending on the program the student is enrolled.
The Fixed Rate Tuition program works by locking in the tuition rate at enrollment for the duration of your enrollment in your academic program1.
Tuition Rate Coverage
The Fixed Rate Tuition rate defined above includes tuition only. Fees and other charges are not fixed and are subject to change. Fees and other charges associated with attendance at the University include (but are not limited to): student fees, lab fees, room and board, textbooks, supplies, fines, transcript fees, late registration fees, drop/add fees, examination/testing fees, and other voluntary fees.
The Fine Print
The Fixed Rate Tuition Program covers only tuition charges as defined, from time to time, by the University and in no way limits the University’s rights in respect of matters, including University charges, not covered hereby. The benefits of this Agreement are not assignable to any other student. The student will make payments in accordance with the University payment policy.
If the enrollment of the student is canceled for any reason (including withdrawal, suspension, or expulsion), the amount of the refund shall be in accordance with the general refund policy of the University. The University reserves the right to offset any amounts refundable hereunder against any amounts owed by the student.
1 Rate is fixed as long as you graduate on time, or on time plus one additional term.
Undergraduate Aid
Undergraduate Aid
There are four main types of financial aid for college students including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study funds. Here’s more information about the aid available at SCU.
- Federal Pell Grant: This grant is awarded to undergraduate students based on estimated family contribution, cost of attendance, and enrollment status. You can receive this grant for a maximum of six years, which includes time attending other campuses.
- Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG): This federal grant does not need not be repaid for undergraduate students. It is awarded based on exceptional financial need and availability of funds.
- Cal Grant: The State of California offers the Cal grant to California residents. This is a need-based grant to undergraduates that also factors in your high school GPA or your GPA from the last college you attended. The yearly application deadline for each Fall term is March 2nd, and the application requires a FAFSA for the upcoming year and a GPA verification form. If you already have a Cal grant and wish to have it applied to SCU, please contact the California Student Aid Commission.
- Work-Study: The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) provides jobs for undergraduate students with financial need, allowing you to earn money to help pay for your education-related expenses. The program encourages community service work and work that’s connected to your program of study. For a list of available job opportunities, please visit Work-Study for more information.
- SCU Scholarships: A number of scholarships are available. Visit our scholarship page for the list.
- Federal Direct Loans: Loans that are part of the Direct Loan program borrow directly from the government. Terms of the loan are covered in greater detail in the required Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note. Loan repayment begins six months after you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time status. Direct Loan programs for undergraduate students include:
- Federal Direct Subsidized Loan: are loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education at a college or career school.
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan: are loans made to eligible undergraduate students, but eligibility is not based on financial need
- Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan: are loans made to parents of dependent undergraduate students to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. Borrowers who have an adverse credit history must meet additional requirements to qualify.
- Private Loan: Loans are credit-based funding provided by external, nonfederal lenders to help cover educational costs. Take into consideration repayment terms, interest rates, and deferment options before choosing a private loan. Some lenders may require a co-signer for credit reasons. For students who apply through a lender on the Fast Choice website, the loan funds will be disbursed electronically, allowing for an efficient process for the borrower and the school.
- Veterans Education Benefits: SCU is involved with several government-sponsored programs to repay veterans for their service and sacrifice and to help ensure their opportunity to receive a valuable education in a variety of disciplines of integrated healthcare. SCU supports student veterans through its participation in several successful programs sponsored by the VA. SCU accepted veterans programs or covered programs are listed below.
- CHAPTER 30 (MGIB-AD) – Montgomery GI Bill® for Active Duty
- CHAPTER 1606 (MGIB-SR) – Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve
- CHAPTER 31 (VR&E) – Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment*
- CHAPTER 32 (VEAP ) – Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program
- CHAPTER 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®
- CHAPTER 35 (DEA) – Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program
- Employer Provided Educational Assistance Benefits: Section 127 of the IRS allows employers to offer their employees up to $5,250 annually in tax-free educational assistance for undergraduate or graduate-level courses. Please check with your employer if they participate in this educational assistance program.
* Vocational Rehabilitation can be used based on the approval of your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.
Graduate Aid
Graduate Aid
There are four main types of financial aid for college students including grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study funds. Here’s more information about the aid available at SCU.
- Work-study jobs: The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) provides jobs for graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for expenses related to their education. The program encourages community service work and work related to your course of study. For a list of available job opportunities, please visit our FWS page.
- SCU Scholarships: Visit our scholarship page for the list of available scholarships.
- Federal Direct Loans: Loans that are part of the Direct Loan program borrow directly from the government. Terms of the loan are covered in greater detail in the required Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note. Loan repayment begins six months after you graduate, withdraw, or drop below half-time status.
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan are loans made to eligible graduate and professional students, but eligibility is not based on financial need.
- Healthcare Unsubsidized Loans are loans made to eligible graduate students of the Doctor of Chiropractic program. The terms and conditions are similar to the Direct Unsubsidized loans.
- Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan are loans made to graduates to help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. Eligibility is not based on financial need, but a credit check is required. Borrowers who have an adverse credit history must meet additional requirements to qualify.
- Private Loans are credit-based funding provided by external, nonfederal lenders to help cover educational costs. Take into consideration repayment terms, interest rates, and deferment options before choosing a private loan. Some lenders may require a co-signer for credit reasons. For students who apply through a lender on the Fast Choice website, the loan funds will be disbursed electronically, allowing for an efficient process for the borrower and the school.
- Veterans Education Benefits: SCU is involved with several government-sponsored programs to repay veterans for their service and sacrifice and to help ensure their opportunity to receive a valuable education in integrated healthcare. SCU supports student veterans through its participation in several successful programs sponsored by the VA. SCU accepted veterans programs or covered programs are listed below.
- CHAPTER 30 (MGIB-AD) – Montgomery GI Bill® for Active Duty
- CHAPTER 1606 (MGIB-SR) – Montgomery GI Bill® Selected Reserve
- CHAPTER 31 (VR&E) – Vocational Rehabilitation & Employment*
- CHAPTER 32 (VEAP ) – Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance Program
- CHAPTER 33 – Post 9/11 GI Bill®
- CHAPTER 35 (DEA) – Survivors’ and Dependents’ Educational Assistance Program* Vocational Rehabilitation can be used based on the approval of your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.
- Employer Provided Educational Assistance Benefits: Section 127 of the IRS allows employers to offer their employees up to $5,250 annually in tax-free educational assistance for undergraduate or graduate-level courses. Please check with your employer if they participate in this educational assistance program.
Costs of Attendance
Costs of Attendance
Cost of Attendance, also referred to as COA, is the total average cost to attend a school.
- The COA varies from school to school and depends on multiple factors, such as your program, its start date, whether you are a full-time student, etc.
- A COA is comprised of both direct costs (tuition and fees) and indirect costs (the estimated expense of books, supplies, food, transportation, etc).
- Every Financial Aid Office uses the COA to determine what your financial aid award maximums will be.
Below you will find the indirect cost components of the COA for each academic level.
2023-2024 Academic Year
Undergraduate Indirect Cost Components | Estimate Costs per term |
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment | $384.00 |
Transportation | $1,694.00 |
Miscellaneous Expenses | $1,968.00 |
Loan Fees | $111.00 |
Living Expenses | $11,500.00 |
Total | $15,657.00 |
Graduate Indirect Cost Components | Estimate Costs per term |
Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment | $700.00 |
Transportation | $1,694.00 |
Miscellaneous Expenses | $1,968.00 |
Loan Fees | $415.00 |
Living Expenses | $11,500.00 |
Total | $16,277.00 |
Cost of obtaining a license, certification, or first professional credential have been added to the COA starting the 2023-2024 Academic Year. Below is the estimated cost per term:
Graduate Programs | Estimate Costs per term |
Doctor of Chiropractic 10* | $600.00 |
Doctor of Chiropractic 12* | $470.00 |
Physician Assistant | $258.00 |
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine | $533.00 |
Occupational Therapy | $274.00 |
*The licensure cost component is added to the COA for continuing students only in the DC program since the first exam takes place after term 5 of the program.
Q: What is included in the COA?
A: The COA includes tuition, fees, and the average cost of books, supplies, room & board, transportation, and personal/miscellaneous costs.
Starting the 2023-24 academic year, the average costs of obtaining a license, certification have been added to the COA for Doctor of Chiropractic, Physician Assistant, Occupational Therapy, and Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine.
The Department of Education allows a school to include these basic necessities in a COA.
Q: Where can I find my COA and how much are my tuition and fees?
A: Your COA is displayed on your financial aid offer letter which can be accessed on your student portal. Please visit your program page for applicable tuition and fees. Remember that tuition and fees are the only items that show up as a mandatory charges on your student account statement. Check with the Financial Aid Office for other specific program cost components.
Q: How can I figure out how much of a refund I can expect to receive?
A: The easiest way to estimate your possible refund is by using the following formula: Maximum loans borrowed – tuition and fees = your estimated refund or living expense.
Keep in mind that most loans have origination (processing) fees that are automatically taken from the amount you applied for, so these calculations are an estimate. There are other factors that may affect your refund as well, such as additional charges for extra units, parking fines, and the types of loans you apply for. Check your billing statement or contact Student Accounts if you have questions about your billing statement and charges.
Examples of refund estimation:
Example 1: $16,500 (gross) loan per term minus $11,400 tuition/fees equals $5,100 estimated refund.
Example 2: $10,250 loan borrowed per term minus $12,000 tuition/fees equals $0 estimated refund.
Example 3: $22,000 loan borrowed per term minus $12,500 tuition/fees equals $9,500 estimated refund.
Since you are responsible for repaying the loan to the lender with interest, it’s best be be prudent with what you borrow.
Costs and Aid Snapshot
Costs and Aid Snapshot
The Cost and Aid Snapshot includes estimated tuition and fees, standard financial aid, as well as anticipated tuition credits/refund or outstanding balances per term. Please note that these figures are subject to change. Factors such as enrolled units, transferred units, remaining financial aid eligibility, available aid, and individual eligibility can affect your overall cost. Note that other expenses such as books, supplies, equipment transportation, living expenses, etc. are indirect cost components of obtaining a degree. See a full list of our estimated Cost of Attendance per term.
For an accurate portrait of your Financial Aid Award Package, please log into the Financial Aid Portal to view your financial aid award. The loan amounts on the Cost and Aid Snapshot are based on a Grade Level 3 BSHS or Post Baccalaureate student and Grade Level 1 for an Ayurveda student who has an EFC of 0. A full list of tuition and fees can be located under each academic program on www.scuhs.edu.
Net Price Calculator
Net Price Calculator
The Net Price Calculator is an easy-to-use tool that gives an undergraduate student a sense of how much federal, state, and institutional financial aid they may qualify for — based on your unique background and academic history. In less than 5 minutes, you can get a personalized estimate of your actual cost of attending SCU.
This calculator provides Ayurvedic Wellness Educator Certificate students with early financial planning. This calculator will provide an estimate of your cost to attend SCU as well as the federal, state, and institutional financial aid you may qualify for. In just a few minutes you can estimate your potential costs and awards.
Professional Judgement
Professional Judgment
We understand that there may be circumstances that affect your ability to pay for college. These changes may not be included in your initial financial aid information. The Financial Aid team is authorized to use professional judgment (PJ) to adjust, on a case-by-case basis, the cost of attendance or the values of the items used in determining the Expected Family Contribution to reflect a student’s special circumstance.
Main Categories of Special Circumstance
Changes in income such as:
Loss or change of employment
Child Support reduction or change
Divorce/Separation of parents/spouse
Change of marital status for dependent students
Death of parent(s) or spouse
COVID-19 related changes
Examples of Supporting Documentation that must accompany the PJ Application
- Statement on letterhead indicating the last date of employment
- Copy of the last paycheck including any vacation pay, severance, bonuses, or tips received
- Documentation of the gross income of the person whose employment status changed
- Documentation of any type of income being received including workman’s compensation, payments from 401(k) or 403(b) plans, the financial contribution made by individuals outside of the household
- Student’s marriage certificate
- Student’s and spouse’s most recent tax returns
- Death certificate of the deceased individual
- Documentation of the total amount of child support expected for each child
Undergraduate students who submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and do not meet the federal definition of an independent student may request a dependency override if the student can document other unusual circumstances that might warrant the treatment of the student as independent for purposes of establishing eligibility for federal and state need-based financial aid. Please note that the following circumstances will not be considered unusual:
- Parents refuse to contribute to the student’s education
- Parents will not provide information for the FAFSA or verification
- Parents do not claim the student as a dependent for income tax purposes
- Students demonstrate total self-sufficiency
Examples of Supporting Documentation that must accompany the PJ Application
- Personal statement explaining why you are requesting to be independent for financial aid purposes. The statement must contain your current living situation, last contact and frequency of contact with your biological parents, the whereabouts of your biological parents and their living arrangements, and how you are supporting yourself.
- Two signed statements confirming your personal statement. One statement should come from a disinterested, professional, third party and one statement should come from a relative, friend or family member.
Qualifying out-of-pocket costs that may result in an increased Cost of Attendance (COA)/budget can provide eligibility for the student to borrow additional aid. These can include the following:
- Costs associated with a student’s disability
- Childcare expenses for a dependent child of the student
- One-time purchase of a computer for education expenses
- One-time costs of professional licensure required for student’s major
- Other expenses related to COVID-19
Examples of Supporting Documentation that must accompany the PJ Application
- Documentation of paid out-of-pocket medical expenses
- Copy of Schedule A (tax form)
- Proof of costs associated with professional licensure or proof of payment (This is a one-time adjustment. Preparatory coursework cannot be included.)
- Receipts listing applicable expenses
How to Apply for a Professional Judgment
To apply for a professional judgement, please fill out the digital form to the best of your ability and include supporting documentation. If you have any questions, please contact the financial aid office at financialaid@scuhs.edu.
Apply for a Professional Judgment Appeal
Use the Professional Judgment Appeal form.
Professional Judgment FAQs
Please note that incomplete submissions can take a longer timeframe as they will be pended until all requested documentation is received.
FAQs
Applying for Aid
- Create an FSA ID and Password – Create an account via www.studentaid.gov if you haven’t done so already. Your FSA ID and password will serve as your log in credentials to all federal student aid systems.
- Complete the FAFSA via www.studentaid.gov – Complete the FAFSA every year with our school code is 001229.
- For federal student loan borrowers, complete Entrance Counseling and MPN – To be eligible to borrow student loans, you will need to complete both requirements via www.studentaid.gov.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form you need to fill out to get any financial aid from the federal government to help pay for college.
Upon submission, it can take 5-7 business days for SCU to receive your FAFSA application.
Once the Office of Financial Aid receives your FAFSA and all required documents, your FA counselor will email your award offer to you SCU email. You will be directed to review and accept/decline/amend your aid offer on the student financial aid portal.
Yes. Graduate students can apply for the Direct PLUS loan via https://studentaid.gov/plus-app/. Note that the approval for the Graduate PLUS loan is based on credit. Students can apply for up to the Cost of Attendance, but we recommend that you borrow only what you need.
Types of Aid
See the page on Undergraduate Student Aid.
See the page on Graduate Student Aid.
Yes. If your financial aid awards exceed your tuition and fees, you may be entitled to a refund/living expense credit that you can use towards books, supplies, and living expenses.
If your financial aid is not enough to cover tuition and fees, you can apply for additional loan sources such as the PLUS loan or private loan.
Please check our Important Dates page that lists the refund release dates for every term.
Graduate PLUS Loan
A Graduate PLUS loan allows graduate students to borrow additional loans that may be used for educational expenses. Unlike the Direct Unsubsidized loan, approval for the PLUS is based on credit. Students can borrow up to their Cost of Attendance (COA). Note that every student’s COA of attendance varies based on program and enrollment status.
For example, if your COA for a single term is $30,351.00, and your initial award offer for the term is is $10,250 in Direct Unsubsidized loans and $6,250 in the Healthcare Unsubsidized Loan, you are eligible to borrow up to $13,851 in the Direct Graduate PLUS loan.
Enter the month of year of the start and end terms you want the PLUS loan to cover. If you want to borrow the PLUS loan for the entire academic year (Fall, Spring, Summer) and you are enrolled in one of our standard calendar programs, enter September 2023 – August 2023.
Students are encouraged to apply for the Graduate PLUS loan each year. The PLUS application for the new academic year usually opens in April. Note that credit approval is only valid for 6 months. You may be asked to reapply again by your FA counselor.
Federal Work Study
The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) provides jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for expenses related to their education. The program encourages community service work and work related to your course of study.
For a list of available job opportunities, please visit our FWS page. You will need to log in with your mySCU username and password.
Yes. All students are assigned a Cost of Attendance (COA) which is comprised of direct costs (tuition and fees) and estimated indirect costs (books, supplies, living expenses, transportation.) The COA serves as a limit of how much financial aid a student can receive per term. Note that grants, loans, scholarships, FWS, state aid are all considered financial aid.
If you are borrowing the maximum amount of loans, we must reduce one of your awards (usually the PLUS) in order to make room for the FWS award.
No. If you wish to continue to participate in FWS, you must complete a new FAFSA and complete a new set of FWS paperwork by June 1st of every year.
Scholarships
Yes! All institutional scholarship opportunities are posted on our scholarship page.
We also have a number of external scholarships posted here.
Award Offer
No. We recommend that you borrow only what you need. Please see our Cost and Aid snapshot tabs.
Your FA counselor awards you the maximum amount of standard aid allowable based on your eligibility. If you are in need of additional aid, you can apply for the Direct Graduate PLUS loan if you are a graduate student or apply for a private loan.
If you are already borrowing the maximum PLUS allowable but still need additional funds, you may be considered for a Professional Judgment.
Office of Financial Aid
SCU students are assigned to financial aid counselors alphabetically. If your last name begins from A to G, you are assigned to Nida Labao. Those with last names between H and O are assigned to Omar Barrera. If you have a last name that begins with P to Z, your Financial Aid counselor is Janeth Chaidez.
You can email us at financialaid@scuhs.edu or call us at 562-947-8755 Ext. 766.
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