Terms, Conditions & FAQs

I am from out of state. Can I become an Indiana resident to reduce tuition? 

The Office of the Registrar at Purdue determines residency status for tuition purposes. See the Office of the Registrar’s website for residency questions.

A NOTE FOR NONRESIDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES

As a state-supported university, Purdue serves both the resident tax payers of Indiana and students from across the nation and world. Nonresidents, who pay higher tuition than Indiana residents, often need to develop comprehensive financing strategies to cover the cost of a Purdue degree.

Nonresident families need to plan to pay nonresident tuition for each year at Purdue. Sometimes families believe that their student can become an Indiana resident and be charged lower tuition. According to Board of Trustees policy, students who relocate to Indiana to pursue higher education will not be granted Indiana residency. Each student and family should carefully consider both the financial costs during the undergraduate years and the potential total debt to be paid after graduation. Division of Financial Aid staff members can assist you in weighing your options.

Very few nonresident dependent students receive a financial aid package that will cover their entire cost to attend Purdue. Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans are available but require the borrower to be creditworthy. Students whose parents have adverse credit may find it challenging to finance a Purdue education. Their families may need to seek direct financial support from extended family or friends, or find someone to co-sign with them on an educational loan. If this is not possible, families should carefully consider whether Purdue is a good financial fit.

See additional Loan FAQs.

When do I need to accept my student loans? 

Students who want their loans to credit the fall invoice issued in July should accept their loans by early July and complete all Promissory Notes and Loan Entrance Counseling at that time. Accepting a loan after an issued invoice will create a new billing statement with the updated financial aid credits. Students may accept educational loans throughout the entire academic year. 

Why does it still show the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and loan entrance counseling requirements are outstanding when I have already completed those? 

This information is transmitted to our office from the U.S. Department of Education. These requirements take 3-5 business days to download into our system and to show as completed. If this timeframe has passed since you completed your MPN or Loan Entrance Counseling, please call our office at 765-494-5050 so that a counselor can look into your account. Do not email these documents as they contain personally identifiable information.

What is the Exit Counseling/Interview requirement listed on myPurdue? 

If Exit Counseling is required for a Federal Direct Educational Loan, this can be completed online. It is recommended that you complete these requirements as soon as possible to release any holds on your account.  

If the Exit Interview is required for a Purdue or Perkins Loan, visit the ESCI website and select Learn About Your Student Loans then Signing Your Documents Online.

You must complete all exit counseling or exit interview requirements if you are completing your degree as an undergraduate, even if you will start pursuing a graduate degree at Purdue

I am a graduating loan borrower. What do I need to know about repayment? 

Repayment starts with your lender or assigned loan servicer. You will be contacted when you are close to entering repayment with details regarding your monthly payment(s) and due date. You can view lender and servicer contact information and all Federal student loans that you have borrowed, including Federal Direct and Perkins Loans, at studentaid.gov under the In Repayment tab. Students can also update their personal contact information to ensure receipt of communications from lenders or servicers. See Federal Direct Education Loans for general repayment information.

If you are completing a degree as an undergraduate and will start pursuing a graduate degree at Purdue, you still need to complete all exit counseling or exit interview requirements.

How does my parent apply for a Parent PLUS Loan? 

Parents cannot accept the Parent PLUS loan on the student’s myPurdue account. To utilize this loan, the parent must visit studentaid.gov under Loans and Grants to start the process. The parent should also complete the Master Promissory Note (MPN) on the same website.  

I am a parent and have submitted my PLUS application.  When will I see my funding? 

After completion of the Parent PLUS Loan application at studentaid.gov, Direct Lending will check the borrower’s credit and either approve or deny the request. Notification of the credit decision arrives within about 2-3 business days, and our office will process the loan accordingly. The approximate time for the loan to credit the bill after the application is complete and credit is approved is 5-7 business days. See our loans page for more information.

Can I use my bank to get an educational loan? 

Private loans require a separate application to be completed and credit approved through a bank, credit union or other lenders, which may include your bank. Private loans take approximately 4-6 weeks to process from the time of application to receipt of the funds. See our loans page for additional private loan information.

What is Federal Work-Study? Am I eligible to participate in the program? 

Federal Work-Study (FWS) is a program for students who have demonstrated financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FWS is included on the financial aid notification if the student qualifies and can help a student meet some educational expenses through a part-time job. See our Federal Work Study page for additional information.  

Why isn’t my aid crediting my invoice? 

Financial aid can not credit a student’s bill for a variety of reasons. Some of the more common reasons are:

• A student’s financial aid is based on the assumption that the student will enroll full-time (12 or more hours for undergraduate/8 or more hours for graduate/professional). Aid will  not pay If the student has not notified our office through a change of enrollment form of their intent to enroll in fewer hours and their actual enrollment is less than full-time.
• If the student has accepted Federal Direct Loans in their myPurdue, there are requirements such as the Promissory Note or Loan Entrance Counseling that must be completed at Federal Student Aid before they will pay.
• There has been a hold placed on the student’s account.
• If you do not feel that any of the prior reasons apply, please contact our office at facontact@purdue.edu, (765) 494-5050 or visit us in room G18 of Stewart Center to find out the specific reason. 

I paid my invoice. What happens to any excess funds?  

Purdue awards financial aid to cover the Estimated Cost of Attendance (also known as a budget). The budget estimates educationally related expenses, including tuition and fees, housing and food, transportation, books and miscellaneous expenses. If all requirements are satisfied and your total accepted financial aid is greater than your bill for tuition and fees each semester, the Office of the Bursar will issue you a refund for the difference. The Bursar will issue a refund no sooner than 10 business days before the start of each term. Students typically receive the funds 3-5 business days prior to the start of the term if a direct deposit has been set up. See our page on refunds for possible reasons a refund does not arrive in the expected timeframe.  

Your Estimated Cost of Attendance, or budget, includes a housing allowance whether you live on or off-campus. Direct housing expenses are paid to the University if the student is living in campus-contracted housing. A student may use any refund to pay for off-campus housing. Plan accordingly and be prepared to pay the deposit and first month’s rent out of pocket.

When is financial aid eligibility determined?  

Our office plans to begin emailing financial aid eligibility notifications to incoming freshmen in early March. Check myPurdue to ensure that there are no outstanding requirements that could prevent the creation of a financial aid award. Red flags under the Financial Tab indicate requested documents.  

Do incoming students have to accept their offer of admission beforehand? 

An admitted student is not required to accept their offer of admission to receive a financial aid eligibility notice. Admitted students must set up a career account to gain access to their purdue.edu email and view the aid notification. Students will also need a career account to view their financial aid notification under the “Financial” tab in their myPurdue portal. 

How can I get additional funding for next year? 

Complete the FAFSA annually by April 15. For maximum financial aid consideration, submit a FAFSA as early as you can after it becomes available annually. Watch for applications to become available in early November and then apply for Purdue scholarships in Scholarship Universe.  Contact your college/school to see if it has a scholarship application process for additional funding. Working part-time during the year and full-time during the summer is another possibility. Many on-campus or off-campus jobs are available.

Are there opportunities to lower tuition? 

All students should plan to pay the assessed rate of tuition while enrolled at Purdue. Purdue does not negotiate aid eligibility and is unable to match financial aid offers from other schools. However, contact our office to discuss the situation if your economic circumstances change after you submit the FAFSA. 

What happens to my aid eligibility while I am on co-op? 

Students do not typically receive financial aid while on co-op, unless eligible for the Pell Grant. Your financial aid eligibility will resume when you return to campus for a regular semester. If you receive a Trustee or Presidential scholarship, refer to our page on renewing aid for more information about what happens while on co-op. 

What happens to my financial aid if I plan to study abroad? 

See the Study Abroad box on our Consumer Information page for details.

What is required of me to retain my 21^st Century Scholarship?  

To maintain your 21st Century Scholarship, you must do all of the following: 

• Earn at least 30 credits each student-centric award year. 
• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Indiana’s April 15 deadline every year. 
• Continue to demonstrate financial need. 
• Complete the College Scholar Success Program each year of college to maintain your Scholarship. (Only for the high school class of 2019 and beyond.) 
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as determined by your college. 

What is required of me to retain my Frank O’Bannon Grant?  

To maintain your Frank O’Bannon Grant, you must do all of the following: 

• Earn at least 24 credits each student-centric award year. 
• Submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by Indiana’s April 15 deadline every year. 
• Continue to demonstrate financial need. 
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) as determined by your college. 

What fees can my state grant cover (21^st Century Scholarship, Frank O’Bannon Grant, Child of Disabled Veteran Fee Remission or National Guard Supplemental Grant)?  

Who do I contact about my military benefits?   

• Child of Disabled Veteran Fee Remission or National Guard Supplemental Grant:
  • Division of Financial Aid – facontact@purdue.edu or (765) 494-5050 
• G.I. Benefits:
  • Veterans’ Success Center – dogtags@purdue.edu  
• ROTC:
  • Contact your specific branch:
    • Air Force – AFROTCdet220@purdue.edu 
    • Navy – nrotcbo@purdue.edu 
    • Army – (765) 494-2099

What are the Trustees and Presidential Scholarships? 

Trustees and Presidential Scholarships are freshman merit scholarships awarded based on a holistic review of all information provided via the admission application. See additional merit scholarship information on the Undergraduate Admissions website. Students who submit a complete admission application by Nov. 1 are automatically in consideration for the merit scholarships. 

What do I do if I receive a private scholarship? 

View our steps on reporting private scholarship awards. A student must remain within their total Cost of Attendance (COA), so upon notice of a private scholarship, our office reviews the student’s financial aid award to determine if any changes are required.  

What are the options if our family’s financial situation is not accurately reflected on the FAFSA?  

We encourage you to speak with a financial aid counselor about your circumstances if your family has experienced a significant change in income. If the counselor finds that the revision could change the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and result in additional financial aid eligibility, the counselor will provide the family with a Special Circumstance Appeal Form. The family will complete and return the form with the required documentation. Families should allow a minimum of 2-3 weeks (longer in April and May) for processing. 

Note: All families requesting a Special Circumstance Appeal will be required to provide verification of FAFSA information before our office can process an appeal.  

I have been selected for verification. What are my next steps? 

If you receive an email message to verify information, click on the link to the StudentForms portal and follow the instructions listed. The red flag will turn green once all StudentForms items are complete and reviewed.

How do I become independent? 

Determination of dependency status comes from the answers to the dependency questions on the FAFSA. You are dependent for financial aid reasons if you cannot answer “yes” to at least one of the questions. Dependency status for financial aid is separate from tax filing status or if your parent(s) claim you as a dependent on their taxes. Contact our office if you have extenuating circumstances for consideration. A DFA counselor will provide instructions if it is determined that you may qualify for an appeal. See the dependency appeals sections for additional information.

What do I do when denied financial aid for SAP requirements?  

Students should check their Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) status to ensure financial aid eligibility. Select Financial Status under the Quick Links on the Financial Tab of myPurdue to view SAP status. If denied, complete the appeal with your academic advisor and return to our office as soon as possible for processing. You may need to pay your invoice out of pocket or use the Office of the Bursar Installment Plan if your appeal is denied or unprocessed by the billing due date. If you receive your appeal approval after payment, you can use your processed finances for reimbursement. See our page on satisfactory academic progress for additional information.

Will dropping a class affect my financial aid? 

Changes in financial aid will be determined based on the timeframe of when you drop a class and how many credit hours you remain enrolled. Any time enrollment changes, our office must reevaluate your financial aid, which could result in billing. We recommend that students speak to a financial aid counselor before deciding to drop a class to determine if any aid adjustments are necessary. For a more detailed explanation, visit our page on withdrawals.