Frequently Asked Questions for Prospective Students For the Class of 2012

What is the cost of attendance at Bucknell?

The 2008-2009 costs for students entering Bucknell after 6/1/2006 are:

$40,000 Tuition
$      200 Student Activity Fee
$   4,500 Room (depending on actual room)
$   3,800 Board (depending on actual plan)

$48,500   Total Estimated Comprehensive Fee

In addition to these direct costs, students should be prepared to meet expenses for books, supplies, personal, travel, etc. A typical amount for these costs range from $1,500 to about $2,000.
Is my financial aid file complete?

This answer depends on the time of year; “complete” can mean different things at different times. If you enroll, we will need signed copies of all pages and schedules of your and your parents’ 2007 Federal Income Tax Returns and W-2 forms by May 10 in order to complete our verification process. Also, you will need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), by May 1. If you have any questions about your documents, please contact us. If large income discrepancies exist between the tax returns and the information you reported on your PROFILE, please be aware that your award eligibility may change. If you did not complete the CSS PROFILE by our deadline, you will be considered late and we cannot guarantee aid availability.
What happens to my aid if I receive an outside scholarship?

Bucknell’s policy is that your total gift aid from all sources cannot exceed our estimated total comprehensive fee of $48,500 for 2008-2009. If this amount is reached with the inclusion of scholarships from outside organizations, we will begin to reduce Bucknell Need Based Scholarship dollar for dollar. Federal grants, state grants, ROTC and tuition subsidies based on parents’ employment (tuition grant, tuition remission, tuition exchange) are considered to be exceptions to our outside scholarship policy, as we will reduce Bucknell Need Based Scholarship dollar for dollar if you receive any of these if we did not list them on your original award letter. Non-need based loans (Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, Alternative) will not cause a reduction in Bucknell Need Based Scholarship. Please be sure to send our office copies of any outside scholarship award notices that you may receive. If your outside scholarship organizations remit their funds to Bucknell after your fall bill is due (see below), please be advised that you may incur late fees as a result.

We recommend the following sites for outside scholarship information:

www.fastweb.com
www.collegeanswer.com
www.collegeboard.com
What happens if my package includes work-study but I feel that I will not have time to work?

Some first-year students feel that they need time to adjust to college life and their studies. If this is the case, then you are not obligated to work. We can assist you by suggesting alternative loans; however, additional need-based scholarship funds will not be awarded to replace any work-study funds that you may decline.
Do I have to apply for aid every year?

In your upperclass years, you must submit all documents to reapply for aid by April 15 since your eligibility for aid may change, depending on family circumstances and changes in cost of attendance. However, you will not need to complete the CSS PROFILE after your first year. Since we reevaluate each year, we will try to consider any information you provide to us. If during your four years here you experience changes in your family financial situation (such as income, assets, number in the household, or number of children in your family who are enrolled at least half time in degree-seeking higher education undergraduate programs), please be aware that we may not be able to award additional Bucknell assistance as a result, but we could offer loan options to you. We are unable to make up aid eligibility from federal or state aid programs that may be lost in future years. Every family is different, and every student’s financial aid file will be carefully reviewed each year. Students who meet our application deadlines, are considered to be maintaining satisfactory academic progress as defined by the University, remain enrolled full-time, and continue to demonstrate eligibility should continue to receive assistance for four years.
How do I accept/decline any aid that was awarded to me?

If you are accepted to Bucknell, we assume that you will accept any grants and/or scholarships. If you would like to decline loans or work-study, you may do so on the Decline Form included in the booklet you received with your award letter.
Is aid guaranteed in future years?

Since most aid is based on need, we cannot give any guarantees regarding eligibility. We will review your application materials and try to address your financial need as best we can. Bucknell policy is to try to maintain your University need-based assistance at the same level for each of your four years here, while adhering to institutional and federal financial aid policies and regulations regarding financial need. It is important to be aware that if your family income level should change markedly or if the number of children in the household enrolled at least half time in degree-seeking undergraduate programs should change, then your financial aid eligibility can be affected from year to year. We are unable to meet tuition increases with additional scholarship. Four-year merit awards will automatically be renewed each year, as long as students meet the specific requirements for each program.
Does my parents’ income have to be at a certain level for me to be eligible for aid?

Since so many variables (parent and student income, parent and student assets, number of family members in the household, number of children enrolled at least half time in undergraduate degree-seeking programs) are included in the calculation of financial need, there is no specific income cutoff in the determination of financial aid eligibility.
What does my enrollment status need to be in order to receive aid?

You must be enrolled full-time in order to be eligible for Bucknell aid. (If you are only interested in borrowing a loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time.)
How do named or endowed funds work?

If you are designated to receive a part of your award from our Langone, Walker, Harris, or Deppen funds, please be aware that this is already included in any Bucknell Need Based Scholarship that you have been awarded. In addition, any scholarships that are listed in the Bucknell catalog are awarded on the basis of need. These awards will be made in the fall and will replace any previously awarded need-based scholarship, so your financial aid will not increase. If you are accepted, your completion of the Bucknell University Named Scholarship Form included in the booklet you received with your award letter will help us to award our endowed funds appropriately.
When are bills for tuition sent and when are they due? How will my aid appear on them?

First-semester billing statements will be mailed by the Finance Office in mid-July, and first-semester payments will be due on or about August 8. Second-semester bills will be mailed on or about November 10, with payments due on or about December 20. Scholarships or loans awarded by other agencies may be deducted from the billing statement amount and the balance paid to the university. However, Bucknell charges a late fee of one percent of the unpaid balance at the end of each month for accounts with outstanding balances due to the non-receipt of scholarships or loans. If you have specific questions about your bill, you may contact our Finance Office at 570-577-3733.
What happens if my son/daughter withdraws from school during a semester?

Tuition payments made by the family may be refunded to students who give written notification of withdrawal from the university, subject to the conditions dictated by university Refund Policy, established by the University's Finance Office and explained in the Finance Office publication Student Fees. Federal regulations require that we determine whether a refund is due to any aid program(s) or to the student. We will perform the appropriate calculations and inform you of the result. Please understand that after you withdraw, you may still owe money to the University due to the fact that you were enrolled for some part of the semester. Any student may reapply for assistance when he/she decides to return to the university, and we will try to address those applications. However, financial aid is not guaranteed.
I want to go to summer school. Can I get financial aid for summer?

If you are required to attend summer school by the Dean, then aid may be a possibility.
How is my aid package handled if I study abroad?

If you are studying in a Bucknell approved off-campus program, typically you will receive the amount of aid you would have received had you remained on Bucknell's campus. Federal Work-Study and Federal Perkins loans cannot be used for off-campus study.
What if I think I am "independent?"

According to federal regulations, an unmarried undergraduate student under age 24 will be considered dependent, unless s/he is a veteran, an orphan, or a ward of the court. Bucknell does not offerinstitutionall aid to students who voluntarily declare themselves to be independent of their parents. The university may require parental information from students even though federal or state programs may consider them independent. If you have special circumstances, you may explain them in a letter to the Office of Financial Aid, but please be aware that independence is only granted rarely, and usually results from an abuse or neglect situation.
How is the Tuition-Exchange program handled at Bucknell?

Applications must be received by the Office of Human Resources by March 20 of the academic year previous to the one for which the exchange is requested. Decisions will be announced in early April. If granted, it will be at the minimum amount set by the Tuition Exchange Consortium. The student must be recertified each year. Questions should be directed to the Office of Human Resources at 570-577-1631.
Is financial assistance available for graduate study at Bucknell?

Some graduate grant assistance is available. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies, 209 Marts Hall, Bucknell University, 570-577-1304, for more information. Graduate students may borrow up to $8,500 in subsidized Federal Stafford loan, and up to $10,000 in the unsubsidized version. Students may also be eligible for the Graduate PLUS Loan. For more information regarding graduate student loans, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.
How do I apply for aid if my parents are divorced?

The student's custodial parent must complete the CSS PROFILE, including financial data about his/her spouse. In addition, the non-custodial parent (and spouse) must complete our Bucknell Non-Custodial Parent's Statement which is located on the Downloadable Forms portion of our website.
Does Bucknell provide merit scholarships? If so, how does an individual apply for them, and how are they awarded?

While most Bucknell University scholarships are awarded on eligibility for need-based financial aid, a small number can be awarded based on other special attributes. There is no special application necessary at this time for these non-need based scholarships; students are selected based on admissions or recruiting criteria. See The Bucknell Scholarship Program.
Does Bucknell award talent or athletic grants?

The university does package need-based preferential awards in which the self-help (loan or work-study) portion of the award is reduced, and the grant or scholarship element is increased. There is also no special application necessary for these preferential aid packages. Initial awarding is governed by the student's eligibility for need-based financial aid as determined by the Office of Financial Aid. The Admissions Office then chooses the limited number of students who will be offered the preferential awards, depending on their special skills or talents. Generally, the Admissions Office designates preferential award recipients on the basis of outstanding admission criteria; e.g., high school record, class rank, SAT scores, etc., or on the basis of an extraordinary talent, such as music, dance, or theater.
Occasionally when I call the Office of Financial Aid, personnel are unable to locate my student's folder immediately. At other times, there is no delay. Why does this discrepancy exist?

At certain times during the academic year, the Office of Financial Aid is receiving thousands of pieces of correspondence and phone calls, while the aid officers are reviewing a similar number of aid applications. Frequently during these periods, student folders are not necessarily filed alphabetically as is the norm, but rather are separated according to some other variable. Therefore, during this critical timeframe, answering questions about a specific student is somewhat more difficult than at other times during the year.
Are special financial circumstances considered?

We will try to consider a family's special circumstances, provided you document your situation with as many figures as possible in letter to the Office of Financial Aid. We will review any information and will try to assist you. However, please be aware that increases in University need-based scholarships are rare. In most cases, the only additional aid we may offer will be loans.