Financial Aid


What is the best way to contact you?

You can send us an email or give us a call at 610-796-8201. During the semester, our office is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. During the winter and summer breaks, our office is open Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.


What is Alvernia University's Title IV code for the FAFSA?

00323300.


What is Alvernia's recommended filing date for applying for aid?

Anytime after Oct. 1st. Pennsylvania residents must file by May 1, preceding the start of the award year to be considered for Pennsylvania State Grant programs.


Do I have to be accepted to Alvernia before I apply for financial aid?

No. You may apply before you are accepted, but you will not receive a financial aid package until you are accepted.


Does Alvernia have merit scholarships without regard to need?

Yes, merit scholarships are available to undergraduate day students. The list of grants and scholarships that are available can be found on our Scholarships and Awards page.


Is there financial aid for transfer students?

Yes! For information on how to apply to Alvernia as a transfer day student, go to the transfer section of the Admissions section of our website.


If I'm going to attend part time, what programs am I eligible for?

Several. These programs include Pennsylvania State Grant, Pell Grant, and loan programs.


What do I do after I receive my financial aid package?

Read and respond! Call us with any questions and respond by the stated deadline. If you are a new undergraduate day student, send your confirmation to the Office of Admissions as soon as possible. The Office of Student Financial Services will help you determine what combination of loans, grants and payment plan is best for you and your family.


Will I have to send my tax return to you?

Maybe. Alvernia University partners with Inceptia, an organization that will complete the federal verification process if you are selected by the Department of Education after filing your annal FAFSA form. For more information on this process, visit our Federal Verification Process for Financial Aid page.


If you do not wish to complete the verification process with Inceptia or if Alvernia requests your tax return documents, we will require signed Federal 1040 Tax return and all schedules for both you and your parents if the IRS data retrieval option on the FAFSA was not utilized or if other discrepant information exists on your FAFSA. You may also request a Federal Tax Return Transcript directly from the IRS at its website or by calling 1-800-908-9946. The IRS Tax Transcript process is also available on its website. Please respond to requested documents as quickly as possible.


If I want to attend Alvernia in the Adult Education Division (evening) student, what aid am I eligible for?

Adult Education students are eligible to receive funding through the following programs providing you meet the program eligibility requirements: Federal Pell Grant, Pennsylvania State Grant and Federal Stafford loans. File the FAFSA and complete a Master Promissory Note and loan entrance counseling if you wish apply for the Federal Stafford loan.


What should I do if my or my family's financial circumstances change after I apply for aid?

Don't panic. Call the Office of Student Financial Services to provide an overview of the changes in your family circumstances. These changes can be very different for each student and family so it is important to reach out as soon as possible so that staff can determine the next steps that are right for your situation.


Do I have to apply for aid every year?

Yes. You must reapply each year if you wish to receive federal, state or institutional need-based financial aid.


How do I get my financial aid renewed? Must I make academic progress to keep my financial aid?

Yes! You must maintain academic progress as defined by the Office of Student Financial Services. This information can be found in the university catalog. Financial aid progress is reviewed at the end of fall, spring and summer. The eligibility review is for federal, state, merit scholarship aid, as well as some endowment and other Alvernia need-based aid.


Must I pay all at once?

No, however you may pay each semester balance in full, however we cannot take payments for a full award year. Alvernia bills students one semester at a time and you are welcome to use our installment payment plan. For more information on our payment plan, contact the Student Financial Services Office for more information about the payment plan options.


My parents/I don't want to bother filling out the FAFSA because they/I don't think we'll be eligible for anything. Should we skip it?

No, for a number of reasons: eligibility rules are updated each year; Alvernia requires the form for certain institutional aid funds and if you want to work on campus; you just never know what you qualify for, many outside scholarship opportunities will require information from the FAFSA form.


What are options for loan deferment, forbearance or forgiveness after leaving college/university?

You can find general information about repayment and consolidation on the Student Aid website. (Select the "In Repayment" Tab.) Students with federal student loan debt may contact their federal loan servicer by logging in with their FSA Account (ID and password). Once logged in, a student’s federal student loan information will be available for review, including total debt borrowed, estimated repayment date, the servicer name and contact information.


In addition, here are some resources and links for loan forgiveness programs:
 

Attorney Student Loan Forgiveness Program
  • Major: PRE-LAW
  • Qualifications: This program is for attorneys who work for the U.S. Department of Justice.
  • Description/Amount: ASLRP benefits are paid directly to the loan holder, not to the individual attorney. Initial acceptance of ASLRP funding triggers a three-year service obligation to Justice.
  • Learn more
Faculty Loan Repayment Program
  • Major: NUR, PT, OT, PSY, SW, PRE-PHARM, PRE-DENTAL, PRE-VET, PRE-OPT, PA
  • Qualifications: You come from a disadvantaged background. We base this on environmental and economic factors.
  • Example of Qualifying Persons: Allopathic Medicine
  • Description/Amount: Loan Repayment Agreement. 2-year commitment. Potentially, up to $40,000 in loan repayment assistance.
  • Learn more
Federal Employee Student Loan Repayment Program
  • Qualifications: Any employee (as defined in 5 U.S.C. 2105) is eligible, except those occupying a position excepted from the competitive civil service because of their confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating nature (e.g., Schedule C appointees).
  • Learn more
Indian Health Service (IHS) Loan Repayment Program
  • Major: PA, PSY, NUR, PRE-DENTAL, PRE-OPTO, PRE-PHARM, ENG (Civil, Environmental)
  • Qualifications: Committing to an initial two-year service period working in a health facility that assists Alaska Native and American Indian communities.
  • Example of Qualifying Persons: Nurse (NP, DNP): Nurse Practitioner/Advanced Practice Nurse in Family Practice, Psychiatry, Geriatrics, Women’s Health, Pediatrics
  • Description/Amount: The LRP funds IHS clinicians to repay their eligible health profession education loans — up to $40,000 — in exchange for an initial two-year service commitment to practice in health facilities serving American Indian and Alaska Native communities. IHS Health Professions Scholarship Program also available.
  • Learn more
John R. Justice Student Loan Repayment Program
  • Major: PRE-LAW
  • Qualifications: Prosecutor – full-time employee of a state or unit of local government (including tribal government) who is continually licensed to practice law and prosecutes criminal or juvenile delinquency cases at the state or local government level (including supervision, education, or training of other persons prosecuting such cases); prosecutors who are employees of the federal government are not eligible.
  • Description/Amount: Student Loan Repayment Program is a federally funded initiative that provides repayment of eligible educational loans on behalf of selected state and federal prosecutors and public defenders. The total amount of awards each year is contingent upon available funding. The award amount is based on the applicant's remaining balance on eligible educational loans, not to exceed $4,000 per year (depending on available funds, the maximum award may be less than $4,000 in any given year).
  • Learn more.
National Health Service Corps
  • Major: PRE-PHARM, PSY, PRE-DENTAL    
  • Qualifications: Qualifying educational debt. The sum of your educational debt must equal at least 20 percent of your base salary from the institution supporting your research.
  • Example of Qualifying Persons: M.D., Ph.D., Pharm.D., Psy.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., D.P.M., D.C., N.D., O.D., D.V.M., or equivalent doctoral-level degree from an accredited institution.
  • Description/Amount: Fourth-year DO students can also consider the NHSC Students to Service Loan Repayment Program (S2S LRP). Medical (MD or DO) and dental students may earn up to $120,000 in their final year of school through this program.
  • Learn more.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Loan Forgiveness
  • Description/Amount: There are two LRPs, one for researchers not employed by NIH (Extramural) and another for researchers employed by NIH (Intramural). Research funding from NIH is not required to participate in the Extramural LRP, and Extramural and Intramural LRP awardees may apply for subsequent, competitive renewal awards as long as they meet Program eligibility. Although organized around broad research areas, the LRPs were never intended to fund research projects. Rather, LRP awards are based on an applicant's potential to build and sustain a research career. Payment projections are based on eligible educational debt at the start date of the LRP contract. The NIH will repay 25 percent of the eligible education debt, up to a maximum of $35,000 per year.
  • Learn more.
NURSE Corps Loan Program
Pennsylvania Bar Foundation – PA IOLTA Board Loan Repayment Assistance Program
  • Major: PRE-LAW
  • Qualifications: Loan applicants must be licensed to practice law in Pennsylvania or be permitted to practice law under Bar Admission Rule 311, have a valid Pennsylvania Supreme Court-identification number, be in good standing and practice law as an employee of an IOLTA-funded organization. At the next application cycle, the applicant’s total gross salary may not exceed $66,000; however if the attorney’s annual net debt service is greater than or equal to 10% of the attorney’s current annual gross salary he/she may apply regardless of the annual gross salary cap. At the time of application, the amount of educational debt based on loans from commercial and government lending institutions, as well as university or other private institutional loans associated with law school and undergraduate educational debts must be greater than or equal to the amount of the LRAP grant. The attorney’s qualifying educational debt must be in satisfactory repayment.
  • Description/Amount: The goal of the Pennsylvania Bar Foundation – PA IOLTA Loan Repayment Assistance Program (“LRAP”) is two-fold: 1) Help attorneys employed at IOLTA-funded legal services organizations across the state better manage their undergraduate and law school student loan debt so they can afford to remain in public service; and 2) Help IOLTA-funded legal aid organizations recruit and retain the best and the brightest attorneys for service in the public good.
  • Learn more.
Pennsylvania Loan Forgiveness Programs
  • Major: NUR, PA
  • Qualifications: Must be a US Citizen.
  • Description/Amount: Up to $100,000
  • Learn more.
Pennsylvania Primary Care Loan Repayment Program (LRP)
  • Major: PSY, PRE-DENTAL, PA, SW, NUR
  • Qualifications: Be a U.S. Citizen (either U.S. born or naturalized) or a U.S. National.
  • Example of Qualifying Persons: Allopathic (MD) or Osteopathic (DO) Physicians (Family Medicine, General Internal Medicine, General Pediatrics, Geriatrics, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Psychiatry). Physicians, Dentists, and Psychologists: Up to $80,000 full-time, up to $40,000 half-time. Other Practitioners: Up to $48,000 full-time, up to $24,000 half-time
  • Description/Amount: The Department of Health provides loan repayment opportunities as an incentive to recruit and retain primary care practitioners willing to serve underserved Pennsylvania residents and to make a commitment to practicing in federally designated Health Professional Shortage Areas (HPSAs).
  • Learn more.
Perkins Loan Cancellation and Discharge
  • Major: ED, ED+SP.ED, NUR
  • Qualifications: An undergraduate, graduate, or professional student with exceptional financial need.
  • Example of Qualifying Persons: Full-time teacher in a designated elementary or secondary school serving students from low-income families.    
  • Description/Amount: They are low-interest student loans for both undergraduate and graduate students with exceptional financial need. The continuation of this loan is unknown/undetermined. Up to 100% for five years of eligible service.
  • Learn more.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program
  • Major: SW
  • Qualifications: Doesn’t require that you teach at a low-income a public school, or even be a teacher. Most full-time public and private elementary and secondary school teachers will meet the employment requirements.
  • Description/Amount: A loan forgiveness program for public service workers, like those in government and nonprofit sectors, as well as teachers.
  • Learn more.
Teacher Loan Forgiveness
  • Major: ED, ED+SP.ED
  • Qualifications: Have been employed full-time as a teacher for at least five consecutive years.
  • Description/Amount: For educators that work in a low-income school. PLUS loans and Perkins loans are not eligible to be forgiven through this program. Up to $17,500 in student loans.
  • Learn more.
USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program
  • Major: PRE-VET    
  • Qualifications: Have a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM), or the equivalent, from a college of veterinary medicine accredited by the AVMA Council on Education.
  • Description/Amount: This program will pay up to $25,000 each year towards qualified educational loans of eligible veterinarians who agree to serve in a NIFA-designated veterinarian shortage situation for a period of three years.
  • Learn more.

Financial Aid