2024-2025 Academic Catalog

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Financial Aid

The CU Anschutz Medical Campus Financial Aid & Scholarships Office (FASO) is committed to providing prospective and continuing students with information and resources to financially support their educational goals.  We strive to provide service in a timely, equitable and caring manner, in full support of the community, university and governing agencies. Please visit our website at www.cuanschutz.edu/student-finances/financial-aid for more information.

Applying for Financial Aid

You must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at StudentAid.gov for the school year you wish to attend. Gift aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis so you are encouraged to submit all required or requested documents as soon as possible. Please check your "To Do List" in the Student Center of your student portal to see if any additional documents have been requested. For additional information on Applying for Financial Aid, please visit www.cuanschutz.edu/student-finances/financial-aid/apply. 

Eligibility for Financial Aid

All applicants for aid must be degree candidates or enrolled in an acceptable certificate program.  If you are enrolling in a certificate program, contact our office to make sure you are in an eligible program. Foreign students who are in the United States on immigrant or permanent visas may be eligible for financial aid and should contact the Financial Aid & Scholarships Office. 

Title IV funds include, but are not limited to the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Direct Subsidized Loan, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, and Federal Work-Study. 

All students who wish to receive most types of financial aid:

  • demonstrate financial need
  • must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
  • must be admitted to or enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program, as determined by the Anschutz Medical Campus
  • must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards
  • must not be in default on a student loan
  • must not have drug-related offenses (contact our office for more information)

Click here to learn more about eligibility requirements for federal student aid.

Types of Financial Aid

Financial aid funding for students at the Anschutz Medical Campus is available from federal, state and institutional sources.  To receive federal, state and many institutional sources of funding, you must apply and qualify for financial aid.  Most financial aid is awarded on the basis of financial need and availability of funds.  Other sources, local, private, and institutional are awarded on the basis of these criteria, such as academic achievement.

The following types of financial aid are available for students at the Anschutz Medical Campus:

  • Scholarships - "gift money" that is awarded on the basis of academic achievement (merit-based scholarships) or a combination of academic performance and financial need.  These funds do not have to be repaid.
  • Grants - "gift money" from federal, state, and University funds that are awarded based on financial need.  These funds do not have to be repaid.
  • Work-Study - The work-study program provides part-time employment opportunities for students with financial need and allows them to earn money to help pay education expenses.  Jobs may be on campus, off-campus, or in a community service agency.  Student seeking work-study funds must complete the Work-Study Request Form at www.ucdenver.edu/AnschutzFinAid/Forms.  To find a work-study job, please visit the Student Employment website.
  • Loans - These are funds you can borrow from institutional loan programs, federal loan programs, and private lenders.  Most loans must be repaid once you graduate, withdraw from school, or drop below half-time enrollment.

Funds you receive from your department, or other source, to pay for tuition and fees, living expenses, books, and other educational expenses, are generally counted as estimated financial assistance and must be included as part of your financial aid award. This may result in a reduction of other awards on your award notification. Certain veteran education benefits are excluded.  For more information about the types of aid, please visit the Types of Financial Aid section on our website.

Financial Aid Offers

Financial aid funds will be offered once we have received and processed all required and requested documents.  An email reminder will be sent to your Anschutz Medical Campus email account if additional documents are requested. The "To Do List" in the Student Center of the UCDAccess portal will also list any additional documents that have been requested. An award notification will be sent to your CU Anschutz email account when awards are available to view.

Loan Requirements

Students who borrow a student loan must complete all required loan documents before the funds can be disbursed. Visit https://www.cuanschutz.edu/student-finances/financial-aid/types/loans to learn more about the different types of loans.

Please visit StudentAid.gov to complete the appropriate Master Promissory and Student Loan Entrance Counseling if you or your parent will be borrowing any of the following federal loans for the first time. 

  • Direct Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized)
  • Direct Graduate PLUS Loans (requires a credit check)
  • Direct Parent PLUS Loans (requires a credit check)

If you are accepting a TEACH Grant, please complete the TEACH Grant Counseling and Agreement to Serve at StudentAid.gov. 

You will receive an email from Heartland ECSI (webmaster@ecsi.net) with instructions on how to complete the loan documents for the following loans.  

  • Federal Nursing Loan
  • Nurse Faculty Loan Program
  • Health Professions Student Loan
  • Loan for Disadvantaged Students
  • Medical Center Loan
  • Medical Student Loan

Disbursing (Paying) Financial Aid

  • Financial aid is disbursed (paid) into your student account approximately one week before the start of classes each semester.
  • Funds remaining after tuition, fees and any other institutional charges are paid will be refunded to you by the Bursar's Office through direct deposit to your bank account. If you do not have direct deposit set up, a check will be mailed to the address you have on file in the Student Center.
  • Funds remaining from a Parent PLUS Loan may be refunded to you or your parent as indicated on the PLUS Loan application.
  • Some financial aid funds cannot automatically pay charges the federal government considers non-mandatory. This includes health insurance, dental insurance, bookstore charges, and late charges.  If you wish for your financial aid to pay these charges, you must grant permission through the portal. If permission is not granted, you will be responsible for paying any and all of these charges out of pocket.
  • Work-study funds must be earned through work and are not disbursed into your student account.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards

  • Students are responsible for understanding the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards. Therefore, students are encouraged to review this policy and meet with a financial aid advisor before withdrawing from or dropping any courses.

  • To be eligible for financial aid, federal, state and institutional regulations require student to meet certain SAP standards. The purpose of SAP is to ensure academic success and graduation.  Students who are receiving aid, or who intend to receive aid in the future, must comply with these standards.

  • SAP will be evaluated at the end of each term. Students who do not meet the SAP standards will be informed of their eligibility status via email.  Students in Good Standing are not notified unless their status changes to Warning or Suspension. This is not the equivalent of being placed on academic probation or suspension by your school or college. 

  • Here are some commonly used terms relating to SAP:

    • Good Standing: Students meeting financial aid SAP standards are considered in good standing and are eligible to receive financial aid.

    • Warning: Students who have failed to meet SAP standards after being in Good Standing may be placed on Warning status.  Students on Warning status are eligible to receive financial aid.  Student on Warning status have one term to come back into compliance with the financial aid SAP requirements and return to Good Standing.  Students who fail to meet financial aid SAP standards while on Warning status will be placed on financial aid Suspension. 

    • Suspension: Students who fail to meet financial aid SAP standards while on Warning status will be placed on financial aid Suspension and are not eligible for any aid until they meet the standards or successfully appeal.

    • Probation: Students who successfully appeal their financial aid Suspension are placed on financial aid Probation. Students on Probation will receive aid for one term while attempting to meet SAP standards in order to return to Good Standing.  Failure to meet SAP standards at the end of a Probation term results in the student returning to financial aid Suspension status. 

  • Students on financial aid Suspension have two ways to regain eligibility for financial aid:
    • Meet all the SAP standards while not receiving financial aid. Once SAP standards are met, students must notify the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office to have their status re-evaluated.
    • If extenuating circumstances interfered with the student's academic progress, the student may appeal his suspension by completing the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal/Advising Form in our forms section.

Complete Withdrawal (From All Courses) and Financial Aid

Withdrawal is defined as ceasing to be enrolled prior to the end of the standard term. To comply with Federal (Title IV) financial aid regulations, the FASO is required to apply the Return of Title IV Aid Calculation to all students who received Title IV aid at the time of withdrawal.

The official withdrawal date will be determined by the Registrar's Office based on information from the school or college, the faculty member, and the student. Either the school or the student must notify the Registrar's Office and the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office of the official withdrawal date. If the date cannot be determined, all aid for the term may be cancelled.

Documenting Attendance

Federal regulations require that Title IV aid recipients begin attendance in a class to establish eligibility for the funds.  Institutions are required to document that attendance began in classes where a student drops, withdraws, or received an "F" grade. Faculty will be asked to document that attendance has begun. If attendance cannot be confirmed, all aid will be cancelled for the term.

Return of Title IV Policy

  • Federal calculations will apply.
  • The amount of repayment will depend on:
    • the number of days you attended class in the term
    • the type of financial aid you received
    • whether you are refunded a portion of tuition and fees. The portion of the term you did not attend represents the portion of aid that must be repaid.
  • If you withdraw after completing more than 60% of the term, you will have earned 100% of the federal financial aid received for that term and no repayment is required.
  • Students withdrawing from school:  Financial aid recipients who are withdrawing from all classes from the CU Denver | Anschutz Medical Campus must complete the University Withdrawal Form at www.cuanschutz.edu/registrar/student-resources/forms and should contact the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office prior to withdrawing.

Leave of Absence (LOA)

Students are not eligible to receive financial aid funding while on LOA from the University. If the student begins the LOA during the semester, a Return of Title IV calculation and a withdrawal form are required.

Loan Exit Counseling

Exit counseling is required when students graduate, leave school, or drop below half-time enrollment.  Exit counseling provides important information needed to prepare to repay federal student loans.  Students must complete exit counseling for each type of loan borrowed, as well as the TEACH Grant, if received.

Please visit StudentAid.gov to complete exit counseling for the following Federal programs:

  • Direct Stafford Loans (subsidized and unsubsidized)
  • Direct Graduate PLUS Loans
  • Direct Parent PLUS Loans
  • TEACH Grant

Please visit Heartland ECSI to complete exit counseling for all other loans:

  • Federal Nursing Loan
  • Nurse Faculty Loan Program
  • Health Professions Student Loan
  • Loan for Disadvantaged Students
  • Medical Center Loan
  • Medical Student Loan