Additional Financial Aid Options and Resources

Davenport University understands how important education financing is to you. In fact, 92% of our students receive some form of financial assistance. Completing a FAFSA is definitely a great start, but the aid you receive on your Davenport award letter doesn't have to be the end of the story. Numerous other venues and outside organizations are waiting to be paired up with eligible students. You may be that student!

Below are some options that you (and your parent/s) should consider for strategizing and supplementing your financing endeavors. You are your own best advocate! Davenport University is happy to help you with many of the processes associated with the options below, but most of the options require you to initiate them.

• Tuition Grants
• Tuition Discounts 
• Unclaimed Foundation Scholarships
• Consortium Agreements 
• Community Foundation Scholarships 
• Outside Scholarships
• Start Your Davenport Career in the Spring/Summer Semester
• Interest-Free Schell Loan
• Federal Direct Loan Request Forms 
• Parent PLUS Loan Applications 
• Graduate PLUS Loan Applications 
• Private Loan Applications 
• Year-Round Pell Grant Award 
• Student Employment 
• Special Consideration Requests

Tuition Grants

Davenport University has partnered with a number of companies and organizations whose employees/members and their dependents may be eligible for a tuition grant through Davenport University. Typically, these tuition grants are open only to new Davenport students.  Please visit our Tuition Grant web page to view a list of the many organizations with which we have partnered.

Please note:  Davenport academic scholarships cannot be combined with tuition grants.

Tuition Discounts

As with tuition grants, Davenport has partnered with a number of employers and organizations (e.g.  the State of Michigan) to offer tuition discounts. If your or your parent's organization is not listed on the Financial Aid page, you can contact the Bursar's Office for information about additional tuition discount opportunities.

Please note: Davenport academic scholarships cannot be combined with tuition discounts.

Unclaimed Foundation Scholarships

Davenport stewards funds provided by donors. These donors create eligibility criteria for their scholarships, and Davenport works to pair eligible students up with those funds.  Below are some Foundation scholarships still awaiting an eligible student. If you believe you are eligible, please contact the Financial Aid Office or complete a Foundation Scholarship Application.

• Ed and Mako Bauer Endowed Scholarship. This scholarship benefits junior and senior students who are enrolled full-time at the Grand Rapids campus and possess an unexpired passport from Japan, F1 student status and a current Davenport I-20. The student must be an undergraduate student attending the Lettinga/Main campus with a current GPA of 2.8 or higher.

Consortium Agreements

A consortium agreement allows you to blend your academic schedule from Davenport University with your academic schedule at one of our consortium partner schools, which generally offer courses at significantly lower tuition rates. When you are under a consortium agreement, Davenport recognizes your coursework at the partner school so long as the courses are transferable and apply towards your Davenport degree. Davenport awards your government financial aid (loans and grants) at Davenport for both schedules as if you are taking all classes here. Thus, you are outsourcing some of your coursework to schools which offer classes at lower tuition rates, saving you money. Learn more here.

Community Foundation Scholarships

Communities across the state of Michigan offer community foundation scholarships to local residents. This is a common and valuable source of scholarship funds for students. The average scholarship of the Grand Rapids Community Foundation, for instance, is $1500 per its website. This type of funding can be combined with Davenport funding (tuition grants, scholarships, and discounts). Please identify your community and begin the application here. Hurry!  Deadlines for these types of scholarships are usually in the early spring!

Outside Scholarships

Numerous organizations are excited to help you fund your education with scholarships! Criteria for these scholarships can range from GPA, community involvement, or simple demographic information. Like Community Foundation scholarships, this type of funding can be combined with Davenport funding (tuition grants, scholarships, and discounts). Scholarships specific to Nursing and Healthcare can be found here.  Deadlines are important for most of these scholarships, so don't wait! Find out more here.

Start Your Davenport Career in the Spring/Summer Semester

Start your degree program early! New Davenport students who start as regular, admitted students the Spring/Summer semester can receive their academic scholarships for the Spring/Summer semester without it counting against the four years of eligibility. Thus, if you plan to start in the Fall semester and are eligible for an academic scholarship, consider starting your enrollment a semester earlier in the Spring/Summer semester instead and access the academic scholarship without affecting the four years of eligibility. This approach extends the life of your academic scholarship!

Interest-Free Schell Loan

The Charles E. Schell loan is administered by Davenport University and funded by the Charles E. Schell Foundation. It is an opportunity to assist students with educational expenses through the use of an interest-free loan, also known as an "honor" loan. Once you have graduated, the repayment of the loan will assist other students with the same charitable loan option. Below is the criteria that Mr. Schell has selected, and if you are interested, email our office at financialaid@davenport.edu.

• Current resident of Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, or adjoining states (which of course includes Michigan!) with parents of moderate means who are also residents of such states
• Between the ages of 18 and 25
• Loyal to the United States and its institutions including the Army, Navy, and Air Force
• Honest, upright, intelligent, and of practical appearance
• Maintaining a minimum 2.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale
• Preference given to juniors and seniors
• Completed short answer questionnaire

If selected, the loan amount of up to $5000 will be split over a two-semester period or awarded for the Spring/Summer semester. Repayment arrangements will be made upon graduation from the University or discontinued attendance. Once the committee has reviewed all chosen applicants, recipients will be notified and will meet for an entrance interview to sign the required master promissory note prior to awarding. 

Loan payments are added back into the Schell Loan Fund to be lent to other Davenport University students in need. Thank you for paying it forward!

Make a payment on your Schell Loan here

Federal Direct Loan Request Forms

Have you accepted the student loans being offered to you? Davenport will include student loans in your award package, but in order for them to actually apply against your balance, you need to accept them here. Please ensure you have completed both a Federal Direct loan entrance counseling and master promissory note here.

You may still have Federal Direct (subsidized/unsubsidized) loan eligibility that was not awarded to you. You can review your loan eligibility here. You are welcome to submit a loan request here. Even if you request more loans than you are eligible for, the Financial Aid Office will still process as much of your request as possible, so don't hesitate to make the request if you need it.

Parent PLUS Loan Applications (Dependent Students Only)

If you are a dependent student, your parent can apply for a credit-based loan by completing a Parent PLUS loan application at studentaid.gov. Once there, ensure that your parent logs in with his/her FSA ID. Whether your parent is approved or denied, you may be eligible for additional aid in either situation. For detailed information regarding PLUS loans, visit the Davenport PLUS Loans page.

APPROVED

If your parent is approved for the loan, he or she can request any dollar amount up to the remainder of your Cost of Attendance budget. If your parent is approved and chooses not to take out the loan, simply contact us and let us know to not process the loan. If your parent would like to modify the dollar amount of the loan throughout the semesters, including cancellation, please have him or her complete the Parent PLUS loan request form and submit it to the Financial Aid Office.

DENIED

If your parent is denied the loan, you may be eligible for additional Federal Direct loans in your own name. To access these additional loan funds, submit a loan request form here once you receive confirmation that your parent was denied the Parent PLUS loan.

Please note: Declining your Parent PLUS loan is not the same as your parent getting denied. Declining is an action taken by the Financial Aid Office in response to you or your parent's request indicating no desire in pursuing the loan. A denial is a credit decision made by the government upon application at studentaid.gov.

Graduate PLUS Loan Applications (Graduate Students Only)

If you are a graduate student, you can apply for a credit-based Graduate PLUS loan by visiting studentloans.gov and clicking on "Graduate/Professional Students" and then on "Apply for a PLUS Loan." You will log in with your FSA ID.  Your Cost of Attendance budget will determine the maximum amount of financial aid you can receive. The Financial Aid Office will award your Graduate PLUS only after your Federal Direct unsubsidized loans have been maximized. If you want to modify the dollar amount of your Graduate PLUS loan throughout the semesters, complete the Graduate PLUS loan request form. For detailed information regarding PLUS loans, visit the Davenport PLUS Loans page.

Private (Alternative) Loan Applications

You can apply for a private, credit-based loan by going here.  Once you do this, you will be taken to a website that lists the private lenders with whom Davenport University students have chosen to apply for educational loans. You may choose any private lender even if it is not listed.  Private loans are a popular option with students whose parents would rather cosign on a loan than have a Parent PLUS loan exclusively in their name. Oftentimes private loans can be deferred while you are in school, and lenders do not charge origination fees. Although the interest rate on private loans is usually not as beneficial as that of government loans, if you have no additional government loan options, a private loan is a viable alternative.

Year-Round Pell Grant Award

The Spring/Summer semester doesn't have to slow down your degree completion! In some instances, having a Pell Grant available to you in the Spring/Summer semester can help accelerate the completion of your degree by not interrupting the momentum and trajectory of your classes. The sooner you earn your degree, the sooner you can begin your career!

A secondary benefit of a year-round Pell Grant award is that it allows you to be strategic with your Pell Grant award. If you take more than 12 credits of coursework in any given semester, your Pell Grant will pay the same dollar amount as being enrolled in just 12 credits. If possible, putting some of your courses in the Spring/Summer semester may help you access more of your annual Pell Grant eligibility. See the table below of a possible scenario of a student with a negative to zero SAI in which enrolling in the Spring/Summer semester may yield a higher annual award of Pell Grant funds while taking the same number of credits in both scenarios.

VS.

Please note: Any Pell Grant you use for the Spring/Summer semester will still count against your lifetime Pell Grant eligibility of 600%. You can view your lifetime Pell usage at studentloans.gov. Learn more here.

Student Employment

Davenport University participates in the federal work study program which allows students with need (as determined by your FAFSA) to secure employment with Davenport. Working on campus is convenient and offers students the ability to gain valuable on-the-job experience. Log into your Student Connection and click on "Student Employment" to view current openings. Please contact our office to determine if you are eligible to participate in the work study program. Learn more about student employment here.

Special Consideration Requests

Information on your FAFSA is sometimes outdated or a misrepresentation of your true financial situation. In very specific circumstances, Davenport is allowed to adjust the information on your FAFSA in a way that will potentially benefit you. If you/your spouse/your parents have experienced a significant reduction in income since the tax year reported on the FAFSA due to unemployment, for example, we may be able to update your FAFSA with your current and projected income. If you/your spouse/your parents received a one-time payment (IRA withdrawal, court settlement, gambling income, etc.) that was reported on the taxes that are reflected on your FAFSA, we may be able to remove this payment. Additional scenarios apply. Please visit the special consideration web page to determine if you qualify for a special consideration calculation and to begin the application process. You can submit these requests no earlier than the month of March prior to the beginning of a new academic year.

Please note: Students with a negative to zero SAI will not benefit from this process. Graduate students will not benefit from this process unless they are planning to access federal work study funds.

Source: 

DU Financial Aid Awards, 2022/2023