Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the estimated cost of attendance at Bucknell?

   The estimated billed costs for 2004-2005 are: Tuition $30,534 Student Activity Fee $196 Room (average double) $3,514 Board (19 meals) $3,064 TOTAL $37,308

   
   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 is about $2,000. In recent years, our tuition has increased by approximately 5% per year.
   
   
2. Is my financial aid file complete?
   
   By May 1, we will need signed copies of all pages and schedules of your and your parents’ 2003 Federal Income Tax Returns and W-2 forms in order to complete our verification process. Also, if you have not completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), you will need to do so as soon as possible. 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.
   
   
3. What happens to my aid if I receive an outside scholarship?
   
   Bucknell's policy is that your total gift aid from all sources may not exceed our total billed costs, or the $36,950 estimate from above. If this amount is reached with the inclusion of scholarships from outside organizations, we will begin to reduce Bucknell 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 Scholarship dollar for dollar if you receive any of these. Non-need based loans (Unsubsidized Stafford, PLUS, Alternative) will not cause a reduction in Bucknell Scholarship.
   
   
4. 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.
   
   
5. Do I have to apply for aid every year?
   
   In future years, you must submit all documents to reapply for aid by the first week of April since your eligibility for federal and/or state 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 students enrolled in college), 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 will continue to receive assistance for four years.
   
   
6. How do I accept/decline any aid that was awarded to me?
   
   We assume that you will accept any need-based grants/scholarships. If you would like to decline loans or work-study, you may do so on the perforated green Federal Loan and Work-Study Instruction Sheet included in your award booklet.
   
   
7. Is aid guaranteed in future years?
   
   Since your 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. Bucknell policy is to try to maintain your University 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 college should change, then your financial aid eligibility can be affected from year to year.
   
   
8. 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 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.
   
   
9. 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.)
   
   
10. How do named or endowed funds work?
    
    If you are designated to receive a part of your award from our Langone, Walker, Harris, Deppen or Presidential 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. Your completion of the pink Student Disclosure Statement will help us to award our endowed funds appropriately.
    
    
11. When are bills for tuition sent out 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 11. Second-semester bills will be mailed on or about November 10, with payments due on or about December 5. 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 570-577-3733.
    
    
12. What happens if my son/daughter drops out of school in the middle of 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. 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.
    
    
13. 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.
    
    
14. 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.
    

15. What if I think I am "independent?"

    According to federal law, 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. As a general rule, Bucknell does not offer university financial assistance 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 in result of an abuse or neglect situation.
    

16. How is the tuition-exchange program handled at Bucknell?

    Applications for the tuition-exchange program must be received by Bucknell's tuition-exchange officer in the Office of Personnel Services by March 20 of the academic year previous to the one for which the benefits are requested. A committee review of the application will be made, and a decision will be announced in early April. If the benefit is granted, it will be at the minimum amount set by the Tuition Exchange Consortium. The student must be re-certified to receive benefits of the program for each year of attendance. Questions should be directed to the Office of Personnel Services, 570-577-1631.
    

17. Is financial assistance available for graduate study at Bucknell?

    Some graduate assistance is available. Contact the Office of Graduate Studies, 209 Marts Hall, Bucknell University, 570-577-1304, for more information. The only financial aid available for graduate students through the Office of Financial Aid is the Federal Stafford Loan program. Gradate students may borrow up to $8,500 in subsidized Federal Stafford loan, and up to $10,000 in the unsubsidized version.
    

18. 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 a College Scholarship Service (CSS) Non-Custodial Parent's Statement.
    

19. Does Bucknell provide athletic scholarships or talent grants? 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 for these non-need based scholarships; students are selected based on admissions or recruiting criteria.

    In addition, the university does package need-based preferential awards where 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. The athletic staff chooses students to be awarded preferential scholarships on the basis of excellent athletic prowess as ascertained by recruiting information.
    

20. Occasionally when I call the Office of Financial Aid, personnel are unable to locate my child'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.
    

21. Is any of the financial aid that I am awarded considered to be taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service?

    Currently, any scholarship amounts which exceed the total cost of tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment are not excludable from gross income. Thus, under certain circumstances, some financial aid may be viewed as taxable income. Check with the Internal Revenue Service to be certain of laws concerning this aspect of financial aid.
    

22. 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.