Undergraduate Financial Aid

Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

• Apply every year after October 1st
• Be sure to enter Delaware Valley University’s Federal School Code: 003252
• Use 2022 Tax Information for the 2024-2025 Academic Year

The Office of Financial Aid will determine your eligibility for Federal, state and institutional financial assistance.

Financial aid is awarded using both need-based and non-need-based criteria from institutional, state, federal and private sources. Types of financial aid include scholarships, grants, work-study and loans.

If you are a returning student and selected for verification, you must complete that process before your financial aid offer is sent to you. You can check on whether you have any outstanding items through Financial Aid Self-Service. 

Returning students must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress after the spring term grades are finalized.  You can find out more about that policy here.

A financial aid offer will be e-mailed and texted to you.

Admitted Students: An admitted student’s financial aid offer will be sent to the email address supplied to the Office of Admission. 

Deposited and returning students: Deposited and returning students will receive their financial aid offer at their official DelVal email address. If you supplied a cell phone number, your financial aid offer will also be sent there. You can check your financial aid at any time through Financial Aid Self-Service.

Review your Federal Direct Loan action items:

Accept Your Loans via Self-Service

First time borrowers must complete a Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note) and Federal Direct Loan Entrance Counseling. You can complete both steps at studentaid.gov.

First time borrowers must complete a Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note) and Federal Direct Loan Entrance Counseling. You can complete both steps at studentaid.gov.

If you have questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid:

Charis Lasky, Financial Aid Assistant

General Inquiries

Charis.Lasky@delval.edu, 215.489.2956

Melissa Walsh, Director of Financial Aid

Appointments by request only. finaid@delval.edu

Brahim Bouidi, Associate Director of Operations

FosterEd Point of Contact

Appointments by request only. finaid@delval.edu, 215.489.4739

Kelly Simmons, Financial Aid Counselor

Kelly.Simmons@delval.edu, 215.489.2391

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH Kelly

Joan Hock, Financial Aid Officer (Part Time)

Joan.Hock@delval.edu, 215.489.2975

BOOK AN APPOINTMENT WITH JOAN

Navigating the world of Financial Aid can be confusing. The following terms are offered to assist you in effectively understanding the various programs involved:

Academic Year - A period of time schools use to measure a quantity of study. For example, a school’s academic year may consist of a fall and spring semester during which a full-time undergraduate student must complete 24 semester hours. Academic years vary from school to school and even from educational program to educational program at the same school.

Alternative Loans - These are loans provided by private lenders for educational purposes. These loans are based on credit and many students will need a credit-worthy co-signer.

Contributor - Anyone who is asked to provide information on the FAFSA, including the student, spouse of a student, parent(s) and stepparent(s).

Consent and Approval – This must be provided on the FAFSA to allow the Internal Revenue Service to transfer Federal Income Tax information into the FAFSA form. If consent or approval is not provided by the student or any of their contributors, even if they do not have a Social Security Number, the student will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid.

Cost of Attendance (COA) - The educational costs for one academic year. The COA is the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive.

Enrollment Status - The number of credits, clock hours, or classes the student is enrolled in, or whether they have withdrawn, graduated, etc. Enrollment status affects eligibility for and the amount of financial aid a student may receive. It also affects when student loans enter repayment status.

Entrance Counseling – An online session explaining rights and responsibilities that first-time borrowers must complete for loans to be disbursed.

Exit Counseling – An online session explaining loan repayment completed by students who are graduating or have dropped below half-time enrollment.

FAFSA Processing System (FPS) - The system used by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to process the FAFSA.

FAFSA Submission Summary - The output document sent to students as a result of the FPS receiving a FAFSA for the student. The SAI and other important information are conveyed in this output document.

Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Loan - These are student self-help loans; the amount borrowed depends on class level and enrollment status.

Subsidized - Awarded on the basis of need. These loans are interest-free during at least half-time enrollment. The interest will start to accrue after a student graduates, or their enrollment drops below half-time.

Unsubsidized - This loan is not based on financial need and will accrue interest upon disbursement.

Federal Direct Parent PLUS - This is a loan in the parent’s name and is limited only by the cost of attendance less other financial aid. A credit check is required, and repayment begins within 60 days after the loan has been fully disbursed. Interest rates are set annually on July 1st for the upcoming school year. Interest-only payments may be made while the student is in school, and the loan has a maximum repayment period of 10 years.

Federal Pell Grant - This federal grant is awarded to undergraduate students based on financial need.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – The application used to apply for federal, state, and institutional financial aid.

FSA ID – A username and password that serves as a student’s or contributor’s log-in credentials to access personal information in U.S. Departments of Education systems. It also serves as a digital signature when completing online forms such as the FAFSA or a Master Promissory Note (MPN).

Gift Aid - This funding is not repaid. Scholarships or grants are the most prevalent types of Gift Assistance, but tuition waivers, sponsorships or tuition reimbursements from employers also qualify.

Grants – Gift aid that is typically based on financial need.

IRS Direct Data Exchange – This is a tool built into the FAFSA which allows federal tax information for the student and their contributors to be shared by the Internal Revenue Service with the U.S. Department of Education.

Master Promissory Note (MPN) – A legal document which is a promise to repay a loan. It allows borrowers to apply for multiple loans during postsecondary enrollment.

Merit Scholarship - These are academic awards awarded by the university and outside sources based on academic achievement, extracurricular activities, strong citizenship, and other factors not related to financial need. All students upon entering DelVal are considered for merit awards.

PA State Grant - This is a need-based grant for PA residents. To be considered for eligibility, students must file a FAFSA by no later than May 1st of the previous academic year. Award amounts vary.

State Grants - These are grants awarded to residents of a particular state. They have varied amounts and may be portable for out-of-state students for attendance in Pennsylvania colleges and universities (New Jersey and New York are not).

Student Aid Index (SAI) – A number the Office of Financial Aid uses to determine eligibility for financial aid. The SAI is calculated based on information provided on the FAFSA.

Student Employment – Part-time employment opportunities that occur both on and off-campus. Students are paid as they earn the funds by working.

Federal Work Study – Need-based employment

Campus Employment – Non-need-based employment

Verification - A federally mandated process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by selected applicants on the FAFSA. To complete the verification process, the student, their parent(s), or spouse, if applicable, are required to provide certain documents to the school for review. If the documentation the student provides the institution doesn't match what was reported on the FAFSA, verification can result in changes to the student’s financial aid eligibility, and/or financial aid offers.

The following are provided to assist you when applying for financial aid.

• Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA)
• Mapping Your Future, a one-stop site for students and parents with information on financial strategies, career options and college planning
• Fastweb, the internet's largest, free scholarship search
• FinAid, the smart student guide to financial aid
• Federal Student Aid, official website of the United States Department of Education where students and families can learn about, apply for, and manage various types of Federal financial aid. 
• Education Planner, your one-stop education website, with information on finding a career, choosing a college, university or career school, applying and paying for postsecondary education, and moving into the working world.
• UPromise, is part of the Sallie Mae family with a united mission to help families earn cash back, save, plan, and pay for college.

Delaware Valley University participates in all the established programs of federal/state financial aid. Federal Financial Aid includes the following:

Federal Financial Aid:

• Federal Pell Grant
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
• Federal Work-Study Program
• Federal TEACH Grant
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants 
• Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans 
• Direct Plus Loans

State Financial Aid:

• Pennsylvania State Grant (offered by PHEAA for PA residents)
• Special programs (offered by PHEAA for PA residents)
• Other state grants*

*Residents of other states can apply through their respective state higher education assistance agency for state grants, scholarships and loans. 

Institutional Financial Aid:

• Merit Scholarships (awarded upon admission to Delaware Valley University) 
• Benefit Grant

It is also recommended you investigate other scholarships/grants available through local civic, religious and fraternal organizations, as well as Veterans Benefits, or Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) funds if eligible. Students are responsible for contacting these agencies directly.