College of Arts & Sciences 2007-2008 Catalog

Financial Aid Programs

PROGRAM	AMOUNT	ELIGIBILITY	COMMENTS
Bethel University National Merit Scholarship	$1,000 to $2,000	National Merit Scholarship Finalists who list Bethel as their first-choice school and are not awarded another form of the National Merit Scholarship.	Renewable. At least three awarded each year. Apply through the National Merit Scholarship Corporation.
President’s Scholarship	$6,000 to $11,000	Amount of awards for new students is based on a combination of high school rank, high school GPA, AP/IB classes, and test scores. Transfer students must also have maintained at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA at previous schools. Returning students retain the amount awarded when they first entered Bethel. Must be full time.	Renewable over four years by maintaining a 3.20 cumulative GPA. Not need-based.
Dean’s Scholarship	$3,500 to $5,999
Faculty Scholarship	$500 to $3,499
Edgren Scholarship	$1,000 to $3,000	Awarded by the admissions committee to freshmen and transfer students who exhibit a good “fit” with Bethel and have a strong likelihood of success.	Renewable. Must be full time and in good standing. Not need-based.
Performance Scholarships	$1,000 to $3,000	Through audition with the appropriate department. Must be full time and maintain a 2.50 cumulative GPA.	Renewable. Contact music, theatre, art, or communication studies departments before February for eligibility and audition information. Not need-based.
Ministerial Grant	$1,000 or $1,200	Children of full-time ordained ministers or missionaries of the BGC ($1,200) or other denominations ($1,000). Dependent students only.	Student must be full time and maintain a 2.00 cumulative GPA. Not need-based. Renewable.
Travel Grant	$100 to $800	Full-time, dependent students from outside Minnesota or western Wisconsin.	Not need-based. Amount varies based on location. Grant is credited to tuition. Renewable.
International StudentGrant	up to $3,000	Citizens of other countries who have support to cover most but not all of their Bethel expenses. International students may also be considered for appropriate merit awards.	Apply through the Bethel Office of Admissions using the Certificate of Finances form.
Partnership Grant	up to $1,000	Dollar-for-dollar match of a church scholarship. The church must submit an agreement form and funds to Bethel by August 1.	Interested churches should request information about the Partnership Program. Not need-based. Students must be full time and meet other requirements. (See Partnership Program handbook.)
Charles and Ellora Alliss Foundation Grant	$500 to $2,400	Students ranking in top 40 percent of class. Recipients must give permission for their data to be reported to the foundation.	Must demonstrate need.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)	$100 to $4,000	High-need students without adequate funding from other government grant programs.	Must demonstrate need.
Bethel Grant	$100 to $9,000	Students without adequate funding from other grants.	Must demonstrate need.
Bethel Opportunity Grant	up to $7,500	Needy, under-served students, including students of color; first-generation students (neither parent earned an associate’s degree or higher); or residents of economically disadvantaged communities.	Must be full-time, degree-seeking students. Renewable if full time and in good standing. Amount varies each year based on need and other gift aid. Must demonstrate need.
Federal Pell Grant	$400 to $4,310	Government entitlement program awarded to students with the highest need.	Apply using FAFSA.
Academic Competitiveness Grant	Maximum of $750 for first-year students; $1,300 for second-year students	Students must be U.S. citizen; Federal Pell Grant recipients; enrolled full time in a two-year or four-year degree program; and have graduated from high school with a “rigorous academic program” after January 1, 2006.	Apply using FAFSA.
National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant	Maximum of $4,000 per year for third-and fourth-year students	Students must be U.S. citizens; Federal Pell Grant recipients; and enrolled full time in an eligible four-year program (specific majors in computer science, engineering, foreign language, life sciences, mathematics, physical sciences, and technology). Students must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.00.	Apply using FAFSA.
Minnesota State Grant	$100 to $7,986 (in 2006-07)	Awarded by the State of Minnesota to residents whodemonstrate sufficient need.	Must take 15 credits per term to receive full-time grant amount. Lesser credit load will cause a reduced award.
Special Awards	$100 to $6,000	Current Bethel students upon the recommendation of Bethel faculty members.	Both need-based and no-need scholarships are available. Awarded in spring for the coming academic year. Apply separately by the beginning of spring term.
Federal Perkins Loan	$100 to $3,000 per year, up to $15,000 cumulative maximum	Students demonstrating financial need. Typically, qualifying freshmen receive up to $1,500 and sophomores up to $1,000.	Federal government pays the interest until repayment begins nine months after student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half time. Five percent interest with up to 10 years for repayment.
Subsidized Federal Stafford Student Loan	up to $3,500-freshmen, $4,500-sophomores, $5,500-juniors and above, $23,000 cumulative maximum	Students demonstrating financial need.	Federal government pays the interest until repayment begins six months after student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half time. Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, have a fixed 6.8 percent interest rate. Loans are made through a bank, savings and loan, or credit union.
Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan	*up to $3,500-freshmen, $4,500-sophomores, $5,500-juniors and above, $23,000 cumulative maximum	Students who do not qualify for a subsidized Stafford Loan or students who qualify for only a partial subsidized Federal Stafford Loan.*Independent students up to $7,500-freshmen, $8,500-sophomores, $10,500-juniors, $10,500-seniors, $46,000 cumulative maximum	Same terms and conditions as Stafford Loan, except that the borrower is responsible for interest that accrues while in school. Borrowers may receive both subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans totaling up to the applicable Stafford limit.
Federal PLUS Loan	Cost of attendance minus other aid	Parent of dependent students.	Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, have a fixed 8.5 percent interest rate. Repayment of principal and interest begins immediately.
Supplemental Education Loan Fund (SELF)	up to $6,000-freshmen and sophomores, $7,500-juniors and seniors, $25,000 cumulative maximum	Generally available to students who cannot borrow sufficient funds from other student loans. Before applying for a SELF loan, the student must apply for and exhaust all eligibility for other forms of financial aid.	Variable interest rate. Student makes quarterly interest payments. Interest was 7.7 percent in early 2007. There is a cap on interest rate changes of 2 percent during any 12-month period.
Emergency Loan	up to $500	Any currently enrolled Bethel student, for qualifyingemergencies.	Must be repaid in 60 days. Service charge of $1 per $100 each month.
Federal College Work Study	Varies, average equals $1,200 to $2,200	Students demonstrating financial need.	Students usually work 6-15 hours per week in this federal program.
Minnesota Work Study	Varies, average equals $1,200 to $2,200	Students demonstrating financial need.	Students usually work 6-15 hours per week in this state program.
Bethel Campus Employment	Varies	Any Bethel student.	Students usually work 6-15 hours per week.
Assistantships (TAs)	Varies	Upperclass students who excel in their majors or who have special skills useful to an academic department. May be hired to assist faculty members.	Contact department chair.