Financial Aid » Future Students

Future Students

Grand Valley has developed outstanding academic programs by putting students at the center of everything we do.

That student-centered focus is reflected in our Financial Aid Office as well. In 2008-2009, 78 percent of Grand Valley's full-time dependent students received financial aid with an average award of $9,050-- that's more than $200 million in total assistance, with more than $55 million of that in scholarships, grants, and employment.

Financial aid refers to the wide variety of programs that help students and their families pay for college. It's available in three forms:

• Grants and scholarships, which do not have to be repaid
• Loans, which have to be repaid
• Work-study, which provides aid in exchange for work, in the form of campus-based employment

Grand Valley uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine student's financial resources and those of the students' family. Our priority deadline for filing the FAFSA is March 1. An expected family contribution is determined by a uniform federal calculation standard using family income and asset information provided on the FAFSA. Need is determined by taking the cost of attending Grand Valley and subtracting the calculated family contribution. Once need is determined, Grand Valley's Financial Aid Office reviews the application to determine the financial aid programs for which the student qualifies. A final package of aid is then put together and the student is sent an award letter.

Entering Freshmen

Prospective Freshmen