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Frequently Asked Questions
- How much does it cost to attend William Jewell?
- Can I afford to attend Jewell?
- How do I apply for financial aid?
- How often do I have to apply?
- I know I'm not going to qualify for anything. Do I have to file a FAFSA?
- Can I get a financial aid award before I apply to Jewell?
- I filed a FAFSA. Why didn't I receive a Pell Grant?
- What will happen if my family has unexpected financial problems after I've enrolled?
- What is the difference between merit and need-based financial aid?
- Will my financial aid change from year to year?
- Do I have to make straight A's to keep my financial aid?
- How much debt does the average Jewell student graduate with?
- Is the only way for my family to pay our share of the costs of my education to write a big check each semester?
- What if I have brothers or sisters in college?
- I'm related to an alum of WJC. Do I get any scholarships for that?
- How can I figure what academic scholarship my child is eligible for?
- I'm receiving a scholarship from my high school (or other outside source). Will that reduce my scholarships from Jewell?
- Can I get more financial aid by participating in several sports or other activities?
- Can I get money for a new computer?
- Will I be able to work on campus?
How much does it cost to attend Jewell?
The typical cost for a first-year student to attend Jewell in the 2011-2012 academic year is $37,160. You will be billed $18,580 per semester that includes tuition (12-18 credit hours), fees, room and board. The total cost may vary by term depending on lab fees, music lessons, and other unique charges based off your individual enrollment. Jewell students currently enrolled in the spring 2011 semester may find their typical cost at the WJC Students webpage.
Can I afford to attend Jewell?
Through a collaborative effort and a combination of institutional funds, federal and/or state funds, and family contribution you'll find that a distinctive education is affordable. William Jewell awarded an average of $18,302 in gift aid to its incoming class in 2010. Therefore, on average, a student may be responsible for approximately $17,000 of the $35,650 total cost in '10-'11 making Jewell just as affordable as many public universities.
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How do I apply for financial aid?
By completing your application for admission, you will automatically be considered for William Jewell merit awards ranging from $8,000 to $14,000 annually. The next step is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, located at www.fafsa.gov, and entering Jewell's school code 002524. The FAFSA is the federal application for financial assistance. Upon receipt of the FAFSA, Jewell will evaluate your financial aid award based on existing merit awards, talent award recommendations, eligibility for federal and state grant programs, as well as federal loan and work programs. A comprehensive package will be prepared and delivered to you electronically from the college. Note: Students pursuing talent based awards are required by the College to complete the FAFSA or the WJC financial aid estimator process for talent aid consideration.
How often do I have to apply?
WJC merit and talent awards are automatically renewable annually (up to eight semesters) assuming that you maintain the necessary grade point average (GPA) for merit awards and/or continue to participate on your team or department for talent awards. Federal, state, and WJC need-based funds require the submission of a FAFSA annually. The FAFSA becomes available January 1st each year and you are highly encouraged to apply prior to March 1. The Missouri deadline for state grant proceeds is April 1st.
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I know I'm not going to qualify for anything. Do I have to file a FAFSA?
It is not mandatory that you file the FAFSA, but it is highly recommended.
Can I get a financial aid award before I apply to Jewell?
Because a big part of your financial aid award is dependent upon your WJC academic scholarship eligibility, it is College policy that you must have applied for admission and be admitted to the College before receiving a financial aid award. The official awarding period begins approximately March 1; however, if you would like an estimated financial aid package we may prepare one for you before then. For information on this process click here.
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I filed a FAFSA. Why didn't I receive a Pell Grant?
The Federal Pell Grant is based solely off your FAFSA results; however, a student must have an EFC between 0 and 5,273. The Pell Grant award varies based on your EFC and can be as little as $555 as a full-time student per year to a maximum of $5,550 per academic year in 2011-2012.
What will happen if my family has unexpected financial problems after I've enrolled?
Families face unique financial situations. We'll work with each family, individually, to help find the resources to fund a Jewell education throughout the year. The Financial Aid Application Supplement provides us with the information we need to potentially make manual adjustments to your FAFSA as warranted.
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What is the difference between merit and need-based financial aid?
Merit based financial aid is based on your academic performance. These awards include all WJC academic scholarships and any awards a student may receive from organizations based on their student performance. Need-based financial aid is based on a students financial need as determined by the expected family contributions (EFC) from the FAFSA.
Will my financial aid change from year to year?
Your award will probably stay the same assuming you meet the annual minimum requirements. In many cases, the overall award will increase as you progress through school because federal loan limits allow you to borrow more money as you make progress towards graduation. A financial aid award may decrease should you decide (and be approved) to live off-campus because you will terminate your contract for room and board.
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Do I have to make straight A's to keep my financial aid?
WJC merit scholarships require a 2.5 cumulative GPA (3.5 GPA for full-tuition awards) for students entering the college during the Fall 2009 semester or later. (Students who entered Jewell before the Fall 2009 semester must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA.) Other Jewell awards require a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA. A student must complete 24 credit hours per academic year or 75% of their enrolled coursework (must enroll full-time to initially be eligible each term). Some federal and state grant programs also require a 2.5 cumulative GPA or higher that is reviewable per term.
How much debt does the average Jewell student graduate with?
The average indebtedness of a WJC student is $24,102 after graduation in four years. The national average for four year graduates is $23,186. Over a ten year period, a student may pay approximately $277 monthly to sustain this minimal repayment.
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Is the only way for my family to pay our share of the costs of my education to write a big check each semester?
There are many ways to pay for your education after you've exhausted scholarships, grants, and student loans. Of course making one lump-sum payment per term is an option, but the college also has a monthly payment plan that is interest free allowing you to make between four and six payments each semester. Federal Parent Loans also exist for parents who are willing to borrow for their son or daughter's education. These loans are quite favorable, comparable to the private market. Student's may also utilize Federal Work Study earnings to help lower their semester balance by applying their earnings to their student account.
What if I have brothers or sisters in college?
The size of your family is considered on the FAFSA when determining your EFC. It often reduces the EFC significantly for both students. If you have a sibling already at Jewell, we'll award you a Heritage Award to highlight this legacy.
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I'm related to an alum of WJC. Do I get any scholarships for that?
William Jewell offers a Heritage Award to students whose parent or sibling graduated from Jewell. Like all WJC awards, this scholarship is for eight semesters.
How can I figure how much academic scholarship my child might receive?
Students must have (at minimum) a high school GPA of 3.0 or have a class rank in the top 30% and an ACT composite of 23 or 1070 SAT to be eligible for an academic scholarship. However, the actual scholarship value is assessed by the Office of Admission.
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I'm receiving a scholarship from my high school (or other outside source). Will that reduce my scholarships from Jewell?
Absolutely not! Jewell will not penalize you for receiving money that you put forth the effort to receive. The only way that a reduction of Jewell money may happen is if you receive more scholarship than our total cost of attendance, and this is required by federal law. If this rare occurrence happens, we'll work with you to maximize your scholarships over a period of time. Federal regulations do require that we consider outside scholarships when determining eligibility for Federal Work Study and loans, therefore we may need to reduce these items, but you are still better off receiving the outside scholarship.
Can I get more financial aid by participating in several sports or activities?
Jewell will only authorize one talent scholarship per student. However, we will not limit your participation should you choose to participate in a second.
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Can I get money for a new computer?
Institutional dollars may not be used for personal expenses such as computers, however, a student may borrow additional funds (or receive outside scholarships) that may be used for such. The William Jewell cost of attendance provides information regarding estimated expenses that a student may incur while in college.
Will I be able to work on campus?
There are many student employment opportunities on campus. Students who are eligible for Federal Work Study will have more options because of the emphasis to utilize federal funds. Students who are not eligible for work study may find employment with departments who look for specific talents or experience. By law, the College must provide your earnings on a monthly basis; however, you have the ability to have your earnings posted to your student account to lower your balance due.
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