How Financial Aid is Determined

Financial aid is determined based on the results from the students’ completed Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and the “cost of attendance”, which is an estimate of tuition and fees, living expenses (housing and food), transportation, and other personal/miscellaneous expenses.

Financial aid programs are created with the idea that the primary responsibility for paying college costs rests with the student and their family. Need-based financial aid (Federal Pell Grant and Direct Subsidized Loan) is available to families who demonstrate a need for additional resources to help pay college costs.

The formula used to determine whether a student is eligible for need-based aid is:

Cost of attendance (COA) – Student Aid Index (SAI) = Financial Need

A student’s financial aid offer is based on the following factors that determine financial need:

Cost of attendance (Budget)

The cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of the total amount of the student’s educational expenses associated with attending United States University (USU) each academic year. At USU, the COA includes direct costs (tuition, fees, and book allowance) that will appear on the student’s ledger as well as indirect costs (housing and food, transportation, and personal expenses). The indirect costs are not billed to the student but are estimated costs associated with attending the University.

Student Aid Index (SAI)

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an eligibility index number that the financial aid office will use to determine how much federal student aid students will be eligible to receive. This number is not a dollar amount of aid eligibility or what the student and/or their family is expected to pay to attend. The SAI is calculated using the financial information the student and/or their contributors, if applicable, provided on the FAFSA.