Financial Aid

The financial aid programs at St. John Fisher College have been developed to assist students with financing their education. Eligibility is based primarily on need and/or merit. Since the family and the student bear the primary responsibility for a student’s education, each student and family are expected to make a reasonable effort to provide sufficient funds to enable the student to complete his or her education. The Office of Student Financial Services has prepared a realistic budget that is based on the current tuition and fees and on probable miscellaneous expenses.

The following is intended to give basic information about the financial assistance that is available. Often, financial aid packages will consist of a combination of the forms of aid described in this section. Sources of aid awarded at the discretion of St. John Fisher College are not available for summer study, even if the student enrolls in a full-time course load during summer semesters.

Forms Required for Applying

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for every need-based financial aid program administered by St. John Fisher College (e.g., St. John Fisher College grants, private scholarships, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Grant, Federal College Work-Study, Federal Direct Student Loans and Federal TEACH Grants). The priority deadline for filing the FAFSA is January 15 for all students. After these dates, institutional need-based funds will be awarded on a funds-available basis. The FAFSA is completed at https://fafsa.ed.gov/

In order to apply for financial aid from programs not administered by the College (e.g., state grants), different application forms and deadlines are required, as indicated in the program descriptions.

Academic Progress Requirements

Most sources of financial assistance, especially New York State and federally funded aid programs, require specified progress toward a degree during each academic term for which aid is received. Progress is measured in the number of credits earned and the grade point average achieved. Failure to meet these standards can result in the loss of some, or all, financial assistance in subsequent academic periods. It is each student’s responsibility to become aware of, and comply with, these standards if continued receipt of financial assistance is desired. The academic progress requirements for New York State, federal, and institutional aid are detailed in Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients.

Consortium Agreements

A consortium agreement is a written agreement between two schools which allows a Fisher student to take courses at another institution and count those courses toward his or her degree at St. John Fisher College. A consortium agreement allows the St. John Fisher College Office of Student Financial Services to count courses at both institutions when determining a student’s enrollment level for the purposes of awarding aid. However, the courses taken at the host institution must be applicable toward the student’s degree in order to be counted at St. John Fisher. Consortium agreements can be done on a limited appeal basis based upon mitigating circumstances. The student must contact the Office of Student Financial Services to complete the Request for Financial Aid to take Course(s) at Another Institution form.

Renewal of Financial Aid

Financial aid is reviewed annually and requires you to file the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year that aid is requested. The FAFSA filing deadline for returning Fisher students is January 15 of each year. Late filers will be considered for aid renewal on a funds-available basis. An award is continued if the student is making satisfactory progress toward a degree, is in need of financial assistance, and meets academic requirements of merit scholarships. Substantial adjustments in aid from year to year are seldom made unless there is a major change in family financial need. The maximum number of semesters of St. John Fisher College grants and scholarships that an entering freshman can receive is eight (8) semesters (4 years).

Students are strongly encouraged to consult with the Office of Student Financial Services prior to changes in housing status, major, financial need, or participation in a study abroad program. These changes may affect a student’s eligibility for renewal of certain types of financial aid.

For further information, please see Terms and Conditions of Financial Aid Awards [pdf].

Change from Full-Time to Part-Time Status

Part-time students are not eligible for many forms of financial aid. Students who drop to fewer than 12 credits within the first four weeks of the semester will be considered part-time students. Therefore, any student contemplating a change from full-time to part-time status should consult with the Office of Student Financial Services before finalizing any change in registration.

Loan Exit Interviews

A student who drops below half-time status or graduates is required by the federal government to complete exit counseling if he or she borrowed a Federal Direct Student Loan, a Federal Perkins Loan, and/or received the Federal TEACH Grant. Exit counseling is required for each type of loan. Federal Direct Student Loan exit counseling and TEACH Grant exit counseling can be done at: StudentLoans.gov. Federal Perkins Loan borrowers will be contacted by our loan servicer, ECSI, to complete the exit counseling. Failure to do so may result in withholding of the diploma and/or academic transcripts.

Special Circumstances

Changing economic conditions today call for a careful re-evaluation of financial need. Parents and students with altered family situations must notify the Office of Student Financial Services for consideration.

Director of Office of Student Financial Services
St. John Fisher College
3690 East Avenue
Rochester, New York 14618
Phone: (585) 385-8042