Need-Based Financial Aid

Students seeking financial aid are required to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This application will provide the Financial Planning Office with the amount the student and their family can contribute to the cost of education. (The Cost of Attendance includes tuition, fees, room, board, and expenses for books, transportation, and personal expenses.) The FAFSA collects the student’s and parents’ federal tax information from two years prior as well as asset information. This information is used to calculate the student aid index (SAI). (The SAI is the family’s ability to contribute toward college costs.) The SAI determines the amount and type(s) of financial aid that can be awarded to each student.

There is no charge to apply, and the FAFSA can be completed at the following website: www.studentaid.gov. The application can be done beginning October 1 preceding the year the student plans to attend college. The deadline to file your FAFSA each year is May 28. Once the FAFSA has been submitted by the student, a copy of the results are provided to each college listed on the form. Gardner-Webb’s school code is 002929. Gardner-Webb will receive the application electronically, and a financial aid award will be prepared once the student has been admitted. The student will receive an award notification e-mail at their Gardner-Webb e-mail address. The award information is provided via Gardner-Webb’s secure online portal called MyGWU. (Each student is given a username and password upon admission to the University.) Any scholarship aid awarded to the student from Gardner-Webb will be included in the financial-aid package.

Federal Assistance Programs

Any student enrolled or accepted for enrollment in an eligible program at Gardner-Webb University may receive assistance under the Title IV Programs if he/she:

1. Is a citizen or permanent resident of the United States;
2. Is maintaining satisfactory academic progress according to established standards;
3. Does not owe a refund on a grant or is not in default on a loan received at Gardner-Webb or any other post-secondary institution; and
4. Completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

A list of Federal Programs available to eligible applicants is as follows.

Pell Grant

Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant

Work-Study

Direct Stafford Loans - Subsidized and Unsubsidized

Direct Parent PLUS Loan

Additional information about these programs is available in the Financial Planning Office and on the Financial Planning webpage. Please realize that not all students are eligible for these programs due to specific criteria such as financial need, grade point average, year in school, and availability of funds. Federal funds are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

State Assistance Programs

A list of State Programs for eligible North Carolina residents (funding contingent upon state appropriations) is as follows.

The North Carolina Need-Based Scholarship Program (NBS) is a grant program created by the NC General Assembly for students with a Student Aid Index (SAI) of $15,000 or less. The SAI is determined by the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The Forgivable Education Loan for Service (FELS) was established by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2011. The loan provides financial assistance to qualified students who are committed to working in North Carolina in fields designated as critical employment shortage areas. Please visit www.cfnc.org/fels for additional information including eligibility, award amounts, application procedures, and approved education programs.

North Carolina does offer other sources of financial aid based on specific criteria. The College Foundation of North Carolina’s website can be used to research and apply for such scholarships. The web address is cfnc.org.

Gardner-Webb University Scholarship Programs

Gardner-Webb University is committed to offering scholarships to those students with outstanding academic credentials. The types of scholarships are listed below and are awarded based on the individual student’s academic and/or performance profile. The university will allow institutional sources of financial aid to be combined with federal, state, and outside aid up to the student’s cost of attendance. Please note that your yearly scholarship amount cannot be used for one semester and is not able to be transferred to a graduate program or online program.  For some students this may result in a reduction of their Gardner-Webb aid. Please contact the Financial Planning Office with specific questions.

Competitive Scholarships

Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength Scholarships

The Tucker Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength Scholarship will be awarded to one deserving student who exemplifies the attributes highlighted in Mark 12:30. Each year, a full-ride scholarship will be awarded to one student who stands apart from other applicants by the depth of his/her character, faith, and service-driven life. The recipient will be required to demonstrate how he/she can thrive in the challenges of Gardner-Webb's academic environment and graduate prepared to live out the university's motto of making a difference for God and humanity.

Ignite Excellence Scholarships

Each year, eight students are chosen to receive a full-tuition scholarship valued at $35,290 per academic year, for eight consecutive standard semesters in your undergraduate degree, provided the recipient is enrolled full-time, maintains a cumulative institutional grade point average of 3.5, resides on campus, and continues to demonstrate a strong leadership ability and commitment to service.

Honors Scholarship

Each year, students are chosen to compete and apply to be part of the university’s honors program. Each student selected is awarded an Honors Scholarship, renewable as long as they maintain the requirements outlined by the Director of the Honors Program.

Ignite Excellence Participation Award

Each student who interviewed for the Ignite Excellence scholarships but was not awarded one of the eight full-tuition scholarships will be awarded a $2,000 participation scholarship. The award will be honored for eight consecutive standard semesters. The award will not cover costs for additional credits taken or summer school charges.

Institutional Scholarships and Grants

Gardner-Webb University offers the following Institutional Scholarships and Grants.

Trustee Scholarship

Presidential Scholarship

Provost Scholarship

Dean’s Scholarship

Achievement Scholarship 

These scholarships range from $6,000-$20,000 depending on the student’s academic profile.

In order to determine the amount of institutional scholarship or grant you are eligible to receive, you must first apply and be accepted to Gardner-Webb. Your award amount will be included in your acceptance letter from the Undergraduate Admissions Office. Institutional scholarships require a student to be enrolled full-time (12 hours or more) and maintain a grade point average in accordance with the institution’s Scholarship Maintenance Policy. Award amounts vary depending on your housing status (whether you live on or off campus) and athletic status (recruited with scholarship). 

Associate of Science in Nursing students transitioning from the Traditional Undergraduate Program into the Online Undergraduate Education BSN program will have any institutional aid prorated based on the percentage of tuition which is covered by their current institutional aid. For example:

Current Institutional Aid ÷ Undergraduate Tuition = % of Tuition
$10,000 ÷ $35,290 = 28%

Scholarship % X Online Program BSN Tuition = New Scholarship Amount

 

Performance-Based Scholarships

Athletic Scholarships are awarded by each individual coach and shared with the Office of Financial Planning. Gardner-Webb offers scholarships for the following sports: men’s and women’s basketball, golf, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, men’s baseball, football, wrestling, women’s softball, lacrosse, and volleyball. Any questions concerning eligibility for a scholarship should be directed to the coach of the sport of interest. If a student receives a financial aid award and an athletic scholarship is not listed, please contact the coach of the sport of interest. Your non-athletic aid will be reduced once the athletic scholarship is added to your financial-aid package. 

Music Scholarships/Ensemble Scholarships Music Scholarships: Awards range from $1,000 to $6,000 and are available for music majors as well as students interested in music ensemble opportunities. Music Honors Scholarships range from $1,000 to $6,000. Ensemble Scholarships range from $1,000 to $2,500. Scholarships cannot be combined. Students must audition for scholarship consideration and meet all departmental obligations and requirements. 

Marching Band Scholarships are awarded by the band director and shared with the Financial Planning Office. The award amount is $1,000 and is based on participation in the band. Scholarships are renewed provided participation continues each year.

Pep Band Scholarships are awarded by the Band Director and shared with the Financial Planning Office. The award is $250 and is given during the Spring semester. Scholarships are renewed provided participation continues each year.

 

 

Other Gardner-Webb Scholarships

The Luther Butler Scholarship is awarded to selected students who are members of North Carolina Baptist churches cooperating with the North Carolina Baptist State Convention (NCBSC). The funds are awarded and provided by the NCBSC. A separate online application must be completed prior to February 15, and a new application must be submitted each year.

Christian Service Organization Scholarships are awarded to those students preparing for full-time Christian vocational service. The online application must be completed as well as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Award amounts vary depending upon the student’s demonstrated financial need as determined by the results of the FAFSA. Approval of the award comes from the Director of Church Relations. 

Church Matching Scholarships are awarded to traditional undergraduate students who receive a scholarship from any Christian church or Christian-related organization. Traditional undergraduate students must submit the application in the Fall semester on or before August 31st for the entire academic year. Gardner-Webb will match a scholarship from a Christian church/Christian organization—dollar for dollar—up to the cost of tuition (including all GW aid as well as the church matching amount) if submitted on or before the deadline. If the application is submitted after the deadline, the scholarship will not be matched and will only be awarded as an outside scholarship for the exact amount of the check.  The Church-Matching Scholarship will stack on top of other institutional aid up to the cost of tuition (including all GW aid as well as the church matching amount). The original application and check will be split between the fall and spring semesters. Only one church scholarship will be matched for each student. Additional requirements are listed on the Church Matching application. 

Gardner-Webb Legacy Grants are awarded to students that have an immediate family member who is a graduate of Gardner-Webb University (parent, grandparent, great-grandparent, or sibling). The grant is confirmed by the Alumni Relations Office and is awarded at $500 per year.

Minister’s Dependent Scholarships are awarded to a dependent student (as labeled by the IRS-—does not include a spouse) of a full-time, ordained minister or an ordained, full-time employee of a Christian church or Christian church-related agency. The application deadline is August 1, and the award amount is $5,500 for the year ($2750 per semester).

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Room and Board Scholarships are available for those students receiving an Army ROTC scholarship. Gardner-Webb will cover the cost of a standard double room and the 21-meal plan less any federal or state grants. The scholarship will be renewed each year the student continues to receive the ROTC scholarship.

Scholarship Maintenance

Students receiving scholarships from Gardner-Webb are expected to achieve a minimum cumulative institutional grade point average (GPA) to retain any scholarships. Scholarship progress is reviewed at the end of the semester. The GPA requirement for each scholarship is listed below. If your institutional GPA is below the required minimum, you will be placed on Scholarship Probation. You will be eligible to receive your scholarship while on probation; however, if at the end of the term you have not achieved the required GPA, your scholarship will be rescinded for the next semester.

Ignite Excellence*  recipients must maintain an institutional grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 at the end of each academic year, reside on campus, and be enrolled full-time.

 

Trustee Scholarship	3.2
Presidential Scholarship	3.0
Provost Scholarship	3.0
Dean’s Scholarship	2.8
Achievement Scholarship	2.8
Gardner-Webb Scholarship	2.8

*Nursing students must remain in good standing in the nursing program in lieu of the above-stated GPAs to retain scholarship funds.

You may appeal the loss of your scholarship by writing a letter to the Associate Director of Financial Planning. It is important to remember that extenuating circumstances must be fully documented. Please contact the Financial Planning Office if you have any questions concerning the appeal process.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) refers to the requirement that students receiving financial aid enroll in and complete sufficient credits each term, to complete their studies within a reasonable period of time, as well as maintain an acceptable cumulative GPA.

Gardner-Webb University is required to establish minimum academic standards that students must meet to be eligible, or maintain eligibility, for Federal and State financial aid, including grants, loans and college work-study. SAP is evaluated at the end of each semester, and students who are not meeting the SAP criteria may be placed on financial aid probation and eventual suspension from receiving financial aid (including all types of financial aid).

Quantitative Standards

Regulations allow a student to maintain eligibility for attempting credit hours that are 150% of the credit hours required to receive a degree. In order to meet this quantitative standard, students must complete and earn 67% of Gardner-Webb courses attempted each academic semester. Failing to complete 67% of the cumulative attempted institutional hours at the end of the semester will result in the student being placed on Financial Aid Warning, during which time the student may continue to receive financial aid. If the student has not completed 67% of the cumulative attempted institutional hours at the end of the subsequent semester, the student will be placed on Financial Aid Suspension. While on Financial Aid Suspension, the student will not be eligible to receive financial aid.

 

Hours Attempted	Hours Earned to Meet 67% Requirement
3	2
6	4
9	6
12	8
15	10

 

Qualitative Standards

In order to maintain eligibility for financial aid with the qualitative standard, a student must maintain the academic standing necessary to remain at Gardner-Webb. The qualitative policy is the same as the academic policies of Gardner-Webb. The cumulative, institutional grade point average will be used to determine good academic standing, probation, suspension, and eligibility for financial aid. The cumulative, institutional GPA will be checked at the end of each semester for SAP. The student on good academic standing will remain eligible. A student on Academic Probation will be on Financial Aid Warning. A student on Academic Suspension will be on Financial Aid Suspension.

The qualitative requirements (minimum GPA) for undergraduate, second bachelor’s degree and initial teaching certificate students are as described below:

• Freshmen (0-29 hrs earned) 1.5 on a 4.0 scale
• Sophomore (30-59 hrs earned) 1.7 on a 4.0 scale
• Junior (60-89 hrs earned) 2.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Senior (90 or more hrs earned) 2.0 on a 4.0 scale

Graduate and professional students must maintain a cumulative GPA that is equivalent to the graduation standards published by their program.

Maximum Time Frame

A reasonable length of time for the completion of a degree program is defined as no more than 150% of the normal time required to complete a degree program, as measured by credits attempted and including transfer credits.

There is no Financial Aid Warning semester for students who exceed the maximum time frame requirement. Students will be suspended from financial aid eligibility the semester following the semester their attempted hours exceed 150%.

Each graduate division determines the number of credits by which the student normally completes the degree. This information is available in the individual graduate program catalogs.

Additional Policies and Circumstances

Audit Courses

Students are not eligible to receive financial aid for audit courses. Audited courses are not included in the number of hours attempted or earned for SAP determination. Students do not receive a grade in audited classes.

Summer Term Courses

All hours attempted and completed in the summer terms are treated as any other semester hours in determining SAP.

Withdrawals

Any course with a “W” or “WF” is considered as hours attempted. Students should be aware that excessive withdrawals from classes could result in the loss of financial aid at some point in future semesters due to the 67% quantitative standard for SAP.

For more information on our withdrawal policy, please click here.

Repeating Courses

When courses with grades of D, F, or WF are repeated with a C or higher grade, the unsatisfactory grades and course attempts will not be included in the calculation of the GPA (qualitative). However, courses with grades of D, F, or WF that are later repeated are counted in total number of hours attempted (quantitative).

Second Degrees

Students who have earned a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution are eligible to apply for financial assistance. The maximum eligibility will be 245 attempted credit hours (150% of the minimum degree requirement plus an additional 60 hours).

Evaluation

Satisfactory Academic Progress, as well as students who receive all Ws, Fs, or WFs, will be evaluated at the end of each semester.

Appeals

Students on Financial Aid Suspension will be notified if they are eligible for appeal to the SAP Appeals Committee. An appeal must be based on specific extenuating circumstances. Examples may include but are not limited to death of a relative, an injury or illness of the student, or other extenuating circumstances. There is a formal request form that must be completed along with a statement explaining the extenuating circumstances. Documentation supporting the extenuating circumstances must also be submitted. In addition, the SAP Appeals Form and SAP Academic Plan Form must be submitted.

The required Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form, along with all supporting documentation, must be sent to the fpappeals@gardner-webb.edu.

The determination of the appeal will be made available to the student (through email to GWU email address) within 14 business days.

Incompletes

Any course with a “I’ or “IN” is considered as hours attempted. Students should be aware that incomplete grades will not count as a passing grade and may negatively impact the 67% quantitative standard for SAP. If an incomplete grade is earned prior to the first day of the first day of classes in the subsequent semester, the student may make a written request to fpappeals@gardner-webb.edu to have their SAP calculation reviewed; reviews of prior incompletes will not happen automatically.

If a Financial Aid Suspension appeal is approved, then the student will be placed on Financial Aid Probation for one semester, and eligibility reinstated for financial aid during that semester. The student must make Satisfactory Academic Progress within the probation semester in order to continue their eligibility for financial aid in subsequent semesters.

Withdraw Policy

Withdraw Policy

Federal Aid

Federal law specifies how Gardner-Webb University must determine the amount of federal (Title IV) financial aid that you earn if you withdraw from school. The federal programs included under this law are Direct Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, Federal Pell Grants, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants. When you withdraw during your payment period, the amount of federal financial aid that you have earned up to that point is determined by a specific formula. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned to the government by Gardner-Webb University and/or you. This is called a Return to Title IV (or R2T4). The amount of assistance that you have earned is determined on a pro rata basis. For example, if you completed 30% of your payment period, you earn 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. Though your aid is posted to your account just after the start of each semester, you earn the funds as you complete the semester. Title IV financial aid is earned by the calendar day, not class day. This includes weekends, holidays, and breaks of less than five consecutive days. Once you have completed more than 60% of the payment period, you earn all the assistance that you were scheduled to receive for that period. Once your withdrawal has been processed by the Registrar’s office and has notified the Office of Financial Planning, a calculation will be completed, if applicable, according to these guidelines. Returned Title IV funds are allocated in the following order:

• Unsubsidized Direct Loans (other than Direct PLUS Loans)
• Subsidized Direct Loans
• Direct PLUS Loans
• Federal Pell Grants
• FSEOG

Mandatory returns may create a significant indebtedness for you if this aid was used to pay for charges for which you are still responsible or if you received these funds as a refund prior to an official withdrawal. These funds must be returned even if GWU provides no refund to the student.

 

Grant Overpayment

Any amount of unearned grant funds that the student must return is called an overpayment. The maximum amount of a grant overpayment the student must repay is half the grant funds that were received or scheduled to receive. The student does not have to repay a grant overpayment if the original amount of the overpayment is $50 or less. Arrangements must be made with GWU or the Department of Education to return the unearned grant funds. The student will be notified of any grant overpayment within 30 days of the date the school determined the student withdrew.

 

Post-Withdrawal Disbursement

If you received (or Gardner-Webb University or your parent received on your behalf) less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds as a Post-Withdrawal Disbursement. If the post-withdrawal disbursement includes loan funds, the student must give permission before the funds can be disbursed. GWU may automatically use all or a portion of the post-withdrawal disbursement of grant funds for tuition, fees, and room and board charges. Permission is required to use the post-withdrawal grant disbursement for all other school charges. Students will be notified of post-withdrawal disbursement eligibility within 30 days of the date of withdrawal determination. The school must return the Title IV funds within 45 days of the date the school determines the student withdrew.

 

Non-Federal Aid

Financial aid is expected to help meet educational costs, so any academic, housing, or meal plan refunds resulting from your withdrawal from the university will be returned to the financial aid programs from which you received assistance. University, state, and outside scholarships may be adjusted based on the tuition refund schedule. You may be required to return funds from previously issued financial aid refund checks.

 

Other General Info

Indebtedness to the university created by the return of aid must be resolved before you can reenroll or be issued an academic transcript. Federal regulations prohibit the use of federal financial aid to pay prior-year balances. Therefore, you need to consider the payment of any outstanding balances as you make plans to return to school.

 

Unofficial Withdrawal

An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student does not successfully complete any of their courses (receives all F grades or @F grades), stops attending classes, and does not complete any coursework as of the 60% point of the semester or summer term without formally withdrawing from the university, as required. An unofficial withdrawal may be required to repay up to 50% of the financial aid received for the term. Forms of federal financial aid are subject to calculations based on the Return to Title IV Aid. Students who never attended any of their classes and did not complete any course work are required to repay 100% of the financial aid received for the semester or summer term. Students who stop attending all of their classes are required to officially withdraw from the university.