This page contains important terms and conditions about your financial aid. 

The following information is intended to be a guide to understanding your aid and a public-facing reference to share with students. If you have any questions, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at financial.aid@lawrence.edu or (920) 832-6583.

Aid Eligibility

Lawrence Scholarships

Lawrence merit scholarships are determined at the time of admission.

Federal Student Aid

Federal Student Aid includes the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Direct Loans, and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG). Eligibility requires completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students must complete have a valid FAFSA on file with Lawrence in order to receive federal student aid. In a small number of cases, a student's FAFSA may be flagged by the Department of Education that requires additional steps or documentation to be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid. In these limited cases, the FAFSA is not valid until the comment code(s) and/or conflicting information is resolved. Examples of additional FAFSA validation include: verification, citizenship status confirmation, unusual enrollment history, and default. 

Lawrence Grants

Lawrence grants are based on financial need. Eligibility requires the completion of the FAFSA. In addition to the FAFSA, first-year and transfer students are required to complete a supplemental financial aid application. As noted under the Federal Student Aid section above.

Disbursement of Aid

Scholarship, grant, and loan funds are allocated equally among the three terms. (This does not include Federal Work-Study or Student Employment.) Disbursement of federal, state, and institutional funds are scheduled for the first day of the term. Outstanding financial aid requirements may postpone disbursement until they are complete. Outside scholarships and private loans will be applied to your student account after the funds are received by Lawrence.

Other Financial Assistance (OFA)

Federal regulations (34 CFR 673.5(b)—if you’re looking for a scintillating read) require us to take into account any resources when determining your eligibility for need-based federal student aid. If you receive a scholarship from sources other than Lawrence University, you must notify the Office of Financial Aid of the details of the outside scholarship (annual amount and if the scholarship is renewable in future years). We will adjust your aid package to reflect the outside award. Awards from outside sources have no effect on Lawrence University gift aid (merit or need-based), unless the total amount of Lawrence gift aid and outside resources exceeds the total cost of attendance. (If that’s the case, congratulations: you’re a star. Your Lawrence scholarship will also be reduced so that you’re not actually profiting financially from attending college—you will, of course, profit philosophically, but that’s for another discussion.)

Reconsideration of Aid

We will reconsider a financial aid package only if you present new information that was not available at the time you submitted your aid application. It should be understood that any possible increase in aid must be related to the availability of Lawrence resources. Lawrence does not "negotiate" financial aid awards. A student must first accept Federal Direct Student Loans offered to them before being considered for additional Lawrence grant aid.

Prorated Tuition & Financial Aid

Under the following situations, students may be eligible for prorated tuition and financial aid:

  1. The student has an approved accommodation from the Director of Accessibility Services
  2. The student has completed 12 terms (BA or BMus) or 15 terms (double-degree)
  3. The student transferred to Lawrence and has completed the equivalent to 12 terms (credits transferred + terms completed at LU)
  4. The student has transferred in 18 units or more of AP and/or IP credit:
    1. 18-35 units: the student would be eligible for prorated tuition in the last term of enrollment (e.g. 12th term of a 4-year program)
    2. 36-53 units: the student would be eligible for prorated tuition in the last two terms of enrollment (e.g. 11th and 12th terms of a 4-year program)
    3. 54 units or more: the student would be eligible for prorated tuition after 9 term of enrollment at Lawrence

Renewal of Lawrence Scholarships

If you receive an Academic or Music Scholarship from Lawrence, your scholarship will renew each year, as long as you are enrolled at Lawrence and in good academic standing. There is no GPA requirement to maintain a Lawrence merit-based scholarship during one's duration at LU.

General Conditions Applicable to All Financial Aid Recipients

Need-based financial aid is based on the premise that the student and the student's parent(s) have primary responsibility for financing a college education. When available resources are not sufficient to cover these costs, a variety of financial aid programs are made available to bridge the existing gap. For most students, this is accomplished through a combination of scholarship, grant, loan and work.

General conditions:

  1. Unless otherwise noted, the financial aid award is based on full-time enrollment for a full academic year. Students who enroll less than full-time or for less than a full academic year will receive an adjustment to their award.
  2. Financial aid for students participating in an affiliated off-campus program will not change. However, the charges for tuition, room, board, and fees will differ from a term on campus in Appleton. Please consult with the Financial Aid Office or Off-Campus Program Office staff.
  3. Students are eligible for 12 terms of financial aid and are responsible to ensure they are making satisfactory progress toward a degree as outlined in the Lawrence University course catalog. Double-degree (BA and BMus) students are eligible for 15 terms of aid.
  4. Students are expected to apply for all available financial aid, including federal and state aid and student loans. The University will not provide additional Lawrence grant assistance for students who do not accept aid for which they are eligible (this includes Federal Direct student loans).
  5. The Office of Financial Aid reserves the right on behalf of the university to review, adjust, or cancel an award at any time because of changes in your financial or academic status.
  6. Confirmed offers of aid will be made only once a student's financial aid application file is complete. To be considered complete, a file must contain the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and if selected for verification by the U.S. Department of Education, federal verification worksheet, federal tax returns and W-2s for the parent(s) and the student (and student's spouse when applicable), as well as any additional requested documentation. Until the Office of Financial Aid has received and reviewed these documents, all awards are tentative.