Overview
Earning an advanced degree is making an investment in yourself—and your future. A degree can open the door to more career choices and increase your earning potential. In times of economic uncertainty, possibly one of the best investments you can make is in your education, and in the professional skills that can lay the foundation for your future.
Most U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are enrolled in a degree or certificate program at Adler University may use financial aid to cover the full cost of their educational expenses. Financial aid may be used to cover the cost of tuition, fees, books and living expenses during all academic terms in which a student is registered at least half-time.
Aid is available from Adler University, the U.S. federal government, and outside programs.
Assistance that is earned through service to the institution or an outside organization. This assistance is need-based.
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) program is a need-based employment program funded partially by the U.S. government. FWS participants are paid $15/hour to work part-time. Time commitments vary by position; students may work up to 20 hours per week while classes are in session. Positions are available throughout Adler and with select non-profit organizations in the Chicago area.
A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is needed in order to determine your eligibility to participate in Adler’s FWS program.
The Office of Financial Aid assigns each U.S. student aid recipient an annual cost of attendance, which determines the amount of financial assistance that a student can receive for a given academic year. The cost of attendance includes allowances for:
- tuition and fees;
- books and supplies;
- living expenses (including rent, utilities, and miscellaneous personal expenses); and
- average federal loan fees.
Students are encouraged to borrow as conservatively as possible to minimize loan repayment amounts following graduation. Detailed cost of attendance information for the 2020-2021 academic year is available here and for the 2021-2022 academic year is available here.
Tuition and Fees
Tuition and fees are set annually by Adler University. A student’s cost of attendance will include an allowance for tuition and fees based upon the student’s actual enrollment in required courses for the year. Initial awards are based upon the published course sequence for the student’s academic program. If a student deviates from the published course sequence, the cost of attendance will be adjusted to reflect any differences in charges.
Books and Supplies
Cost of attendance budgets include a book and supply allowance based on the number of credit hours for which the student is registered at a rate of $50 per credit hour. This allows students to utilize financial aid to fund book and supply costs that are not billed by Adler University.
Living Expenses
Students are able to borrow student loan funds to assist with living expense costs, as necessary. The annual living expense allowance is detailed in the cost of attendance.
The monthly living allowance is based on data regarding average living expenses for the Chicagoland metropolitan area. The living allowance is intended to assist with living expenses associated with the student (rather than the student’s other family members) and is limited to months the student is enrolled. Individual students with living expenses that exceed the established allowance may submit an appeal to the Office of Financial Aid for cost of attendance increase consideration.
Living expense funds borrowed through student loans will be refunded to the student by the Office of Student Accounts at the close of the add/drop period each semester (fall, spring, summer) for students to allocate towards their living expense costs throughout that semester.
Average Loan Fees
The federal government assesses a loan fee on each loan made to a student. Students are provided with an allowance in their cost of attendance. This allowance is an average of fees charged to students in specific ranges of cost of attendance.
Other Expenses
On a case-by-case basis, the Office of Financial Aid will allow a student to appeal to increase their cost of attendance from the standard amounts provided. The following costs are eligible for consideration under a cost of attendance appeal.
- Dependent Care
- Device Purchase (such as a laptop or tablet)
- Internship Interview Travel Expenses
- Rent/mortgage or utility costs in excess of budgeted amount
- Practicum (or other off-site, in-person practical experience) transportation costs
The government requires certain criteria to be met in order to qualify for U.S. federal student aid. Those requirements, such as being enrolled in a degree or certificate program at Adler University, are available here.
In addition, in order to continue receiving financial aid, including Adler University scholarships, students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress towards completion of their degree/certificate.
Federal student loans require a student to maintain at least half-time enrollment. Federal work-study does not require at least half-time enrollment. Enrollment status definitions are as follows, with all measures being taken on a per-semester basis.
Only credits required for degree or certificate completion count in a student’s enrollment status for the semester.
| Program | Full-Time | Half-Time | Less Than Half-Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| All Adler Graduate-Level Programs | 6+ credits | 3-5 credits | 1-2 credits |
Exceptions to credit hour requirements for enrollment status are as follows:
- Chicago, Vancouver, or Online Campus graduate students registered for practicum, practicum continuation, dissertation proposal (non-Psy.D. students only), dissertation, full-time internship, internship continuation, or externship satisfy the full-time enrollment definition.
- Chicago, Vancouver, or Online Campus graduate students registered for dissertation proposal continuation (non-Psy.D. student only), doctoral dissertation continuation or half-time internship satisfy the half-time enrollment definition.
- Important Note: Effective beginning in the 2017–2018 academic year, dissertation proposal and dissertation proposal continuation have been removed as exceptions to credit hour requirements for enrollment status for Psy.D. students.
Enrollment Status Considerations When Retaking Coursework:
Please note: for the purposes of determining a student’s enrollment status, there are special considerations for students who are repeating coursework.
- A student who has failed a course (letter grade of F, or grade of NC in a credit/no-credit course) can have the repeated failed course calculated in their enrollment status as many times as it is necessary to get a passing grade. See the next bullet for an exception.
A student who is retaking a previously passed course to improve their grade in it may have exactly one repetition of that course included in their enrollment status. In the case when a student retakes the previously passed course to improve their grade and fails the second time, the student may not be paid for retaking the class a third time.