Financial Aid FAQs

What is the percentage of students receiving some type of financial assistance at Pepperdine University?

About 85-90%.

Does the financial assistance package increase each year as tuition and room and board increase?

Pepperdine institutional grant assistance does not increase to meet the higher costs of tuition, food and housing. Loan eligibility will increase as the budget increases, as long as the student qualifies. However, if the FAFSA is completed by the priority deadline and the student receives institutional need-based aid as an incoming student, they may also qualify for an additional institutional need-based grant in subsequent years.

What happens if I decide to live off-campus?

All first-year and new transfer students are required to live on campus. Students who decide to live off-campus must first obtain permission from the Housing and Residence Life Office. Your financial assistance award will be the same whether you live on or off campus. Students living at home will have a lower cost of attendance.

I'm thinking about dropping below 12 units. How will this affect my financial assistance package?

Financial assistance will be prorated to reflect the student's adjusted tuition charges. If the student drops below half-time (6 units), they may become ineligible for Federal/State grants and Federal Direct loans at which point the student's loans will enter the grace and/or repayment period.  Students can use the Proration Calculator to estimate costs for the semester.

What offices within Pepperdine must be notified when a student completely withdraws from the University?

Registrar, Housing and Residential Life, Office of Student Accounts, Office of Financial Assistance, and One Stop.

If the student's parents are divorced/separated, which parent must complete the FAFSA form and provide tax information?

The parent who provided the greater portion of the students financial support during the 12 months immediately prior to filing the FAFSA. If you need further clarification on custodial parent information, please click here.

What happens after I file the FAFSA? How does Pepperdine receive my information?

Approximately 2 to 4 weeks after you submit your FAFSA, you should receive a FAFSA Submission Summary by email or in the mail.  This report will reflect all the information you completed on the FAFSA and will enable Pepperdine to determine your eligibility for financial assistance.  Pepperdine will receive your FAFSA data electronically if you listed our school name and school code 001264 in the "College Code Section" of your FAFSA and if you correctly listed your name, Social Security Number, and date of birth as they appear on your Social Security card.

What if my  FAFSA Submission Summary doesn't have Pepperdine University listed as one of the schools to receive my information?

Add our Pepperdine University school code (001264) to your list of schools via FAFSA on the web before the following FAFSA Priority Deadlines:

• October 15 - Spring Admission
• December 15 - Early Action Fall Admission
• February 15 - Regular Decision Fall Admission
• March 15 - Continuing Students

What if the federal processor sends me an unprocessed or incomplete FAFSA Submission Summary?

This usually occurs if the processor was unable to read some of the information you submitted on the FAFSA, or if it was not electronically signed. You should go through the form and correct or complete all of the items you are requested to verify and submit the changes via FAFSA on the web. 

How do I go about finding a Federal Work Study job?

Please go to the Student Employment Office located in Room 210 of the Tyler Campus Center (TCC) to review a list of available job openings. Job openings are also listed on their website.

Are there any jobs on campus that do not require Federal Work Study?

There are some jobs available which do not require a work study offer. Interested students should begin looking the first week of school, if not earlier, as these jobs fill up quickly. Please visit the Student Employment Office in person or online for more information.

Is Federal Work Study taxed?

Yes, it should be reported as income on a federal tax return.

Does the Office of Student Accounts include Federal Work Study when calculating the amount the student will owe?

No.

How does Federal Work Study funds get paid to the student account?

These funds are not directly deposited into your student account. You must obtain an approved Federal Work Study job. Then you will receive a paycheck every two weeks based on the hours worked.

What are the loan limits for the Federal Direct Loans?

What is the best method of accepting Federal Direct and Federal Direct PLUS loans?

Accept online through Wavenet.

What happens if a parent is credit denied for the Federal Direct PLUS Loan?

• The parent may obtain a credit-worthy endorser to continue the Federal Direct PLUS Loan process.
• If the parent opts not to obtain an endorser, the student may be eligible to borrow up to $4,000 for first-year/sophomores and $5,000 for juniors/seniors, depending on their financial assistance package and financial need.

Do all Pepperdine institutional loans require a co-signer?

Yes.

Are there private loans available to students to help bridge the gap between their financial assistance package and the total cost of attendance?

Yes, there are. Private loan information.

When does a student find out if they are eligible to receive the Cal Grant?

The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) will email notifications to the students. We will estimate a Cal Grant as part of the student’s financial assistance package if we determine eligibility. This award is not official until confirmation has been received by CSAC and we verify the student's financial information.

Are students required to complete the GPA Verification Form every year?

Students are only required to complete the GPA Verification Form initially when applying for a Cal Grant. Once they have received a Cal Grant, it will automatically be renewed each year, provided they complete the FAFSA, meet eligibility requirements, and maintain at least a 2.00 cumulative GPA.

How does a student go about applying for outside scholarships?

We have a scholarship information page on our website that lists scholarship opportunities by application deadline. 

What should a student send us if they find out they are going to receive an outside scholarship?

The student should send us a copy of the letter received from the organization. Outside scholarships will be coordinated with requirements of need-based aid and cost of attendance. NCAA Athletes must also submit an NCAA Awarding Form with all Outside Scholarships.

How does a student go about applying for departmental scholarships?

They should speak with the Divisional Dean of their major about scholarships.

How does a departmental scholarship affect a student's financial assistance package?

Scholarship and grant funds provided by the University will be processed based on the department's guidelines and any applicable federal and state regulations up to the cost of attendance. The scholarship will be applied to the student's federal unmet need and any remaining scholarship money will go to reduce their loans and/or work study.