The following is a description of the financial aid programs available at West Coast University for students who qualify. Additional information may be obtained through the Financial Aid Department.
Unsubsidized Direct loans are available for students to borrow for additional education costs. Independent undergraduate students can borrow up to $9,500 for their first academic year, $10,500 for the second academic year and $12,500 for their third and fourth academic years, as a combined total with the Federal Subsidized Direct loan. Dependent undergraduate students whose parents do not qualify for a PLUS loan can borrow up to $9,500 for their first academic year as a combined total with the Federal Subsidized Direct loan, $10,500 for their second academic year and $12,500 for their third and fourth academic years. Interest rates are fixed and established annually by the U.S. Department of Education. Current interest rates can be found at https://studentloans.gov. With the exception of demonstrating financial need and undergraduate status, borrowers must meet all eligibility criteria of the Federal Subsidized Direct loan program. Interest payments begin immediately after the loan is fully disbursed or may be added to the principal balance. Regular payments begin six months after students cease enrollment or fail to carry at least one-half the normal full-time school workload.
Loan Amounts
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Grade Level
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Base Loan Amount
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Additional Unsubsidized Eligibility for Dependent Students
(Exclusive of dependent Students whose parent(s) is/are not eligible to borrow a Direct PLUS loan.)
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Additional Unsubsidized Eligibility for Independent Students and Dependent Students
(Parent(s) is/are not eligible to borrow a Direct PLUS Loan)
|
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Freshman
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$3,500
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$2,000
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$4,000
|
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Sophomore
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$4,500
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$2,000
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$4,000
|
|
Junior
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$5,500
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$2,000
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$5,000
|
|
Senior
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$5,500
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$2,000
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$5,000
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Interest Rates
Interest rates are fixed and established annually by the U.S. Department of Education. Current interest rates can be found at https://studentloans.gov.
Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students
Federal Parent Loans for undergraduate students provide additional funds for credit-worthy parents to help pay for students’ educational expenses. Interest rates are fixed and established annually by the U.S. Department of Education. Current interest rates can be found at https://studentloans.gov. Repayment begins immediately after the loan is fully disbursed.
Private Loan and Scholarships
Private loans are available to students through various lending institutions. Private loans, which are privately insured, cover educational expenses beyond what is covered by federal loans. The student must be a U.S. Citizen, a U.S. national, or a permanent resident and must be creditworthy. International students are eligible with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident) and appropriate U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service documentation. The student may be enrolled full- or half-time. If the student has no credit or a poor credit history, he/she may still qualify for a loan by applying with a creditworthy co-borrower. In addition to private loans, a wide array of scholarships funded by outside sources is available to students. Scholarship eligibility criteria vary. Contact the Financial Aid Department for assistance.
Greg Jarvis Simulation Scholarship - Nursing Only
In 2011, WCU honored Greg Jarvis with the presentation of it’s first-ever “Distinguished Alumnus Award”. Following the presentation of this prestigious award, WCU announced the “Greg Jarvis Scholarship Award”, which would be given to students who had outstanding achievements in simulation education.
Mr. Jarvis was a Detroit, Michigan native who served in the Air Force, and was awarded a Masters Degree in Management Science from the West Coast University Los Angeles campus. In early 1986, Mr. Jarvis was chosen by NASA to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida that, which just after launch, exploded and Mr. Jarvis was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor.
West Coast University is a national leader in health care simulation education, and this scholarship appropriately honors Greg Jarvis’ memory, for his professional life, his contributions to technological advancements, and the use of simulation technology in preparation for manned space flight.
The WCU Greg Jarvis Simulation Scholarship awards $1,000 to one student recipient per term (5 total), per campus, and will be applied to tuition for the following term. The scholarship is good for tuition and fees only, which is stipulated in the application and Scholarship Award Letter.
To be eligible to apply for the WCU Greg Jarvis Simulation Scholarship, students:
1. Must be a US Citizen or have permanent residence.
2. Must be enrolled in the BSN program with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. Must be identified as the campus top simulation performer at the upon completion of NURS 213L (based on highest CSET score). * Note: In the event of a tie, final scores from NURS 203 will be taken into account.
4. Must submit a personal statement describing how simulation has enhanced his/her nursing practice, and how completion of a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, and RN license, will help continue his/her work in this field. *Note: The essay must be typed and be between two and three pages .
5. Must be in good standing academically, financially, and through strict compliance with the University’s Code of Conduct, Drug and Alcohol policy, Academic Honor Code and any other policy applying to the University’s students. *Note: Professional and respectful behavior is required on campus, at any clinical location and in situations where students are serving as representative s of the University.
6. Must have an attendance record requirement of 90%. A 90% attendance record means that a student may not have more than one absence in each class; such as one absence in theory and one absence in clinical is the maximum allowed.
Applicants must complete and submit the application with all required documents at least three weeks before the start of his/her BSN program.
Process of Choosing Recipient
NURS 213L instructors must submit the Student Recommendation Form and Student Application Form to the campus Dean of Nursing by the end of week 9 each term on Friday. The determination of eligibility requirements by the campus Dean of Nursing will be due by week 10 on Wednesday, and submitted to the Executive Director of University Relations for final processing with the Vice President of Financial Aid.
Norma Ford Memorial Scholarship - LVN to BSN Students Only
Norma Ford spent her career assisting college students in securing funding for their education. She was an expert in federal student aid programs, and helped schools to meet the requirements to participate in those programs, resulting in thousands of students having access to aid, and the ability to complete their chosen educational programs. In her final years, she worked with West Coast University to make sure its students had those same opportunities to engage in higher education. Norma was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2007 and fought the disease for three years before passing away in April 2010. During her final months, she asked that West Coast University offer a scholarship to nursing students who are committed to working in long-term hospice/end of life care, or who plan to specialize in oncology, as a tribute to the great nurses who helped Norma during the last months of her life.
Awards
Each West Coast University campus will provide one scholarship to the chosen applicant, per BSN program “start”. A Scholarship Committee will review all applications for each semester and choose one awardee per campus. Awards will be granted in installments of $10,000, one installment awarded at the end of each semester, reflected as a tuition reduction on the awardee’s student account, as long as s/he continues to meet the criteria outlined below. The maximum amount a student may be awarded is $70,000, assuming the student does not have sufficient transfer credit to reduce the total semesters below seven (7) semesters. This award has no cash value.
Please Note: Students who withdraw or are terminated for any reason will have a prorated amount of the scholarship applied to their account for the time attended, but only if the student was meeting the requirements of the scholarship program during that time. Any unearned or unused scholarship dollars will be returned to the fund for future awards.
To be eligible to apply for the WCU Norma Ford Memorial Scholarship, students:
1. Must be a US citizen or have permanent residence.
2. Must be enrolled in the LVN to BSN program with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
3. Must provide a copy of his/her LVN license, employment records and letter of reference from current or former employer to verify work experience in required fields.
4. Must submit a personal statement describing his/her work with terminally ill cancer patients and how completion of a Bachelor Degree in Nursing, and RN license, will help continue his/her work in this field. *Note: The essay must be typed and be between two and three pages.
5. Must maintain good standing academically, financially, and through strict compliance with the University’s Code of Conduct, Drug and Alcohol policy, Academic Honor Code and any other policy applying to the University’s students. *Note: Professional and respectful behavior is required on campus, at any clinical location, and in situations where students are serving as representatives of the University.
6. Must have an attendance record requirement of 90%. A 90% attendance record means that a student may not have more than one absence in each class; such as one absence in theory and one absence in clinical is the maximum allowed.
Applicants must complete and submit the application with all required documents to the Financial Aid Office at least three weeks before the start of his/her BSN program.