While the price of college can seem intimidating to many, Calumet College of St. Joseph (CCSJ) wants students and their families to know that with the help of their financial aid office, college can be much more affordable than one may originally think. The school can offer students numerous financial opportunities, making a college education a much more easily obtainable milestone rather than just a pipedream lingering in the back of their minds.
“Our enrollment counselors will help identify what the student qualifies for in terms of our institutional aid based on their merit and things like that, and then our financial aid department will help them and explain the FAFSA,” said CCSJ Vice President for Enrollment, Marketing, and Athletics Johnny Craig. “Once the FAFSA comes in we help them figure out what they might qualify for in terms of state and federal funding as well, so we have a couple of departments here to help them out.”
One of the unique financial aid opportunities unique to CCSJ students includes the Calumet Commitment program, which applies to all students who have enrolled during or any time after the fall 2021 semester. This is a special opportunity to help motivate students as they work towards their degree while also rewarding them for all their efforts when it’s time to graduate.
“It’s an institutional scholarship that offers students the opportunity to have their senior year tuition paid in full,” Craig said. “The requirements are simply that you enter college as a freshman and you reach your senior year by your seventh semester, or in other words on time. We're trying to incentivize students completing college in action through that seventh semester with a minimum GPA of 3.3 at your most recent FAFSA file. If you check all those boxes, your tuition will be paid in full.”
Other financial aid opportunities also start as early as their Freshman year, where students can qualify for various scholarships through the activities they plan to be involved with at CCSJ. Student-athletes, for example, can easily receive grant money simply for being involved in a sport on campus, as the school is a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Merit-based aid is also available for students who perform well on standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT or have a high GPA from their time in high school. Additionally, need-based aid is an option as well once students fill out their FAFSA, and qualify for the Federal Pell Grant, or the Indiana O’Bannon State Grant. All grants and scholarships administered by the college also don’t need to be paid back by any means as well.
Work-study jobs are another option for those looking to build their resumes outside of the classroom. Jobs are available in many departments throughout the school including enrollment interns and college tour guides.
“Our prospective students want to hear from our current students, so it's been great to put them in the center,” said Craig. “We also have our work studies students working many of our athletic events at the scores table at the concession concessions and various things at the gate, so on and so forth, because they help run our operations for athletic events, too.”
To help students break down the various financial aid packages even further, CCSJ will soon be launching a page on their website discussing the options in detail. Its goal will be to both educate those on the financial aid opportunities available as well as help to show them just how affordable college can be in any situation.
“What we're trying to do is demystify how students and families can pay for college,” Craig said. “In my own experience as well as being in this profession for a long time, I’ve noticed students see a tuition number, and then there's a whole lot of question marks about, ‘how am I going to pay for that?’ and, ‘what am I eligible for?’” Sometimes they have to go to various places and talk to various people to get that answer. What we're trying to do is simplify that process so that they can get it all in one spot.”
Craig said the site should be up and running by the end of May, but in the meantime, for those looking to learn more about the many financial aid opportunities and more available at Calumet College of St. Joseph, please visit their website at ccsj.edu.
