Frequently Asked Questions

We recognize that there are a lot of questions and uncertainty surrounding the changes implemented by DU to safeguard our community. We want to assure you that even though the majority of our staff are working remotely, and in-person counseling and front desk services are very limited, we are still open and available to help!

How to Contact Us:

We are keeping our regular business hours of 8:00am-4:30pm, Monday-Friday (MST). While our response times may be delayed, we are responding to all inquiries as quickly as we can. Email is the the most efficient way to communicate with our office. If you have a question, please send it to finaid@du.edu.

Have questions about registration or dropping a class? Review the Registrar's FAQs.

Find a full list of FAQs and updates related to COVID-19 on the DU Coronavirus page.

• If I didn't enroll in classes for the spring quarter, how will my aid be affected?

  Undergraduate students: You are eligible to receive your DU institutional aid for 12 quarters (excluding summer), and consecutive enrollment is not required. This means that if you didn't enroll in the spring quarter and you haven’t exhausted the 12-quarter limit, you’ll still be eligible to receive 12 quarters of aid. 

  If you're a transfer student, your eligibility depends on your class standing when you started at DU (which means it's probably fewer than 12 quarters of aid), but you will also not lose a quarter of eligibility in this situation.

  Graduate students: If you have questions about a scholarship, fellowship, or tuition waiver, please speak to your academic department to learn how that aid might be affected if you didn't enroll in spring quarter.

• If I don’t enroll in classes for the spring quarter, can I use my spring aid to pay for summer classes?

  Summer is a separate process from the rest of the academic year. If you are interested in aid for the summer quarter, please submit the summer aid application. (Please note that some graduate students already have summer financial aid included in their financial aid offer, and do not need to submit the summer aid application.)

  Learn more:

  > Undergraduate students

  > Graduate students

• The COVID-19 pandemic has affected my family’s financial situation. Can I submit an appeal for more financial aid?

  Yes. If you are an undergraduate student and your family has experienced a loss or reduction in wages or employment, you can submit an appeal for re-evaluation of your financial aid offer. Learn more >>

  If you have incurred expenses related to campus disruptions due to the coronavirus pandemic, please review the eligibility requirements and application process for the CARES Emergency Relief Fund.

  The Student Assistance Fund is also available to all currently enrolled students (undergraduate and graduate) who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship related to an unexpected situation. Visit Student Outreach and Support for more information.

• Can I continue earning money through my work-study position remotely now that classes will be online for the entire spring quarter?

  Yes! We know that work-study earnings are an important part of paying for educational expenses for many students. As long as you are enrolled in classes and you and your supervisor have agreed that you can work remotely, you can earn work-study funds while away from campus. You’ll just need to continue submitting your hours through PioneerTime for your supervisor’s approval.

• I have a private scholarship. Will I still receive it? When will it be added to my student account?

  Check with your scholarship provider to ensure they are still sending out scholarship checks. If they are, our goal is to process your check and post it to your student account within 5 business days after receiving it.

• How will my financial aid be affected If I choose to exercise the Pass Plus/Pass/No Pass grading option for some or all of my classes for the spring term?

  Choosing the Pass Plus/Pass/No Pass option has no impact on your GPA or cumulative course completion rate, which means it will not affect your requirements to maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP). Courses for which you receive a standard grade will still be counted in SAP calculations.

  > Undergraduate SAP Policy

  > Graduate/Law SAP Policy

• I'm a current DU student. When will I receive my financial aid offer for the 2020-21 academic year?

  We will begin sending financial aid offers for the 2020-21 academic year to current students in mid-June. Remember, in order to receive an aid offer, you must have applied for aid and submitted all additional requested documents and forms. Be sure to check the "Financial Aid Requirements" channel on the Student tab of PioneerWeb. Anything with a red flag is still missing.