Drury University offers a wide variety of financial aid options. Please review the descriptions below for more information on many of the aid programs available to students.
Merit Scholarships (i.e., Trustee, Presidential, Provost, Deans, Founders, Legacy, Phi Theta Kappa, CCPS Honors Scholarship)
Merit Scholarships are an institutional award given to students who demonstrate academic achievement before being admitted to Drury. These awards are made regardless of financial need and may be renewable if a student maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Activity Grants (i.e., Athletics, Music, Theatre, Art, Debate)
Activity Grants are institutional funds awarded to students based on merit. These funds are granted to students by administrators of the activities the student is participating in and are therefore non-need-based.
Institutional Need-Based Grants (Endowed Scholarships, Annual Scholarships, CCPS Scholarships)
Institutional Need-based Scholarships are institutional funds provided to students who have significant financial need based on the FAFSA.
The Diversity Scholarship is a competitive institutional scholarship available to graduating high school students who demonstrate academic and extracurricular achievement. The purpose of this scholarship is to celebrate and grow ethnic and cultural diversity at Drury. These awards are made regardless of financial need.
The Pell Grant is Federal need-based grant. Award eligibility and the amount of award is determined by the federal government each year based on information a student provides on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students who are enrolled less than full time will receive a prorated amount of Pell Grant.
Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
The Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is a Federal grant that provides funds to students with the lowest expected family contribution (EFC). Like the Pell Grant, this grant is considered need-based aid as eligibility for the grant is based on a student’s financial strength. Awards are made in order of FAFSA receipt; funds are limited, and not all eligible students will receive funds.
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH)
The TEACH Grant (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education) is a Federal grant given to students who will go on to teach high need subjects in low-income elementary or secondary schools. This is a non-need-based grant, and students must complete an agreement to teach four years in a qualifying school district. If students do not follow the requirements of the agreement, the grant is converted into a Federal Unsubsidized Loan.
Learn more about the TEACH grant.
Work study is a federally-funded program that allows students who have demonstrated financial need to work on campus and use earnings to pay for educational expenses. Awards are made in order of FAFSA receipt; funds are limited, and not all eligible students will be offered a Work Study opportunity.
The Direct Subsidized Loan is a need-based Federal loan that can only be offered to students who file the FAFSA and have unmet financial need. The loan is “subsidized” because the Federal Government pays the interest on the loan while the student is attending school. Although eligibility for these loans is not based on the student’s credit score, federal limits are set on how much a student can borrow each academic year, as well as lifetime limits. Repayment for these loans begins six months after the student graduates or ceases to be enrolled at least half time.
The Direct Unsubsidized Loan is a non-need-based Federal loan that can be offered to students who require additional funds to pay for their education. Similar to Direct Subsidized Loans, Unsubsidized Loans have annual and lifetime limits determined by Federal regulations. However, unlike the Subsidized loan, the Federal Government does not pay the interest on the loan while the student is attending school. Repayment for these loans begins six months after the student graduates or ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.
The Direct PLUS Loan is a non-need based Federal loan available to eligible parents of dependent students, and graduate students. Approval is determined by the US Department of Education, based on the borrower’s credit score. If the parent of a dependent student is denied based on credit, the dependent student may eligible to receive additional Unsubsidized loan funds.
Veteran’s educational benefits are non-need-based benefits received by students who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. The type of benefit the student is eligible for depends on when the student served, their status, and if they were injured during their service.
Military Tuition Assistance (TA) is non-need-based funding available to active duty service members. These funds are used to pay for college courses and are capped at $4,000 or 16 semester hours per fiscal year.
Access Missouri is a need-based grant offered to students by the State of Missouri. Students must file their FAFSA before the February 1 deadline to be considered for the grant. The main requirements of the grant are that students must be enrolled full time, have an EFC of $12,000 or less and be a Missouri resident.
Bright Flight is a non-need-based grant offered by the State of Missouri to students with qualifying standardized test scores. Students must be enrolled full time to be eligible for the grant.
Outside scholarships can be a combination of need-based and non-need-based funds from private companies or sponsors. Scholarship amounts and requirements vary.
Alternative/private loans
Alternative or private loans can be obtained from credit unions or banks and are considered non-need-based aid. The borrower’s credit is taken into account when their eligibility for the loan is assessed. Students and parents should carefully review the terms and conditions of alternative loans before deciding to borrow. While Drury is not legally allowed to promote one lender over another, we do provide a tool students can use to compare lenders.
