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The financial aid process can seem overwhelming – it doesn’t have to be.
We are here to help you every step of the way. We believe that a high-quality, Christian education should be accessible and affordable. That is why 100% of our undergraduate students receive financial aid assistance. Together, we will find a financial aid package that will make your journey to Anderson University a reality.
Undergraduate students can apply for financial aid as early as October 1 each year and may be eligible for institutional awards, federal & state financial aid, and outside funding. Types of financial aid are listed below.
Have any questions?
Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
316 Boulevard, Anderson, SC 29621
864.231.7555 | Aid@AndersonUniversity.edu
PLEASE CHECK THE ACADEMIC CATALOG FOR DETAILED FINANCIAL AID INFORMATION
The below programs are contingent upon approved funding by the South Carolina State Legislature.
This award is for academically outstanding SC residents who attend an in-state college full-time. Recipients are selected by the SC Commission on Higher Education. For more information click here.
Eligibility Requirements
Restrictions & Renewal
Renewal requires a 3.0 GPA at AU and 30 credits each academic year at AU or a PFS-eligible institution. Dual enrollment credits, transfer credits, and credits earned before college (AP, CLEP, IB) may not be used to meet the 30-credit requirement.
This merit-based scholarship is available to SC residents who attend an eligible in-state college full-time. For more information click here.
Eligibility Requirements (must meet 2 out of 3)
Restrictions & Renewal
This scholarship is available to SC residents who do not meet LIFE scholarship criteria but do meet minimum GPA requirements. For more information click here.
Eligibility Requirements
Additional Information
This is available for PFS & LIFE Scholarship recipients in eligible majors during their Sophomore, Junior, and Senior years. For more information click here.
Eligibility & Renewal Requirements
This is a need-based program for SC residents who attend an eligible in-state college full-time. For more information click here.
Eligibility & Renewal Requirements
These opportunities are available only to students who plan on majoring in certain areas of study.
This award is available to eligible SC residents pursuing an undergraduate Education degree. (Students enrolled in online or hybrid degree programs are not eligible for this award.
Information
Renewal
This loan is available to SC residents who are interested in changing careers to a teaching career and are enrolled (or intend to enroll) in an Education degree program.
Eligibility Requirements
This loan is available to SC residents who are enrolled in an Education degree program and plan to teach in the SC public school system upon graduation.
Eligibility Requirements
Information
Renewal
The below guidelines may not be inclusive of all eligibility criteria and are subject to change. All Federal financial aid is contingent on government approval. All students must meet basic eligibility requirements. The AU Federal School Code is 003418.
This need-based grant is for students without a previously earned baccalaureate degree. Pell is considered to be the foundation of Federal financial aid, to which other financial aid might be added. This grant does not have to be repaid but can be received for a maximum of 12 full-time semesters of enrollment. You can lose PELL eligibility if you receive non-federal financial aid (state, institutional, private) that equals or exceeds your Cost of Attendance (COA).
This limited grant is based on financial need, your award package, and fund availability at AU. To be considered, you must be PELL-eligible. For more information, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.
The TEACH Grant is for students (except for Freshmen) who agree to teach full-time in high-need subject areas at a public elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
Grant Information
Students should consider available Federal Student Loans before their parents borrow a PLUS Loan (see below). Interest rates & loan origination fees are higher for PLUS loans than Federal Student Loans. Federal Student Loans do not require a credit check.
Subsidized Loan: This is a low-interest loan made by Federal government that is based on financial need. No interest payments are required before repayment begins or during an periods of deferment. The Federal government subsidizes the loan during these periods by paying the interest on your behalf.
Unsubsidized Loan: This is a low-interest loan made by the Federal government that is not based on financial need. Interest is charged from the time the loan is disbursed. You may allow the interest to accumulate, which will cause it to be added to the loan amount. Interest will be charged based on the loan amount & accumulated interest. This is called capitalization. If you decide to pay the interest, you will avoid capitalization and lower your loan payments.
Current Student Loan Limits (prior to July 1, 2026)
Freshman | Sophomore | Junior | Senior |
| Lifetime Loan Limits | |
Dependent Students | $5,500 | $6,500 | $7,500 | $7,500 |
| $31,000 |
Independent Students | $9,500 | $10,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 |
| $57,500 |
New Student Loan Limits (effective July 1, 2026)
Note: Recent federal legislation contains provisions that impact student loans. Provisions involve loan repayment, loan limits, and loan legacy. For more information, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Note: Federal student loans originate with the Department of Education (DOE) and are used to fund one’s education at AU. When you enter loan repayment, please be aware that your loan may be serviced by a third-party. This third-party is neither the DOE nor AU.
These loans are available to parents of dependent students. The parent must be the student’s biological parent, adoptive parent, or stepparent (if the biological or adoptive parent has remarried at the time of application).
Before a parent can apply, the student must be enrolled at least half-time. Parents must apply online at the Federal Student Aid website. If approved, the parent will be required to complete an MPN. If denied, a dependent student will be offered an additional Unsubsidized Loan based on grade level. For more information, please visit the Federal Student Aid website. Parent PLUS loans require a credit check.
Current Limits (prior to July 1, 2026):
New Limits (effective July 1, 2026):
Note: Recent federal legislation contains provisions that impact student loans. Provisions involve loan repayment, loan limits, and loan legacy allowances. For more information, please visit the Federal Student Aid website.
Note: Federal student loans originate with the Department of Education (DOE) and are used to fund one’s education at AU. When you enter loan repayment, please be aware that your loan may be serviced by a third-party. This third-party is neither the DOE nor AU.
The Federal Work Study (FWS) program provides part-time jobs for eligible students. To qualify, you must complete the FAFSA.
In addition to this program, AU offers work study student employment. FAFSA is not required for these positions. If you do not qualify for FWS, you are still eligible to apply for one of the several hundred on-campus student jobs.
Additional Information
These benefits are for active military and veterans. If you have questions about using these benefits, please email or call (864-231-5581) the AU Certifying Official for more information.
Veterans Administration
Eligible veterans can apply for education benefits through the Veteran Affairs (VA) website. The VA is the only agency that can determine eligibility for and award this benefit. For questions about eligibility, please contact your VA Regional Office.
After an application has been approved, the VA will send a Certificate of Eligibility to the veteran, who is then required to submit a copy of this document and additional documents to the AU Certifying Official. For more information, please email or call (864-231-5581) the AU Certifying Official.
Yellow Ribbon School
AU is a qualified Yellow Ribbon School. This program can help students pay for tuition & fees that the Post-9/11 GI Bill doesn’t cover.
Other Information
These loans should be considered only when all other options have been exhausted, as they are credit-based and often have higher interest rates than Federal student loans. You are responsible for finding private student loans and monitoring Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and PLUS loan limits. Click here to access a tool that researches private student loans.
Some organizations offer employees Tuition Reimbursement (full or partial) to further their education. Contact the HR Department at your workplace to see if your company offers this benefit.
Persons with physical disabilities that are vocational handicaps are eligible for financial aid from the Vocational Rehabilitation Department in your home state. Contact this department for more information.
AU has partnered with many different state prepaid tuition plans (often known as 529 College Savings Plans). Anderson Central handles billing requirements for these plans.
This program is designed to help corporate and educational partners invest in their employees by offering exclusive tuition grant awards. Locate more information here.
Students with outside scholarships that require billing are handled by Anderson Central. Please email this office for additional information.
Anderson University no longer accepts paper checks for Outside Scholarship payments. All payments must now be submitted online.
If you plan to submit multiple scholarships with a single payment (or are submitting more than five scholarships every semester, please email andersonuniversity@backpackpay.com and our team will walk you through bulk submission setup process. If your organization has questions or concerns surrounding submitting payment electronically, please contact andersonuniversity@backpackpay.com for other arrangements.
All efforts were made to produce current & accurate information.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email us – we are happy to assist!
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