Direct Costs:  Academic year costs that are billed by PLU. These include tuition and fees, and if living on campus, the cost of housing and meal plans.

Wellness Plan:  This plan is required of all undergraduate students.  It provides free access to all the wellness services and facilities at PLU, including the Health Center, the Counseling Center, and athletic facilities (gym, weight room, fields, etc.)

DJS Fee:  This is a student initiated fee to provide funding for programming in support of student initiated activities in support of diversity, justice, and sustainability.

Student Activity Fee:  This is a fee to provide funding in support of student activities initiated or sponsored by ASPLU.

Gift Aid:  Free monies that do not require repayment.  Most typically labeled as scholarships and grants.

Cost of Attendance (COA):  The full cost of attending PLU for the specified award period, most typically fall semester, jterm & spring semester.  Includes direct costs (tuition & fees and on campus housing and meals) and indirect costs (books and supplies, transportation, personal expenses, and off campus living costs if a commuter student).

Direct Net Cost to PLU:  This is the amount left owing to PLU after all scholarships and grants (but not loans) have been paid toward the owing balance.  Not to be confused with “Net Cost” as used by the U.S. Department of Education – which is the difference between a school’s full cost of attendance (COA), direct and indirect costs and the student’s scholarships and grants.

Self Help Aid:  These are student loans that require repayment after leaving school, and work study positions that require a student to work a part-time job and use their paychecks to help pay for their educational expenses for the year.

Remaining Balance Due to PLU:  This is the difference between the PLU billed amount for the award year after all scholarships and grants AND accepted educational loans have been applied to the the account.  This amount will increase if you decide to decline any portions of the loans offered and will decrease if you bring outside scholarships to PLU.    A work study award does not reduce the Remaining balance because employment positions nor hours are not guaranteed, and pay checks are paid directly to the student.

Banner Web:  An online web based platform that provides access to students’ financial aid award & history, their student account, class schedule and registration, year end tax information and demographic information.  Messages pertaining to your aid award are posted here by Student Financial Services, as well as missing or incomplete financial aid requirements.

Family Contribution:  This is the expected family contribution (EFC) that was generated by the federal need analysis formula, based on the applicant information reported on the FAFSA. The EFC is calculated from family income and assets, household size and number of family members in college.