Financial Aid

Introduction

Receiving an education at The College of Idaho is an investment that gives students a competitive advantage throughout their lives. We believe that an outstanding learning experience at the College should be available to every qualified student, regardless of financial considerations, and we are committed to helping families find the financing options that support their student’s educational goals.

A college education represents a major financial undertaking. The Financial Aid Office is eager to work with students to help them develop an educational funding strategy. The College of Idaho seeks to identify and obtain maximum funding from all available sources through a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study.

Students who complete the financial aid process in a timely manner and are pre-registered have an advantage in the awarding process. Information must be provided within the deadlines outlined in student correspondence, or aid may be held up due to an incomplete file.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

The College of Idaho uses a combination of federal aid methodology and institutional policy to determine a family’s financial need and award aid factoring in the student’s cost of attendance (COA). The COA, also known as the student budget, is an estimate of the expenses a student may incur while attending the College and includes tuition, fees, books and supplies, room, board, personal expenses, and transportation.

For full-time undergraduate students, 2026-27 tuition is $19,660 per semester or $39,320 per year. With additional fees and expenses, the total cost of attendance for an incoming freshman is estimated to be $59,655 per year.

Academic Year 2026-27
Item	Cost
Tuition	$39,320
Fees	$1,356
New Student Experience Fee — Incoming Freshman	$370
New Student Experience Fee — Transfer Student	$315
Food and Housing **Subject to Change
On Campus	$14,158
Off Campus	$12,344
Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment	$2,131
Personal and Miscellaneous	$1,500
Transportation Allowance	$750
Loan Fees	$70
Total Cost of Education — Incoming Freshman	$59,655
Total Cost of Education — Transfer Student	$57,786

Notes

Overload charges of $1183.33 per credit apply for each credit over 16 credits in fall term, 3 credits in winter term, and 16 credits in spring term.

The New Student Experience Fee is a one-time charge applied to the first semester enrolled and helps cover the costs of our unique orientation and First-Year Experience programs.

Fees include an Academic Service Fee of $85 and the Associated Students of The College of Idaho (ASCI) Student Fee of $400.

Food and Housing is based on an average room rate of $6,195 and meal plan at $7,160.

Total Cost of Education does not include course-specific fees or student health insurance (waived with proof of existing coverage).

Applying for Financial Aid

Students applying for financial aid must be admitted as regular students working toward eligible degrees at The College of Idaho.

Types of Aid

Financial assistance at The College of Idaho comes in three forms: merit-based scholarships, talent-based scholarships, and need-based aid. All students are automatically considered for a merit-based scholarship when applying for admission. Need-based funds are awarded based on a student's demonstrated need, as indicated by the SAI (Student Aid Index) from the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

Federal Aid

The College of Idaho encourages all students and families to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.studentaid.gov/fafsa. The FAFSA must be filed each year in order to determine a student's eligibility for federal grants, work-study, and loans, as well as any need-based institutional aid. The FAFSA is typically available October 1.

The College of Idaho's Federal School Code is 001617.

State Aid

Residents of Idaho may be eligible for a variety of scholarships or grants offered by the Idaho State Board of Education. All Idaho residents should complete the FAFSA and apply for Idaho scholarships through Next Steps Idaho at nextsteps.idaho.gov. The College distributes grants and scholarships to students determined to be eligible by the Idaho State Board of Education and to those who meet eligibility criteria set by the Idaho Legislature for campus-based programs.

Merit Scholarships

Merit Scholarships—the Presidential, Trustee, Dean’s, William Judson Boone, and Coyote Scholarships—are based on a student’s high school grade point average at the time of admission. The amount of the merit scholarship remains the same throughout the student’s attendance at the College. The maximum merit scholarship, established at the time of admission, may be met by one or more endowed or funded scholarships donated by contributors to The College of Idaho. All or a portion of these funds may be renamed at any time during a student's enrollment.

Merit scholarships are guaranteed through the student's fourth year of undergraduate enrollment, provided the student meets the scholarship criteria, is enrolled full-time (12 credits per semester), and maintains Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Students transferring in credit hours from another school may receive a merit scholarship for less than three years. Students enrolled in fifth-year undergraduate courses may continue to receive their original merit scholarship amount, reviewed on a case-by-base basis.

Talent-Based Scholarships

Students may participate in talent areas throughout the College and may be considered for scholarships offered through The College of Idaho. Students interested in these opportunities should contact the appropriate department or program directly for information regarding eligibility, application procedures, auditions, tryouts, or selection processes. Talent scholarships include, but are not limited to:

Art
Athletics
Christian Leadership
Cheer and Dance
Debate
Design and Technical Theater
Music (Choral, Marching Band, Ensembles, etc.)
Playwriting
Theatre

The College of Idaho competes in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and, therefore, offers athletic scholarships. These scholarships are awarded at the discretion of each athletic program. Please contact the identified head coach directly to discuss scholarship and participation options.

External Scholarships

There are many other sources of financial aid available through private foundations, companies, service clubs, or other organizations that are not directly managed by the College. The College recommends that all students seek out and apply for any available source of financial assistance. Students may apply for external scholarships by contacting the organization and completing the listed requirements.

If awarded a scholarship from an external agency, students should provide the following mailing address to the donor organization to send the check and, if included, a scholarship confirmation letter:

The College of Idaho
Attn: Business Office
2112 Cleveland Blvd.
Caldwell, ID 83605

Once the College receives the scholarship funding, the award will be added to the student's account and reflected in their financial aid offer letter.

Aid Offer or Notification

Students will receive two funding notifications. The admission offer will include any merit scholarship awarded at the time of acceptance. A separate financial aid offer notification will detail federal, state, institutional, and other aid for which the student is eligible.

Financial aid offer notifications are sent to the student's College-issued YoteMail email account. For students who have not yet paid their deposit, a copy of the financial aid offer will also be available through the student portal. Students who have paid their enrollment deposit may view and manage their financial aid offer online through Self-Service.

Students are encouraged to review their financial aid offer and accept, reduce, or decline applicable aid prior to the start of each academic year.

Students enrolled less than full-time may have their federal financial aid adjusted or prorated based on enrollment status. Eligibility for institutional scholarships may be affected by enrollment level. Refer to the scholarship terms and conditions for specific requirements.

All students receiving federal aid must be working toward a degree or teaching certificate to maintain eligibility.

Federal, state, and College of Idaho Work-Study earnings are paid directly to the student once per month. Students receive payment only for hours worked and reported during the applicable pay period.

Federal Direct Subsidized and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans will not be applied to the student's account until the student has accepted the loan(s) through Self Service and completed the required Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN).

Federal PLUS Loans will not be applied to the student's account until the borrower has completed the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and all other applicable federal requirements.

Because federal and state financial aid regulations are subject to change, the information contained in this catalog may be revised without notice. Additional information regarding financial aid programs and policies may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.

3+1 Financial Aid Policy

Some undergraduate students may choose to pursue a 3+1 bachelor’s/master’s degree at The College of Idaho. For information on financial aid policy during both the undergraduate and graduate semesters of these programs, please see the Graduate Catalog.

Maintaining Eligibility for Financial Aid

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Students are required to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to be eligible for federal, state, and institutional financial assistance. Federal regulations require all colleges and universities to publish and apply standards that monitor students' progress toward completion of their certificate or degree program. Two departments monitor SAP at the completion of each semester. The Registrar's Office monitors coursework for academic standing, and the Financial Aid Office ensures that all students (including full-time students, part-time students, and students without aid) are meeting the requirements for SAP. These standards apply to all students regardless of whether a student has received previous financial aid or transferred from another institution. The federal regulations set minimum requirements, but schools can choose their own acceptable thresholds. This means that SAP standards can vary from one institution to the next.

Students failing to meet SAP standards will receive communication to their College of Idaho email address. All students should check their email on a regular basis for any changes or updates to their student account, financial aid awards, or requests for documentation.

In order to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student must meet each of these criteria:

Earn a grade point average which meets the minimum requirements for continuation of study at The College of Idaho.
- Earn a 2.00 or higher semester (term) grade point average for the most recent fall or spring semester.
- Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.00 or higher.
Maintain a 67% completion rate: credits attempted divided by credits completed.
Complete all degree requirements within a specified time frame.

Evaluation of Academic Progress

At the end of each semester, academic progress will be measured by comparing the number of attempted credit hours (including accepted transfer credits) with the credit hours earned and by the student's cumulative grade point average. This includes any course for which the student has remained enrolled past the add/drop period. The following criteria are considered when evaluating a student's SAP.

Credits Attempted: Credits attempted include all courses in which a student remains enrolled beyond the add/drop period, regardless of whether the course is successfully completed.
Credits Completed: Credits completed are defined as all classes for which a student receives a passing grade of D- or better, or P.
Credits Excluded from the Pace Calculation: Audit credits do not count as credits attempted or completed.
Repeat courses: All repeat courses count as attempted credits, but they only count as completed once. Federal financial aid may be received multiple times for a course that has not yet been successfully completed, including courses with grades of F or W. After a student has earned a passing grade (D- or better), federal financial aid may be received for one additional repetition of that course. Further repetitions of a previously passed course are not eligible for federal financial aid.

By rule, SAP standards must include both qualitative (grade-based) and quantitative (time-based) requirements.

Qualitative Requirement: A student must maintain an acceptable GPA in order to continue to receive financial assistance. The criterion is maintaining a 2.00 cumulative GPA; initially, students with less than a 2.00 cumulative GPA will be placed on warning and given one semester to improve their academic record before being placed on suspension. Students placed on warning are eligible to receive financial aid. Grade point averages are monitored by the Registrar's Office; see Policies and Procedures for additional information.
Quantitative Requirement: The completion rate is calculated by dividing the number of successfully completed credits by the number of attempted credits over the student's entire academic career, including all accepted transfer credits and any credits earned during periods of enrollment when the student was not receiving financial aid. If a student changes course of study (major), the hours attempted under all courses of study are included in the calculation of attempted and earned hours. Students must complete 67% of all credits attempted at The College of Idaho as well as those transferred and accepted from other schools.

Maximum Timeframe (Pace)

Pace is required to ensure students complete their program of study within the maximum timeframe. Timeframe is calculated and is no longer than 150 percent of the published length of the program. That is, students must complete the 124 credits required for completion of a College of Idaho degree; 150 percent of total credits is 186 credits, at which point the student may lose financial aid eligibility.

Please note: If a SAP review makes it clear the student cannot mathematically complete the degree in the allotted timeframe or is unable to raise the GPA to the minimum 2.00 within the maximum timeframe, the student is placed on suspension.

Pace of Progression

Pace is calculated by dividing cumulative credits successfully completed by cumulative credits attempted.

Cumulative Credits Successfully Completed ÷ Cumulative Credits Attempted = Percent Completed

At each SAP review, students must have completed 67% of all credits attempted.

Pace to Completion

To ensure federal compliance, students who enroll in a degree program and have earned 124* credits or more, including transfer and regular credits, should be on an academic plan or applying for graduation, at which time a credit evaluation will be completed.

If the remaining credits needed to complete the bachelor's degree plus the credits already attempted will cause the student to exceed the 186 maximum allowable attempted credits, the student will be required to complete a petition.
Students are no longer eligible for financial assistance once they have received 186 undergraduate credits during their academic career or after they have graduated.
The exception to this is enrollment in the fifth-year internship program through the Education Department, which occurs after a student graduates.

*For undergraduate students to reach 124 credits, enrollment will be approximately 16 credits each fall and spring semester for four years.

Failure to Make Satisfactory Academic Progress

Student is granted one semester of aid eligibility on warning status. No appeal is necessary, but the student should meet with their advisor to ensure success for future semesters. Students may have multiple warning semesters.

Failure After Warning Semester

Student may appeal by submitting:

Completed appeal form;
An academic plan for success created by the student and advisor; and
Supporting documentation regarding any extenuating circumstances.

Failure During Probationary Status

The student is ineligible for further aid until the student can regain SAP eligibility without aid or the student submits an additional petition.

Petition Process

Students who are placed on dismissal may petition if extenuating circumstances led to academic difficulties. A student may petition (with supporting documentation) in these situations:

Extenuating circumstances: situations over which the student has no control and may include death in the student's immediate family, hospitalization, accidents, and illness. Supporting documentation is required.
Suspension resulting from a grade of Incomplete (I) or missing grades.

The following must be included with the petition:

Why the student failed to meet satisfactory progress.
What has changed in the student's situation that will allow the student to demonstrate satisfactory progress at the next evaluation.
A written academic plan with advisor signature.

The Financial Aid and Academic Standing Committee will:

Review the petition and current academic performance.
Convey in writing to the student the approval or disapproval of the petition.

If the petition is approved, the student will be placed on probation for the next semester. If the student does not meet the requirements of the approval as outlined in the approval document, the student will be automatically placed on dismissal.

Students who have been dismissed and either do not petition, miss the petition deadline, or have their petition denied may be considered for re-admission upon presenting evidence of ability to do satisfactory college work. Normally, the expectation is that the student will complete at least twelve credits at another regionally accredited college or university with no grade below a C. Students who have been dismissed and do not appeal may not enroll in any classes at The College of Idaho unless they have permission from the Financial Aid and Academic Standings Committee.

A student may submit a maximum of two petitions during their time of study at The College of Idaho.

Student Standings

Students' progress under the SAP standards is assessed at the end of each semester to determine academic and financial aid eligibility in future semesters. Students may fall into one of the following SAP status categories:

Dean's List

To receive Dean's List recognition, a student must complete at least nine graded credits (excluding grades of P and S) in a given semester and achieve a GPA of 3.75 or higher for that semester. Dean's List recognition is awarded only for the fall and spring semesters.

Good Status

Students who meet all SAP standards and are not in a period of warning, suspension, or probation are in good standing; no additional enrollment, advising, or academic plan requirements are specified.

Warning Status

If a student’s semester GPA and/or cumulative GPA fall beneath a 2.0, or their pace to completion falls below the mandatory threshold, the student’s academic standing will be placed on academic warning. The semester of academic warning is designed to serve as a "wake-up" call. It indicates that the student’s current academic plan, goals, or study routines are not working and need to be evaluated and perhaps changed.

Students who earn this status in the fall will be placed on academic warning in the spring. Students who earn this status in the spring will be placed on academic warning in the fall. Students on academic warning are expected to remain in a full course load (at least 12 credits) during their semester of academic warning.

If a student finishes their academic warning semester with at least a 2.0 for their semester GPA and brings their cumulative GPA above a 2.0, and/or raises their pace to completion above the threshold, the student will be deemed in good standing. Should the student not meet these criteria, they will be dismissed with the right to appeal.

Probation / Academic Plan

A student on probation may enroll and receive federal, state, and institutional aid for one semester pending evaluation. Students who have been placed on probation and are attending their program under an approved academic plan remain eligible for aid as long as they continue to meet the conditions of that plan.

Dismissal Status

Students who do not meet both qualitative and quantitative standards are no longer eligible for financial aid. Students will receive a letter informing them that they have been dismissed. Students can take classes (using their own funding) and can raise their cumulative GPA and completion rate to meet the above standards to be reviewed for SAP. Students who have been dismissed may petition if there are extenuating circumstances that led to academic difficulties (see Petition Process).

Reinstatement

The policy does not preclude a student from enrolling in subsequent semesters. Students can raise their GPA and/or satisfy credit deficiencies by taking additional coursework at The College of Idaho without receiving financial aid or by transferring in credits from another institution. Students who have lost financial aid eligibility will not regain it simply by paying or a semester or by sitting out a semester. Students may have their financial aid reinstated once all SAP standards (both qualitative and quantitative) are met. Students can also submit a copy of their College of Idaho transcript and a petition form to verify grade changes, including removal of Incompletes, if this will result in the students' meeting the requirements of SAP for financial assistance.

Return to Title IV (R2T4)

Repayment of Unearned Federal Financial Aid

If students are enrolled beyond the tenth-day census date in any semester in which they receive federal financial aid and then withdraw (officially or unofficially) or otherwise do not complete the full length of the semester, repayment of a portion of the financial aid received for that semester may be required.

If students enroll but do not attend classes, they will need to repay all financial aid. Students who do not attend classes have not established eligibility for the financial aid received, and all financial aid must be repaid within 30 days.

Students who withdraw or otherwise cease attendance through and including the 60 percent point of the semester may be subject to a Return of Title IV Funds calculation. As a result, the College may be required to return a portion of the student's federal financial aid funds to the U.S. Department of Education on the student's behalf, creating a balance owed to the College. Students are responsible for repaying any amounts owed to the College and/or the U.S. Department of Education

These procedures apply to all financial aid recipients. Financial aid is awarded and disbursed to students in anticipation of students' successful completion of their courses and progression toward graduation. The U.S. Department of Education oversees the management of Title IV funds, and, in some cases, students who receive Title IV financial aid but do not complete their coursework are not considered to have "earned" the aid they received.

When a student officially withdraws from all of their courses, audits all of their courses, receives unsatisfactory grades in all of their courses, or otherwise fails to attend the full period of enrollment, The College of Idaho is required to determine the earned and unearned portions of Title IV aid the student was scheduled to receive.

The earned and unearned portions of Title IV aid are determined as of the date a student ceased attendance, based on the amount of time the student spent in attendance. Up to the 60 percent point in each enrollment period, a prorated schedule is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds the student had earned at the time of withdrawal.

When a student officially withdraws at any time through the 60 percent point of a period of enrollment, the official withdrawal date is the earlier of these two options:

The date the student begins the official withdrawal process (submits a complete and signed withdrawal form); or
The date the student otherwise provides official notification of intent to withdraw.

When a student fails to officially withdraw (does not complete the official withdrawal process), but receives unsatisfactory grades in all their courses:

In all other cases, the midpoint of the enrollment period or the last date the student participated in an academically related activity will be counted as the last date of attendance (as reported by the student's instructors), whichever is later.

When a student officially or unofficially withdraws, the College will complete the calculations and processes required by federal law and regulations, including the following:

Determine the amount of the student's institutional charges.
Determine the Title IV aid disbursed to the student.
Determine the Title IV aid that could have been disbursed to the student (if any).
Determine the student's official withdrawal date.
Calculate the amount of the student's earned and unearned Title IV aid.
Calculate the amount of Title IV aid the College must return.
Calculate the amount of Title IV aid the student must return.
Notify the student of the determinations and calculated values used in the R2T4 calculation.
Notify the student of the resulting balance owed to the College and/or the U.S. Department of Education.

The following list is of financial aid programs to which the Return of Title IV Funds requirement applies. The financial aid programs are listed in the order that the school must return per the federal formula:

Unsubsidized Direct Loans
Subsidized Direct Loans
Parent PLUS Loans
Pell Grant
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG)
Iraq/Afghanistan Service Grant

Amounts required to be returned to the U.S. Department of Education by The College of Idaho become debts immediately due and payable to the College upon completion of the R2T4 calculation and will be billed to the student. The student must make prompt payment or payment arrangements to satisfy the debt owed to the College. The College reserves the right to refer the debt to a collection agency for servicing. Amounts returned by the College to the U.S. Department of Education on the student's behalf, and that are owed to the College, must be paid directly to the Business Office. Do not send payments to any other department or agency.

Exit Counseling

Exit counseling is a mandatory information session which takes place when a student graduates or drops below half-time enrollment; the session explains loan repayment responsibilities and when repayment begins. If the student borrowed federal loans, unlike grants and work-study, these are borrowed funds that must be repaid, with interest, just like car loans and home mortgages. Students cannot have these loans canceled because they didn't like the education they received, didn't get a job in their field of study, or are having financial difficulty. Loans are legal obligations that students must repay.

Exit counseling:

Is required when a student withdraws, graduates, or drops below half-time attendance (even if one plans to transfer to another school).
Helps the student understand rights and responsibilities as a student loan borrower.
Provides useful tips and information to help the student manage loans.

These procedures, as well as the federal regulations they are based on, are subject to change without advance notice.

Up one level

2026-2027 Undergraduate Catalog