Student Financial Services (SFS) may review and possibly revise financial aid funding (grant, scholarship, work study, loan, etc.) throughout the year.

Please review the Terms & Conditions for your respective program for more details:

• Undergraduate Student Fact Sheet
• Graduate Student Fact Sheet
• Health Science Student Fact Sheet

You may be eligible for financial aid funding during a semester in which you will be enrolled at least part-time. However, your financial aid funding may be adjusted based on your confirmed enrollment, living arrangements or any additional information that was not available to our office at the time your annual financial aid offer was prepared.

It is a student’s responsibility to contact our office if enrolling less than full-time, living arrangement changes, additional financial resources are anticipated (i.e. outside scholarships, grants, tuition remission, etc.).

Enrollment:

• Students enrolled less than full time in a semester may affect offered financial aid funding.
  • Your financial aid offer assumes full time enrollment (12-18 credits per semester). If you don’t plan to attend full-time, please review with the Office of Student Financial Services (SFS).
  • Due to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OB3,2024), students whose semester and/or annual enrollment is less than full-time will have their federal loans (subsidized, unsubsidized, and Graduate PLUS) prorated in proportion to their enrollment.
    • Parent PLUS Loans are not affected by this regulation.
  • Federal Pell Grants also prorate in direct proportion to less-than-full-time enrollment.

Living Arrangement Options & Financial Aid:

• Living off campus does not affect your financial aid eligibility. Financial aid is based on the standard cost of attendance at Temple University, which includes the same estimated room and board costs for all students living either in Temple University housing (dorm) or an off-campus apartment.
  • Our office will require students living off campus to submit a signed copy of the student’s off-campus apartment lease for the school year and update your living address in TUportal to match.
    • If the name of the tenant, address of the residence, time frame of lease, and name of landlord, are not indicated, additional pages will be required to verify this information.
  • When you are living off campus, Temple university will bill you for tuition and fees, but there will be no dorm or meal plan charges on your student account, so the amount you pay to the University will be less than if you lived on campus. This does not necessarily mean that you will pay less overall: while you will pay less directly to Temple University, you will have other non-University living expenses, such as rent, utilities, and groceries.
  • Off campus living expenses and budgeting considerations:
    • Living off campus may be more or less expensive than living on campus, depending on your spending habits and budgeting. While there is more flexibility on how much you will spend on items such as rent and groceries, you will also need to plan for other expenses, such as internet, utilities, security deposit, and start-up costs. The standard room and board budget we use to calculate your financial aid is based on the average cost of a double-occupancy room and a full meal plan. Additional financial assistance will not be granted for off-campus costs that exceed this budget.
    • It is also important to remember that you will not be able to access your financial aid until beginning of each semester, and financial aid for the current year cannot be increased to cover additional expenses related to living off campus next year, such as: security deposit, move-in fee, & first month's rent. In addition to the first month's rent, many landlords and rental agencies require a move-in fee and/or security deposit (equal to at least one month's rent) at time of lease signing. You may need to pay these expenses before the end of the current school year for the upcoming year's lease.
    • Length of lease: Financial aid is based on a 9-month academic year, but most leases require a 12-month commitment, so you may have to pay for a few months of rent without financial aid. It is your responsibility to budget for this expense or to sublet for the months you will not live in the apartment.
    • Start-up costs: Make sure you plan for basic starting expenses, such as setting up internet, cable, and utilities, as well as furniture, kitchen supplies, etc.
    • Off-campus study: If you will participate in any off-campus academic program, such as an internship or study abroad program, keep in mind that your financial aid cannot be increased to cover the cost of your housing in both your program location and Temple University for the same semester. It is your responsibility to sublet or cover your apartment for any quarters that you will be away.
• Students who live at home or with family have a lower cost of attendance, since the budgeted room and board cost is lower than living in dorms or an off-campus apartment. The commuter cost of attendance includes an allowance toward food expenses, as well as transportation costs related to commuting to and from campus. However, because total costs are lower, your financial aid package will also be lower than if you were living on/off campus.

Additional Financial Aid Resources:

• Students who are admitted to Temple University and complete the FAFSA will be automatically considered for all forms of need-based aid financial aid funding. Program and eligibility requirements are subject to revision based on federal, state and university changes to regulations and policies.
• Temple University Academic Merit Tuition Scholarship and need-based grant funding are limited to four years of enrollment for an entering first-year student and three years of enrollment for an entering transfer student. Students must also continue to meet all Academic Merit Tuition Scholarship renewal requirements.
• Students who are eligible for need-based Temple University scholarships may receive a named endowed scholarship. These scholarships are established by individuals who care deeply about the University and its mission. Some donors are Temple University alumni, who were themselves the beneficiaries of student aid. An endowed scholarship can establish a direct connection between you and the donor; most donors welcome the opportunity to meet or correspond with the students who receive their awards. Please note:
  • A named endowed scholarship may not change the total amount of financial aid initially offered.
  • Funds awarded through endowed scholarships may replace the amount of any Temple University grant on a dollar-for-dollar basis based on fund restrictions.
  • Scholarships are awarded to students who meet the criteria specific to each fund.
• Outside scholarships are funds awarded by entities apart from the federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Federal financial aid regulations require that outside scholarships are evaluated and incorporated into a student’s financial aid offer, and adjustments may need to be made to existing aid.
  • When adjusting a student’s existing financial aid offer, an outside scholarship will reduce or replace Federal Work-Study or need-based loan funding prior to reducing Temple University Grant funding. Therefore, outside scholarships benefit students by reducing the need to work or borrow to help finance their education.
  • After the Federal Work-Study or need-based loan has been replaced, Temple University Grant funding may be reduced/cancelled for any remaining amount.