Other Ways to Pay for College

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Most students and families rely on a variety of resources to help cover education expenses. UArts offers a variety of grant, loan and student employment options to help you realize your goals.

In addition to UArts scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study opportunities, there are other ways to supplement your funding plans.

External Scholarships

We encourage all applicants to explore all options for external scholarship opportunities. Scholarships from businesses, boosters, foundations, churches, unions, etc., can be used as payment toward your educational costs. These scholarships are applied on top of your existing financial aid. Student Financial Services advises you to never pay to apply for a scholarship.

If you receive an external scholarship, notify Student Financial Services by sending a copy of the scholarship letter, so you may receive a pending credit to be issued on your bill.

Scholarships in excess of total costs or need as determined by the FAFSA could result in changes to your award offer.

Additional Scholarship Search Engines & Resources

UArts Student Financial Services Facebook page, where you can view vetted scholarship links
FastWeb
StudentScholarships.org
Tuition Funding Sources
CollegeScholarships.org
College Board
Unigo
Scholly

UArts has partnered with the scholarship app -- Scholly. Designed to ease the scholarship search process, Scholly’s adaptive matching engine promises to deliver smarter, targeted lists of scholarships. UArts students can access Scholly by clicking here: Scholly. Use your UArts ID—provided to accepted students upon depositing—to sign up and log in.

Login to Scholly.

529 Plans

A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan that helps you save for college. They are sponsored by states and other institutions and are authorized by the IRS.

There are two kinds of 529 plans: an education savings plan and a prepaid tuition plan.

An education savings plan allows you to invest in different kinds of stock portfolios, in order to save for tuition, fees, and room and board, and can generally be used at any college or university in the nation. Some, however, have residency requirements.

A prepaid tuition plan allows the buyer to purchase future tuition at current rates. Prepaid tuition plans are usually used for in-state education and require residency in particular states.

Veterans Benefits

UArts welcomes military veterans who wish to use benefits such as Chapter 33 Post-9/11, Chapter 31, Chapter 35 Dependents’ Education Assistance, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and the Montgomery GI Bill ®. All eligible military veterans who receive financial support are able to use these benefits to help pay for tuition.

To determine your eligibility for funding through Veterans Affairs, you must request your Certificate of Eligibility at va.gov. If you are eligible for funding, you must complete a Request for Benefits every semester in order to receive them. Your benefit amount will vary based on your eligible chapter and percent of maximum award.

Request your certificate of eligibility.

Note: Students using VA educational benefits might have tuition and fees charges that exceed the maximum benefit and will be responsible for paying any remaining balance due. We strongly recommend that all students complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional funding. If you are eligible for additional funding through the FAFSA, you might receive or be eligible to apply for grant, scholarship, or educational loan funds to help finance your cost of education.

Contact Lakeisha Sanders, certifying official for Veterans Affairs benefits at UArts, with any certification questions you may have at lsanders@uarts.edu.

Learn more about receiving VA benefits at UArts.

Apply online for VA benefits.

“GI Bill ®” is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government website at benefits.va.gov/gibill.

Educational Tax Benefits

You can also claim education tax benefits through your federal income tax returns.

The American Opportunity Tax Credit allows eligible parents to claim a credit of up to $2,500 to offset college expenses.

The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit allows eligible individuals to claim up to $2,000 for themselves and members of their families to help pay for education.

The Student Loan Interest Deduction allows eligible borrowers to deduct $2,500 or the amount of student loan interest paid in a year, whether the loan is federal or private.

Learn more about education tax credits and deductions.