Undergraduate students may be offered four types of financial aid: merit scholarships; grants; loans; or federal work study.
- Merit scholarships are not based on need. Only Traditional undergraduate students are eligible for merit scholarships. Admissions determines whether a student is eligible for a merit scholarship based on the student's academic performance.
- Grants are considered gift aid. The amount of gift aid a student can receive depends on their financial need, enrollment status, and various other factors. If a student is eligible for gift aid, it will be included as part of their financial aid award package.
- Loans are considered self-help aid. Students who accept loans must agree to the repayment and enrollment status terms specified for the loan.
- Federal work study is a form of need-based, self-help aid. The award is not credited to the student account.The student applies for an on-campus job and earns the award based on the number of hours they work for their Federal Work Study Employer.
Students are automatically considered for all types of financial aid. Student Financial Services will determine what aid students are eligible for and award accordingly. Regardless of the type of financial aid included in the award package, the total amount of financial aid cannot exceed the student's Cost of Attendance. Any outside resources (ex: outside scholarships, employer tuition reimbursement, and private/alternative educational loans) that a student receives must be included in the financial aid calculation.
Pell Grant
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG, ABSN, ADP Hybrid, ADP Online
Award Amount: up to $6,495 per year (based on enrollment & EFC)
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirements:
- must not already have a degree
- be enrolled in at least 3 hours
- fall below a specified estimated family contribution (EFC) from the FAFSA
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG
Award Amount: up to $1,500 per year (based on enrollment & fund availability)
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirements:
- must not already have a degree
- be enrolled in at least 6 hours
- 0 EFC required
Texas Tuition Equalization Grant (TEG)
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG, ADP On Ground
Award Amount: up to $5,246 per year (based on EFC, enrollment & fund availability)
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirements:
- must not already have a degree or be pursing a degree/career in church work
- be enrolled in at least 9 hours
- be a Texas resident & have lived in Texas the past 12 months
- fall below a certain EFC
Renewal Requirements - students must also meet the following requirements:
- complete 24 hours at CTX during the previous aid year
- minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5
- minimum completion rate of 75%
Concordia Partnership Grant
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG, ABSN, ADP Hybrid, ADP Online
Award Amount: $50 per credit hour
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirements:
- work as a full-time, paid employee of a Concordia University Texas Employer Partner
- complete the Employer Partnership Program (EPP) Certification of Employment each year
Concordia Merit Scholarships
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG only; awarded by Admissions upon admittance to CTX
Award Amount: varies based on scholarship and term of initial enrollment
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirement:
- be enrolled full-time student (12 or more hours each semester) to receive payment
- limited to eight consecutive semesters (excluding summers) or receipt of undergraduate degree, whichever occurs first.
Renewal Requirements - students must also meet the following requirements:
- complete 24 credit hours each year for renewal (evaluated in May of each year).
- meet 2.0 cumulative GPA each year for renewal.
Dean’s Grant
Eligible Programs: returning Traditional UG only
Award Amount: varies based on the year received
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirement:
- be enrolled full-time student (12 or more hours each semester) to receive payment
Renewal Requirements - students must also meet the following requirements:
- 3.5 GPA each semester the prior year (Fall and Spring); not cumulative
- complete 24 credit hours each year for renewal (evaluated in May of each year)
Other Concordia Scholarships / Grants / Awards
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG only; awarded by Admissions upon admittance CTX
Award Amount: varies based on each award
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirement:
- be enrolled full-time student (12 or more hours each semester) to receive payment
Renewal Requirements - students must also meet the following requirements:
- complete 24 credit hours each year for renewal (evaluated in May of each year)
- meet required cumulative GPA each year for renewal; varies by grant (see table below)
Name | Cumulative GPA |
Achieve Your Degree Grant | 2.0 GPA |
Concordia Advantage | 2.0 GPA |
Concordia Commitment Grant | 2.0 GPA |
ISD Community Scholarships | 2.5 GPA |
LCMS Award | 2.0 GPA |
Lutheran High School - Concordia Choice | 2.5 GPA |
- limited to eight consecutive semesters (excluding summers) or receipt of undergraduate degree, whichever occurs first. Note: Concordia Commitment Grant awarded to Fall 2021/Spring 2022 admits is limited to four consecutive semesters (excluding summers) or receipt of undergraduate degree, whichever occurs first.
TEACH Grant
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG
Award Amount: Up to $4,000 per year (based on enrollment & sequestration)
Aggregate Limit: $16,000
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirements:
- be a junior or senior accepted into the College of Education
- have a minimum 3.25 undergraduate GPA
- agree to teach in a low-income school in a high-need field for four years after the student completes her/his program
- complete the TEACH counseling and Agreement to Serve (ATS)
Special note: If a student fails to meet or maintain all eligibility requirements for the TEACH Grant, the Department of Education will convert the TEACH Grant to a direct unsubsidized loan and will calculate the interest based on the date the TEACH Grant was disbursed to the student.
Federal Direct Student Loans
The Federal Direct Subsidized Loan is a need-based loan. Interest does not accrue while the student is enrolled at least half-time. However, it does accrue during their six-month grace period and once the student enters repayment. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is not a need-based loan. Interest does accrue while students are enrolled, during the six-month grace period and during repayment. The interest rate for both loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2021, and before July 1, 2022 is 3.73% and the lender is the Department of Education.
Eligible Programs: Traditional UG, ABSN, ADP Hybrid, ADP Online
Award Amount:
Credit Hours to Date | Dependent StudentYearly Loan Limit | Independent StudentYearly Loan Limit |
0 - 29 hours | $5,500 | $9,500 |
30 - 59 hours | $6,500 | $10,500 |
60 + hours | $7,500 | $12,500 |
Aggregate Limit:
Dependent Students | Independent Students |
$31,000 Total, no more than $23,000 of this may be Subsidized | $57,500 Total, no more than $23,000 of this may be Subsidized |
Award Requirements - students must meet all of the following award requirements:
- be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
- if the student is male, he must be registered with the Selective Service
- must not be in default on a federal student loan
- must not owe an overpayment for a federal grant
- must not have reached or exceeded the annual or aggregate loan limits
- be enrolled at half-time status
- complete Loan Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note the first award year you accept federal direct student loans
- complete Loan Exit Counseling if student graduates, leaves college or drops below half-time enrollment
Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (Federal Direct PLUS Loan)
If a dependent student's financial aid award does not cover all of their educational expenses, the parent may apply for a PLUS loan. Eligibility for a PLUS Loan is based on the parent's credit score and along with several other factors.
Upon approval, parents may borrow enough to compensate for cost of attendance expenses not covered by other financial aid awards.
If the PLUS Loan is denied due to adverse credit, the parent may be able to receive alternative loans through an endorser. Otherwise, the student may be eligible for additional direct unsubsidized loans.
Students may not receive financial aid amounts exceeding COA, no matter what type of award is accepted.
Alternative (Private) Loans
Alternative loans are administered and processed by private lending institutions (such
as banks, credit unions, and state-based or state-affiliated organizations, etc.)
to be used for educational costs. These loans help bridge the gap between the financial
aid available from federal, state and/or institutional resources and the total cost
of your education. Alternative loans should be used for circumstances where you have
exhausted all other options in regards to financing your education.
Because these are non-federal loans, each lender sets its own eligibility criteria,
interest rates, processing fees, and repayment terms. Generally, students must meet
fairly high credit standards to qualify on their own, so many students will need a
credit-worthy cosigner in order to qualify.
Selecting a lender is the most important choice you will make before you begin applying
for an alternative loan. The choice of lender is entirely yours so your selection
should be made after careful research of which lender suits your needs and offers
the lowest rates possible. Carefully compare all loan terms and conditions and read
all of the eligibility requirements for a loan before you apply in order to ensure
you meet the criteria. Call the lender if you have questions about which program might
be the best for you before you begin the application process.
Concordia University Texas does not maintain a preferred lender list. As such, we
cannot recommend specific lenders to students. We do, however, recognize that you
have many choices when considering a private loan, so we have provided a historical
listing of private lenders used by CTX students during the last three years at ELMSelect. Students may select any lender and are NOT restricted to the lenders shown on the
historical listing. Please note that a lender's inclusion in this list is not meant
as an endorsement by the university, nor is it meant to limit your selection of a
private educational loan.
For additional information regarding Alternative Loans, please review our Alternative Loans publication.