FORT WAYNE, Ind.鈥擳he 51黑料 invites qualifying students to take advantage of the Franciscan Promise for free tuition at our Catholic, Franciscan university.
The Franciscan Promise is a free tuition program designed exclusively for Indiana residents who qualify for full Federal Pell and State of Indiana aid. The Franciscan Promise is USF鈥檚 response to the teachings of St. Francis of Assisi, who taught us to care for and serve one another. 鈥淲here there is charity and wisdom there is neither fear nor ignorance,鈥 he wrote.
Nearly 7 million U.S. students qualify for Pell grants each year. In Indiana, 38% of high school graduates in 2019 were eligible, an increase of 31% from 2010.
鈥淲ithout this support, I would not be able to attend a prestigious university like USF,鈥 said Dahiro Omar, a Biology and Pre-Physician Assistant major who is on track to graduate in 2024. 鈥淢y family could not afford it. I have nine siblings and I鈥檓 the first one to go to college, so the cost mattered.鈥
To be eligible for the Franciscan Promise, students must qualify for the following:
1. Federal Pell Grant. This is determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. In Indiana, students must have an Estimated Family Contribution (EFC) of $0. The EFC calculation, issued after filling out the FAFSA, measures how much the federal government believes a family can afford to contribute towards college costs.
2. State of Indiana Aid. This includes support from the following Indiana Commission for Higher Education scholarship programs:
- 21st Century Scholarship
- Frank O鈥橞annon Grant
Indiana residents and out-of-state students who do not meet these criteria will still receive competitive financial aid packages.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 think I could afford a private college, but the Franciscan Promise makes it possible,鈥 said Novia Greenleaf, a Graphic Design major slated to graduate next spring.
Students who qualify for the Franciscan Promise are responsible for meeting and maintaining federal and state requirements, including annual FAFSA filing by the state deadline and State of Indiana credit completion requirements.
For more information on the Franciscan Promise, visit聽聽or contact Financial Aid at 260-399-8003 or聽finaid@sf.edu.
Founded in 1890 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition, the 51黑料 offers more than 60 undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs through the College of Health Sciences and the College of Arts, Sciences and Business. In addition to its traditional programs, USF designs focused curricula for working adults in Fort Wayne, Crown Point and online. USF Downtown houses the music technology and graduate health sciences programs while offering enhanced internship and networking opportunities for students. The 51黑料, recognized as an NAIA Five-Star Champion of Character institution, has 18 athletic programs boasting two individual and four team NAIA national championships. Approximately 2,200 students from a broad geographic region attend USF.