Below is a series of questions that you may have regarding your eligibility for the Senior Tuition Scholarship.

Please review this page. If you have any other questions, email them to registrar@cooper.edu. 

Q: Am I a senior?

A: Class level status at The Cooper Union is determined by credits completed for the School of Art and the School of Engineering. and by design thesis enrollment for the School of Architecture. You are a senior if you meet the requirements listed below as of August 31, 2024, and are on track to complete your degree in two semesters. Summer grades and courses are included.

Architecture	Completed or enrolled in Arch 151A
Art	90
BE/BSE	97

 

Students who do not meet the credit requirements but have a plan to complete their degree in two semesters should email registrar@cooper.edu for more information.

Students who are above the senior credit requirement, but cannot graduate in two semesters, will receive the scholarship for the final two semesters of their program.

Please refer to your transcript to view your completed credit total. An unofficial version can be found in your Self-Service portal, in the "Unofficial Transcript" tab. Download the file. then look at the most recent semester. The value in the "CUM" row, next to "PASS," is your total credits completed, as highlighted in the image below:

 

 

School of Architecture students can refer to their course plan or transcript to confirm whether they have been registered for Arch 151A. 

Q: I already paid my tuition for the 2024-25 academic year; will I be refunded for this?

​A: Yes. You will be refunded for any tuition credit balance on your account after the third week of the semester, after the add/drop period. 

Q: Do I still need to complete the FAFSA although my tuition is covered? 

​A: Yes. If you expect to receive any federal aid (e.g. Pell, FSEOG, federal loans), you should complete and submit a FAFSA application. The Senior Tuition Scholarship closes the gap between the cost of tuition and the aid you receive from other sources, including federal aid and the aid you already receive from The Cooper Union.

Q: What happens if I need to take off a semester this year?

​A: If you are a senior by credit completion (refer to the table above) in the School of Art or the School of Engineering, you will receive the scholarship once your account is billed for the semester of your return. If you are a School of Architecture student, you will receive the scholarship for the first semester you enroll in Arch 151A.

Q: How will being placed on academic probation impact my scholarship?

A: The Cooper Union's academic probation, determined by each school's Academic Standards Committee, will not impact the Senior Tuition Scholarship. However, federal financial aid regulations have their own standards for Satisfactory Academic Progress. Students who do not meet the satisfactory academic progress requirements have the option to:

1. Attend college at their own expense without the use of Title IV funding and work towards regaining eligibility.

2. Initiate the SAP appeal process: 

https://cooper.edu/students/financial-aid/eligibility-and-satisfactory-academic-policy

Q: Will the Senior Tuition Scholarship apply if I take a summer course?

A: Yes. Summer financial aid is calculated based on the percentage of institutional financial aid you receive. If you do not finish your program in May and need to take a summer course to complete the degree requirements, the senior scholarship will apply to the summer classes.

Q: What if I'm under the credit requirement for being a senior, but I intend to complete my degree in two semesters?

A: You can submit an appeal. Email registrar@cooper.edu with a letter stating your intend to finish in two semesters, as well as a list of courses that you plan to take in the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters. Ask your advisor to sign the letter, approving your plan.

Q: What if I've attended for four years, but do not meet the credit requirement to be a senior?

A: You will receive the scholarship for the first semester in which you've met the senior credit requirements. For example, if you're on track to graduate in December 2025, you are considered a junior in Fall 2024, and not eligible for the scholarship. However, if you've completed enough credits at the end of the Fall 2024 semester, you will receive the scholarship beginning with the Spring 2025 semester.

Q: My advisor approved me to take extra credits so I can graduate early, am I eligible to receive the Senior Tuition Scholarship? 

A: Yes. If you fulfill the senior credit requirement for your program (reference the chart above), you are eligible, regardless of overload status. (Note: Since senior status for School of Architecture students is determined solely by Arch 151A enrollment, they are not impacted by an accelerated pace.)

Q: How does the Senior Tuition Scholarship impact my parents’ or my taxes? 

​A: Scholarships are tax-free if and only if they are used to pay for qualified educational expenses:

• Tuition and fees required for enrollment or attendance

• Books, supplies, and equipment required for courses

The Senior Tuition Scholarship is used exclusively for tuition and is thus not considered taxable income.

*Disclaimer: The Cooper Union does not give tax advice. Please consult a tax professional.

Q: How will this impact any outside scholarships I have?

A: We do not anticipate that this will impact outside scholarships. Students should consult the eligibility and award requirements of their outside 
scholarships and reach out to the Office of Financial Aid with any questions or for assistance.

Q: Why are only the seniors receiving the full scholarship?

A: As we enter the home stretch in our plan to achieve full-tuition scholarships for all undergraduates, we are pleased that this generous support from alumni donors makes it possible to support seniors in their final year at Cooper. Together, we wanted to recognize students at the culmination of several years of hard work and set seniors up to channel their energy towards the important work of their final year and their career journey ahead.

Q: Will I receive the Senior Tuition Scholarship if my tuition is fully covered by my financial aid awards?

A: No, you will not receive the Senior Tuition Scholarship since you are already attending Cooper tuition-free. Your financial aid will remain unchanged.

Q: Will the Senior Tuition Scholarship cover registration and international fees?

A: No, the Senior Tuition Scholarship covers tuition only.