The Most Affordable Finlandia University

Guide for the FinnU Class of 2020

Finlandia University is committed to making a high quality, liberal arts-based, private education in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula as affordable as possible. We know the costs associated with higher education are a turn off for many students, but we also know the investment in education is a worthwhile one. It is with that in mind that we present The Most Affordable Finlandia University: An Affordability Guide for the FinnU Class of 2020.

This year’s guide includes an introduction to 10 areas where a student beginning their academic career at FinnU would be able to find savings – in many cases substantial savings. 

1.    Summer Bridge Program

Over the last couple months, we’ve talked about the Summer Bridge Program a lot. A lot. And for good reason. This is a huge savings opportunity for students. Take a simple look at the numbers below:

• Cost of seven credits: $5,180
• Cost of Summer Bridge Program: $3,500

That’s $1,680 off sticker price, and that doesn’t even factor in the fact that the Summer Bridge Program price includes room and board in Finlandia Hall for six weeks.

You can also improve your merit-based scholarships with good grades during the program. What are merit-based scholarships? See point seven below.

Unfortunately, the deadline to register for the 2016 Summer Bridge Program has passed. Let this be a sign! The best way to keep up with what’s going on at Finlandia University (including how to save money) is to regularly chat with your admissions officer, visit finlandia.edu, and of course follow Finlandia University on all of your favorite social media outlets, including Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat (account name, ‘finlandiau’) and Instagram!

2.    Pre-Pay Discount Makes FinnU MOre Affordable

This is an option Finlandia University provides students every year, and it can be a savings of nearly $1,700 for students. Students who do it all four years could be talking about more than $6,000 in total savings.

The deadline for this is June 30, so be sure to head over to finlandia.edu/prepay as quickly as you can.

3.    Michigan students need to list Finlandia first

Finlandia University’s FAFSA code is 002322. For students in Michigan, it is vital that they include Finlandia as the first school on their FAFSA form. Why? Because students in Michigan may be eligible for the Michigan Tuition Grant, which is slated to be $1,512 for the 2016-17 academic year.

This funding is limited each year, so it’s important to look into this option as soon as you can. If you’re a Michigan resident, and aren’t aware if you’re getting this funding, contact our Financial Aid staff today.

If you’re not a Michigan resident, did you know that we have an ambassador program where the person from each state  to complete their admissions process will be awarded a $1,500 scholarship? It’s true. Chat with your admissions officer about it if you haven’t already.

4.    Work study for $2,000

Qualified students can get started on the Federal Work-Study Program as soon as the first day of school. What is work study? According to U.S. Department of Education:

The FWS Program provides funds for part-time employment to help needy students to finance the costs of postsecondary education. Students can receive FWS funds at approximately 3,400 participating postsecondary institutions. Hourly wages must not be less than the federal minimum wage.

FinnU has a bunch of great work-study opportunities. Contact our Financial Aid Office to check your eligibility today.

5.    Flat tuition price means “free” credits

While we don’t recommend this for everyone, a great way to keep costs low at Finlandia University is to take 18 credits per semester. By doing that students are dropping the per-credit price by 16 percent.

It’s important to remember that students need to achieve academic success to make this worthwhile. It’s also important to remember that for students that are able to see academic success taking 18 credits per semester, this will ensure students make it through their program in four years, which is also a great way to save money.

6.    Finlandia Four and Finlandia Future help make FinnU affordable

Speaking of completing your degree in four years, did you know that students who complete their first seven semesters in good standing will have tuition waved during their eighth-and-final semester? That’s $0.00 in tuition. That’s the promise of Finlandia Future.

Full-time students at Finlandia University will also have this year’s tuition price frozen moving forward, meaning students and parents will not have to worry about the all-too-common fear in higher education of rising tuition prices. That’s the promise of Finlandia Four.

The best part about these is that they can be combined to save even more. Learn more about these opportunities at finlandia.edu/future.

7.    Institutional- and merit-based scholarships

We believe that if a student earns good grades, they should be rewarded for it. That’s exactly what we do with our scholarships. What does that mean?

Students coming in highly qualified (above a 3.5 GPA, and a 25 ACT or 1,700 SAT) may earn a $7,500 Board of Trustee Scholarship. There are other scholarships as well, attainable by earning at least a 3.0 high school GPA. See a full list of the scholarship opportunities at finlandia.edu/scholarships.

If you’re going to miss out on that this year, don’t stress. We continue to reward students. If you improve your GPA, you will improve your merit-based scholarship. Sure beats when you received a $2 bill for an A+ in elementary or middle school, eh?

8.    Discounted summer offerings

For the past three summers Finlandia University has offered a slew of discounted courses to students who are interested in taking summer classes. These have been discounted by as much 70 percent in past years.

Be sure to check your e-mail and talk to your academic advisor throughout the year to make sure you take advantage of these discounted courses. An added bonus: Many of the summer courses are offered online!

9. Think long term

Planning ahead is important. Plans change, of course, but it is also important to be as aware and ahead of the curve as much as possible. The easiest and most effective way to do this is to work closely with your academic advisor, who you will meet during orientation.

It’s also a good idea to think about what major you want to choose. Check out all of them by visiting finlandia.edu/academics/find-your-major. The sooner you choose your major, the sooner you can work toward completing it on schedule.

10. Private scholarship listing

The Financial Aid Department works hard to maintain an active list of private scholarships for our students. The scholarships are typically specific to one major or another, and often open to students across the nation. All of them have been vetted by our Financial Aid staff.

Check out the full list of private scholarships at finlandia.edu/scholarships.

11. Save $500 per semester by tripling up

Residential Life is a key part of the university experience, and one way to make that more affordable is by tripling up in a room. We offer a $500 discount on room and board for those who volunteer for this. Learn more about this opportunity by visiting finlandia.edu/news/save-1000-tripling-up-finlandia-hall/ or finlandia.edu/reslife.

We hope you’re looking forward to your Finlandia University experience as much as we are. If you have any questions on these financial aid topics, please contact the Financial Aid staff below.

• Edit: We’ve added a 11th area of savings opportunity with the recent news from Residential Life (July 2016)
• Secondary Edit: Finlandia Friends has been removed (October 2016).