Financing Your Education

Augustana University is committed to making quality higher education affordable.

We also know that families want to understand — early on in the college search process — what the investment looks like. Providing a preview of our new student scholarship criteria and award ranges is intended to highlight a simplified process for students and families.

As a prospective student, you can see — at a glance — the initial scholarships you will qualify for based on commonly used academic metrics.

Thanks to support from our loyal donors, we're proud to offer new students initial scholarships based on two components: ACT/SAT composite score and cumulative high school GPA. A student’s initial scholarship may also be combined with other Augustana scholarships that recognize leadership, service, and talents in a variety of areas.

Two areas of note: 

  • Augustana's scholarship model has significant impact on students in South Dakota. Here, those meeting the South Dakota Opportunity Scholarship requirements of a 3.0 GPA and 24 ACT will receive a minimum scholarship award of $14,000 annually.
  • Students who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.5 (4.0 scale) and 27 or higher on the ACT (1260 SAT: CR +M) may earn additional scholarships through Augustana’s Distinguished Scholars program. 

Financing a college education is a concern for most families; therefore, we are committed to assisting students and parents in finding the resources to make AU an affordable investment. At Augustana, 100 percent of students receive academic, talent and/or need-based financial assistance, with more than $33 million awarded in scholarships, grants, loans, and work study. The average net price, based on direct cost of attendance, for domestic first-year students after all sources of gift aid (AU, Federal, Outside) was $16,647.

View the Net Price Calculator: Calculate your out-of-pocket expense, after scholarships and grants, with our  for prospective students.

Augustana is a true educational value, representing an investment with significant lifetime returns. (See Why Augustana?) Many people are surprised at how low the net cost to attend Augustana can be, thanks to the following factors:

  • Institutional aid. The scholarships and grants that Augustana awards reduces your out-of-pocket costs. One hundred percent of full time Augustana students receive institutional gift aid that does not have to be repaid.
  • Other financial assistance. Sixty-seven percent of Augustana students qualify for federal loans and grants, and federal work-study jobs on campus also supplement our students’ financial aid packages.
  • Timely degree completion. Eighty-six percent of our recent graduates completed their degrees within four years. Timely graduation equals big savings. Consider not only the additional year of tuition, room, and board you will likely spend should you select a public university, but also consider the lost year of salary. Upon graduation, Augustana boasts a consistently high job placement rate.
  • Lighter debt load. As a result of these factors, Augustana students often graduate with total repayable loan amounts that are comparable to those of students attending public universities.

Quick links:

 Augustana University's Codes:

  • FAFSA: 003458
  • ACT: 3902
  • SAT: 6015

 FAFSA Filing Dates:

  • October 1 - the FAFSA becomes available, submit any time
  • March 1 — new students are encouraged to submit their FAFSA by this date
  • May 1 — for continuing students