Types of Aid

At Ball State, more than 75 percent of our students receive financial aid in the form of loans, scholarships, grants, and other options.

The most common types of aid are:

  • Grants: These don’t have to be paid back.
  • Loans: These do have to be paid back (with interest).
  • Scholarships: These are often based on merit and do not need to be paid back.
  • Fee remissions (also known as waivers): If you qualify, remissions mean that you do not have to pay the full 100 percent of tuition or fees.
  • Employment: You can earn money with federal work-study programs and on-campus or off-campus jobs.

In addition, a few students qualify for aid in the form of:


Summer Aid
If you are looking for financial aid for summer courses, view our summer aid section.

Student Categories
Depending on whether you are an undergraduate, graduate, distance education, or other category of student, you may be eligible for only certain types of aid. Review our Aid by Enrollment Status section.