Admission and Financial Aid

Admission to Dominican University is open to men and women who are prepared academically to undertake a rigorous liberal arts program. Applicants for freshman admission are considered on the basis of probable success as determined by grades in a college preparatory program, class rank, and standardized test scores. Transfer students are evaluated on the basis of their high school record and course work completed at previous colleges and universities. Admission decisions are announced on a rolling basis. Students are required to pay a tuition deposit after they have been accepted. The deposit is refundable until May 1 for students entering in the fall term and November 1 for students entering in the spring term. Housing arrangements may be made after the tuition deposit is paid. A housing deposit also is required. Prospective students are urged to visit the campus. Individual appointments, which include tours of the campus, can be arranged with an admission counselor. Visiting Day programs are scheduled throughout the year. Students needing special accommodations for such events are asked to contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission prior to the event.

All application materials become the property of Dominican University. Providing incomplete or inaccurate information regarding a previous academic record on an admission application form is grounds for denial of admission.

Students with Special Needs

Information regarding services for students with special needs is available in the Office of the Dean of Students. Students needing these services are encouraged to meet with the dean of students prior to enrollment.

Admission from Secondary School Requirements

Entrance requirements for the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degree programs include a high school cumulative grade point average of 2.75 in college preparatory classes, rank in the upper half of the high school graduating class, ACT or SAT scores at or above the national average, and completion of 16 units of college preparatory work, including 14 in a combination of English, mathematics, social science, laboratory science, and foreign language. Factors such as leadership, personal qualities, and co-curricular activities also are considered. Proof of high school graduation and proof of state-required immunization must be presented prior to enrolling at the university. Dominican University recognizes the General Education Development (GED) diploma in lieu of a high school diploma.

Application Procedure

Applicants for admission to the freshman class are responsible for having the following documents sent to the university:

1. The completed application form and a non-refundable $25 application fee. The application form is available from the Office of Undergraduate Admission or can be accessed from the website: www.dom.edu;
2. An official high school transcript; and
3. ACT or SAT scores. In most cases, the university will accept the ACT/SAT scores reported on the high school transcript. Acceptance of high school applicants before the completion of the senior year carries with it the understanding that the candidates will successfully complete the senior year. The university reserves the right to withdraw acceptance if the final transcript is unsatisfactory.

Advanced Placement (AP)

High school students are encouraged to take advanced placement tests and to apply for college-level academic credit on the basis of the results. There is no maximum of credit awarded through AP examinations. Students must have official scores sent to Dominican University.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

Dominican University recognizes the rigorous nature of the International Baccalaureate program and awards individual course credit for scores of four or above on higher-level IB examinations. Students may be awarded up to 30 semester hours of advanced standing for appropriate scores on higher-level examinations. For additional information, contact the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office.

College Level Examination Program (CLEP)

Subject to acceptable scores and to certain departmental qualifications, credit is granted in most disciplines for College Level Examination Program tests taken prior to the semester of graduation. Students must request that scores be sent by the testing service to Dominican University. Credit is awarded after the student has successfully completed three courses at Dominican.

A maximum of 28 semester hours of credit is granted with no more than 12 semester hours in one major area of concentration. For additional information contact the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences Advising Office.

Information about the College Level Examination Program can be secured from the Program Director, CLEP, Box 6600, Princeton, NJ 08541-6600.

Admission to Honors Degree Program

Incoming full-time students of superior ability are invited to participate in the honors degree program. Normally, students who rank in the upper 10 percent of their graduating class, have high ACT/SAT scores, and have completed honors or advanced placement classes in high school are chosen for the honors program because of their expressed academic interests and their accomplishments. Transfer students who meet comparable criteria in their previous college work may be eligible for the honors program.

Early Admission to College

Students wishing to enter Dominican University before receiving their high school diploma will be considered for admission to the freshman class upon completion of the junior year and fulfillment of the following conditions:

1. Recommendation for admission to Dominican University by the high school principal or counselor and at least one faculty member; and
2. Completion of not fewer than 14 units acceptable toward admission to Dominican University, 11 of which shall be in subjects prescribed for admission.

Special Admission Opportunities

Dominican University admits a limited number of students each year who do not meet all the regular admission requirements but who have demonstrated the potential to complete university course work successfully. For these students, a condition of admission may be participation in the summer Transitions program or enrollment in the “Strategies for Academic Success ” seminar.

Admission of Transfer Students

A transfer student is one who has been accepted with at least 12 semester hours of transferable college credit. Students in good standing from regionally accredited two-year or four-year colleges will be considered for admission.

Candidates applying as transfer students are responsible for having the following documents sent to the university:

1. The completed university application form and a nonrefundable $25 application fee;
2. Official transcripts from each college and university attended; and
3. The official high school transcript, including ACT or SAT scores, when requested.

Community college students holding an Associate of Arts degree earned in a qualified baccalaureate transfer program usually receive full credit for their transfer work up to a maximum of 68 semester hours of credit. The maximum in physical education and health is four semester hours. In most cases, this will allow the full-time associate’s degree student to earn the bachelor’s degree in two additional years.

Up to 90 semester hours may be accepted in transfer from accredited four-year colleges and universities (see residency requirements .)

Second Bachelor’s Degree

Students holding a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution may receive a second bachelor’s degree from Dominican University provided that:

1. All university general education requirements, foundation and area requirements, and major requirements are met;
2. A minimum of 34 semester hours is earned in residence at Dominican University; and
3. A cumulative grade point average of 2.00 is attained. Transfer student restrictions apply to second baccalaureate degree candidates.

Degree Completion Agreements

Dominican University, in partnership with colleges and universities in the area, offers a number of degree completion programs. Generally, completing certain programs at one of these colleges admits the student into a bachelor’s degree program at Dominican. Areas of partnership include programs in apparel design, biology, business, chemistry, culinary arts, early childhood education, food industry management, neuroscience, and others. Please contact the Office of Undergraduate Admission for a complete listing of partnership programs.

Admission to Certificate or Licensure Programs

Students admitted to certificate or licensure programs will follow the same procedures as outlined for degree-seeking students. Students accepted into certificate programs may apply those credits toward a bachelor’s degree. The change of status must be filed with the registrar.

Admission as a Student-At-Large

Students who are not seeking a degree may be admitted to the university as a student-at-large without presenting transcripts of previous college or secondary school work provided they are in good standing at their previous school. Students-at-large may register for up to 30 semester hours of credit before they must change to degree-seeking status. Their credit work as nondegree students at Dominican will be treated as transfer credit for the purpose of satisfying degree requirements.

They must meet all admission requirements when applying for degree-seeking status and are subject to all academic rules and regulations during their attendance at the university.

Students seeking teacher certification, Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education (CADE) certification, or registering for certificate and/or licensure programs may not apply as students-at-large. Students-at-large are not eligible for financial aid.

Admission of International Students

Applicants from countries where English is not the primary language must demonstrate proficiency in English and also submit either the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores. The Admission Committee may waive this requirement for international adult applicants for whom such testing is not appropriate. Acceptable English proficiency exams/programs would include:

1. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of 550 on the paper version, 213 on the computer, or 79-80 on the web-based version, or
2. The International English Language Testing System (IELTS) band score of 7 or better, or
3. The Pearson Test of English Academic (PTEA) score of 53 or better, or
4. Successful completion of ELS Level 112.

Official credentials and notarized translations must be sent to the Office of Undergraduate Admission. For advanced standing and/or transfer credit, students may be asked to have official transcripts evaluated by Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or another approved agency at their own expense.

Information needed to complete the I-20 form will be collected for all international students, including information regarding financial support. The international student adviser will issue the I-20 form to the student after the student has been accepted for admission and provided evidence of financial support.

Admission of Veterans

Dominican University is approved by the State Approving Agency for the training of veterans and is a participant in the Yellow Ribbon program for the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Veterans should obtain a certificate of eligibility from their local veterans administration office at least one month before they plan to enter college.

Financial Aid

The financial aid program at Dominican University provides assistance to students whose personal and family resources cannot meet the cost of education. Assistance is in the form of federal, state, and institutional grants, loans, and employment. Only those students who have been accepted for admission are considered for financial aid.

An applicant’s aid eligibility will be determined by an evaluation of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). To be eligible for federal or state aid, students must be degree-seeking United States citizens or permanent residents. To remain eligible for financial aid, students must maintain satisfactory academic progress and continue to demonstrate need on financial aid applications submitted annually.

Financial Aid Application Process

Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and list Dominican University (code 001750) as the institution to receive the information. The application deadline is April 15 for returning students. The suggested deadline for new students is April 15. Some students may be required to submit additional information.

Tuition Exchanges

Dominican University participates in the Catholic College Cooperative Tuition Exchange, the Council of Independent Colleges Tuition Exchange, and Tuition Exchange, Inc. Dependents of employees of participating institutions are eligible for tuition benefits at Dominican University. Additional information on these tuition exchanges is available in the Office of Undergraduate Admission.

Endowed and Memorial Scholarships

Benefactors of the university have established the following scholarships to promote Catholic college education and provide financial aid to qualified students.

The Alumnae/i Reunion Scholarship, classes of ’27,’64,’65
The Bernard G. and Anna M. Anderson Endowed Scholarship
The Edna and Ralph Balgemann Scholarship
The Lerone and Gloria Bennett Scholarship
The Camille P. and Ferdinand V. Berley Scholarship
The Renee A. and Pier C. Borra Scholarship
The Ida Brechtel Scholarship in Memory of Sister Mary Alberic Runde
The Lois L. and Edward A. Brennan Scholarship
The Loretta Wagar Burg Scholarship
The Angie Buscareno Endowed Scholarship
The William J. and Anna S. Chekewicz Scholarship
The Class of 1939 Scholarship
The Class of 1940 Scholarship
The Class of 1946 Scholarship
The Class of 1969 Scholarship
The Class of 1971 Scholarship
The Bernadette E. Connelly Scholarship
The James and Marie Cowhey Scholarship
The Janet Cunningham Crowley Scholarship
The Mabel F. Crowley Scholarship
The Sister Thomasine Cusack Memorial Scholarship
The Helen Keogh and Patrick H. Doherty Sr. Scholarship
The Anna M. Dolan Scholarship
The Carolyn Leonard Dolan Scholarship
The Ellen Raepple Donahue Family Memorial Scholarship
The Eileen Hogan Drum Scholarship
The Erickson-Studnicka Scholarship
The Olive Mazurek Faa di Bruno Scholarship
The Kathleen Moonan Fitzgerald Scholarship
The Thomas Foran Memorial Scholarship
The Terry Gillespie Freund Scholarship
The Friends of Dominican University Scholarship
The Virginia Burke Gearen Scholarship
The Sister Cyrille Gill Scholarship
The John S. and Estelle V. Phelan Gorman Scholarship
The Mary Estelle Gorman Scholarship
The Louis Ruppert Grobl Scholarship
The Nancy O’Connor Harrington Scholarship
The William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship
The Katharine Loretta Howard Scholarship
The Arvid C. Johnson Jr. Memorial Scholarship
The Harriet and Joseph Kern Scholarship
The Mr. and Mrs. Joseph G. Kruce Scholarship
The Henry S. Lang Scholarship
The LaVera Lazer Memorial Scholarship
The Sister George Lennon Scholarship
The Audrey Brekke Lewis Scholarship
The Green-Lewis Scholarship
The Celia A. Lewis Scholarship
The Edna Green Lewis Scholarship
The Edward W. Lewis Scholarship
The Mrs. Ellen T. Lewis Scholarship
The William H. Lewis Scholarship
The Dorothy In-Lan Wang Li and Tze-chung Li Scholarship
The Frederick S. Lund Family Scholarship
The Father Eugene Joseph Lutz Scholarship
The Jean Lynch Scholarship
The Patricia Therese McCarron Scholarship
The Josephine Lewis McGoorty Scholarship
The Sister Albertus Magnus McGrath Scholarship
The Coletta Dunn Maddock and James Andrew Maddock Sr. Scholarship
The John F. and Marie B. Mayer Scholarship
The Mazur-Tcachuk Scholarship
The Gerard J. Mikol Scholarship
The George and Loretta Morency Scholarship
The Alice and John Moretti Scholarship in Memory of Sister Jocelyn Garey
The Vernile Murrin Morgan Scholarship
The Joseph C. Mugnolo Memorial Scholarship
The Marie Mulgrew Scholarship
The Dorothy Reiner Mulroy Scholarship
The Mother Evelyn Murphy Scholarship
The Patricia and Vincent Murphy Scholarship
The Sister Jean Murray Scholarship
The Irma Piepho Scholarship
The Charles and Colette Pollock Scholarship Fund
The Richard and Virginia Prendergast Scholarship
The Colleen Redmond Scholarship
The Alice Muriel Reynolds Scholarship
The Roach Scholarship in Memory of Sister Albertus Magnus McGrath
The Rita Ann Barry Rock Scholarship
The Rosary College Memorial Scholarship
The Helen H. and Earl J. Rusnak Scholarship
The Gloria A. Sanchez Scholarship
The Anthony J. and Anna Marie Garippo Sciaraffa Scholarship
The Robert L. Sciaraffa Scholarship
The Scully Family Scholarship
The James and Catherine Shandorf Scholarship
The Malcolm Sharp Scholarship
The Sinsinawa Dominican Trustee Scholarship
The John Sowa Scholarship
The Star Scholarship
The Isabelle Breen Stucker Scholarship
The Lena Maggi Swanson Memorial Scholarship
The M. James and Mary Jane Termondt Scholarship
The Carmela M. Thill Scholarship
The Sister Sheila Treston Scholarship
The Rita M. Uznanski Bottei Endowed Scholarship
The Anita L. Vogel Scholarship
The Gert Hammond Wagner Scholarship
The Srs. Crapo, Davlin, and Waters Scholarship
The Frances R. Watts Scholarship
The Margaret Ellen White Scholarship

Costs—2010-2011 Academic Year

Tuition covers only a portion of the total cost of study at Dominican University. The donations of alumnae/i, foundations, corporations, and other friends of the university help to limit the expenses charged to students while maintaining a high-quality educational program.

Each application should include the $25 nonrefundable application fee. Students who are accepted and plan to attend must make a $100 tuition deposit, which can be refunded up until May 1 for the fall semester and until November 1 for the spring semester.

Charges

Tuition

Room and full board

Part-time students

High school students taking a college course

Degree completion students

Other fees

Student fees

Course fees

Some art courses have lab fees applied, ranging from $35 to $75.

Music lessons have a lab fee applied of $150 per credit hour.

Bills for tuition and other fees are emailed to the student’s Dominican email address before the beginning of classes for the semester. Payment is due by the first day of class for students who register in advance.

Students who register after the first day of class must pay their tuition or make financial arrangements at the time of registration.

Financial aid awards, with the exception of work awards, are deducted from any amount due. Annual awards are divided equally between the semesters unless the award carries a stipulation to the contrary. International students must pay for the semester charges at the beginning of each semester.

Payment Plans

A payment plan can be arranged online through our CASHNet system. All charges must be paid in full before the semester ends. Students may view their account status at any time online or stop in Student Accounts for assistance.

Withdrawal

When the student accounts office has received official notice of withdrawal from the registrar, tuition will be refunded according to the following schedule:

The withdrawal will be dated as of the end of the day that formal notice of withdrawal is given to the registrar. See the Academic Regulations  page for further information on withdrawing from classes.

Refunds

If a student has a credit balance after all financial aid is posted to his/her account, the excess may be refunded after the add/drop date each semester. The student must request a refund from the Student Accounts Office. Refunds can be issued online or by check.

Refund checks will normally be processed within three working days. Refunds will not be made on the basis of estimated grants or anticipated funds, only upon funds actually received by Dominican University.

Resident hall charges are based upon the full year’s costs. It is expected that students will remain in residency the entire year except in cases where work for the degree has been completed before the end of the academic year. Refunds will be made on a prorated basis in the case of withdrawal due to serious illness or withdrawal at the request of university officials.

Financial Regulations

Students are not entitled to participate in graduation or receive recommendations, degrees, honors, semester grades, or transcripts of credits until all bills are paid and Federal Perkins/National Direct student loans are in current status. Any unpaid bills may be referred to a collection agency. The student is liable for any collection and legal costs. All charges are subject to change after 30 days’ notice. Registration and enrollment shall be considered as signifying acceptance of all conditions, rules, and regulations.