Contributions expected from the student and from his or her parents are considered in establishing financial need and determining eligibility for financial aid. The student aid index (SAI) helps HCU determine how much federal financial aid a student may be eligible for. The SAI is calculated using information from the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form, including their family’s income, assets, benefits, and household size. Where the SAI falls within the SAI range helps HCU determine how much financial support a student may need. A negative SAI indicates the student has a higher financial need.

What is the Student Aid Index (SAI)? 

Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is a formula-based index number ranging from –1500 to 999999. Where your SAI falls within the SAI range helps your school determine how much financial support you may need. A negative SAI indicates you have a higher financial need. For example, if you have an SAI of –1500, you’ll qualify for a maximum Pell Grant award assuming you have not exhausted your lifetime amounts and meet all student eligibility requirements.

Your SAI is not

  • a dollar amount of aid you’ll receive,
  • what your family is expected to provide, or
  • your final financial aid offer.

Your SAI is an index number used by the Office of Financial Aid when creating an aid offer. Your SAI is calculated using information that you (and other contributors, if required) provide on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

During your aid process, you will see the following:

  • an estimated SAI on the confirmation page of your FAFSA® form
  • an official SAI within your FAFSA® Submission Summary (after your FAFSA® form is processed)

Schools subtract the SAI from the cost of attendance (COA) to get a clearer picture of the student’s financial situation. The remaining figure is the student’s maximum eligibility for need-based federal student financial aid and other scholarships. Federal student aid and institutional scholarships are limited, and students should not assume that their full need will be met. Parents should be aware that supplementary programs, such as the Parent PLUS Loan, may be a necessary part of funding their student’s education.

SAI Calculator

Click here to access the SAI Calculator to get an early look at what you can expect when you fill out the FAFSA®. This is a tool that can be very helpful in getting a pre-FAFSA® determination.

Cost of Attendance (COA)

Awards for most Federal Student Aid are based on some form of financial need, beginning with cost of attendance. The Cost of Attendance for a student is an estimate of that student’s educational expenses for the period of enrollment and is used to determine the maximum amount of financial aid a student can receive for the academic year. The Office of Financial Aid collects information to prepare standard costs on an annual basis. Costs are determined to reflect a modest, but adequate standard of living.

What does the cost of attendance include?

The most frequently asked question about the cost of attendance is, “Why is my cost of attendance so high?” Students should not be startled by the cost of attendance. It is not what is owed to the university. The cost of attendance is simply another name for the student’s living budget while in school. It includes costs for which students will be billed directly, such as tuition, mandatory fees, on-campus housing and meal plan, if applicable. These are termed “direct costs.” It also includes costs for which a student is not billed directly, but which the student should consider when planning expenses for attending HCU. These are termed “indirect costs” and can include books and supplies, transportation to and from campus, loan fees and other personal expenses.

Cost of Attendance Determination

A standardized set of budgets is used as the basis for determining the cost of attendance at HCU. Components are gathered from several resources that include the USDA Food Plans, California Student Aid Commission’s most current Student Expenses and Resources Survey (SEARS), NASFAA’s Monograph for developing the cost of attendance, the current Department of Finance travel and mileage rates, local apartment.com websites, the HCU Business Office, and other departments considering any changes in cost such as food and housing expenses or the increase in cost of textbooks, course materials, supplies, and equipment and/or fees. Cost of budgets vary depending on the student’s living arrangements while in school. A student’s cost of attendance is generally assigned once the housing status is confirmed by the Office of Financial Aid.

Cost of Attendance Components

The components for a Cost of Attendance are defined for institutions of higher learning by the U.S. Department of Education. These expenses may vary based on the individual student’s lifestyle. The allowance is based on a reasonable estimate.

Tuition and Fees. This allowance is for the tuition and fees normally assessed for a student carrying the same academic workload. Amounts used in the cost of attendance budgets are based on full-time enrollment and include mandatory fees only.

Housing and Food. This allowance is for students who are enrolled on at least a half-time basis. The food and housing allowance is based on the student’s situation:

  • For students who choose institutionally owned or operated food services
  • For students who do not choose institutionally owned food services
  • For students who reside in institutionally owned or operated housing (one for students with dependents, and ones for students without dependents)
  • For students living off campus
  • For students living at home with parents
  • For students (dependent or independent) living in housing located on a military base or housing for which they (or spouse or parent) receive basic housing allowance (BAH)
  • For all other students

Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment. Books, course materials, supplies, and equipment are an estimate of costs for a full-time student for one academic year and includes a reasonable allowance for the rental or upfront purchase of a personal computer that the student will use for study for the enrollment period, and for equipment needed for instruction by telecommunications.

Transportation. The transportation allowance may include costs incurred by a student for transportation between school, residence, and place of work (including costs associated with operating and maintaining a vehicle used for such transportation). It may not include cost for the purchase of a vehicle.

Miscellaneous Expenses. This allowance may be included in the COA only for students who are enrolled on at least half-time basis.

Click here to access the 2026-2027 Undergraduate Cost of Attendance

Click here to access the 2026-2027 Graduate Cost of Attendance

Professional Judgment

The Office of Financial Aid has the ability to conduct reviews of student federal aid eligibility in a process called professional judgment to determine if they qualify for an increase in their Cost of Attendance and additional aid due to certain circumstances. It allows the Office of Financial Aid to adjust a student’s aid index for educational expenses, standard cost of attendance (COA) budget, and/or financial aid dependency status, as determined by federal guidelines. Adjustments submitted for consideration must be documented and reasonable as it pertains to the cost of attendance and are on a case-by-case basis. Students must first complete a FAFSA® and receive a financial aid offer prior to submitting a Professional Judgment review request.

Types of Professional Judgments

There are two types of professional judgments that a financial aid professional can make: special circumstances or unusual circumstances.

  • Special Circumstances
    • Cost of Attendance Adjustment
    • Student Aid Index (SAI) Adjustment
  • Unusual Circumstances (Dependency Status Adjustment)

If you fall into any of the following categories related to dependency status (no contact with your parents) you may qualify for a reconsideration of a student’s dependency status from “dependent” to “independent”

  • Common reasons to request this adjustment
  • Legally granted refugee or asylum status
  • An abusive family environment that threatens the student’s health or safety
  • Incarceration: Includes single-parent incarceration without contact/support from another parent or both parents’ incarceration
  • Legal guardianship, ward of court, foster care
  • Death of parent(s)
  • Documented abandonment — where your parent(s) voluntarily left or were absent for an extended period of time
  • Unsafe living environment as a result of physical, emotional, sexual, or substance abuse by your parent(s)
  • Parental incarceration
  • Parental mental incapacity/institutionalization
  • Death of custodial parent and no contact with other biological/legal parent
  • Parents do not reside in the United States and cannot be contacted
  • Parent(s) disowned or ended contact/support because of conflicting beliefs or practices related to race, religion, education, health, gender, sexual orientation, cultural expectations, etc.
  • Reasons that do not qualify for this:
  • Your parents refuse to contribute to your college expenses
  • Your parents refuse to supply necessary information for FAFSA® or FAFSA® verification completion
  • Your parents do not claim you as a dependent for federal tax filing
  • You demonstrate complete financial self-sufficiency

Direct PLUS Loans for Parents

Direct PLUS loans can help pay for education expenses not covered by other financial aid. The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible parents through schools participating in the Direct Loan Program.

Beginning July 1, 2026, Parent PLUS loans will be capped at $20,000 per year with a $65,000 aggregate limit. Previously, Parent PLUS Loans had no cap and could be taken out for whatever amount was needed to get the student up to Cost of Attendance.

  • These limits are per dependent student, meaning parents with multiple dependent students can take out these limits in total for each student.
  • The number of parent borrowers does not change the limits, as they are tied to the student. So, if a student has two parents who wish to borrow on their behalf, no more than $20,000 per year and $65,000 total may be taken out.

Legacy Provision

 A student may borrow under current loan limits if they have had a federal student loan disburse before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a qualified program of study. This legacy provision lasts for three years or until the student completes their qualified program of study, whichever comes sooner.

Who Is Eligible for the Parent PLUS Loan?

To receive a parent PLUS loan, you must

Note: Grandparents (unless they have legally adopted the dependent student) and legal guardians are not eligible to receive parent PLUS loans, even if they have had primary responsibility for raising the student.

Loan Interest Rates and Origination Fees

For Direct Parent PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2026, and before July 1, 2027, the interest rate is 9.07%. This is a fixed interest rate for the life of the loan. Additionally, there is a loan origination fee on all Direct Parent  PLUS Loans. The fee is a percentage of the loan amount and is proportionately deducted from each loan disbursement. The percentage for all Direct PLUS loans first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2020, is 4.228%.

Loan Amount Limits

Parent PLUS loans are capped at $20,000 per year with a $65,000 aggregate limit. These limits are per dependent student, meaning parents with multiple dependent students can take out these limits in total for each student. The number of parent borrowers does not change the limits, as they are tied to the student.

When to Make Loan Payments

If you request a deferment, you will not need to make payments while your child is enrolled at least half-time and for an additional six months after your child graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment. If the school your child is attending requires you to submit your request for a parent PLUS loan at StudentAid.gov, you’ll have the option of requesting a deferment as part of the loan request process. You can also contact your loan servicer to request a deferment.

If you do not request a deferment, you will be expected to begin making payments after the loan is fully disbursed (paid out).

During periods of deferment, interest will accrue on your loan. You may choose to pay the accrued interest or allow the interest to be capitalized (added to your loan principal balance) when you have to start making payments. Your loan servicer will notify you when your first payment is due.

Adverse Credit History Options

A credit check will be performed during the application process. If you have an adverse credit history, you may still receive a parent PLUS loan through one of these two options:

  1. Obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit history. An endorser is someone who agrees to repay the parent PLUS loan if you do not repay it. The endorser cannot be the child on whose behalf you are borrowing.
  2. Documenting to the satisfaction of the U.S. Department of Education that there are extenuating circumstances relating to your adverse credit history.

With either option 1 or option 2, you also must complete credit counseling for parent PLUS loan borrowers. You may also wish to read this article to learn more about what to do if you are denied a PLUS loan based on an adverse credit history. If you are unable to obtain a parent PLUS loan, your child may be eligible for additional unsubsidized loans. Your child should contact the Office of Financial Aid for more information.

Looking to apply? Use the online application to apply for a parent PLUS loan. Note: Before you apply for a PLUS loan, make sure your child has already filled out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.