Culinary School Financial Aid

Financial aid consists of grants, loans and scholarships offered to students to help pay tuition, fees and living expenses. CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® is an approved Title IV recipient since October 2003.

Workforce Investment Act (WIA)

The WIA program is administered through the Texas Workforce Commission. Grants are available through TWC to qualified unemployed, underemployed or displaced individuals. CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® will provide you with TWC forms. Contact a training coordinator for additional information concerning a Workforce Investment Act Grant www.twc.state.tx.us/partners/workforce-investment-act.

Texas Rehabilitation Commission (TRC) Grants

TRC Grants are available to disabled and other qualified rehabilitating individuals. Visit the Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative services website: www.dars.state.tx.us/services/dds.shtml.

Federal Pell Grant Program (Need Based)

This program is a gift aid program and it does not have to be repaid.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (Need Based)

An FSEOG is for undergraduates with exceptional financial need – that is, students with the lowest expected family contributions. Priority is given to students who receive Federal Pell Grants. An FSEOG doesn’t have to be paid back. Our policy is to award FSEOG on a first-come, first-served basis per start date.

Academic Competitiveness Grant and National SMART Grant Programs

Find info about the Texas ACG: www.ed.gov/programs/smart/results2007/texas.pdf. The Department of Education has set a goal to double the number of students receiving AC and National SMART Grants by 2010-11. States, colleges and high schools should promote AC and National SMART Grants because completing a rigorous high school program is the best way to increase college readiness, reduce remediation, and increase college completion rates for low-income students. Increased postsecondary attainment will help the United States compete in the 21st century.

Trade Adjustment ACT (TAA)

The TAA Program provides aid to workers who lost their jobs or whose hours of work and wages have been reduced as a result of increased foreign imports. These benefits are administered by TAA counselors at Mid-Cities Workforce Center, Bedford 817-545-1809 or Richardson Workforce Center 972-234-5391 and most Texas Workforce Centers in surrounding communities in North Texas Council of Governments. Visit the US Department of Labor Employment & Training Administration website.

Veterans Administration Grants

Veterans may qualify for a number of educational or work-related grant programs. Veterans should see the US Department of Veteran Affairs (www.gibill.va.gov/) for additional benefit information. Veterans may also contact the veteran’s representative located at most Texas Workforce Centers.

National Emergency Grant

The National Emergency Grant aids dislocated workers in airline and tourism-related industries in Texas as a result of 9/11. The grant is administered through Texas Workforce Centers. The funds will aid laid-off workers from Continental and American Airlines as well as Boeing, Vought, LSG Sky Chefs and Gate Gourmet along with others. Contact TWC to see if you qualify. Visit the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration website.

Scholarships and grants are awarded based on merit and/or need to help fund a student’s education. In addition to scholarships offered from outside organizations, CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® offers many in-house scholarships. In the past five years, CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® has awarded $2,003,787 in scholarship money to qualified students.

CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® assists with several sources for student loans for those who qualify.

Eligibility Requirements:

• A credit-worthy cosigner is often required for undergraduate students.
• Attending at least half-time to full-time
• A permanent US citizen
• Must meet the credit criteria specified by the lender
• Must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP)

Each lender might specify additional requirements.

Active-duty military personnel and veterans may have access to state and federal tuition assistance. National Guard, reserve military personnel and federal branch military personnel may be eligible for tuition assistance from their active duty or reserve units. If you are in one those categories, you should go to your nearest installation, base, reserve center or drill location and request to speak with the base, division, naval air station or company education officer to see if there are any funds available to allocate to your tuition assistance. The actual funds will be authorized from the education officer directly and given to the student.

CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® offers a VA scholarship to those who qualify. Please see the guidelines and submission requirements. Questions about military and veterans affairs should be directed to the Financial Aid Department at (713) 358-5052 or by email at .

Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services is a partnership with Texans with disabilities and families with children who have developmental delays to improve the quality of their lives and to enable their full participation in society. CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® is approved by DARS to provide vocational training to those who qualify.

In-House: The in-house payment plan is to facilitate students payments when they are in school only. Students are invoiced the first of each month. The balance is interest-fee if repaid on time. Certain restrictions apply.

Federal Direct Subsidized Loan Program

This program is a self-help aid program. This loan must be repaid. There is a maximum of 10 years to repay this loan. CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® is limited to first-year, first-time borrower limits.

The government subsidizes (takes care of) the interest payments while a student is in school and during a six-month grace period after graduation. Once the grace period passes, the student will be required to start repayment.

The interest rate is variable and changes every July 1st.

Federal Unsubsidized Loan Program

This program is a self-help aid program. This loan must be repaid. There is a maximum of 10 years to repay this loan. CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE^® is limited to first-year, first-time borrower limits.

The student is responsible for the interest payments the entire life of the loan. Repayment starts following a six-month grace period after graduation. The student may choose to pay the unsubsidized interest on the loan while in school or defer the interest until repayment starts after the six-month grace period is over (you select this option on the master promissory note).

The interest rate is variable and changes every July 1st.

Parent PLUS Loan Program

This program is a self-help aid program. This loan must be repaid.

This loan is available for parents of dependent students. A FAFSA application does not have to be completed for a parent to take this loan out for their child. If the FAFSA is completed, the aid administrator will check for Pell Grant eligibility and subsidized federal student loan eligibility. Dependent students only have access to Pell Grants and Subsidized Federal Student Loans (if they qualify).

The interest rate is variable and changes every July 1st. Find information about Federal Direct Loans.

To locate your loan, visit the following website: https://studentaid.gov/h/manage-loans.

Level (Standard) Repayment

Typically, this is the least expensive option in terms of total interest costs. Also known as the standard repayment plan, this option is the choice of most federal education loan borrowers. This plan provides a fixed monthly payment of at least $50 over a period of up to 10 years. If your monthly payments under this option exceed 8% to 10% of your gross monthly income, however, you should consider one of the following flexible repayment options or loan consolidation.

Graduated Repayment

Monthly payments start low and increase over time. Graduated repayment may be a good choice if you currently have limited income but expect higher earnings in the future. The maximum repayment term under this option is 10 years. Total interest costs are higher under this option than with level repayment.

Income-Sensitive Repayment

Payments can be adjusted up or down annually to account for changes in your income. The minimum payment must be enough to cover accruing interest. The repayment period of 10 years can be extended to 15 years under a special forbearance provision. Total interest costs will be higher with this option than with level repayment.

Loan Consolidation

Consolidation permits you to bundle all of your federal education loans into a convenient single monthly payment at a fixed interest rate. Depending on your total outstanding loan balance, you also may be able to extend your repayment period and lower your monthly payments by as much as 40%. You are likely to pay more total interest, however, by extending your payment period and making smaller payments over a longer term.

Extended Repayment

This option is available only if you did not have a balance on a Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) loan as of October 7, 1998, or at the time your received a FFELP loan after Oct. 7, 1998. Extended repayment is available only if your outstanding education loan balance is more than $30,000. Under this plan, you may reduce the amount of your monthly payment by spreading payments over a period of up to 25 years. You may choose to make payments over this extended period under a level or graduated schedule. Because payments are stretched over a longer term, total interest costs will be significantly higher than under the other repayment plans.

Student Loan Repayment Relief

Deferment

If you meet the qualifications for deferment and submit the required documentation, you are entitled to defer principal payments, in the case of unemployment or economic hardship, for up to a total of three years during the term of your loans. There is no maximum time limit for deferment while you are continuously enrolled at least part time in school or participating in a qualified graduate-fellowship or rehabilitation-training program.

Forbearance

If you don’t meet the requirements for deferment but still need payment relief, you may appeal to your lender or loan servicer for forbearance. Forbearance permits you to reduce or postpone payments or extend the time for making payments, usually at the discretion of the lender. A forbearance request typically is granted for a period of up to 12 months.

The school encourages students to apply for federal aid (FAFSA-Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to help reduce the amount of tuition and fees to pay out of pocket.
If you’re ready to fill out the FAFSA now, go for it! https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. If you would like assistance with the process, contact the Financial Aid Department for an appointment at 713-358-5052 or or attend one of our financial aid workshops.

We have various scholarships and grants available throughout the year for our students. We encourage you to apply and stay informed as we continuously post new scholarships for you.

Need help filling out your paperwork? Our Financial Aid Department can assist you in completing your applications. For assistance with scholarship information please call 713-358-5100. For federal grants or loans please call 713-358-5052 or email us at .

A Pell Grant is money provided to you by the federal government, which is applied to your tuition. Anyone applying for a Pell Grant must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. You can request the FASFA application from the Financial Aid Office or apply online at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa. CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE®’s school code is 037233.

To complete this form, each applicant must be able to provide the following documentation:

1. Proof of Citizenship (birth certificate, US passport, or alien registration card)
2. Social Security Number
3. W-2 Forms and Other Records of Income Earned
4. Tax Return (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, or 1722)
5. Your Parents’ Tax Return (if you are a dependent student)
6. Untaxed Income Records (veterans benefits records, child support received, worker’s compensation)
7. Current Bank Statements
8. Current Business and Investment Mortgage Information, Business and Farm Records, Stock, Bond and Other Investment Records
9. Driver’s License (if any)
10. Verification Worksheet (Provided by the FCI)

There are many scholarships available to students seeking a career in the culinary and pastry fields. The requirements to apply for scholarships vary. However, our scholarship list has all the information needed to apply for each one. View our scholarships. You may also find a general scholarship application.

For financial aid purposes the federal government has put together the following questions to determine whether a student is independent or dependent. If you are able to answer “yes” to one or more of these questions, you are considered independent; if not, you are considered dependent.

1. Were you born before January 1, 1998?
2. At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program?
3. As of today, are you married? (Answer “yes” if you are separated but not divorced.)
4. Are you currently serving on active duty in the US Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
5. Are you a veteran of the US Armed Forces? If you answered “no” to all of the questions above, you are considered to be a dependent student and will need to provide your parents’ tax information.

If you are a dependent, you do not have sufficient tax information of your own. Dependency status is determined by answering step three on the FAFSA application.

Federal student loans help cover the cost of tuition.

Federal Subsidized Loans are federally guaranteed loans based on financial need. Interest does not accrue on the loan while you are in school at least part time or during any future deferment periods. The federal government “subsidizes” (or pays) the interest during these times. Additionally, there are maximum amounts you can receive per school year.

Federal Unsubsidized Loans are federally guaranteed loans that are not based on financial need. Interest does accrue from the time the loan is disbursed to the school. Additionally, there are maximum amounts you can receive per school year for dependent and independent students.

The Federal PLUS Loan (Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students) is an affordable, low-interest loan designed for parents. With the PLUS Loan, you can borrow up to your child’s total cost of education minus other financial aid awarded to the student. This total cost can include tuition, books, food, housing, transportation and more.

Benefits

• Cover 100% of education costs
• No income or asset requirements
• Pre-approval in minutes
• Low interest rate of 5.30%
• Flexible repayment options
• Variable rate – rate changes annually but will never exceed 9% The PLUS loan applies to dependent students only.

Apply or call Parent Answer Services at 1-800-891-1410. You may also call the CULINARY INSTITUTE LENOTRE’s^® Financial Aid Department at 713-358-5052 for more information.

Alternative loan programs are designed to aid our students with financing options that will adequately meet their needs for help with education costs. This loan allows you to borrow up to your cost of attendance, which means tuition, books, fees, transportation and housing costs may be included within your loan.

Requirements (for all applicants)

1. Approval is based on applicant’s credit history. (Applicants may need to provide a co-borrower.)
2. Applicant must be permanent resident or US citizen (or have a co-borrower who is).
3. Applicant must have two years working in the same field (if employed).
4. Applicant must earn an $18,000 yearly income (minimum).

Yes! The Alternative and PLUS Loan programs provide the option to include living expenses as a part of your loan.

As soon as possible. Traditionally, we recommend for our students to have their financial aid package completed one month before the program begins.

The Pell Grant and the federal student loans apply to all programs.

Good news! With the help of a financial aid advisor this process can be completed within one week.

Please contact us right away if you have any questions!

Financial Aid Office (713) 358-5052

Admissions Office (713) 358-5064

We look forward to hearing from you!