Private health care education is not cheap. As a private school, Midwestern University's tuition only covers a percentage of the total costs of providing education to each student. At the same time, we understand that attending MWU is a significant investment for our students and their parents. We believe the costs are well justified by the value received. We know that this is a decision that every one of our students must weigh when considering their options. MWU's student loan default rate is typically less than 1% for all of our graduates. Our alumni are getting good jobs and are able to pay off their loans. Our Financial Aid Office provides several programs to applicants and students to educate them about ways to reduce their borrowing levels while in school. We are proactive in providing budgets to students and helping counsel them about ways to live within their means. We appreciate that this is difficult, and students may have to modify their lifestyles in order to be able to afford their education, whether that means buying a used car, cooking rather than eating out, or living in a small apartment instead of a nice condo. We think the trade-off is certainly worth it in the long run, as health care careers typically provide nice salaries and steady employment.

Midwestern University has also made significant investments in our campus-based scholarship and loan programs. This year and next, Midwestern University will contribute more than $1.5 million to our Need-Based Scholarship Program. We were able to provide scholarships to 500 students this past year who demonstrated the most financial need. We are hoping to increase this amount each year, so more students can benefit from the program. Since 2002, MWU has provided more than $5.8 million in financial support to our students through zero-fee loans and scholarships. We also offer several donor-funded and corporate scholarships to our students based on both need and academic merit.

I would encourage you to check out the financial aid pages of our web site to learn more about our Financial Aid Program and services. Find it at: http://www.midwestern.edu/content/lc4.asp. You can also contact the Financial Aid staff if you have questions.