First Year FAQs

A first year applicant is a student who has not attempted any college coursework post high school graduation (or equivalent). Students who are currently in high school will be applying as first year regardless of dual enrollment coursework or college credits earned while in high school. Freshmen students are subject to the 2 year on-campus residency requirement.

Salisbury University requires one letter of recommendation, typically satisfied by the Secondary School Counselor’s Recommendation Form submitted by your school counselor. Applicants are welcome to submit additional letters of recommendation, but they are encouraged to include them in the transcript packet. Any letter of recommendation included with the transcript packet will remain with the student’s file for review. If other recommendation letters are submitted separately, the Office of Admission will match them with the student’s application to the degree possible. If you choose to apply using the Common Application, electronic copies of the high school transcript and letters of recommendation will also be accepted.

Salisbury University takes the unweighted GPA of a student, on a 4.0 scale, and then adds additional weight for honors and AP courses. If a student does not have a GPA on a 4.0 scale, we convert it to the 4.0 scale so that every student is considered using the same format.

SAT, ACT and AP scores can be sent from the testing organization or through the high school counselor. The ETS code number for Salisbury University is 5403 and the ACT code is 1716.

Salisbury University recommends two years of foreign language study for admission. According to the Board of Regents Policy, incoming students may meet the recommended language requirement for admission by completing two courses in advanced technology. Advanced Technology is an instructional program in which students develop in-depth skills and understanding related to one or more of the following: impacts of technology; technological issues, and engineering design.

Once we receive your application, you will receive an email with access to your personalized Admissions Status Portal. Once you log in, you can see if we are missing any supplemental materials (i.e., transcript, recommendation letters, etc.). If you are admitted to SU, you will also see your decision letter in your portal.

If you applied and had your application materials sent to SU by the Early Decision deadline of November 15, you will receive an admissions decision by December 15 at the latest. If you applied and had your application materials sent to SU by the Early Action deadline of December 1, you will receive an admissions decision by January 15 at the latest. If you applied and had your application materials sent to SU by the Regular Decision deadline of January 15, you will receive an admissions decision by March 15 at the latest.

Students may still submit an application after the deadline, but it will be considered on a space-available basis, which may delay the response received.

Salisbury University provides fee waivers for financial hardship reasons. Waivers are not provided based on visiting campus. We want to make sure that application fees do not pose a barrier for any student who wishes to apply for admission. If you meet at least one of the following indicators of economic need please have a school official, college access counselor, financial aid officer, or community leader email admissions@salisbury.edu to request a fee waiver. Those granted a waiver should check the appropriate waiver on the Common Application or College Net application.

You must meet at least one of the following indicators of economic need to request a fee waiver:

• You have received or are eligible to receive an ACT or SAT testing fee waiver.
• You are enrolled in or eligible to participate in the Federal Free or Reduced Price Lunch program (FRPL).
• Your annual family income falls within the Income Eligibility Guidelines set by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service.
• You are enrolled in a federal, state, or local program that aids students from low-income families (e.g., TRIO programs such as Upward Bound).
• Your family receives public assistance.
• You live in a federally subsidized public housing, a foster home or are homeless.
• You are a ward of the state or an orphan.
• You can provide a supporting statement from a school official, college access counselor, financial aid officer, or community leader.

This means that your application has been rolled from Early Decision or Early Action to Regular Decision in order to compare the credentials you have presented with the students in our Regular Decision applicant pool. You will receive notification from SU by March 15. The final decision will depend on the strength of the applicant pool.

Early Decision provides the best opportunity for students to be admitted to SU, but it is still a selective process. If you are not granted admission, your application may be rolled to Regular Decision in order to compare the credentials you have presented with the students in our Regular Decision applicant pool. You will receive notification from SU by March 15. The final decision will depend on the strength of the applicant pool. Some students who are not admitted for the fall class may receive an invitation to begin at Salisbury the following January as a spring semester student. This offer is not binding, but is an additional opportunity for a student to reserve a space at SU. Students with questions about spring admission or with an interest in starting in the spring should contact their SU admissions counselor.

Admission to Salisbury University is a selective process. This means that although most of the students in our applicant pool are capable of completing college-level work, their credentials are compared to those of other applicants. Those students presenting the most competitive application materials are selected for fall admission. Students whose records still impressed the admissions committee but were not selected for fall may be sent a letter offering admission for the spring semester. Students who wish to accept spring admission should reserve a place in the spring class by paying an admissions deposit by August 1. Students may choose to attend another college in the fall to earn credit, but they do not have to do so. Any credit received at another institution during the fall semester must be completed with a 2.0 cumulative GPA.

Admission to SU is very selective. Approximately half of all applicants are granted admission. Receiving a denial letter does not indicate that you are not ready for college-level work, only that the credentials that you submitted for admission were not as strong as other applicants. It is important to note that receiving a denial letter does not mean that you will never be able to attend Salisbury University. We encourage you to continue building your record and apply again as a transfer student.

Students are automatically considered for merit scholarships once their application for admission is reviewed. Students desiring priority consideration for merit scholarships should submit completed applications for admissions by January 15. Students may submit new grades and test scores up until May 15 for scholarship consideration. See the scholarship policies page for more information. If you qualify for a merit scholarship, the scholarship amount will be posted in your Admissions Status Portal. Admitted students will also be notified when the SU Scholarship Portal becomes available in December. This portal offers scholarships that are application based and utilize a wide variety of criteria. We invite you to apply for these scholarships through your Admissions Status Portal.

Salisbury University scholarships are based upon academic requirements. Students may also be eligible for a variety of scholarships based upon particular majors, counties or states of origin, financial need, as well as their academic records. The Financial Aid Net Price Calculator is designed to help you estimate your financial aid options and provides an approximation of what a new, first-year undergraduate student can expect to pay to attend Salisbury University. View the Financial Aid Net Price Calculator.

For qualifying students, initial notification of merit scholarships is typically posted to your Admissions Status Portal starting in mid-November. After the first awards are made in mid-November, initial scholarship notification will typically follow within two weeks of acceptance.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available starting October 1 and should be submitted by March 1 for priority funding. You may still receive aid if filed later, but you may miss out on some need-based aid opportunities. SU’s Title IV code is 002091.

Formal notification of financial aid packages typically occurs by mid-February for fall admission. Formal notification of financial aid packages typically begins in late summer for spring admission.

When financial aid packages are posted in February, students can log in to their Admissions Status Portal to view their award. If you received an email from the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships indicating you are required to take additional actions to complete the processing of your request for financial assistance, you will also find a link in your Admissions Status Portal to view/complete these items.

Students applying through Early Decision will not have access to a financial aid package before they are asked to commit to Salisbury University. If comparing aid packages is an important element of a student’s decision, SU does not encourage that student to apply through Early Decision. Students will be reviewed for scholarship consideration at the time of admission, however, and will receive information on any scholarships received. Students can also utilize Salisbury University's Freshmen Net Price Calculator to estimate their costs. Salisbury University continues to have one of the lowest costs of any four year university in the state and region, which puts an SU education within reach for many families.

October 1 – FAFSA is available
January 15 – Early Decision admission deposit deadline
March 1 – FAFSA deadline - Priority funding deadline
May 15 – Early Action and Regular Decision admission deposit deadline; cancel aid for students who did not deposit
June – Begin loan processing
Early July – Fall bills mailed out
Early August – Fall bills due

Once you accept your offer of admission and pay the $300 non-refundable admissions deposit in your Admissions Status Portal, you will need to complete the Housing Contract. Housing is assigned based on the date you submit the Housing Contract. Housing assignments are sent via your Salisbury University email account in July.

If you wish to take courses as a non-degree seeking student you must register through the Registrar’s Office. You can find the registry form and residency form on the Registrar’s Non-degree Enrollment web page.

Students who have attended SU and did not receive a degree must complete a readmission application to be processed through the Registrar’s Office. Do not reapply through the Office of Admissions. For more information please visit the Office of the Registrar’s website. Students that have earned a degree at Salisbury University and wish to start a new undergraduate degree program must complete a new application through the Office of Admissions. Please apply as a transfer student. Students that have earned an undergraduate degree and wish to start a graduate degree program must complete a new application through the Office of Admissions. Please apply as a graduate student.

Salisbury University welcomes students who wish to continue their education after some time off. With a minimum of 12 transferable college credits and a 2.0 cumulative GPA, you are encouraged to apply as a transfer student. If you have not taken any college coursework since graduating from high school, you can apply as a first year. You will need to provide us with an online application, high school transcripts, and if you wish, standardized test scores.