first-year student financial aid

the successful candidate will have at least a 3.75 high school gpa with a demanding course selection. awards will be determined based on a holistic application review, including grades, curriculum rigor, essay, co- and extra- curricular activities, and letter(s) of recommendation. standardized test scores are not required for consideration but will be reviewed if provided by the applicant.

the successful candidate will have between a 3.5 and 4.0 high school gpa with a demanding course selection. awards will be determined based on a holistic application review, including grades, curriculum rigor, essay, co- and extra- curricular activities, and letter(s) of recommendation. standardized test scores are not required for consideration but will be reviewed if provided by the applicant.

the successful candidate will have between a 3.0 and 4.0 high school gpa. awards will be determined based on a holistic application review, including grades, curriculum rigor, essay, co- and extra- curricular activities, and letter(s) of recommendation. standardized test scores are not required for consideration but will be reviewed if provided by the applicant.

the successful candidate will have between a 3.0 and 3.75 high school gpa. awards will be determined based on a holistic application review, including grades, curriculum rigor, essay, co- and extra- curricular activities, and letter(s) of recommendation. standardized test scores are not required for consideration but will be reviewed if provided by the applicant.

accepted students are eligible to receive this scholarship if they have a gpa of 2.99 or below and demonstrate a capability for success at mount st. mary’s university.

two (2) full tuition founder's scholarships are awarded to incoming freshman who perform superbly during an on-campus written exam in late january or early february and a personal interview for finalists in early march. students must be invited into our honors program and meet certain academic criteria to participate. the requirement for participation is a 3.75 weighted gpa. invitations will be sent in november, december and early january to those students who qualify.

recipients may not combine the founders scholarship with other institutional (msmu) financial aid to receive total msmu aid in excess of full-time tuition. if the recipient opts to maintain any previously awarded msmu aid, the founders scholarship amount will be reduced so that total institutional aid equals full-time tuition.

this award is given through the office of admissions of the university. incoming freshmen or transfer students who have had a relative graduate from the mount will be awarded $1,000 per year, which can be renewed for up to four years. legacy grants are awarded to students who indicate their status on the admissions application. financial need is not considered.

each incoming student with a brother or sister enrolled at the mount will receive a $2,000 family discount grant. this grant is renewable as long as the siblings are concurrently enrolled. financial need is not considered.

mount st. mary's university competes at the ncaa division i level in all of its men's and women's sports. all varsity teams offer athletic scholarships. contact the director of athletics or head coaches at (301) 447-5296 for additional information on these scholarships. see the athletic department directory.

mount students receive full tuition scholarships plus a monthly stipend from the army rotc program. recipients are able to combine their rotc scholarship with other mount scholarships. scholarships may be for two to four years. contact the mount rotc department at (301) 447-5350 or visit the rotc webpage for additional information on these scholarships.

during their four years at mount st. mary’s, maguire scholars will participate in regular academic counseling, attend an annual maguire scholars event, engage in service events and complete the four-year program below:

year one: a passion for learning

during their first year at the mount, students will focus on academic success. students are expected to maintain a 3.0 gpa, meet regularly with the maguire scholar advisor, and attend quarterly study sessions for exams.

year two: service to god and others

as a sophomore, students will be challenged to serve a community they are passionate about. alongside the maguire scholar advisor, each student will create their own year-long service plan and submit a reflection at the end of the year on their service and the impact they made.

year three: ethical leaders

students will focus on professional development during their junior year. students will be paired with a mentor in their desired field and be expected to secure an internship during year three or summer prior to year four.

year four: leading lives of significance

students will reflect on the past three years of the program and create a plan to apply what they have learned to their lives after college. students will look at how they will use their passion for learning to serve god and others and be ethical leaders in their respective professional fields.

submit your maguire scholars application

for the 2019-20 academic year, the fafsa becomes available in october 2018. because the income requested on the application is from 2017, all families should be in a position to file the fafsa once it becomes available.

first time applicants

if you are a first-time aid applicant, you and one of your parents must apply for and receive an fsa id. it typically takes two to three days to receive the id, which serves as an electronic signature. to apply for your fsa id, go to www.fafsa.ed.gov and click on the icon at the top of the page that says fsa id. you will need two fsa id numbers--one for you and one for a parent.

december 1

early action applicants – students who are accepted through the office of admissions early action program and file a fafsa by december 1 will receive their financial aid award letter by mid-january, pending any additional information requests required by the financial aid office.

march 1

all other students must submit their fafsa prior to march 1. students will receive their financial aid award letter via email usually within two weeks of submitting their fafsa.

mount st. mary's title iv school code is 002086.

within 48-72 hours after submitting the fafsa, the student will be notified that the fafsa has been processed and sent to each school. if there is a problem with the application that prevents it from being processed, the student will be notified as well. please be on the lookout for this confirmation.

upon submitting your fafsa, if you have special circumstances you wish to call to the attention of the financial aid office, go to our forms page and file the appropriate appeals form. complete this form and return it to the financial aid office.

mount st. mary’s will begin to notify students of their financial aid awards in mid-january and will continue to process award letters throughout the spring semester.

students who have remaining financial need after their merit-based aid is awarded are candidates for the grant-in-aid. the grant-in-aid is renewable provided the student files the fafsa and demonstrates similar need in future years.

up to 50 percent of tuition is awarded based on financial need to students who live at home and commute to the mount. when combined with an academic scholarship, total money from the mount cannot exceed 50 percent of tuition. (the grant is not available for summer school.)

awarded by the federal government to students who demonstrate extremely high need through the fafsa. because it is awarded by the government, your pell eligibility should be the same at each college/university. learn more at studentaid.ed.gov.

awarded by the mount’s financial aid office to students who qualify for significant pell grants. learn more at studentaid.ed.gov.

some students may be eligible for maryland state funding. please check the maryland higher education's website for information regarding programs and applications. make sure your fafsa form is filed by march 1 every year to be considered for state aid.

students who receive work study in their financial aid package are eligible to apply for a wide variety of on-campus jobs.  this award amount is based on working 8 hours per week. college employment other than the federal work study program is available. contact the mount's human resources office for more information.

eligible dependent students may borrow up to $5,500 for the first year of study, up to $6,500 for the second year, and up to $7,500 for each remaining year. the financial aid office will determine if the student is eligible to receive a subsidized loan whereby the government would pay the interest while the student remains in school. independent students are eligible to borrow additional unsubsidized funds between $4,000-$5,000 per year depending on their class standing. learn more at studentaid.ed.gov.

this program enables parents of dependent students to borrow the entire annual cost of attendance less financial aid awarded. the parent must not have an adverse credit history. if a parent is not able to obtain a plus loan, the student is eligible to borrow additional unsubsidized funds between $4,000-$5,000 per year depending on the student’s class standing. learn more at studentaid.ed.gov.

to receive mount st. mary's university grants, scholarships, and other awards, a student must:

• enroll full-time (at least 12 credits).
• be accepted into a degree program of study.
• be seeking a first bachelor's degree.
• be making satisfactory academic progress according to the university's requirements for each program.

to receive title iv federal grants, loans and work study as well as state financial aid, a student must:

• enroll at least part-time (at least six (6) credits).
• be a united states citizen or eligible non-citizen.
• be accepted into a degree program.
• be seeking a first bachelor's degree.
• not be in default on any previous loan or owe a refund on any previous grant.
• be making satisfactory academic progress according to the university's requirements.
• not be convicted for possession of sale of drug (federal programs only).

the title iv code to use on the fafsa is 002086.

the fafsa deadline is march 1. applications received after the deadline will be considered for need-based funds on an available basis.

the financial aid office will begin to mail award letters to incoming students in mid-january. early preference will be given to students accepted through early action and whose fafsa was received by december 1.

you do need to reapply for aid each year by completing a fafsa form. it becomes available each year after october 1 and should be filed prior to the march 1 deadline.

probably not if you are an undergraduate student. to determine if you meet the federal definition of an independent student, review the questions in step three of the fafsa. if you believe your situation is unique and you should be considered independent, please contact with the financial aid office.

yes. federal law stipulates that students may not receive federal support if their financial aid exceeds their demonstrated financial need. mount st. mary’s participates in the central scholarship partnership and will not reduce any scholarships or grants when financial need remains. however, we still must confirm eligibility for federal need-based funds, including subsidized loans and work study. total aid including outside resources cannot exceed your demonstrated financial need and cost of attendance.

your merit-based aid will not be affected, but your eligibility for need-based aid could be. If there is a credit balance on your student account once tuition and fee charges have been paid, you may use this credit to pay for off-campus rent and food expenses. A refund of any credit balance on your student account is obtained directly from the Accounting & Finance Office. Institutional financial aid cannot exceed institutional charges, so any refund must be generated by outside (federal, state or private) financial aid.

you should contact the human resources office and ask to be put on a waiting list. students who have remaining financial need are given priority on the list. returning students must be on a re-hire list from the human resources office to have work study included as part of their financial aid package.

most initial awards are based on expected full-time enrollment and the corresponding tuition charge, unless otherwise indicated. one of the requirements for any institutional academic scholarship is that you be enrolled full time. furthermore, if you enroll less than full time, your cost of education will be recalculated using actual reduced tuition costs. your family contribution will not be revised, as you are expected to contribute the same amount regardless of your enrollment status. your eligibility for need-based aid will be reduced in proportion to the reduced tuition or other charges that result from less than full-time study.

The two offices have separate administrative functions. The financial aid Office, located on the first floor of Bradley Hall, determines eligibility for grants, loans and work-study. Located on the third floor of Bradley Hall, the Accounting & Finance Office is responsible for billing and collecting payments from students for university charges.

The Accounting & Finance Office will send fall semester statements in early June. you can estimate the amount you'll have to pay once you receive your financial aid package. Subtract your total aid from the listed tuition, room and board charges and divide by two to calculate what you'll owe for the fall semester.

the financial aid office will mail instructions for applying for student and parent loans in april.

yes, maryland residents who complete a fafsa prior to march 1 are considered for need-based awards from the state of maryland. please do not ignore these communications. you will be asked to create an account in the states portal (mdcaps) to review and accept these awards. in addition, you may be required to provide documentation to the state to confirm your eligibility.

yes, the department of education randomly selects student fafsas for verification. as such, the school is required to collect various documents including a verification worksheet and tax information to verify that the fafsa is correct. this is a federal requirement.