Merit scholarships awarded through the admissions process are for eight semesters and include a cumulative GPA requirement. The initial GPA review takes place after four semesters. Students who fail to achieve the required GPA will have their scholarship reduced anywhere from 10-50 percent depending on how far below the standard their GPA is. Students who fail to achieve the required GPA after their first year will receive a warning letter but will maintain the full value of the scholarship.
Your cumulative GPA requirement was listed in your acceptance letter and is also provided below.
| Scholarship | ENROLLED PRIOR TO FALL 2019 | ENROLLED IN FALL 2019 OR AFTER |
|---|---|---|
| Trustee | 3.0 | 3.2 |
| Presidential | 2.75 | 3.0 |
| Provost | n/a | 2.75 |
| Dean's | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Transfer | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| Leadership/University | 2.0 | 2.0 |
Students who wish to appeal a loss of scholarship money based on unusual circumstances (health/medical issues, extenuating family problems, etc.) must do so in writing to the chair of the Scholarship Committee. Students who have had their scholarships reduced for failure to maintain the proper cumulative grade point average may have their original award re-instated by either:
These increases will take effect for the subsequent semesters and are not retroactive.
Hours: Mon. - Fri.: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Phone number: 301-447-5207
Email: finaid@msmary.edu
The Mount is fortunate to have so many alumni and friends who support our students through our endowed scholarship program. The scholarships below are awarded to currently enrolled students based on their accomplishments on campus. Amounts are determined annually.
Awarded by the School of Education to a rising senior based on financial need, academic merit and participation with Campus Ministry.
Awarded by the School of Education to a rising junior with an interest in Spanish based on financial need and academic merit.
Awarded by the School of Education based on academic merit, extracurricular activities and community service.
Awarded by the Department of Psychology to a rising junior or senior. A minimum 3.0 GPA required.
Awarded by the Institute for Leadership to a rising senior who demonstrates exemplary skills, character and knowledge to become a caring and ethical leader. Financial need is not a consideration.
Awarded by the Department for Visual and Performing Arts to an upperclass student based on academic merit and music ability.
Awarded by the Department for Visual and Performing Arts to an upperclass student based on academic merit and ability in the theatre arts.
Awarded by the alumni office to rising seniors based on financial need, service to the Mount and service to the student’s local community. A minimum 3.0 GPA is required.
Awarded by the alumni office to a rising senior or transfer junior or senior who demonstrates financial need and provides a written letter of recommendation from a faculty member. Preference will be given to students with a verified connection to an alumna of St. Joseph College.
Current sophomores and juniors who met the criteria below are eligible to apply for additional scholarship dollars. Multiple students will be selected. If selected, the additional scholarship amounts will range from $500 to $1,800 and are only awarded for the next year.
Awarded by the Richard J. Bolte, Jr. School of Business to rising seniors based on academic merit, financial need and a required essay. A minimum 3.2 GPA is required.
Students looking to apply for additional need-based financial aid must file the FAFSA. In addition to university-funded grants, other types of need-based financial aid include federal grants, loans and work study as well as state grants for Maryland residents.
For the 2022-23 academic year, the FAFSA becomes available in October 2021. Because the income requested on the application is from 2020, all families should be in a position to file the FAFSA once it becomes available.
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.
March 1 All returning students must submit their FAFSA prior to March 1. Those who fail to meet this deadline risk losing need-based aid, including their work-study position. Students will receive their financial aid award notification via email during the first two weeks of June.
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. 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.
FAFSA deadline: March 1
MSMU school code: 002086
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 scholarships, 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. The award amount is based on working eight (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:
To receive Title IV federal grants, loans and work study as well as state financial aid, a student must:<
The Title IV code to use on the FAFSA is 002086.
The FAFSA deadline is March 1. Applications received after the deadline risk losing their need-based aid, including their work-study position and any aid awarded through the state of Maryland.
The Financial Aid Office will email award notifications to returning students during the first two weeks of June. Students must sign and return the award letters within two weeks of receipt.
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.
This tool allows data from your federal tax returns to be retrieved directly from the IRS's website in order to auto-fill the income section of your FAFSA form. This helps reduce errors and simplify the verification process.
Probably not if you are an undergraduate student. To determine if you meet the federal definition of an independent student, review the six 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 mid-June. You also can access your account balance on the Mount’s portal after mid-June. You must accept your student loans via Net Partner (the Mount's Financial Aid Portal) for the loans to be posted to your account. Instructions on how to do this will be included with your award notification email.
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 state's 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 FAFSA’s 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.
Loan consolidation allows students to combine all of their existing federal student loans into one. There are several advantages of loan consolidation. It simplifies repayment by having multiple loans under a single loan holder, reduces the required minimum monthly payments by extending the repayment period from the standard 10 years to a maximum of 30 years, and uses a graduated repayment schedule. The disadvantages to loan consolidation are that students end up paying more interest and they are no longer eligible for many types of deferments. At this time, the only federal consolidation loan being offered is with the U. S. Department of Education. You can obtain an application and more information online.
You are able to view all of your federal loan history by creating a login with the National Student Loan Database. To gain access to the NSLDS website, it is best to use a web browser such as Firefox or the newest version of Internet Explorer. You will need your FSA ID to log into the website.