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Students have the following rights and responsibilities:
Access to complete information regarding tuition, fees, payment, and refund policies.
Confidentiality of all personal and family financial information.
Reconsideration of student aid eligibility if student and parent situation warrants it through an appeal to Student Financial Services.
To advise Student Financial Services of any additional financial aid received that is not indicated on the Mercyhurst Financial Aid Offer Letter.
To follow application filing deadlines and to submit all required documentation for verification of financial and other information pertaining to the financial aid application process within 30 days of the request.
To give Student Financial Services permission to relay pertinent financial, academic, and other information to donors of aid upon request.
To maintain Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
To comply with the rules governing the types of financial assistance the student receives.
Financial Aid Application Procedures and Deadlines
To apply for federal, state, and institutional need-based (Mercyhurst) financial aid, a student must complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each academic year.
Students can submit the FAFSA electronically via studentaid.gov. To file electronically, a student and their FAFSA Contributors (if applicable) will need Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID. Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 800-433-3243 for additional information about the FAFSA or visit studentaid.gov.
Although students can file the FAFSA any time after October 1 for the following academic year in which they plan to attend. The university’s priority deadline to file the FAFSA is March 15 of that year to ensure full consideration for federal, state, and institutional scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study offers. Mercyhurst’s institutional code, 003297, should be included in the university choice section of the FAFSA.
Students may still file the FAFSA after the priority deadline of March 15; however, they risk not receiving aid from some programs. In addition to the processed FAFSA, Student Financial Services must receive all requested documentation within 30 days of the request but no later than 30 days before the end of the semester or award period. This deadline allows processing and authorization of disbursements within time frames defined by regulations pertaining to federal and state aid programs. Failure to apply or to submit required documentation by the indicated deadlines may result in a loss of financial aid eligibility for all student aid programs.
Students attending a course(s) in the summer term must file a separate Summer Financial Aid Application, by the form’s deadline, to receive Federal Direct Loans for that term. Federal Pell Grants for the summer are automatically awarded. The link to the form is available on the Student Hub after April 15.
Failure to apply or to submit required documentation by the indicated deadlines might result in a loss of financial aid eligibility for all student aid programs.
Student Financial Services Processing Schedule and Deadlines
June
July
August
Fall bills are due (refer to the Payment Policy Section for exact date). Payments must be received by the bill due date.
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
Financial Aid Packaging
Helping students afford a Mercyhurst education is important to the university. Although the primary financial responsibility for an education rests with a student and their family (if applicable), there are several sources that can help reduce the expense of an education at Mercyhurst.
The federal government, state government, and Mercyhurst all provide various forms of assistance to help a student and family finance the student’s education at Mercyhurst.? The student’s Cost of Attendance (COA), Student Aid Index (SAI)?and Financial Need (FN) are the components used to determine a student’s financial aid eligibility and to create a student’s financial aid package
Cost of Attendance
Mercyhurst determines the Cost of Attendance (COA), or budget, which is an estimate of the educational expenses a student will incur during the academic year. These costs include tuition, fees, housing, food, transportation allowance, books and supplies allowance, and miscellaneous educational expenses. Cost of Attendance figures are available in the Cost of Attendance Section.
Student Aid Index
The Student Aid Index (SAI) is an estimate of the family’s financial strength and the ability to contribute, and it is measured by applying the official needs analysis formula to the data submitted on the student’s FAFSA.
Financial Need
Financial Need refers to the COA minus the SAI. Demonstrated Financial Need (COA-SAI=FN) determines a student’s eligibility for need-based financial assistance.
Special Circumstances
Although the formula to determine financial aid eligibility is standard for all applicants, there is some flexibility in recalculating eligibility in special circumstances. For example, if a student or a student’s family has experienced an income reduction due to unemployment, disability, divorce, death, loss of nontaxable income (e.g., child support, Social Security benefits, and so on) or other reason, the student can submit an appeal to potentially have financial aid eligibility recalculated using updated information. Contact Student Financial Services at 814-824-2288 for more information or to schedule an appointment with a Student Financial Services Counselor.
In all cases, special circumstances must be?fully documented with tax returns, death certificates, court documentation, or letters from appropriate agencies, individuals, or employers. If there are other circumstances that affect the amount that a student and family can contribute toward a student’s education, contact Student Financial Services as soon as possible, but keep in mind that the reasons must be sound, and the student will have to provide adequate proof to support any adjustments.
Verification and Eligibility Confirmation
Verification is the process by which Student Financial Services — as dictated by federal regulations — compares the information reported on a FAFSA with a student’s (and student’s parents’) prior-prior-year tax returns and other financial documentation. If a student’s application is selected for verification, the student will be contacted by email requesting the required information. Student Financial Services must receive all requested documentation before federal aid can be disbursed. If there are differences between the data supplied on the FAFSA and the verification documentation, corrections might be needed, and the student’s FAFSA will be reprocessed. This might result in a revision of the financial aid package. Failure to submit documents within the requested time frame will result in cancellation of aid.
If a student is a Pennsylvania resident receiving state aid, Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) might select the student's file for state validation. If a student receives an Applicant Information Request from PHEAA, the student must forward all requested information and financial documents directly to PHEAA. In some cases, PHEAA might request the same information that was requested by Student Financial Services. The student must forward this same information and documentation to PHEAA to avoid a delay in disbursement of funds or loss of state aid altogether.
It is extremely important that students (and parents) respond to requests for information promptly, because finalized financial aid packages are processed in the order of file completion dates. To ensure a student’s financial aid funds are disbursed as scheduled at the start of the fall semester, the student must be registered for classes, make Satisfactory Academic Progress, and submit all required documentation by August 1 prior to the academic year. Failure to reply to requests for information will result in the cancellation of any financial aid offers.
Students may still submit late documents, but aid is not guaranteed. The absolute deadline for submittal of all documents is 30 days before the end of the semester or award period in which the student is enrolled for the academic year. The designated deadlines allow Student Financial Services to process and authorize disbursements within the time frames permitted under federal regulations and university policies.
Enrollment Status
Each financial aid program has specific requirements regarding enrollment status. In general, Student Financial Services uses the following undergraduate enrollment criteria each semester to determine eligibility for the financial aid programs it administers.
| Credits | Enrollment Status Classification |
|
12+ |
Full Time |
|
9-11 |
Three Quarter Time |
|
6-8 |
Half Time |
|
1-5 |
Less than Half Time |
Students enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program are considered undergraduate students for financial aid purposes.
A student’s financial aid package is based on full-time enrollment as determined on the census date (the morning after drop/add). If a student does not have full-time status, financial aid will be adjusted accordingly. Students registered for any Mini 2 or Mini 4 courses will have a secondary census date after the drop/add period for those terms. If changes to enrollment cause the student to be less than full time for the entire semester, aid for the entire semester will be recalculated and, in some cases, canceled. If canceled aid results in a balance owed to the school, the student must pay the balance within 30 days.
Failure to resolve an outstanding balance within that time frame may result in the account being placed on hold, possible deregistration from future registered courses, and a hold on the grades and/or transcripts. Summer enrollment status follows the same enrollment criteria for financial aid eligibility. Students must consult with Student Financial Services if they plan to withdraw from any courses in any term.
Other Eligibility Criteria
Eligibility for federal student aid is determined on the basis of financial need and several other factors. To receive financial aid from federal programs, students must meet the following criteria:
Enrollment at Other Institutions/Study-Abroad
Students cannot receive financial aid at multiple institutions for the same courses. A student must declare which institution is to be considered the “home school” for financial aid eligibility purposes. If students have been approved to study abroad or to attend another institution during a semester to take part or all of their educational requirements, the students might receive some forms of financial aid for that semester, if approved in advance and if a Consortium Agreement is executed between Mercyhurst and the other institution. Not all schools participate in Consortium Agreements, so it is important to confirm this early. Consortium Agreement information is available from Student Financial Services.
The Financial Aid Package
Financial aid at Mercyhurst is awarded according to financial need, merit, talent, athletic ability, or combination of these factors. If a student is eligible for financial assistance based on financial need, the student might receive a combination of gift aid (grants or scholarships that need not be repaid) and self-help aid (loans, which must be repaid, or part-time employment on campus). Any combination of awards is referred to as a student’s financial aid package.
Once a financial aid package has been awarded, a student can review it at any time throughout the year via Self Service. Students are awarded for the official academic year only (fall and spring semesters). If students are interested in receiving federal aid for summer, they must complete a Summer Aid Application. All balances must be paid in full by the bill due date. There is no institutional aid available for summer sessions.
Eligibility for federal and state grants, as well as some Mercyhurst scholarships, is based on the information on the FAFSA and the general eligibility requirements of each program. Gift aid is always awarded before self-help aid. If a student has remaining eligibility after gift aid has been awarded, the student’s financial aid package might also include work-study offers and student loans.
If any portion of the financial aid package consists of Federal SEOG, Federal Work- Study, or Subsidized Stafford Loan, total aid (excluding Unsubsidized Stafford Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, and Alternative Loans) can never exceed a student’s demonstrated financial need. If a student receives a financial aid offer after the original financial aid package is developed and that new award causes an “over award,” some form of financial aid assistance will be reduced so the total aid does not exceed the student’s demonstrated financial need. In all instances, a student’s total financial aid can never exceed a student’s Cost of Attendance.
Mercyhurst University usually reduces self-help aid (loans and work-study offers) first. Gift aid (grants and scholarships) will only be reduced if necessary. If gift aid must be reduced, Mercyhurst grants or scholarships are adjusted before federal, state, or external sources. Also, Mercyhurst grants, or scholarships are reduced when total awards from Mercyhurst exceed a student’s direct costs. Students will never receive a refund of Mercyhurst grants or scholarships in the form of a payment.
