Financial Aid

Financial Assistance

Messiah University wants to assist students in making their graduate education attainable.  Types of aid available to graduate students include discounts, student loans, student employment, federal TEACH Grant, private scholarships, veterans' benefits, and employer assistance. 

The Student Financial Services Office is located on the third floor of the Kim S. Phipps Admissions and Welcome Center at the Mechanicsburg campus. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8:00a.m. to 5:00p.m.  Graduate counselors are available for consultation on financial aid and can be contacted at (717) 691-6004, select the graduate/professional student option or email gradfinancialserv@messiah.edu.

Financial Aid Procedures

Applying for Financial Aid

Step 1: Research financial aid options

• • Review Types of financial aid for an overview of the aid available to graduate students. 
  • Notify Messiah University of any additional funding you may receive from employer reimbursement, private scholarships, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, or veterans benefits.   
  • Review our FAQs for common questions.

Step 2: File the FAFSA

File the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov if you are planning to use federal unsubsidized Direct Loans, Graduate PLUS loans, and/or the TEACH grant.  Students will need to create an FSA ID in order to submit the FAFSA.  Messiah University's Title IV code is 003298.

Step 3: Register for courses

Graduate students must be registered for classes BEFORE financial aid can be awarded.  Federal loan eligibility is based on registration (not financial need).  For unsubsidized Direct loans, students registered half-time (3-5 credits) will generally be awarded $5,125 per  semester, and students registered full-time (6 or more credits) will generally be awarded $10,250 per semester.  Additional financial aid such as veterans’ benefits, Messiah employee benefits, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and graduate discounts are also based on registration.

Step 4: Wait for acknowledgement and submit outstanding requirements

Acknowledgements
After you file the FAFSA, you will receive an acknowledgement email and a Student Aid Report (SAR). The SAR is a summary of your application data. Review this carefully for any messages about things you need to do and for information about your eligibility. Messiah will also receive this report, and we will use it to award your financial aid.

Step 5: Accept Financial Aid Award

• Financial aid is awarded per semester.  Your award notification is sent to your Messiah University email account.  It will include instructions on how to access the award online through  FALCON Link.  Enter “Financial Aid Award” in the search box and follow the link.  Select the correct award year from the dropdown box.  Work through the 6 tabs from left to right. 
  • General Information Tab - Review
  • Award Overview Tab - Review 
  • Resources/Additional Information Tab - Answer all 3 questions.  Answering yes provides the most flexibility.
  • Terms and Conditions Tab –Review and click ACCEPT button at the bottom.
  • Accept Award Offer Tab - Discounts, Veterans' Benefits, Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, Messiah Employee Benefits, and Grad PLUS Loans are already in accepted status.  Unsubsidized Direct Loans are in offered status, and a decision must be entered (accept full award, accept a partial amount, or decline). Accept what is needed for the current semester.
  • Special Message - Review
• The loan amount offered may be considerably more than what is needed.  We recommend accepting only what is needed to cover your educational expenses to keep your debt low.  Interest will begin accruing after the loan disburses onto your student account.  Our graduate student financial counselors can assist you in determining what loan amount will cover charges and any estimated additional educational expenses.  The federal government charges a loan origination fee that comes off the top of unsubsidized Direct Loans and Graduate PLUS loans.  Each loan will disburse slightly less than the amount that is accepted.
• This helpful Loan Payment Calculator  computes an estimate of the size of your monthly loan payments and the annual salary required to manage them.  Additional information about federal student loans is available at https://studentaid.gov/.

Step 6: Additional steps for federal loans and TEACH Grant

When accepting an unsubsidized Direct Loan, loan entrance counseling and a Loan Agreement (MPN) Master Promissory Note must be completed.  Both last for 10 years, so if you have had a recent Direct Loan, you do not need to complete these again if they are still active.

• Log in to https://studentaid.gov/.  Select the In School tab.  Select Complete Loan Entrance Counseling.
• From the same website, https://studentaid.gov/, In School tab select Complete Loan Agreement (Master Promissory Note).
• You will need to log in with your FSA ID to complete all federal requirements.
• You can review all your federal student loans at https://studentaid.gov/. Log in to review.

To apply for a Graduate PLUS Loan, if needed as a supplemental loan, an additional application and Master Promissory Note are required.  

• Log in to https://studentaid.gov/; select the In School tab then Apply for a PLUS Loan for Graduate School.
• Complete the Loan Agreement for a PLUS Loan (MPN).  

Prior to receiving a TEACH Grant, 2 items must be completed.

• Log in to https://studentaid.gov/. Select the In School tab and then Complete TEACH Grant Counseling and Agreement to Serve.  You will need to log-in with your FSA ID to complete these requirements.

Step 7: Financial Aid disbursement schedule

Graduate financial aid typically disburses into the account 3 days after the student’s first course begins each semester.  This includes unsubsidized Direct Loans, Graduate PLUS Loans, graduate discounts, and Messiah employee benefits.  Disbursement may be delayed due to Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) review.  Federal regulations require Messiah University to review student grades to confirm SAP is achieved before disbursing any additional federal aid.  Messiah University does this after each semester.

Please note that Veteran’s benefits, scholarship checks, and Office of Vocational Rehabilitation benefits will be applied when the actual payment arrives at Messiah, but not before the disbursement date.

Complete a Refund Request

• Refunds can be requested by graduate students who have a credit balance on their student account. Refunds will be processed after financial aid has disbursed onto student accounts.
• To request a refund, go to FALCONLink>Request Student Refund.  Complete the form, submit, review, then send request.  You will get an automated email response when your request has been received.  Refunds take about 2 weeks to process after the account has a credit.
• Students may reduce their loan by emailing Student Financial Services Graduate Counselors at gradfinancialserv@messiah.edu.

Financial Aid Possibilities

Unless otherwise indicated, financial aid applies to the 2023-2024 academic year and is subject to change.

School of Graduate & Professional Studies Discounts

Messiah University offers many graduate program discounts to graduate degree and certificate seeking students.  Visit the School of Graduate & Professional Studies Discount webpage for a current list of discounts.  The Graduate Programs Discount Application must be submitted and renewed for most discounts each academic year for the discount to be applied to the student’s account.

TEACH Grants

Messiah University participates in the Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program which provides grants of up to $4000 a year to students who intend to teach in a "high-need" field at a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.

However, in order for the TEACH Grant to remain a grant and not convert to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the student must serve as a full-time teacher, in the TEACH Grant-eligible program for which they receive TEACH Grant funds, for a total of at least four academic years within eight calendar years of graduation. The student must also meet the minimum GPA requirement of 3.25 in the year preceding the awarding of the grant monies.

Award amounts for any TEACH Grant first disbursed on or after Oct. 1, 2020, and before Oct. 1, 2024 is $3,772.

To apply for the TEACH Grant, follow these steps:

1. Review requirements and terms and conditions here. 
2. Complete the FAFSA at www.studentaid.gov (each academic year) 
3. Go to www.studentaid.gov, In School tab to complete TEACH Grant Counseling and Agreement to Serve or Repay (each academic year)

Student loans

A loan is a form of financial assistance that requires repayment. Repayment of principal typically begins six months after the student is no longer attending school. Graduate students have a variety of loans available to them. Most students find that their financial obligations can be met by the federal unsubsidized Direct Loan, but below is information about both federal and private loans.

Federal loans

Two types of non-need based federal loans are available to graduate students enrolled at least half-time. Both loans accrue interest while in school, with payments deferred until after the grace period (6 months after you become enrolled less than half-time or graduate).  Messiah University defines half-time as 3-5 credits per semester.

Interest begins accruing as soon as each loan is disbursed.  It is recommended that accrued interest be paid while you are in school, as this will greatly reduce your long-term loan debt. 

In addition to the fixed interest rate, Direct Loans charges an origination fee that reduces the net amount of loan disbursed onto the student’s account.  Federal loans generally offer lower interest rates than private loans, are guaranteed by the U.S. Government, and offer flexible repayment plans and loan forgiveness programs. To apply for one or both loans, see How to Apply for Aid. Additional information about federal student loans is available at https://studentaid.gov/.

1. Unsubsidized Direct Loan

The fixed interest rate for unsubsidized Direct Loans for the 2023-2024 academic year is 7.05% with a 1.057% origination fee.

Eligible full-time students may borrow up to $10,250 per semester with an aggregate limit of $138,500, which includes any Direct Loans borrowed while obtaining an undergraduate degree.

Since interest rates and fees are lower on unsubsidized Direct Loans, students are encouraged to take advantage of this loan before taking a Graduate PLUS loan.

2. Graduate PLUS Loan

The fixed interest rate for Graduate PLUS Loans for the 2023-2024 academic year is 8.05% with a 4.228% origination fee.

 Eligible students may borrow up to the cost of attendance for the year – which can include some living expenses – minus other aid received.  A simple credit check is required. 

Most students find the unsubsidized Direct Loan meets all their financial needs.  The Graduate PLUS Loan is helpful to students who have reached the aggregate limit of $138,500, or those with educational expenses that exceed $10,250 each semester.

Private student loans

Some private loan providers offer rates that are competitive with the Graduate PLUS Loan for applicants with excellent credit.  There are also loans specific to MBA and health professional graduate students that may be worthwhile to research.

The terms and conditions of private student loans vary greatly. We recommend that you pay close attention to the eligibility criteria and terms, and be aware that not all private loans are available to graduate students.  Elm Select provides a list of lenders other students have used.

Credible - You may also use this comparison site to see which lenders you qualify for and at what rates.  Credible is a unique marketplace of student loan lenders, providing personalized, prequalified rates from multiple lenders. Credible allows you to compare loans from multiple providers side-by-side in under 2 minutes, including eligibility rules, rates, and terms.

Credible is not a lender or bank — Credible partners with student loan lenders so they can provide you with a variety of competitive options, enabling you to find the right loan product for your needs. Best of all, Credible is completely free! You can find out more about Credible and begin your process @ www.credible.com or call 866.540.6005.

Student work study positions

Opportunities for graduate students to be employed by Messiah University are limited to the Mechanicsburg campus and Winding Hill location. When funds and positions are available, work study assignments can be awarded to graduate students. To be considered for a work study position you must be:

• Degree-seeking,
• Enrolled full time,
• Available to work at the Mechanicsburg campus and Winding Hill location (hours vary with assignment).

Graduate students interested in work study employment should contact the following:

• Student Employment - contact the Student Employment Office at studentemployment@messiah.edu
• Professional Employment - contact the Office of Human Resources & Compliance at humanres@messiah.edu

Graduate assistantships in higher education

Messiah University has a limited number of graduate assistantships for full-time degree-seeking students in the Master of Arts in higher education program. Graduate assistantships offer students the opportunity to put the theories, gained through classroom instruction, into practice through supervised, real-world experience. Each graduate assistantship offers a financial stipend commensurate with the expectations associated with the position. A graduate assistantship consists of 20 hours per week with an academic year stipend that equals tuition charged for 18 credits. Start and ending dates vary among assistantships. Students who receive graduate assistantships also pay full tuition, that is, tuition is not waived. Graduate assistants are eligible for student health insurance. To be eligible for a graduate assistantship, students must be enrolled full-time (15 academic units per calendar year) in the master's in higher education program and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0.  Please click here to learn more.

Tuition Reimbursement/Employer Assistance

Graduate students who are eligible for employer reimbursement can defer payment of their reimbursed charges until after the end of the semester.  The Deferred Tuition Payment Agreement must be completed by the student and employer.  This is an agreement between the student and Messiah University. Federal regulations require students to notify the university of any reimbursement they will receive.  These funds are considered when calculating financial aid eligibility for federal loans. 

Veterans' Benefits

Messiah University is happy to welcome veterans and/or their family members to our community. The GI Bill® Veterans' benefits may be used by those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, their spouses and dependents, and/or their surviving family members. Graduate students who plan to receive veterans' benefits to help pay for educational expenses should take the appropriate steps to confirm their eligibility with the VA. Once a student has received confirmation, they must submit a copy of their Certificate of Eligibility from the VA and a completed Veterans' Benefits Reporting Form (available on the Veterans' Benefits webpage) to the Financial Aid Office.  Our School Certifying Official is Steve Gross and you may contact him at sgross@messiah.edu.  GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).  More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the official U.S. government web site at https://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

Private Scholarships

A scholarship is a form of financial assistance that does not need to be repaid.  Students who are awarded private scholarships should notify Student Financial Services with the details of their scholarship.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

All students (including international students) enrolled at Messiah University are subject to the academic standards of the University, which are printed in the Graduation Information section of the University catalog. In addition, students receiving financial aid, in order to continue to receive financial aid, must meet other requirements as described in detail in this Statement of Satisfactory Academic Progress.

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), mandates institutions of higher education to establish minimum standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) for students receiving financial aid. Program Integrity Regulations, modifying these requirements, were issued October 29, 2010, with an effective date of July 1, 2011.  In order to comply with these requirements, Messiah University has established the following definition or standard of Satisfactory Academic Progress for graduate students.

Full-Time and Less Than Full-Time Graduate Students

Messiah University defines  Full-Time and Less Than Full-Time status for graduate students:

Full-Time Status: Graduate students who carry an academic load of 6 or more credit hours in a semester are considered full-time students and may be eligible for financial aid as full-time students.

Half-Time Status: Graduate students who carry an academic load of at least 3 credit hours but less than 6 credit hours in a semester are considered half-time students and may be eligible for any financial aid open to half-time students.

Less Than Half-Time Status: Graduate students who carry an academic load of 1-2 credit hours in a semester are considered less than half-time students and may be eligible for financial aid that is open to less than half-time students.

Since most financial aid programs for which graduate students are eligible require at least half-time attendance, a graduate student would need to be enrolled at or above the half-time status in order to be eligible for most financial aid programs.

To be considered to be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student must meet the following standards:

Pace

Have successfully completed an average of 67% of credit hours attempted during each semester of attendance. An Attempted Credit Hour is defined as a credit for which the student was registered after the point in a term at which the student will still be fully charged for the credit even if the student does not complete the credit.  For graduate programs at Messiah University, this means the student was registered for the credit after the end of the 33.3% institutional refund period.

Explanation of the use of percentage of credit hours completed: Use of percentage of credit hours completed over the student's entire academic career allows the student to complete fewer credits in later semesters while still maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress standing, provided the student completed enough credits during earlier semesters in order to maintain an average completion rate of 67% over the student's entire academic history.

Example of the use of percentage of credit hours completed: Meredith attempts and completes 6 credits in each of her first two semesters of attendance (12 total/100% of attempted credits).  Then, in each of her third and fourth semesters, she attempts 6 credits, but only completes 3 credits.  Meredith has now attempted 24 credits and completed 18 credits after four semesters of attendance.  Even though she did not complete all of the credits attempted in each of her four semesters, she is considered to have Satisfactory Academic Progress standing because she has completed 75% of the credits that she has attempted (18 total credits completed divided by 24 credits attempted equals 75% completed).

Qualitative Measure

Regular Admission Students: Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.00.

Conditional Admission Students: In accordance with the Messiah University Graduate Programs Standards of Scholarship policy, found in the Academic Policies and Procedures section of the current Graduate Studies Catalog, applicants whose application does not meet the criteria for degree-seeking or non-degree seeking status, but who appear to have the capability to successfully complete graduate courses, may be admitted to Messiah University on a conditional admittance status. A conditionally admitted applicant must satisfy the conditions of his/her admittance in order to continue in the program. The specific conditions and length of time permitted to meet the stated conditions shall be detailed in a letter from the Director or Admissions Committee of the student’s chosen program.  Students satisfying these conditions are considered to be maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress. 

Remedies for Non-Satisfactory Academic Progress Standing:

A student who does not meet this standard will need to complete the following steps in order to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress standing.

Warning Status

Warning Status occurs following the first semester after which:

• the student's cumulative GPA falls below 3.00, or;
• the student fails to attain a cumulative completion rate of at least 67% of credit hours attempted.

The Financial Aid Office will automatically place the student in a financial aid warning status for the next semester and inform the student of this status.  No action is required on the part of the student in order to be placed in a warning status.

During the warning semester, the student must regain Satisfactory Academic Progress standing by 1) completing enough credit hours so that the student's cumulative credits completed are at least 67% of the total credits attempted, and/or 2) achieving a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0.

Probation Status

If, by the end of the warning semester, the student is not able to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress status, the student will not be able to receive financial aid for the next period of enrollment unless the student successfully appeals.

The requirements of this Satisfactory Academic Progress policy can be appealed based on the following circumstances:

• Death of a relative
• Student injury or illness
• Other special circumstance.

The student's appeal must include:

• An explanation of why the student failed to make Satisfactory Academic Progress.  In other words, explain how the circumstance prevented the student from performing up to his or her normal academic potential.
• A description of what has changed that will allow the student to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress status after the probationary semester.

To appeal the loss of Satisfactory Academic Progress status, the student should complete the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form and submit it to the Messiah University Financial Aid Office, along with any documentation supporting the appeal.  In order to obtain a Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form, the student must contact the Financial Aid Office and discuss the grounds for appeal with a Financial Aid Administrator.  The Financial Aid Administrator will then send the Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form to the student if the situation warrants.

Academic Plan

A part of the appeal process can be the establishment of an academic plan designed to help the student regain Satisfactory Academic Progress standing.  The Satisfactory Academic Progress Appeal form includes space for this.   The academic plan is worked out between the student, his or her academic advisor, and/or the Registrars' Office.   The academic plan is not required at the start of the probationary semester.  But, if the student fails to regain Satisfactory Academic Progress status at the end of the probationary semester, the student must be successfully following the academic plan in order to continue to receive financial aid. The academic plan must define how the student can regain Satisfactory Academic Progress status by a specific point in time.

Frequency of Progress Checks

The Financial Aid Office will check Satisfactory Academic Progress each semester.  If a student fails to achieve Satisfactory Academic Progress, the student will be informed of this via letter or electronic mail from the Financial Aid Office.  Included in this communication will be information on the student's status, the effect of this status on the student's financial aid eligibility, and any actions that the student must take.  The notice will be sent to the student's most current address on file. It is the responsibility of the student to inform the University of a correct mailing address at all times.  If sent by electronic mail, the student's Messiah University electronic mail address will be used for all such communications.    Since the break between semesters is not always long enough to allow the Satisfactory Academic Progress review to be completed before the start of the next semester, it is expected that students will be familiar with this policy and aware of their own situation as related to Satisfactory Academic Progress.  Even if the next semester starts before a Satisfactory Academic Progress notice has been sent to the student, it will still be necessary to adjust the student's financial aid in accordance with the policy once the Satisfactory Academic Progress review is completed.

Repeated Courses

The student's enrollment status may include repeating any coursework previously taken in the program but may not include more than one repetition of a previously passed course, or any repetition of a previously passed course due to the student's failing other coursework.  In other words, an institution may not pay a student for retaking previously passed courses if the student is required to retake those courses because the student failed a different course in a prior term.  For example, if a student enrolls in four classes in the fall semester and passes three of them, the institution could require the student to retake the failed class and also require the student to retake the other three classes because of failing the one class. If the student retakes the four classes in the spring semester, the failed class would be included in the student's enrollment, but the three classes passed in the fall would not be included in determining the student's enrollment status for the spring semester, for financial aid purposes.

Miscellaneous

Any withdrawals that take place before or during the 33.3% institutional refund period will not be counted as credits attempted when determining Pace. Incomplete courses and course withdrawals after the 33.3% institutional refund period will be counted as credits attempted but not earned in Satisfactory Academic Progress calculations. Noncredit remedial courses will not be counted towards Satisfactory Academic Progress.

Transfer hours counted toward completion of the student's program will be counted as both hours attempted and hours completed, but will not be counted in the calculation of GPA.

Generally, all periods of the student's enrollment count when judging Satisfactory Academic Progress, even periods in which the student did not receive financial aid funds. However, for students who change majors, credits attempted and grades earned that do not count toward the new major will not be included in the SAP determination.  Students seeking to earn additional degrees will be placed into the grade level progression based on the number of credits accepted toward the additional degree and financial aid eligibility will be based on the grade level determined in this way.

Maximum Time Frame

Under Federal regulation, the maximum time frame that a student may have to complete an undergraduate program is 150% of the published length of the educational program for a full-time student. Messiah University has chosen to make this measurement on a credit basis. Since the various graduate programs require different numbers of credits to be completed in order to obtain a degree, the calculation of maximum time frame will vary by program:

It is expected that all students will complete all degree requirements by the time the student has completed the number of credit hours defined above. Students who do not complete their program within this time frame may continue to attend, but they will not be able to continue to receive financial aid.