Graduate Students

In order to be considered for federal aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at studentaid.gov/fafsa.

Before you complete the FAFSA application, please read the information below to help guide you through answering some of the FAFSA questions that many students entering the Graduate or Doctoral Programs find confusing to answer. These questions appear under the Student Demographics section of the application. Please note, answering these FAFSA questions inaccurately may delay the processing of your financial aid.

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What degree or certificate will you be working on when you begin the school year?

• Choose the option: Graduate or professional degree

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What will your college grade level be when you begin the school year?

• Choose either: 1st-year graduate/professional OR continuing graduate/professional or beyond

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At the beginning of the school year, will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program (such as an MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, graduate certificate, etc.)?

• You should answer: YES to this question if you have been admitted into a Master's degree-seeking program.

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Please note, that by answering yes to one or more questions in the student status section, you will automatically be considered an independent student. You will receive a pop-up box asking if you wish to provide parental information on the FAFSA - it will indicate that some schools require this information. Millersville University does not require parental information for students seeking a master's degree. If you are submitting your FAFSA to other schools, you should check with their Financial Aid Office to determine if you need to put parental information on your FAFSA.

Students seeking a Graduate, Master, or Doctoral degree are not eligible for any federal or state grants. Per federal regulations, once a student receives their first bachelor's degree, students are only eligible for federal loans.

general eligibility

To be eligible for federal aid, students must meet all general federal aid eligibility requirements, as well as:

• Have a completed FAFSA on file with Millersville University
• Be enrolled at least half-time in their Course Program of Study(CPOS) each semester in order to qualify for Federal Direct Loans.
  • 2023-2024 and future academic years: half-time enrollment is 3 CPOS credits 
  • 2022-2023 and prior academic years: half-time enrollment is 6 CPOS credits
• Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress.
• Not be in default of any other federal loan(s).

Annual Loan Limits

Students are eligible to receive up to $20,500 in a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan per academic year. The academic year includes the summer, fall, and spring semesters. 

• The Office of Financial Aid will offer the maximum amount you are eligible to receive up to your Cost of Attendance. 
  • If you want to use a portion of your loans in the summer you must complete the Summer Aid Application. 

aggregate lifetime loan Limits

• Graduate students cannot exceed $138,500 of the total amount borrowed in Federal Direct Loans for any undergraduate degree or graduate degree (this includes any amounts borrowed for your initial bachelor's degree, Post-Baccalaureate Certification, Graduate Programs, etc.) This is referred to as Aggregate Lifetime Loan Limits.

The Office of Financial Aid will offer the maximum amount you are eligible to receive up to your Cost of Attendance.

• Students must accept their loan offer through their MAX account for it to be credited toward their bill. 
  • If you are having issues accepting your loans or wish to accept/reduce them to a specific amount, you can do so by contacting the Office of Financial Aid at 717-871-5100 or by completing a Loan Change Form.
• Students must have a valid Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note on file with the Department of Education. 
• If you want to use a portion of your loans in the summer you must complete the Summer Aid Application. 
• Failure to meet the general eligibility requirements listed above may result in the cancellation of your loan offer.

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Check out these step-by-step instructions on how to navigate your myVILLE Student Portal and MAX Account so you can ensure your financial aid requirements are completed and avoid processing delays!

NAVIGATING YOUR STUDENT PORTAL AND REQUIREMENTS

For other Financial Aid Tips and Tools, click here.

 

To continue receiving federal aid you must complete a new FAFSA application each year and ensure you are meeting all the eligibility criteria. Click the links below to learn more about Course Program of Study (CPOS), Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), and Aggregate Lifetime Loan limits to see how they can affect your aid eligibility.

Course Program of Study (CPOS)

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

Aggregate Lifetime Loan Limits

 

If the Federal Direct Loan is not enough to cover your expenses there is additional funding for which a graduate student can apply:

• Federal Graduate PLUS Loan
• Private/Alternative Loans

It is recommended that students exhaust the Federal Direct Loan eligibility before looking into additional loan options. A graduate student can receive up to $20,500 for one academic year in federal loans. Keep in mind that the Office of Financial Aid cannot process financial aid for more than the cost of education. 

Students are billed per semester and at a per credit rate. For more information on the cost per credit for your program, click the link below and select the applicable year that you plan to be enrolled. Then select the whether you will be enrolled in a standard graduate program or a fully-online program to see the costs pertaining to you! 

You can learn more about:

• Your charges versus the Cost of Attendance (COA)
• Tuition & Fees per credit
• The maximum amount that you can borrow per academic year (COA)
• Summer & Winter tuition rates
• Explanation of Fees
• Payment & Financial Aid Resources
• Other important billing and financial aid information, such as general billing/due dates, instructions on viewing your balance due and other tips for understanding your bill. 

 Tuition & Costs

To receive a portion of your federal loans in the summer you must have a FAFSA application on file for the upcoming academic year (summer, fall, spring) and you must also complete Millersville's Summer Aid Application to request funds in the summer. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible. Click below to learn more about Summer Aid.

APPLYING FOR SUMMER AID