Table of Contents

• Citizenship Requirements
• Merit and Need-Based Financial Aid
• How A Student's Financial Need is Determined
• Your Financial Aid Package
• Special Circumstances
• Receiving Your Financial Aid
• Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility - Satisfactory Academic Progress
• Withdrawing/Leaving MU - How it will affect your financial aid
• Glossary

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Citizenship Requirements

In order to be eligible for federal financial aid, the student must be one of the following:

• A U.S. citizen
• A U.S. national (including natives of American Samoa or Swain's Island)
• A U.S. permanent resident who has an I-1551, I-551, or I-551C Alien Registration Card

OR

The student must have an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94 Form) from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) showing one of the following designations:

• "Refugee"
• "Asylum Granted"
• "Indefinite Parole" and/or "Humanitarian Parole"
• "Cuban-Haitan Entrant, Status Pending"
• "Conditional Entrant" (valid only if issue before April 1, 1980)

Students are NOT eligible for federal financial aid if they:

• have only a Notice of Approval to Apply for Permanent Residence (I-171 or I-464)
• have been granted relief from deportation under the Family Unity Program (previously this category of students were eligible for federal student aid)
• are temporary residents allowed to live and work in the U.S. under the Legalization or Special Agricultural Worker program (previously this category of students were eligible for federal student aid)
• are in the U.S. on an F1 or F2 student visa
• are in the U.S. on a J1 or J2 exchange or visitor visa
• have a G series visa (pertaining to international organizations
• have another nonimmigrant visa, including those with work visas and foreign government officials and their dependents
• are undocumented

Merit and Need-Based Financial Aid

Financial aid is awarded to students based on merit, financial need, or both. Merit scholarships are awarded based on the stated criteria, usually a high grade point average, high standardized test scores, and/or exceptional talent. Need-based scholarships and grants are awarded based upon a student's financial need. Some scholarship requirements include both merit and need-based criteria.

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How A Student's Financial Need is Determined

Financial need is determined using the student’s and parents’ (if applicable) financial information specified on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), FAFSA on the Web, or the renewal FAFSA, if you applied for aid last year. (The application was created to determine the student's need for the Federal financial aid programs. Millersville University also uses this information in awarding need-based financial aid from state, institutional, and private funding sources.)

The information you provide on the FAFSA is processed using a formula, established by the U.S. Congress, that calculates your Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the amount you and your family are expected to contribute toward your education.* [For more details about the formula that is used and to estimate the amount of your Expected Family Contribution, you may wish to take a look at the Financial Aid Estimation Form provided on the Financial Aid Information Page maintained by Mark Kantrowitz.]
*Please note: the outstanding balance of your bill and the EFC may differ. You will be responsible for the outstanding balance.

The federal processor will send this information to you on your Student Aid Report (SAR) which also serves as an acknowledgment that the application was processed. You may receive this acknowledgement electronically (known as an e-SAR) via email, if you provide an email address on the FAFSA. The federal processor also electronically transmits the analysis of the data you submitted to each of the institutions you specified on the FAFSA.

Each college or university determines how much it will cost for you to attend school, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, personal expenses, and transportation expenses. This is called your Cost of Attendance or cost of education and is unique to each school to which you apply. (This is one reason you may be eligible for more financial aid at one school than another--it may cost more to attend the other school.) The cost of education at Millersville University is based upon research done by University staff and students who review the costs annually to ensure they are realistic.

To determine your financial need, your expected family contribution is subtracted from the cost of attendance.

Cost of Attendance
-Expected Family Contribution
Financial Need

Example: Joe Student is a Pennsylvania Resident who is entering his freshman year of college at Millersville University for 2008-2009. He plans to live on-campus in the residence halls. Joe filed his FAFSA using his and his parents’ information, since he is a dependent student. When he received his SAR, the EFC was listed at $5,342. We determine his financial need by the following figures:

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Your Financial Aid Package

Once the Millersville University Office of Financial Aid has received your FAFSA results and other required forms, a financial aid package is developed based on your financial need. Scholarships and grants for which you are eligible are awarded first, followed by employment and loans. The Office of Financial Aid will send you an award notification outlining the financial aid included in your package.
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Special Circumstances

Although the process of determining your financial aid eligibility is basically the same for all applicants, there is some flexibility in specific circumstances. If you feel you have any special circumstances that might affect the amount you and your family are expected to contribute, be sure to contact the Office of Financial Aid.

Receiving Your Financial Aid

The Bursar's Office is responsible for billing and disbursing your financial aid. Your financial aid is applied directly to contracted University charges (tuition, fees, room, and board costs). Any excess funds will be mailed to you at the address you have on file with the Registrar's Office at that time. Any excess funds for the PLUS loan will be mailed to the student.

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Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility

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FINANCIAL AID ACADEMIC PROGRESS POLICY
In order to receive federal and state student financial aid, a student must pass a prescribed number of NEW CREDITS each academic year. For federal student aid (also known as Title IV aid), this policy includes all degree-seeking students, regardless of receipt of federal aid. Federal student aid includes Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Stafford Loan, and Federal PLUS Loan. For state aid, this policy includes only those students who have been awarded a PA State Grant.

A NEW CREDIT is defined as a credit for which the student has not previously passed with a grade of A, B, C, D, or pass.

THE ABOVE CHART REFERS TO CREDITS
DURING FALL/SPRING SEMESTERS ONLY

  PLEASE NOTE : Credits taken during the summer session prior to the fall semester do NOT count in the credit requirements in the above chart. We only review students who receive federal or state financial aid during the summer sessions, so they will have a greater credit requirement. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid for additional information.

Failure to pass the prescribed number of NEW CREDITS during an academic year will result in the student losing his/her eligibility for financial aid. Neither courses in which students withdraw ('W' grade) nor receive an incomplete ('I' grade) will count as earned credits toward the required number of new credits. Those students enrolled in developmental courses should contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine how these courses are counted for the purpose of academic progress. Summer session courses taken prior to the academic year in review do NOT count toward the required number of new credits.

Students who are ineligible to receive aid due to academic progress will be notified by mail at the conclusion of the spring semester, after grades have been posted. Students will have the opportunity to appeal the decision based on extraordinary circumstances or he/she may make up the credits without financial aid during the winter and summer sessions.

Download a Federal Appeal Form (this form applies only to Federal Aid and does NOT include the PHEAA State Grant). This form requires Adobe Acrobat Reader. (Please note: This form is available online only between mid-May , after we do our Satisfactory Academic Progress Review, and mid-June. Actual deadlines will be posted each year.)

Maximum Student Aid Payments
PHEAA State Grant — There is a maximum of 8* award payments for full-time undergraduate students.

*Equivalent maximum payments and semesters have been established for students who are less than full time.

Maximum Length of Program and Eligibility to receive Federal Financial Aid
Federal Regulations state that a student must complete his/her undergraduate program in 150% of the time of the scheduled length of the program. The standard length for students pursuing an undergraduate degree at Millersville University is the equivalent of 120 credits. Regardless of receipt of any federal financial aid during the undergraduate program, a student may only receive federal financial aid [including Federal Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG), National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART), Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG), Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Work-Study, Federal Stafford Loan, and Federal PLUS Loan] up to 180 credits attempted. (Please be aware that your financial aid may be adjusted if you have attempted more than 168 credits). Courses in which students withdraw or receive an incomplete will count toward the number of attempted credits. The Office of Financial Aid will notify students when this credit limit is reached.

Transfer Students - All transfer credits accepted by Millersville will count toward the 180-credit limit.

Academic Dismissal
A student who is dismissed from Millersville University for academic reasons will be eligible for financial aid only if they have met the prescribed number of credits for academic progress at the time of the student’s initial semester of re-entry to Millersville University.

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Withdrawing/Leaving MU - How it will affect your financial aid

RETURN OF FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID
As part of the Higher Education Amendments of 1998, Congress passed new provisions governing what must happen to your federal financial assistance if you completely withdraw from school in any semester. This change of policy went into effect at Millersville University beginning with the Fall 2000 semester. The policy governs all federal grant and loan programs, including Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, Academic Competitiveness Grant, National SMART Grant, Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Stafford Loans and Federal PLUS Loans, but does not affect Federal Work-Study.

In general, the new law assumes that you “earn” your federal financial aid awards directly in proportion to the number of days of the term you attend. If you completely withdraw from school during a term, the school must calculate, according to a specific formula, the portion of the total scheduled financial assistance you have earned, and are therefore entitled to receive, up to the time you withdrew. If you receive (or the University receives on your behalf) more assistance than you earn, the unearned excess funds must be returned to the Department of Education. If, on the other hand, you receive (or the University receives on your behalf) less assistance than the amount you have earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds.

The portion of your federal grants and loans you are entitled to receive is calculated on a percentage basis. Once you have completed more than 60% of the semester, you can be said to have earned all 100% of your assistance. In other words, your financial aid will not be adjusted. For the Fall 2008 semester, the date that your financial aid will no longer be adjusted is October 31, 2008. If you withdraw from the University (either officially or unofficially) before October 31, 2008, you may have to repay some of the federal monies that were already disbursed to you. Please note that withdrawing from the university will have an effect on your future financial aid eligibility. See the previous section on Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility.

Your withdrawal date will be determined by the University as:

(1) the date you began the University’s withdrawal process (as described in the Schedule of Classes) or the date you officially notified the Registrar of your intent to withdraw;
(2) the midpoint of the semester if you withdraw without notifying the University; or
(3) your last date of attendance at an academically-related activity as documented by the University.

If you have received excess funds that must be returned to the government, the University shares with you the responsibility of returning those excess funds. The University’s portion of the excess funds to be returned is equal to the lesser of (1) the entire amount of the excess funds, or (2) your total tuition and fee charges multiplied by the percentage of unearned funds.

If the University is not required to return all of the excess funds, you must return the remaining amount (any loan funds that you must return must be repaid according to the terms of your promissory note). If you must return any grant funds, the law provides that the amount you must repay is to be reduced by 50%. This means that you only have to return half of any excess funds you receive. If the return of the unearned federal assistance causes any portion of your tuition and fees to become uncovered, the University will bill you. In such cases, you will be required to make arrangements with the Bursar to pay the balance.

Any award money you have to return is considered a federal grant overpayment. You must either repay that amount in full or make satisfactory arrangements with either the University or the Department of Education to repay the amount. You must complete these arrangements within 45 days of the date of the University’s notifying you of your overpayment status or risk losing your eligibility for further federal financial assistance.

When the total amount of unearned aid is greater than the amount returned by Millersville from the student’s account, the student is responsible for returning unearned aid to the appropriate program(s) as follows:

1. Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan*
2. Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan*
3. Federal Perkins Loan
4. Federal PLUS Loan
5. Federal Pell Grant**
6. Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
7. National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) Grant
8. Federal SEOG Grant**
9. Other Federal Aid
10. PHEAA Grant
11. Other Aid

*Loan amounts are returned in accordance with the terms of the promissory note signed by the student
**Amounts to be returned by the student to federal grant programs will receive a 50% discount.

Exception: no program can receive a refund if the student did not receive aid from that program.

The percentage of Title IV aid unearned (the amount to be returned to the appropriate aid program) shall be 100% minus the percent earned.

Unearned aid shall be returned first by Millersville University from the student’s account calculated as follows:
Total institutional charges X percent of unearned aid + amount returned to program(s)

1. Refunds and adjusted student statement bills will be sent by the Bursar’s Office to the student’s home address on file in the Registrar’s Office following withdrawal. Students are responsible for any portion of their institutional charges that are left outstanding after Title IV funds are returned.

   Institutional and student responsibilities in regard to the return of Title IV funds:

   1. Millersville's responsibilities in regard to the return of Title IV funds include:
   1. providing each studend with the information given in this policy;
   2. identifying students who are affected by this policy and completing the Return of Title IV Funds calculation for those students;
   3. returning any Title IV funds that are due to the Title IV programs.
   2. The student's responsibilities in regard to the return of the Title IV funds include:
   1. becoming familiar with the Return of Title IV policy and how complete withdrawal affects eligibility for Title IV aid;
   2. returning to the Title IV programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible for via the Return of Title IV Funds calculation
2. The fees, procedures, and policies listed above supersede those published previously and are subject to change at any time.
3. Any notification of a withdrawal or cancellation of classes should be in writing and addressed to the Registrar's Office.

If a student is withdrawing and had Federal Stafford Loan funds, s/he will need to complete the Exit Counseling for the Federal Stafford Loan Program.

Any student who has questions regarding the Return of Federal Funds Policy should contact the Office of Financial Aid at (717) 872-3026.

RETURN OF STATE FINANCIAL AID

The following policy applies for those students who receive a PA State Grant and change enrollment status [full-time (12 or more credits), part-time (6-11 credits), or less than half-time (1-5 credits)] or completely withdraw from the University during the first 5 weeks of classes:

If a student initially enrolls in classes but withdraws, drops credits, takes a leave of absence, or is terminated (suspended or dismissed) prior to the end of the term, a refund to PHEAA of all or a portion of the State Grant may be required.

When a student (full-time or part-time) withdraws or drops to less than half-time (or otherwise ceases to be eligible for State Grant aid) before the end of the term and before State Grant funds have been credited, the student is not eligible for any portion of the term disbursement, regardless of the date on which the student withdrew. Similarly, an increase in the award for the term cannot be credited after the student has withdrawn or dropped to less than half-time status during the term.

When a student drops from full-time enrollment (12 or more credits) to part-time (6-11 credits) after State Grant funds have been credited and during the first 5 weeks of the term, the PHEAA State Grant must be adjusted to the part-time award amount. The overpayment of the State Grant must be returned to PHEAA by the University.

When a student drops from part-time (6-11 credits) to less than half-time (1-5 credits) or completely withdraws from the University after State Grant funds have been credited and during the first 5 weeks of the term, a percentage of the monies must be returned to PHEAA based on the following refund calculations:

If a student changes enrollment status or completely withdraws from the University on or after Septebmer 29, 2008, the PA State Grant (PHEAA) will not be adjusted. Please note that changing enrollment status or withdrawing from the university will have an effect on your future financial aid eligibility for the PA State Grant. See the previous section on Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility.

Glossary

Discussion of financial aid often includes technical terms and acronyms. We have included here is a link to the glossary at the Financial Aid Information Page [maintained by Mark Kantrowitz]. It includes helpful descriptions of many of these terms.

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