Cost/financial aid

Tuition varies according to the graduate/professional program you plan to pursue. At Messiah University, most of our graduate/professional programs feature no-fee tuition. The cost per credit is what you pay-there are no hidden fees for labs, courses, services or technology. We put the true cost of your program upfront so that you can accurately compare and plan for your education. For further information, please refer to the tuition page.

Graduate/professional students pursuing a degree, certificate, or certificate of advanced graduate studies (CAGS) are eligible for financial aid. Non-degree and international students are not eligible for federal loans.

Financial aid at the graduate/professional level primarily consists of two federal loans. Need based grants and institutional scholarships are not available. Students are encouraged to seek out scholarships on their own using online search engines or contacting local organizations with which they have a relationship. There are few grants available to graduate students.

Students will receive their financial aid award by email notification at their Messiah account after they complete the FAFSA and also register for courses. Aid is awarded on a semester-by-semester basis, and updated after the student registers for the next semester.

For students who have not defaulted on previous federal student loans, and who have not reached the aggregate maximum of $138,500 (undergraduate and graduate Direct loans combined), the following loan eligibility will generally be offered per semester, including summer semester: $5,125 when registered half-time (3-5 credits), or $10,250 when registered full-time (6 or more credits).

The Cost of Attendance Budget includes both actual charges (tuition, fees, etc.) AND estimates for other costs students may incur on their own (books, housing, meals, etc.). Some students need to use loans for expenses not charged by the university such as rent if they are not working. Having room in the budget enables students to use loans for all educational related expenses.

The federal government collects a small loan origination fee off the full amount of the loan before it disburses each semester. The current loan origination fees and interest rates can be found here.

Your loan amount can be changed as long as the request is made in writing before the end of the semester. Please email us from your Messiah account, include your student ID#, the semester and year, and the new amount desired. Emails can be sent to gradfinancialserv@messiah.edu.

The federal government mandates institutions to establish minimum standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress for students to continue to receive financial aid. Grades are reviewed at the end of each semester. When students fall below these standards, they are given one warning semester to improve. Learn about these guidelines here.

As long as you remained continuously enrolled at Messiah University, your federal loans will be in deferment. Your loan servicer will let you know when payments need to begin; however, you have the option to begin paying earlier.

Interest starts to accrue on unsubsidized loans from the date of the first loan disbursement. At the end of the grace period, the accrued interest is capitalized - the interest is added to the principal and interest starts to accrue on the new, larger balance. The grace period is six months after enrollment ends. Here is helpful information from studentaid.gov on understanding repayment.

If you are unsure about how to contact your loan servicer, you may go to www.studentaid.gov and sign in with your federal FSA ID to get a financial review of your loan(s). It will list your loan servicer and contact information.

The Federal tax code includes provisions designed to reduce or partially offset the costs of higher education. Among those are the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC) and the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit (LLC). For more information go to: http://www.irs.gov/Individuals/Education-Credits-AOTC-LLC, or call 1-800-829-4477 for an IRS recorded information line.

Each year, Messiah University will mail the 1098-T Form to the mailing address we have on file. An online 1098 -T can also be accessed from FALCONlink>1098T. Students must have their Social Security number on file with Messiah University in order for us to provide this information.

It is helpful to keep records of all graduate account payments made. You can view all payments from FALCONlink>CASHNet ebill>Activity Details.

The responsibility for individual tax circumstances lies with the taxpayer alone, and Messiah University cannot take any responsibility for your interpretation of the information. Your receipt of the 1098-T indicates that you were enrolled at Messiah University for at least one course, and does not necessarily mean that you are eligible for a tax credit. In order to determine your eligibility, consult with your tax advisor or IRS Publication 970.