Financial Aid

Financial Aid for Map

Learn more about Financial Aid for MAP students.

Financial Aid Eligibility

To be eligible for financial aid you need to:

  • Be accepted into the MAP program as a degree-seeking student.
  • File the FAFSA.
  • Complete Verification (if selected). Please read the section below on Verification.
  • Complete MPN and Entrance Counseling for NEW Direct Loan borrowers. Please read the section below on Applying for Federal Direct Loans.
Financial Aid Offer

A Financial Aid Offer will be sent to your MuskieLink after completing the steps above. MAP students may be eligible for Federal and State Grants and Federal Loans. MAP students are not eligible for Muskingum-funded assistance since the tuition rate is lower than the traditional undergraduate tuition.

MAP Tuition

The academic year consists of two semesters with two sessions in each. Students may participate in one or both sessions each semester. The per credit hour rate can be found on our Cost & Payment Information page.

Verification

If your FAFSA is selected for verification you will receive a notice from Student Financial Services explaining what you need to do to complete the verification process. You can also view missing documents in your Financial Aid Checklist on Muskie Link. Verification forms can also be printed from our Forms and Resources page. 

Types of Financial Aid Available

Federal Pell Grant

This grant is a need-based awarded to students who have filed the FAFSA. Additional information is available at https://studentaid.gov.

Ohio College Opportunity Grant

Recipients must be Ohio residents and must file the FAFSA by October 1st and have an EFC of 2190 or less. Students who are part-time can receive reduced grants. The duration of a students eligibility to receive OCOG is limited to 8 semesters or its equivalent.

Choose Ohio First Scholarship

Choose Ohio First

Choose Ohio First Scholarship (COFS) awards are funded through a grant from the Ohio Department of Higher Education and are intended to advance Ohio’s position in world markets in the areas of science and technology. The Muskingum COFS program is designed to increase the number of students entering and advancing in STEMM-related (science, technology, engineering, math, and medicine) fields of study. In accordance with state requirements, the scholarship carries with it a service obligation, which involves participation and leadership in activities to foster the development of current and future science students.

Scholarship recipients must be Ohio residents. Majors eligible for COFS awards include: the health sciences, nursing, and information systems.

Interested students should contact their academic advisor or Janeen Eno at janeene@muskingum.edu.

Federal TEACH Grant

The Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program provides grant assistance to an undergraduate student who agrees to serve for at least 4 years as a full-time teacher in a high-need field in a school that serves students from low-income families. Additional information can be found at https://studentaid.gov.

Federal Direct Loans

Federal Direct Student Loans are available to all degree-seeking students who file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and who are enrolled at least half-time (6 credit hours per semester). Additional information can be found at https://studentaid.gov

Applying for Federal Direct Loans
If you have been awarded a Federal Direct Loan and have not borrowed in this program before, there are 3 steps you need to complete in order for Muskingum to be able to process your loan if you do not have an active Direct Loan MPN on file. 

1. Complete a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) at studentaid.gov

2. After completing the MPN, you will need to complete Entrance Counseling on the same site.

3. As there is no place on the MPN to indicate how much you want to borrow, your loan will be processed for the amount you accept on your financial aid award on MuskieLink.

Private Loans

Private Loans can be used to cover any educational expenses not covered by financial aid. This type of loan can be used if you are not interested in filing the FAFSA or will be enrolled less than half-time (6 hrs). The loan is in the student's name, but in some cases a credit-worthy cosigner is required. There are several payment options, though in most cases either interest or both principle and interest can be deferred. The credit check that is done on the borrower or co-signer is a credit scoring process. Students may borrow up to the cost of education minus financial aid. In some cases students may borrow to cover a previous balance.

There are hundreds of alternative loans available to students. We have selected the ones that we are most familiar with. ElmSelect allows you to compare loans and select the one that best meets your needs.

Nurse Education Assistance Loan Program (NEALP)

NEALP provides financial assistance to Ohio students enrolled at least half-time in an approved nurse education program in Ohio to nurses who intend to serve as instructors and to students who intend to serve as nurses after graduation. NEALP offers eligible students loans which can be forgiven if the recipient serves as a fulltime nurse in Ohio for five years. The application is open between January 1st and July 15th each year. Visit NEALP for more information and to apply.

Veterans

For information about financial assistance available to veterans, please visit our Veteran Services page.

Payment Plan

If you would like to make payments to the college instead of borrowing money, contact Janet Nesselroad in the Student Accounts Office at 740-826-8118 or janetn@muskingum.edu.

Exit Counseling

All loan borrowers at Muskingum University who graduate, withdraw, or otherwise cease to attend at least half-time study are required to complete Exit Counseling. During counseling you will receive information about repayment of your loans. Go to studentaid.gov and click on Loan Exit Counseling under Loan Repayment.

Students who received a TEACH Grant must also complete the required TEACH Grant Exit Counseling. It is very important that you complete the exit counseling as it will remind you of the TEACH grant requirements and obligations. It will also explain how to keep in contact with the Department of Education regarding your teaching status. If you are planning on attending graduate school you may be eligible to receive the TEACH grant as a graduate student. If a student receives the TEACH grant, they have up to 14 days to cancel the grant. Contact the Business Office or Student Financial Services.

Repayment of Student Loans

Student Loans are serious obligations which must be repaid. Repayment of principal begins after a student graduates, withdraws, or drops below half-time enrollment. There is a six-month grace period between the time a student’s enrollment stops and repayment begins. During your grace period you should prepare to enter repayment by following these 3 steps to ensure successful repayment of you loans:

1. Know who you owe and how much.  Go to studentaid.gov and login to view your dashboard to see your loan servicer(s) and how much you have borrowed. To see how much you borrowed in private loans, go to annualcreditreport.com to receive a listing of your private loans on a free credit report. (There is a fee if you want to view your FICO score.) 

2. Determine the right repayment plan. For more specific information regarding repayment of loans including available repayment options go to studentaid.gov

3. Stay on top of your loans. Stay in contact with your lender to update your contact information or to change your repayment plan. If you are having trouble making a payment contact your lender to see if a deferment or forbearance is available. DO NOT SKIP A PAYMENT! 

Loan Forgiveness

Loan Forgiveness Programs for Teachers and those in Public Service
You may be eligible for loan forgiveness if you meet certain criteria. For more information visit Federal Student Aid and click on Loan Forgiveness for more information.

Outside Scholarship Resources

Please visit our Outside Resource page to find additional scholarship information. 

Cohort Default Rate

The FY 2019 three-year cohort default rate (the most recent data available) is a snapshot of the cohort of borrowers whose first loan repayments came due between Oct. 1, 2018 and Sept. 30, 2019, and who defaulted on or before Sept. 30, 2021.

The FY 2019 three-year national student loan cohort default rate is 2.3%. Muskingum's FY 2019 three-year cohort default rate is 0.6%.

Cost of Attendance

To determine loan amounts, budgets for each program are constructed for each term using tuition and average loan fees. The budget also includes estimates for books and supplies and living expenses. For more information on student budgets and cost of attendance please contact Student Financial Services at 740-826-8139.

Policies, Rights and Responsibilities

Policies, Rights & Responsiblities | Muskingum University

Contact

Matthew Connor

MAP Financial Aid Counselor

740-826-8139

mconnor@muskingum.edu

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