Financial Aid

Navigating your financial aid options at Muskingum University starts with understanding the path that best matches your program of study. Select the category that describes you to explore scholarships, grants, loans, and other resources designed to support your educational journey.
You’ll also find important updates for the upcoming academic year—including key deadlines and recent legislative changes that may impact your aid.

2026-2027 FAFSA

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the FAFSA opened in October.

New Traditional Undergraduate Students: Financial Aid Offers for the 2026-2027 academic year, based on a review of the FAFSA, are estimated to begin to be available in mid December.

Continuing Traditional Undergraduate Students: Financial Aid Offers for the 2026-2027 academic year, based on a review of the FAFSA, will begin to be available in late Spring.

New and Continuing MAP and Graduate Students: Financial Aid Offers for the 2026-2027 academic year (which begins with Summer 2026), based on a review of the FAFSA, will be available after registering for summer courses.
*If you are taking classes in spring 2026, you will need to complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA.

If you have questions about filing the FAFSA, reach out to Muskingum University Student Financial Services at finaid@muskingum.edu or 740-826-8139.

Financial Aid Changes from OBBBA

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was passed by Congress and signed into law on July 4, 2025. The legislation includes significant changes to federal student aid programs affecting undergraduate and graduate students.

Most changes are scheduled to take effect July 1, 2026, for the 2026-2027 academic year. We are awaiting final rules and guidance from the Department of Education and will continue to update this page as more information becomes available. You can also monitor announcements from the U.S. Department of Education at studentaid.gov.

Undergraduate Students

Federal Pell Grant

Students are not eligible for a Pell Grant if their Student Aid Index (SAI) exceeds twice the maximum Pell Grant Award ($7,395 for the 2026-2027 academic year).

Federal Direct Loans

There are no changes to annual or aggregate federal loan borrowing limits for undergraduate students.
Students enrolled less-than-full-time (12 hours) will have their subsidized and unsubsidized loans prorated based on annual credit hours.

Parent PLUS Loan

New Parent PLUS borrowers will be subject to the following limits:
- Annual limit: $20,000 per dependent student
- Lifetime limit: $65,000 per dependent student.
- These limits apply per student, regardless of the number of parents borrowing.
- Students whose parents have reached the $65,000 lifetime limit are not eligible to borrow additional funds under independent undergraduate student limits.
- What New Parent PLUS borrowers need to know
Parent PLUS loan eligibility will be prorated if the student is enrolled less than full-time, based on the student’s enrollment level.
Legacy provision: Parent PLUS borrowers who have borrowed for a student prior to July 1, 2026, can continue to borrow up to the student’s COA, minus other aid, for up to three academic years or until the student completes their degree, whichever occurs first.
- What Current Parent PLUS borrowers need to know

Graduate Students

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Limits

Annual limit: $20,500 (no change)
Aggregate limit: $100,000 (Undergraduate loans are not included in this limit).
If a borrower has a Federal Direct Loan made before July 1, 2026, while enrolled in a credentialed program, the borrower can continue to borrow under current loan limits for 3 academic years or the remainder of their expected time to credential, whichever is less.

Lifetime Federal Loan Limit

A combined lifetime federal loan limit of $257,500 applies across all levels of study, including undergraduate, graduate, and professional loans.

Federal Loan Proration for Less-Than-Full-Time Enrollment

Federal student loans for graduate students will be prorated if enrolled less-than-full-time.

Federal Graduate PLUS Loan Changes

The Graduate PLUS Loan program will be eliminated for new borrowers beginning July 1, 2026.
Legacy provision: Students who borrowed a Graduate PLUS loan prior to July 1, 2026, may continue borrowing under current limits for up to three academic years or until program completion, whichever occurs first.

What Graduate Students need to know

Loan Repayment

Changes will apply to both new and continuing borrowers, including:

A new tiered Standard Repayment Plan.
A new income-driven Repayment Assistance Plan (RAP).
Existing income-contingent repayment plans will sunset in 2028.

Parent PLUS Loan and Consolidation Loan Rules

All new Parent PLUS loans must use the Standard Repayment Plan and are ineligible for the Repayment Assistance Plan.
Consolidation loans may use the Standard Repayment Plan or the Repayment Assistance Plan.

Current borrowers with no new loans made on or after July 1, 2026, are eligible to enroll in the current Standard, Graduated, Extended, or Income Based (IBR) repayment plans and also may opt into the new RAP. Current borrowers may also switch between, enter, or remain on existing Income Driven (IDR) plans until July 1, 2028.

If you have questions about how these changes will affect you, please contact Student Financial Services at 740-826-8139 or finaid@muskingum.edu.

Traditional Undergraduate Students

Information for entering and continuing students pursuing their first bachelor's degree who plan to take the majority of their classes during the day. Click here.

Muskingum Adult Students

A bachelor's degree program designed primarily for adult students who have earned a significant amount of academic credit toward a bachelor’s degree, who find that online classes best meet their needs. Click here.

Graduate Students

Information for students pursuing the Master of Occupational Therapy (MOT), Master of Organizational Leadership (MOL), Doctor of Organizational Leadership (DOL), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Arts in Education (MAE), Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Education Specialist (EDSP) as well as students taking coursework needed for additional teacher licensure. Click here.

International Students

Students enrolled in the Traditional Undergraduate academic program, but the financial aid opportunities are distinct. Clicking here takes you to Muskingum’s International Student Programs pages.

Non-Degree Students

For students who hold a bachelor's degree but who are taking additional undergraduate courses for purposes of obtaining teacher licensure, students who are pursuing a second bachelor's degree, post-secondary options students and transient students. Click here.