Returning MU Students

Please fill out the Summer 2013 Financial Aid Application. It is necessary to have a 2012-2013 FAFSA on file, a Direct Loan MPN, and register for a minimum of 6 credits for student loans or 3 credits for a Pell Grant. Private alternative loans are also available for summer.

Please go to www.elmselect.com for a list of alternative loan lenders.

Please remember, if you have a credit shortfall at the end of the academic year you cannot use federal aid, including student loans, to make up that credit shortfall. You will need to use personal funds or an alternative private loan.

New Students

New students must:

1. File the 2012-2013 or 2013-2014 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.gov.
2. Be registered for at least 3 credits to qualify for the Pell Grant, 6 credits for a Federal Student Direct Loan.
3. Complete a Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) by going to www.studentloans.gov.

Complete instructions for completing a Direct Loan MPN are available on the Financial Aid webpage

Types of Financial Aid for Summer:

PELL Grant

You will automatically be awarded a Pell Grant for summer if you qualify.

PA State Grant

You may apply for a summer PA State Grant if you will attempt a combined total of at least six (6) credit hours during the summer. PHEAA state grant funds are typically not delivered until July and will not show as approved aid on your student account until an award notice is received from PHEAA. You must complete the summer PA State Grant application online at www.pheaa.org. Under "Most popular Places" on the PHEAA homepage, click “PA State Grant Program”,  then click “Summer State Grant”. Deadline is August 15. You will be notified by PHEAA after June 1 if you qualify.  You will not receive separate award notification from Mansfield University for the PHEAA state grant. Maximum eligibility is eight (8) full semesters of the state grant. If you receive a state grant in the summer, you may exhaust your PA state grant eligibility before the end of your program.

Federal Student Loans

You may apply for a Federal Student Loan for summer if you will attempt at least six (6) credit hours (five for graduate students) IN A SESSION and have not reached your annual or aggregate (combined total) limit.

Annual limits

Federal Student Loan eligibility for summer is affected by the amount of Federal Student loans you received during the fall 2012 and spring 2013 semesters. If you have received your annual limit during fall and spring, you will NOT be eligible for a Federal student loan for summer with the following EXCEPTIONS: IF you have advanced from Freshman to Sophomore, or Sophomore to Junior status during the academic year, you may be eligible for the increase to your annual limit. Or, IF you will be graduating in summer or fall of this year, you may qualify for a summer loan even if you have reached your annual limit. Please indicate on the Financial Aid Application if you will be graduating in summer or fall of this year.

Loan funds will not be received until after the close of add/drop for the period in which you meet the six-credit eligibility. This could mean you will not have a refund until well into summer. If you need books or living expenses, you will need to make alternate arrangements until your refund is available.

Federal PLUS Loans

Parents of dependent students may apply for the Federal Parent PLUS loan or Graduate Students may apply for the Federal Grad PLUS loan for summer costs. You must be enrolled in 6 credits (5 credits for grad students) IN A SESSION to meet the half-time eligibility requirement for the PLUS loan for that session. 

Private Student Loans

If you do not qualify for Federal student loans or if you need additional funding for summer, you may want to apply for a private student loan. Since private loans are subject to credit approval, you may need a co-signer for a private loan.

Private Student Loan Regulations

Federal Regulations require private education loan borrowers to submit to the lender a “Self-Certification” form at the time of application. Also, private education loan funds cannot be disbursed until borrowers and co-borrowers accept the “Approval Disclosure” your lender is required to provide to you. If you don’t comply with both of these new requirements, you will not receive the loan funds. (Please go to the MU Financial Aid web page and click “Loans and Grants” to find the link to learn more about Private/Alternative Loans.)