Financial Aid Brochure

FAQS Do I have to wait until I am admitted to St. Mary’s before I apply for financial aid?

ACCESS FOR ALL

TUITION & FEES

No, you don’t have to wait. You may apply for financial aid before you are accepted, but you will not receive a financial aid award letter until you have been offered admission. We encourage you to apply for aid anytime after October 1, so we can process your aid application as soon as possible.

St. Mary’s College awards over $6 million in grants and scholarships each year › St. Mary’s College is the 8th best affordable out-of-state public school in the U.S. (AffordableColleges.com 2017) › Our graduates have the lowest average debt among all Maryland public four-year institutions* ›

How soon can I complete the FAFSA?

*Source: The Institute for College Access & Success, College InSight, (www.college-insight.org/)

Students and their families can complete the FAFSA as early as October 1, 2017, for the upcoming 2018-19 academic year.

2017-2018 ESTIMATED YEARLY EXPENSES

To gain access to the Federal Student Aid’s online system, you must create a Federal Student Aid ID at fsaid.ed.gov. This will serve as your legal electronic signature.

How can I estimate my financial aid package?

You can estimate your financial aid eligibility using our Net Price Calculator at www.smcm.edu/ financialaid. The NPC gives you an idea of your out-of-pocket cost to attend St. Mary’s College.

St. Mary’s College students who qualify for financial aid receive it in the form of scholarships, grants, loans and/or work-study.

HELPFUL INFO

Full-time students (12 - 19 credit hours)

DIRECT COSTS

How do I apply for financial aid?

You must complete and submit the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. St. Mary’s school code is 002095. Keep all financial aid material for your records. Use an active email address on the FAFSA and check both your inbox and junk mail for messages from the federal processor, Maryland Higher Education Commission, and the Office of Financial Aid at St. Mary’s College.

As a public institution, St. Mary’s College of Maryland is committed to providing access to our unique honors college education to students of all financial backgrounds. We believe that no qualified student should be denied the right to pursue an education due to financial resources. We will work with families to help find resources through federal, state, and campus-based programs.

Being Maryland’s public honors college means we’re devoted to excellence, diversity and affordability.

MARYLAND RESIDENT ON-CAMPUS COMMUTER

NON-MARYLAND RESIDENT ON-CAMPUS

Tuition

$11,646

$11,646

$27,098

Fees1

$2,850

$2,850

$2,850

Room**

$7,400

n/a

$7,400

Board***

$5,416

n/a

$5,416

$27,312

$14,496

$42,764

Billable Charges to SMCM

Fees support a variety of programs including campus facilities, special events and student activities.

1

**Room based on dorm, double occupancy. ***Board based on silver plan (24 guest passes) + $400 dining dollars.

› Net Price Calculator: www.smcm.edu/financialaid › St. Mary’s College Priority FAFSA Filing Date: February 15 › FAFSA and FSA ID: www.fafsa.ed.gov fsaid.ed.gov › St. Mary’s College of Maryland School Code for FAFSA: 002095

› Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC): www.mhec.maryland.gov › Maryland Higher Education Commission FAFSA Received Prior to: March 1 › Student & Parent Federal Loan Gateway: www.studentloans.gov

CONTACT THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL AID: 47645 College Drive St. Mary’s City, MD 20686 www.smcm.edu/financialaid

finaid@smcm.edu 800-492-7181 (toll free) 240-895-3000

FINANCIAL AID 2017-2018 INFORMATION

SCHOLARSHIPS

FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS NEED-BASED GRANTS All students who are admitted and complete the FAFSA are considered for federal, state, and college financial aid. Students and their families may complete the FAFSA as early as October 1 for the upcoming academic year.

information about state financial aid, visit www.mhec.state.md.us/ financialAid/descriptions.asp.

Need-based grants are offered at the federal, state, and institutional level. Grants are educational funds that do not need to be repaid.

At the institutional level, St. Mary’s College of Maryland offers grants to students who demonstrate financial need. Demonstrated need is the difference between the cost of attendance and the expected family contribution (or EFC). The EFC is determined by the federal government and reported to institutions through the FAFSA process.

Federal sources of grants include the Pell Grant and the Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG).

The state of Maryland offers an array of need-based grant programs for in-state students. For more

The FAFSA must be received prior to March 1 to be considered for Maryland state funds.

St. Mary’s College recognizes students with exceptional academic achievement and/or co-curricular accomplishment with scholarships offered on a competitive basis without regard to financial need. Students may receive both need-based grants and merit scholarships.

Students are automatically considered for a scholarship based on their academic record, standardized test scores, strength of curriculum, essay, recommendations, and co-curricular activities. All St. Mary’s College scholarships are renewable as long as the student remains in good academic standing and maintains at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA in at least 12 graded credits each semester. › St. Mary’s Academic Achievement Scholarship These scholarships are awarded to students with outstanding academic achievement and significant individual attributes. › St. Mary’s Transfer Scholarship Scholarships are made on a competitive basis to transfer students with outstanding academic records at another college.

DESOUSA-BRENT SCHOLARS

› Phi Theta Kappa or Honors Program Scholarship Transfer students who enter St. Mary’s with an A.A. or A.S. degree, a GPA of 3.5 or better, and who are members in good standing of Phi Theta Kappa or Honors Program are eligible.

St. Mary’s College is committed to providing an excellent liberal arts education to talented, high achieving students regardless of their race, gender, culture, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic background. One example of this is the DeSousa-Brent Scholars Program. The program provides selected students from groups underrepresented in higher education with supplementary and preparatory courses, along with individual mentoring to cultivate their academic and leadership potential.

› St. Mary’s College of Maryland Foundation Scholarships www.smcm.edu/support/foundation/ foundation-scholarships › STEM Navigators Scholarship Program This program provides a scholarship of $5,000 – $10,000 to 10 financially needy transfer students each year who are looking to major in a STEM field and have a good academic record. Please visit the STEM Navigators website at www.smcm. edu/navigators for more information. › St. Mary’s College of Maryland TAM Scholarship Graduates of the Teacher Academy of Maryland who earned a 3.25 GPA and no grade lower than a C in the program will receive a scholarship of $500/semester over eight semesters of undergraduate study to support continued educational studies at St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

SELF-HELP OPTIONS FOR FAMILIES Students and their families should make decisions about financing college costs together. Having conversations early in the college search process about how students can contribute to their undergraduate education is important. Working together, financial aid administrators, students and parents can determine the most costeffective way to pay for college. › St. Mary’s College offers an in-house payment plan › Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loans › On-campus employment › Outside scholarships › Alternative Education Loan

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