Financial Aid & Scholarships
How much is it going to cost?
It’s probably the #1 question on your mind when looking at a college.
The Office of Student Financial Services are here to help you answer that and all of your affordability questions.
Types of Financial Aid
First, what exactly is financial aid? Financial aid consists of all of the money you receive towards your education, whether it needs to be paid back or not. Prior to beginning college (and every year that you are enrolled), you’ll fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your eligibility for financial aid. Here are the most common types of aid awarded:
In order to be eligible for Federal Student Loans, the student must be enrolled at least part-time (5 credits Graduate Level, 6 credits Undergrad Level).
Require repayment after final semester
Subsidized: Interest does not accrue while student is enrolled
Unsubsidized: Interest accrues while student is enrolled
Parent PLUS Loan: Federal loan option for parents of dependent undergraduate students
Grad PLUS Loan: Federal loan option for graduate students
Require repayment but secured by the student or parent independently of the college through an outside lender or bank. Use our lender search tool here.
Money that does not require repayment; eligibility is determined by your FAFSA application
Federal Pell Grant
FSEOG (Federal Supplementary Opportunity Grants)
TEACH Grant (Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education)
Iraq/Afghanistan Service Grants
NYS TAP (eligibility determined by NYS HESC application)
ETA Grant (eligibility determined by NYS HESC application)
On-campus employment with funds paid directly to student; eligibility is determined by your FAFSA application and employment availability
Money that does not require repayment
Institutional scholarships (awarded by MSMC or donors to the college - considered for automatically upon application to the college)
Outside scholarships (researched and applied for independently by the student and awarded by external agencies or organizations)
Why Should You File the FAFSA?
Many scholarship organizations will not consider you for scholarships unless you have filed a FAFSA. Regardless of whether or not you think you will receive government funding, the FAFSA is a valuable way to maximize your potential for aid.
The FAFSA will determine what federal aid you'll qualify for; it's important to use any federal aid you receive. Always use available grant and scholarship aid before applying for a loan. When considering loan options, remember to use your federal loans before applying for private loans. Federal loans usually have lower fixed interest rates and more flexible repayment options than private loans.
FAFSA FAQ
Many scholarship organizations will not consider you for scholarships unless you have filed a FAFSA. Regardless of whether or not you think you will receive government funding, the FAFSA is a valuable way to maximize your potential for aid.
The FAFSA will determine what federal aid you'll qualify for; it's important to use any federal aid you receive. Always use available grant and scholarship aid before applying for a loan. When considering loan options, remember to use your federal loans before applying for private loans. Federal loans usually have lower fixed interest rates and more flexible repayment options than private loans.
Click here to watch a video about the FAFSA.
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available now for the 2025-26 award year. Completing your FAFSA is a critical step in the process of becoming a Knight and we encourage you to begin looking into the process. Click here for more information about the 2025-26 FAFSA Form.
Each year, all returning students must file a FAFSA to qualify for federal student aid in the form of grants and loans. The college uses the FAFSA information to determine aid for each student.
You will be eligible for grants and scholarships through Mount Saint Mary College. But without filing a FAFSA, you will not be eligible for federal financial aid including Pell grants, FSEOG grants, Federal Work Study, Federal Loans, or Parent PLUS Loans. You will also not be eligible for NYS Grants such as NYS TAP award without first filing a FAFSA.
To begin, both you and your parents must create individual Federal Student Aid IDs (FSA IDs) before you file your FAFSA. The FSA ID gives you access to file your FAFSA, and it only takes around 10 minutes to complete.
To create your FSA ID:
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Visit StudentAid.gov and click “Create Account.”
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Fill out the required fields, including your Social Security number, mobile phone number, and/or email address.
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Create a username and password and your FSA ID, which you will use each year that you apply for federal aid. Make sure to put your username, password, and FSA ID somewhere safe that you can access year after year.
Once complete, your information will be verified by the federal government. This step typically takes a few days. After your FSA ID is verified, you can begin the FAFSA.
Click here to watch a video on creating your FSA ID.
A contributor refers to anyone (you, your spouse, your biological or adoptive parent, or your parent’s spouse) who is asked to provide their information, consent, and approval to have their federal tax information transferred automatically from the IRS into the FAFSA form, and a signature on your FAFSA form.
Click here to watch a video about who qualifies as a contributor.
The federal government has indicated that they anticipate sending the FAFSA information to colleges sometime in mid-March. Please keep in mind that once we receive your FAFSA information from the federal government, it will take time to process and develop your personalized financial aid package. We hope to be sending our financial aid packages to students by early April.
As the student, you are required to have a SSN to fill out the FAFSA form. For more information regarding the student social security number please click here for details.
The contributor doesn't need a SSN for the student's FAFSA form.
Now that you’ve completed your FAFSA, your information will be processed by the federal government and then sent to Mount Saint Mary College. After it has been processed, we will develop your personalized financial aid package for accepted students or award letter for returning students.
FINANCIAL AID TIMELINE
For first-time Mount students, you’ll go through the following steps to determine your eligibility for financial aid:
- File your FAFSA at fafsa.gov as soon as it opens for the school year in which you will be apply for aid. The FAFSA is now open and accepting submissions for the 2025-26 award year. Be sure to add the Mount's school code: 002778.
- If you are a resident of NY State, complete ETA/TAP/NYS Aid applications. The Mount’s code is 2110 for Undergraduate students and 5725 for Graduate students.
- You may be selected for Federal Verification randomly or because of missing documentation (about 30% of applicants need to be verified). If that is the case, you will need to fill out additional forms, which you can find here.
- You will receive a letter indicating what Mount scholarships you qualify for soon after receiving your admissions acceptance.
- A few weeks after that, you will receive a packet of information to your home address outlining all of the financial aid you are eligible for, including grants and loans. After submitting your deposit to the Mount, you will need to select which pieces of financial aid you would like to accept and then sign and return the packet’s enclosed award letter to the Office of Financial Aid.
- If you choose to take on loans, you will also need to complete supporting loan documentation.
- Finally, if you are eligible for work study funding and would like to participate, you can apply for campus work study positions on the MSMC Portal the summer before beginning classes.
Each year of enrollment following the first, you will be required to fill out the FAFSA again, sign your finance contract (stating your financial obligation to the college), make a payment prior to one week before the start of classes or enroll in our monthly payment plan, and elect to purchase Mount Money or commuter meal plans if you desire.
STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES CHECKLIST
Download this checklist to keep on track with your financial aid and bill paying process!
Downloadable Student Checklist
Schedule a financial aid appointment
Have questions about financial aid? We're here to help! Schedule a 30-minute appointment with our team.
Click here to schedule your appointment.