Your Guide to Financial Aid

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Welcome to our community

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UMass Dartmouth education is an

important investment in your future. In fact, UMass Dartmouth is ranked among the top 20 Massachusetts schools for highest return on investment–measured by the lifetime earnings impact of a college education.

This guide is designed to help you understand the financial aid process, programs, and policies as well as the other options available for financing your education.

The Financial Aid Office is here to assist you with financing your college education. We offer a variety of financial aid programs to help you and your family. We look forward to having you join the UMass Dartmouth community.

Audra Callahan

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Determining Your Financial Aid Eligibility

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our financial aid eligibility is determined by the information you provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). As a financial aid recipient, there are certain

obligations that must be met in order for you to have your financial aid award confirmed and credited to your student billing account.

To be eligible for federal financial aid, you must: • be a citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States.

• have earned a high school diploma or equivalent. • be officially accepted and enrolled in a degree or certificate granting program of study.

• be enrolled at least half-time in your academic program of study.

• maintain satisfactory academic progress in your academic program of study.

• be free from default on any previous federal or state-sponsored educational loans or grant refund obligations.

• have a valid Social Security number. • register with Selective Service, if required www.sss.gov

The process of determining your eligibility is referred to as the needs analysis formula which is legislated by the United States Congress. The needs analysis formula is the starting point for determining eligibility for financial aid. The needs analysis formula is in place to ensure students are treated in a consistent manner. Each component of the formula is made up of several factors:

Cost of Attendance

– Expected Family Contribution = Financial Need

Cost of Attendance

At UMass Dartmouth, a standardized set of budgets is used as the basis for determining the cost of education. Budgets vary based on a student’s tuition and fee costs and living arrangements while attending school: living on campus, living with parents or relatives, or living off-campus. In addition, each budget factors in other educational expenses like books, supplies, transportation and personal expenses that aren’t directly billed through the university. The total of these direct and indirect costs is your Cost of

Attendance.

Expected Family Contribution

Your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is a measure created by the U.S. Department of Education to estimate a student’s and his or her family’s

ability to contribute to the cost of education for the academic year. All data used to calculate the EFC comes from the information the student provides on the FAFSA.

Please note: The EFC figure is not the amount you will be billed or have to pay. It is instead, a measure of financial ability created by the U.S. Department of Education that allows UMass Dartmouth’s Financial Aid Services Office to effectively award various sources of financial assistance (grants, scholarships, loans, employment consideration) towards your educational costs for the academic year.

Financial Need

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Resident Non-Resident Regional/Proximity Plan Undergrad2 _Graduate3 _Undergrad2_Graduate3 _Undergrad2 _Graduate3

Tuition $1,417 $1,553 $ 8,099 $6,074 $2,125 $2,330

Fees $10,264 $8,910 $ 16,520 $12,390 $13,392 $10,650

Room+Board4 _{$11,435 $11,435 $11,435 $11,435 $11,435 $11,435}

Total $23,116 $21,898 $36,054 $29,899 $26,952 $24,415

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Tuition, fees, and room and board charges are subject to change. 2015-2016 rates will be posted when confirmed in early summer. Go to umassd.edu/bursar/tuitionandfees

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Undergraduate tuition and fees are based on enrollment in 12 day school credits. Actual amounts may vary depending on enrolled credits.

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Graduate tuition and fees are based on enrollment in 9 day school credits. Actual amounts may vary depending on enrolled credits.

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Room and board example is for an on-campus standard double room, a 19-meal plan, and a telecommunications fee.

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Your Financial Aid Award

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inancial Aid Services prepares a Financial Aid Award Letter for you once your financial need (cost of attendance minus EFC) is determined. Your financial aid award may include a combination of federal, state and/or university grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. The amount and types of financial aid awarded depends upon the availability of funds, the number of eligible applicants, the date your financial aid file is completed, and your calculated eligibility. Your award letter will show the breakdown between the fall and spring semesters.

Your financial aid award is based on the information you provided on your 2015–2016 FAFSA. Your award may change from year to year depending on your family’s financial circumstances. A change in your enrollment status, your academic progress, the number of children in your family attending college, housing status, federal and/or state program funding levels and/or failure to meet priority deadlines may affect your eligibility.

It is not necessary to return the award notice to Financial Aid Services unless you are reporting additional resources not shown on your award letter, are reducing or canceling an award, or are requesting deferment of your Federal Work-Study award.

Once you have paid your admissions deposit, you will be granted access to UMass Dartmouth’s self-service portal (including email and COIN) at myUMassD. You will be able to review your financial aid status, decline financial aid awards, and check your To Do List through COIN at that time.

You must notify the Office of Financial Aid in writing if you will receive any scholarships, grants, loans, tuition remission or other educational assistance not included in your financial aid award letter. Outside sources of funding may impact your UMass Dartmouth financial aid offer. Federal regulations require private resources be counted toward a student’s calculated financial aid eligibility. To enable you to retain maximum benefit of any outside financial aid awards, we will first reduce any unmet need, then reduce loan and/or work-study funding.

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Grants, Scholarships & Waivers

UMass Dartmouth participates in a wide variety of federal, state, and university financial aid programs. The grants, scholarships and/or waivers on your award letter may include:

Federal Pell Grant

• federally-funded program

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need • available to undergraduate students pursuing a first bachelor’s degree

• does not need to be repaid

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need with emphasis given to Pell Grant recipients

• available to undergraduates enrolled at least half time in a degree program

Federal Teach Grant

• provides up to $4,000 per year to eligible students who agree to serve as a full-time, highly-qualified teacher in a high-need subject area in a designated low-income school for at least four years within eight years of graduating

• meet certain academic achievement requirements (i.e. maintaining a cumulative GPA of at least 3.25) • for more information contact Traci Almeida, Graduate Admissions Coordinator,

[email protected] or 508.999.8098

• may need to be repaid if student does not fulfill teacher service agreement

Mass Access Grant

• state-funded program

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need and actual tuition and fees charged

• available to undergraduate students who are Massachusetts residents

Mass Grant

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need

• available to undergraduate students enrolled full time who are Massachusetts residents (parents of dependent students must also be

Massachusetts residents)

• submit FAFSA prior to May 1, 2015 • does not need to be repaid

Mass Part-time Grant

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need

• available to undergraduate students enrolled at least half-time but less than full-time

(6-11 credits) who are Massachusetts residents (parents of dependent students must also be Massachusetts residents)

Need-Based Tuition Waiver

• state-funded waiver program

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need and actual tuition charged

• available to undergraduate students who are Massachusetts residents

University Extension (UE) Grant

• university-funded program for students in the Pathways Program only

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need • does not need to be repaid

University Grant

• university-funded fee grant program

• eligibility is based on demonstrated financial need • grant cannot exceed actual Curriculum Support Fee charged

• available to undergraduate students enrolled in a degree program

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Federal Work-Study &

Student Employment

Federal Work-Study

• federal program awarded by Financial Aid Services • eligibility based on financial need

• students receive a bi-weekly paycheck for the number of hours worked at an hourly pay rate • Federal Work-Study will not be applied to your semester bill

• access job listings through myUMassD: https://my.umassd.edu and click Student Jobs. • students are responsible for finding their own Federal Work-Study job and may not

have more than one Federal Work-Study job Students who do not plan to work for the fall semester must submit a deferment request by completing the deferment section on the reverse of the award letter and returning it to the University Enrollment Center by October 1 if they wish to work for the spring semester. Otherwise, students who do not appear on the Federal Work-Study payroll by October 1 will have their entire academic year Federal Work-Study award canceled.

Student Employment: Other Work Opportunities

There are also non-work-study positions available on campus. Current job listings can be found at https://my.umassd.edu and click Student Jobs. You may have a Federal Work-Study job as well as a

UMass Dartmouth Scholarship Opportunities

UMass Dartmouth offers many scholarships for undergraduate and graduate students. The scholarship application deadline each year is March 1 (unless otherwise noted). A complete listing of scholarships is available online at

www.umassd.edu/financialaid/scholarships

Admissions Merit Scholarship Opportunities

The Admissions Office awards the Chancellor’s Merit Scholarship, Chancellor’s Transfer Scholarship, University Commonwealth Scholarship, and the UMassD Community Living Scholarship to first year applicants and to students transferring from a two-year college. Application for admission to UMass Dartmouth and subsequent acceptance will automatically allow students to be considered. More information about these scholarships is available online at www.umassd.edu/financialaid/ scholarships/admissions

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education Scholarship and Tuition Waiver Programs

The Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance offers various scholarship and tuition waiver programs. Information about scholarship and waiver opportunities is available at

www.osfa.mass.edu

• John & Abigail Adams Scholarship: This scholarship is a non-need-based, state supported undergraduate tuition waiver program. Forward a copy of your letter from the Massachusetts Department of Education to the Financial Aid Office. If you have misplaced your letter, you may contact the Department of Elementary & Secondary Education at 781.338.3625 or 781.338.3640. You may also contact the Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance at 617-391-6070. In order to receive this scholarship, eligible students must be enrolled full-time and annually complete the Free Grants, Scholarships & Waivers

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Loans

Federal Direct Subsidized Loans

• long-term federal student loans • must be repaid

• available to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need

• First-time borrowers must complete Direct Loan entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note (MPN) at https://studentloans.gov

ANNUAL DIRECT LOAN LIMITS

Grade Level Earned Units Maximum Subsidized _{Loan Portion*} Unsubsidized Portion Total Direct Loans

Dependent Students:

Freshman 0-29 $3,500* $2,000 $5,500 Sophomore 30-59 $4,500* $2,000 $6,500 Junior 60-89 $5,500* $2,000 $7,500 Senior 90+ $5,500* $2,000 $7,500

Independent Students and Dependent Students Whose Parent is Unable to Obtain PLUS:

Freshman 0-29 $3,500* $6,000 $9,500 Sophomore 30-59 $4,500* $6,000 $10,500 Junior 60-89 $5,500* $7,000 $12,500 Senior 90+ $5,500* $7,000 $12,500 Graduate N/A N/A* $20,500 $20,500 *Subsidized loans require financial need. Students without sufficient financial need can still borrow the same total Direct Loan amounts, but more or all of their loans may be Unsubsidized. Graduate students are only eligible for Unsubsidized Direct Loans.

AGGREGATE (LIFETIME) DIRECT LOAN LIMITS

Students Maximum Subsidized _Portion Additional Unsubsidized Portion Total Direct Loans Dependent Undergraduates $23,000 $8,000 $31,000 Independent Undergraduates $23,000 $34,500 $57,500 Graduate Students N/A N/A $138,500* *The graduate limit includes all undergraduate and graduate loans.

FEDERAL DIRECT LOAN INTEREST RATES

2015-2016 interest rates and fees will not be available until July 2015 at: www.studentloans.gov The rates listed below are 2014-2015 interest rates:

Interest Rates Disbursement Fees

Loans First

Disbursed Between 7/1/14 to 6/30/15 10/1/14 to 9/30/15 Student Type Undergraduate _Students Graduate _Students All Students

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

• long-term federal student loan that must be repaid • available to all students regardless of financial need • student pays the interest during in-school and deferment periods or has it capitalized (added to principal at beginning of repayment.)

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Financing Your Educational Expenses

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he UMass Dartmouth Bursar’s Office provides electronic bills. Students receive an email to their UMass Dartmouth email account notifying them that an invoice has been generated. Invoices are sent electronically in early July for fall semester and are due by mid-August. Bills for the spring semester are also sent electronically in early December and are due by mid-January. Specific due dates are printed on the invoice. Failure to meet the due date will result in the assessment of a late fee. Additional questions regarding bills and/or fees should be directed to the University Enrollment Center, 1st floor lobby, Foster Administration Building, 508.999.8857 or 508.999.8866 or the Bursar’s Office, 2nd floor, Foster Administration Building, 508.999.8832.

After you have reviewed your financial aid award, there are several ways to address any remaining balance. To determine which resource or combination of resources best suits your needs, we recommend considering the following options:

1. The TMS monthly budget payment plan:

a payment option that allows you to spread your balance over 9 or 10 months. There is no interest charged on the plan. Your only cost to use this plan is a $45 enrollment fee for an annual plan. To learn more about the monthly payment plan, visit www.afford.com/umassd or call Tuition Management Systems directly at 800.722.4867.

2. The Federal Direct PLUS loan:

a long-term finance option recommended for parents of undergraduate dependent students, and graduate students:

• loan that must be repaid

• fixed interest rate from 7/1/14 to 6/30/15 of 7.21% and an origination fee of 4.292%. 2015-16 interest rates will be set in June 2015. • not based on financial need, but rather on the credit worthiness of the applicant

• annual loan limit is the cost of education minus any aid received (or eligible for)

• origination fee deducted proportionally from each disbursement

• repayment begins 60 days after second disbursement but may request in-school deferment

• additional information for the 2015-2016 PLUS Loan application process will be available in early May at

www.umassd.edu/financialaid/loans/loans-federal/

3. Private/alternative educational loan: credit-based, available to students who need additional funding to cover tuition and fees and/or cost of living expenses. Visit online at

www.umassd.edu/financialaid/loans/loans-private for additional information, including a suggested lender list.

4. A combination strategy:

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Book Vouchers, Disbursements & Refunds

Book Vouchers

Financial aid recipients who are expected to have funds remaining after tuition, fee, and housing costs are covered can use the excess to purchase books and supplies from the Campus Bookstore using a book voucher. The amount of the book voucher will be deducted from your financial aid refund. Eligible students will be sent an invitation email from the Campus Store. For further information visit www.umassd.edu/campusstore/textbooks/ purchasingtextbooks

Disbursements

Financial aid funds (grants, scholarships, educational loans) are credited to your student account after Financial Aid Services has confirmed your enrollment for each academic semester once the

add/drop period has ended and all necessary requirements have been met (i.e. loan entrance counseling and/or promissory notes, etc.).

Refunds

Students whose financial aid awards exceed their charges will receive an email notification from the Bursar’s Office when refunds are available. Checks are distributed through the University Enrollment Center (UEC). Students can enroll for direct deposit of student refunds through COIN. This will eliminate the need to go to the University Enrollment Center to pick up your refund check. All students who

wish to enroll for direct deposit can log into COIN via the myUMassD portal at

https://my.umassd.edu/ to designate what bank account the funds will be deposited. A job aid to assist with the process can be found at

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Financial Aid Policies & Procedures

Changes in Award Status

UMass Dartmouth reserves the right to review, modify, or cancel financial assistance at any time based on information that affects financial aid eligibility. Some of the factors that may cause a change in your financial aid award are as follows:

Financial Need

Your financial aid award is based on the FAFSA and other information we have on file at the time of awarding. Changes made on your FAFSA, the availability of funds, outside scholarships or other assistance awarded, residency reclassification, etc. may result in a change in your eligibility.

Verification

Any student may be selected for verification by the Federal government or Financial Aid Services. Our office will notify you if you have been selected for verification. It is important to regularly check your COIN self-service To Do List and your UMD email account for reminder notifications of missing documents and the status of your application. This includes checking your COIN over the summer. The verification process requires Financial Aid Services to review the information reported on your FAFSA and to check for accuracy against documents you provide to our office. If your application is selected for verification, you will not be eligible for disbursement of financial aid until this process is finalized. To avoid unnecessary delays, please submit all required documents promptly. Using the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing or updating your FAFSA will simplify and expedite the verification process. If your EFC changes upon completion of the verification process, this may result in a change to your financial aid award package.

Information on how to request a IRS tax transcript can be found at

www.umassd.edu/financialaid/forms

Enrollment

Your financial aid award is based on the number of credits for which you are expected to enroll. Some financial aid programs require only half-time status (6 credits for undergraduates, 4.5 credits for graduates), some require full-time status (12 credits for undergraduates, 9 credits for graduates) and some programs, like the Federal Pell Grant, may be awarded with a less than half-time status. Your financial aid award is subject to change if your enrollment status changes.

Housing

Your financial aid award is based on the housing plan you indicated on your FAFSA. If there is a change in your housing status (for example, you decide to commute from your parents home rather than live on campus), you must notify our office immediately. Your financial aid award is subject to change if your housing status changes.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The federal government views your educational information, both financial and academic, as yours, regardless of who pays your educational expenses. Therefore, federal guidelines require that students provide written permission before we can share financial information with any third party, including parents or spouses. A summary of university policy on the privacy of student records, which include rights under FERPA is available at UMass Dartmouth’s web site at www.umassd.edu/registrar/forms

Permission to share FERPA financial aid information can be found at:

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Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students receiving financial aid of any type are required to make Satisfactory Academic Progress toward their degree. Satisfactory Academic Progress is defined by regulations of the U.S. Department of Education as “proceeding in a positive manner toward fulfilling degree requirements.” Students are reviewed annually in June with regard to their continued eligibility for federal, state and/or university financial aid for the following year.

Students not making satisfactory progress are allowed to appeal based on unusual circumstances (examples: health problems, family emergency, etc.).

Students whose appeal has been approved will be granted a probation status in order to obtain the necessary requirements for maintaining progress. If during the probation period the student does not maintain a satisfactory grade point average and/or does not meet the terms of their academic plan, aid eligibility will be discontinued for all future semesters until the student has re-established satisfactory academic status.

For the current Satisfactory Academic Progress policy, visit www.umassd.edu/financialaid/policies

Special Circumstances

If you have unique circumstances or your family situation has changed significantly since the time you completed the FAFSA, you can bring your situation to our attention and request reconsideration AFTER you have received an initial financial aid award. Grounds for reconsideration may include, but are not limited to, loss of a job, a death in the family, divorce or separation in the family, or unusually high medical or dental bills not covered by insurance. To appeal a financial aid award, send a detailed letter with appropriate documentation to Financial Aid Services describing the reason for the appeal. Appeals are considered on a case-by-case basis.

Additional information can be found at www.umassd.edu/financialaid/eligibility

Withdrawal/Leave of Absence

If you completely withdraw from all coursework during an academic term or take a UMass Dartmouth approved leave of absence, your financial aid award may be subject to change based upon federal and state refund regulations. Please consult our web site for the Financial Aid Withdrawal Policy at

www.umassd.edu/financialaid/policies Financial Aid Policies & Procedures

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Contact Information

By Phone

General information regarding financial aid at UMass Dartmouth can be obtained by calling the UEC directly at 508.999.8857 or 508.999.8866.

By Mail

Be sure to include your name and student ID number on all correspondence. The mailing address is:

University Enrollment Center UMass Dartmouth

285 Old Westport Road Dartmouth, MA 02747-2300

By Internet

Financial Aid Services maintains a homepage which contains useful information about financial aid at UMass Dartmouth and links to other financial aid websites: www.umassd.edu/financialaid

myUMassD

The myUMassD portal provides a single sign-on access to UMass Dartmouth email, COIN,

myCourses, as well as additional web tools. Newly admitted students (who have paid their enrollment deposit) and currently enrolled students are encouraged to regularly login to their myUMassD portal at www.umassd.edu

COIN

COIN provides access to your registration, financial aid, and billing information. You may view your financial aid award, decline your loans, identify required items on your To Do List, and review your account summary. Access COIN via the myUMassD portal.

In Person

The University Enrollment Center (UEC) is the first stop for students and families. The UEC staff can answer your questions regarding financial aid, billing, and registration.

The UEC is located in the first floor lobby of the Foster Administration Building.

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UMass Dartmouth Links

UMass Dartmouth homepage www.umassd.edu

University Enrollment Center: www.umassd.edu/uec Bursar’s Office: www.umassd.edu/bursar Financial Aid: www.umassd.edu/financialaid Scholarships: www.umassd.edu/financialaid/scholarships Loans: www.umassd.edu/financialaid/loans Student Employment: www.umassd.edu/financialaid/studentemployment

Federal Financial Aid Links

FAFSA

www.fafsa.ed.gov Federal PIN Website

https://pin.ed.gov/PINWebApp Student Loans

www.studentloans.gov

National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS): www.nslds.ed.gov

Federal Student Guide: studentaid.ed.gov

State Aid Links

Massachusetts Office of

Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) www.osfa.mass.edu

Massachusetts Board of Higher Education: www.mass.edu

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