Financial Aid
GRADUATE CATALOG INDEX

Federal loans are the primary source of financial assistance for graduate students. As of fall 2007, graduate students can borrow up to $9,250 a semester in Federal Stafford Loans and up to the cost of attendance (less other aid) in Federal Grad Plus loans. Check with Financial Aid for current limits.

Students in the physician assistant program and the family nurse practitioner track of the nursing program may be eligible for additional assistance through the NHSC Fellowship, Community Scholarship Program, or the West Virginia Health Sciences Foundation. Contact the program coordinator for additional information on these sources of financial aid.

You may find other sources of financial aid through your employer’s educational benefits or through agencies and organizations with which you are affiliated.

Helpful Information
Here is a quick list of some of the numbers and information you will need throughout the financial aid process.

Virtual Financial Aid Office (VFAO)
https://mountainstate.vfao.com
toll-free 877.906.1723

MSU’s school code (for FAFSA)
003807

MSU’s OPEID number
00380700

Federal Student Aid Information Center
toll-free 800.4FED.AID
www.studentaid.ed.gov

Applying for Financial Aid
The University collects financial aid information and processes applications through its financial aid website, which is known as the Virtual Financial Aid Office (VFAO). To apply for financial aid, visit the VFAO website and complete the following steps:

Step One
Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at the VFAO website. Be sure that you indicate the correct academic year for which you are requesting aid, as well as MSU’s school code (003807). Once you have submitted the FAFSA, be sure to print a copy for your records. You will need the EFC (Estimated Family Contribution) amount from the form for later processing. Call the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll-free at 800.4FED.AID with any questions about completing the FAFSA.

Because it can take up to six weeks for your financial aid to be processed, it is important that you submit your FAFSA as early as possible. For programs that follow the traditional academic year, the University has established recommended submission dates of March 1 for the following fall semester, November 1 for the following spring semester, and February 1 for the following summer terms.

FAFSAs submitted after the recommended date are processed as time allows in the order received. You must complete all steps listed in this section before your FAFSA can be processed. Because many programs make awards available on a first-come, first-awarded basis, filing promptly may result in more awards.

You must complete a FAFSA for each academic year (which at MSU is defined as fall semester, spring semester, and two summer sessions). The FAFSA for each academic
year is available on January 1 before the
fall semester.

The FAFSA is also available as a paper form if you are unable to obtain or complete the electronic version. You can obtain a copy from the Financial Aid Office or by calling 800.433.3243.

Step Two
Use the financial aid estimator at the VFAO website for an estimate of your financial aid. The estimator gives annual amounts (that is, for two semesters). For loans, it assumes that you are an independent student; if you are a dependent student you are ineligible for the unsubsidized loan amount and should consider only the subsidized amount.

Step Three
Request a VFAO personal identification number (PIN) if you do not already have one, and complete an online financial aid interview at the VFAO website. This interview provides MSU with such information as the semester for which you need aid, your grade level, and other background required for processing your application. You must complete the first two steps of the application process before beginning the interview.

You must complete an interview for each semester in which you wish to obtain
financial aid, but you can complete interviews for up to two semesters at a time. Make sure that you select the correct semester or semesters for which you are applying for financial aid. Also note that although you are asked to click “save” at several points throughout the process, the interview is not finalized and transmitted until you click “lock.” If you have questions about completing the interview, call the toll-free VFAO number (877.906.1723).

The interview requires that you enter a grade level, which is used in determining loan eligibility. The VFAO will use your current transcript to verify your hours.

Part of your eligibility for financial aid is based on the average cost of attendance (COA) at the school you are attending. Federal guidelines state that the COA consists of average tuition, fees, books, living expenses, transportation, and miscellaneous expenses. All educational aid together cannot exceed your COA. It is therefore very important that you list any aid you will receive — including aid from veterans benefits, rehabilitation, employee waivers, scholarships, military tuition, and other sources — as requested in the VFAO interview. If you fail to provide a complete list of aid during the interview, your award may be recalculated and you may be required to return awarded aid.

Step Four
If you are applying for a Federal Stafford Loan and have never had a loan before at MSU, you must complete a master promissory note (MPN). Keep in mind that you must be enrolled at least half time (3 credit hours for graduate students) at the time of disbursement to be eligible for a Federal Stafford Loan. This step is part of the interview process.

The lender cannot legally disburse your loan funds unless you have completed an MPN.

Processing
Once you have completed all four steps and are registered for classes, MSU will begin processing your financial aid.

Federal regulations may require verification of your financial aid application. If your
application is selected for verification, you will receive a notification of required documentation (for example, a tax return, W-2, or tax worksheet). It is important that you submit any requested documentation as quickly as possible; your financial aid award cannot be completed until it is received and processed.

Satisfactory Academic Progress
Federal regulations require that financial aid recipients make satisfactory progress toward the completion of a degree or program. Students who receive federal aid must meet both qualitative and quantitative requirements.

Satisfactory academic progress is measured by three factors:

1. Cumulative grade point average. Graduate students must have an overall GPA of 3.0 or better.
2. The completion rate, or number of credits earned in relation to those attempted. Graduate students must have a completion rate of at least 85 percent.
   
3. The maximum amount of time allowed for the completion of the academic program. This maximum is set by federal regulations at 150 percent of the published length of the degree program. For example, if you degree program requires 36 credit hours, the maximum cannot exceed 54 attempted credit hours (36 x 150%).

Withdrawal from or failure of a course or courses has a negative effect on your ability to maintain aid by decreasing your completion rate. All graduate coursework attempted at MSU, as well as credit transferred from other colleges and universities, is calculated into your completion rate.

Academic progress is reviewed at the end of each academic year, after spring semester. Students appealing a financial aid suspension for fall semester are evaluated at the end of fall semester.

Financial Aid Probation and Suspension
Financial aid recipients who fail to make satisfactory academic progress are placed on financial aid probation for their next semester. Those who do not show academic improvement during the probation semester are placed on financial aid suspension until they meet the academic progress criteria.

While students on financial aid probation are eligible for financial aid, those on financial aid suspension are not. Students on either financial aid probation or suspension are not allowed to register for the next term until they receive clearance from the Financial Aid Office.

Students who have lost eligibility to receive financial aid as a result of financial aid suspension must use their own resources without benefit of financial aid and attain the minimum standards of satisfactory academic progress before becoming eligible to reapply for aid.

Financial Aid Appeals
Recognizing that students sometimes encounter circumstances beyond their control that adversely affect their academic progress, the University reserves the right to allow students who do not meet qualitative and quantitative standards because of mitigating circumstances to continue to receive financial aid. Any student subject to suspension of financial aid eligibility may submit one appeal to the financial aid appeals committee within 30 working days of the notice of the suspension. The appeal must be submitted in writing and include an explanation and documentation of the reasons that the required academic standards were not met. It must also include a plan of action for achieving success in future coursework.

Appeals can be submitted to the director of financial aid, who presents each appeal to the financial aid appeals committee. You may appeal financial aid suspension only once.

Graduate Assistantships
The University awards a limited number of graduate assistantships supported by University funds or by external funds administered through the University. Graduate assistant duties may include teaching lower-level courses, conducting discussion sections, supervising laboratories, assisting faculty members, or aiding departments in other ways. Mountain State University provides such support to assist qualified students in the pursuit of a graduate degree, to recognize and reward scholarship and responsibility, extend the range of academic experiences, and assist departments and faculty members in carrying out academic and professional tasks.

Applications are available from the School of Graduate Studies. Graduate programs have primary responsibility for awarding assistantships.

International Fellowship
International Fellowship positions provide part-time employment on campus to qualifying international students who are enrolled full time. Eligibility is based on University employment needs and a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or better.

Participating international students are paid the established hourly minimum wage. The number of hours is determined by the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life.

For an application and additional information, contact the Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life.

Veterans Assistance
The West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission has approved the courses of study at Mountain State University for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits. All students receiving these benefits must comply with certain academic standards to receive educational benefits.

Eligible veterans can apply to the Department of Veterans Affairs for educational benefits after they have been accepted for admission. Veterans benefit applications are available in the veterans coordinator’s office or online at www.gibill.va.gov.

If you receive veterans benefits you must notify the veterans coordinator each semester when you have registered for classes by completing an MSU VA enrollment form, available on the MSU website. The coordinator will certify your enrollment status with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Veterans benefits recipients must notify the veterans coordinator of any change in name, address, enrollment status, schedule, type of class (traditional or independent study), eligibility changes, etc. Any change in
enrollment status (full time, three-quarter time, or half time) will affect the amount of monthly benefits. A change may cause an overpayment that will have to be repaid to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Attendance
In accordance with Department of Veterans Affairs regulations, class attendance is monitored for students receiving veterans benefits. Be sure to check the attendance policy for each course (listed on the syllabus). If your academic progress is unsatisfactory because of excessive absences as determined by the instructor, you may be required to repay some or all of the benefits received.