Awards & Receiving Aid

Once the Millersville University Office of Financial Aid has received your FAFSA results and other forms, if required, a financial aid package is developed based on your financial need. Scholarships and grants for which you are eligible are awarded first, followed by employment and loans.

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NEW & PROSPECTIVE STUDENTS:

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The Office of Financial Aid begins sending award letters to entering applicants (first-year and transfer students) mid-February.

• Applicants are notified on a rolling basis, as the Office of Financial Aid receives the student's financial aid application (FAFSA).
• We encourage you to apply early and respond to requests for additional documentation in order to ensure the accuracy of your awards and to not delay the disbursement of your financial aid. 
• Incoming applicants are sent a paper award letter, once, to their home address. Each and every communication from that point forward will be done through email.
• If you are asked to submit additional documents, you can find them in your myVILLE Student Portal under the Finances Tab > Financial Aid Requirements once you have paid your confirmation fee with Admissions.
• If you have paid your Admission confirmation fee, you will be able to view, and then accept/decline or reduce your awards in your MAX Account by clicking on the Financial Aid Awards link available on the Finances tab in your myVILLE Student Portal.

If the Office of Financial Aid requests that you submit additional documents, we must receive them as soon as possible and prior to the bill due date in order to use your financial aid as a credit towards your bill. If you do not submit the requested documents, we will not be able to process your financial aid application and financial aid will not be disbursed to your account (grants, loans, and institutional grants/scholarships). 

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RETURNING STUDENTS: 

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The Office of Financial Aid begins sending award letter emails to returning students mid-June.

• Returning students are notified on a rolling basis, as the Office of Financial Aid receives the student's financial aid application (FAFSA).
• Award Letter notifications are electronic and students will receive an email to their Millersville email account once awards are viewable online.
• If you are asked to submit additional documents, you can find them in your myVILLE Student Portal under the Finances Tab > Financial Aid Requirements.
• You will be able to view, and then accept/decline or reduce your awards in your MAX Account by clicking on the Financial Aid Awards link available on the Finances tab in your myVILLE Student Portal.

If the Office of Financial Aid requests that you submit additional documents, we must receive them as soon as possible and prior to the bill due date in order to use your financial aid as a credit towards your bill. If you do not submit the requested documents, we will not be able to process your financial aid application and financial aid will not be disbursed to your account (grants, loans, and institutional grants/scholarships).

Financial aid is disbursed to students no earlier than the end of the add/drop period for classes each semester. Before your aid can be disbursed to you, you must complete the requirements below:

1. Accept Your Aid — Accept or Decline your offered awards for the current aid year by logging into your myVILLE Student Portal under Finances > Financial Aid Awards > Select Aid Year
2. Complete your Terms and Conditions — Complete through the myVILLE Student Portal under Finances > Financial Aid Requirements
   • This accepts your offer of financial aid, and that you agree to accept and fulfill all the responsibilities associated with your awards.
3. Satisfy All Financial Aid Requirements — Be sure that every item under Financial Aid Requirements has been satisfied with a green check mark. For detailed information regarding the status of your Financial Aid Requirements, go to myVILLE Student Portal > Finances > Financial Aid Requirements > Financial Aid Status > Select Aid Year.
4. Loan Promissory Notes and Entrance Counseling — If you are borrowing a student loan, complete and sign any applicable Loan Agreements (MPN) for your loans. First-time, first-year Direct Loan borrowers and Grad PLUS borrowers must complete loan Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov. Both of these requirements can be found on the myVILLE Student Portal > Finances > Financial Aid Requirements.
5. Academic Holds — If there are any academic holds on your account, you must resolve them before your aid will be disbursed. To view if you have any holds on your accounts, go to myVILLE Student Portal > Finances > Financial Aid Requirements > Holds.

*** IMPORTANT ***

If you are not planning to be enrolled full-time (12+ credits for undergraduate students; 9+ credits for graduate students) it is important to notify the Office of Financial Aid of your finalized enrollment plans prior to the start of the semester so that your aid can be reviewed and adjusted if necessary. 

If you do not notify the Office of Financial Aid that you intend to be less than full-time enrollment for the semester, once the add/drop period has ended for the term, your aid will be re-evaluated and adjusted before your aid will disburse to your account. The review process can take up to a week and may hold up the disbursement of your financial aid. To avoid this issue, be proactive and let our office know of enrollment changes upfront once they have been finalized.

You will receive an email with your revised awards and will be responsible for paying any balance that is owed.

Terms & Conditions must be completed each year before financial aid awards can be credited to a student's account. The Terms & Conditions can only be completed once a student is admitted and confirmed their acceptance with Millersville University. All active, confirmed students will be sent an email notification from the Office of Financial Aid to notify them when the requirement is available to complete on their account. 

CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL FINANCIAL AID TERMS & CONDITIONS OF AWARDS

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GRANTS, SCHOLARSHIPS, AND LOANS

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Grants, scholarships, and loans administered by the Office of Financial Aid are applied directly to your Millersville University student billing account to pay charges for tuition, fees and on-campus room and board (if applicable). 

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FEDERAL WORK-STUDY FUNDS

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Students who have applied for and are accepted into a Federal Work-Study job earn their Federal Work-Study funds by working in positions with eligible employers. Wages are typically paid bi-weekly through the employer's payroll system. These funds are not applied to your charges for tuition, fees, etc.. For more information about the Federal Work-Study program, see Federal Work-Study.

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OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS

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You must submit a copy of your scholarship award letter or a copy of the check to the Office of Financial Aid to have it be incorporated into your financial aid package. Once received, an email notification detailing any adjustments made will be sent to you.

• The physical scholarship check should be sent to the Office of Student Accounts.
• If the check is made payable to Millersville University or is co-payable to you and Millersville University and you have endorsed the check, the scholarship will disburse to your Millersville student account just like any other form of financial aid (only after all requirements are satisfied, you are enrolled, no earlier than the end of add/drop, etc.) and will be split half in fall and half in spring, unless otherwise specified by the donor. 
• If your scholarship sponsor sends your scholarship check directly to you, you must submit the check directly to the Office of Student Accounts and provide a copy of the scholarship check to the Office of Financial Aid to make sure it is applied to your university student account.

The Office of Financial Aid strongly recommends that students sign up for Direct Deposit with the Office of Student Accounts through your Student Account Manager (SAM). Having your financial aid refund deposited directly to your account is the fastest and most secure way to receive your refund. If you do not have direct deposit, you will be issued a paper check that will be mailed to your home address on file.

When Are Refunds Available?

• If you see a negative balance on your student account, that means you have a credit balance and a refund will be issued to you. You will know that your refund has been generated when the negative credit balance goes to a zero balance and you see a transaction posted on your student account that reads, "Refund F/A Overpayment."
• If you have signed up for Direct Deposit, your refund will be available approximately three-four business days after you see the "Refund F/A Overpayment" transaction posted to your student account.
• If you have not signed up for Direct Deposit, your check will be mailed and could take up to 7-14 days to be received. 

Important Notes About Refunds:

• If your parents are borrowing through the PLUS Loan program, they may elect to have any excess funds refunded either to themselves or to you.
• Not cashing a refund check does not cancel any loans you have been awarded. To cancel a loan, you must first notify the Office of Financial Aid with the amount you are returning, and then must return the check to the Office of Student Accounts and endorse the check payable to Millersville University.
• Some types of aid can only be used to pay for certain types of charges. Therefore, you could receive a refund even if you have outstanding charges on your student account from the current term or previous terms. You are responsible for paying the balance on your account if one remains even after you receive a financial aid refund.