General Information
What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is any grant, scholarship, loan or paid employment offered for the express purpose of helping a student meet educationally related expenses. Such aid is usually provided by or through federal and state agencies, foundations, corporations, and the colleges and universities themselves. Grants and scholarships are regarded as “gift” assistance and need not be repaid although they may carry certain provisions.
Loans are usually offered at low interest rates and can be repaid over an extended period after the student leaves the institution. Where aid is offered in the form of a job, the student is paid an hourly rate for work actually performed.
The amounts and types of financial aid that students receive are determined through federal, state and local guidelines, and are offered to students in combinations or “packages” designed to fit applicants’ financial needs.
What is Financial Need?
Financial need is the dollar-amount difference between the funds students can provide and their University expenses. Salisbury University expects students and/or their parents to contribute to the fullest of their ability from income and assets in meeting University expenses. Financial aid is designed to supplement, but not replace, these primary resources. Therefore, the University’s aid programs are based on the financial need of families. It is students’ responsibility to apply for any additional scholarship for which they may be eligible.
Eligibility Requirements and Procedures
To be eligible to apply initially for financial aid, students must meet the following criteria:
- Be matriculated (formally admitted to the University).
- Be enrolled in a degree-seeking program of study.
- Be enrolled at least part time.
Once students are studying at Salisbury University and wish to reapply for financial aid, they must meet the following qualifications:
- Remain matriculated.
- Remain enrolled in a degree-seeking program of study.
- Continue making satisfactory academic progress.
All students must reapply every year for continuation of financial aid, and are required to report to the Financial Aid Office any new scholarships, loans, grants and earnings from employment not recorded on the original, initial financial aid application. This information is used to reassess students’ financial needs and if needs are reduced, aid will be reduced accordingly. When aid must be reduced, the Financial Aid Office attempts to adjust the amount students will receive for the upcoming semester in that semester. But in cases where such adjustments cannot be made in time and students receive aid in excess of assessed need, the University bills students in the amount of the overaward.
Students who receive financial aid are notified in an award letter and must, in turn, notify the Financial Aid Office that they accept the aid awarded. Students who do not notify the office of their acceptance of aid awarded by the date indicated in the award letter are subject to aid cancellation.
Graduate Financial Assistance
A limited amount of financial aid in the form of graduate assistantships from the University, scholarships from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (Maryland residents only) other sources is available each year to selected graduate students. The William D. Ford Direct Loan Program is available to students whose classification is a graduate master’s or doctoral degree and are enrolled at least half time per semester. Internal scholarship opportunities also may be found by visiting the graduate studies website.
Graduate Assistantships
Each year Salisbury University offers a number of graduate assistantships on a competitive basis. Information and available opportunities may be obtained from the Graduate School.
All graduate assistants will be eligible to receive a salary and tuition waver. Full-time graduate assistants must enroll for a minimum of six credits, but no more than nine per semester will be covered by the tuition waiver. Tuition will be waived only for courses applicable toward graduate degree requirements. The waiver of tuition does not include waiver of fees.
Assistantships are generally awarded for one semester, beginning in the fall, and may be continued in the spring semester, based on the recommendation of the dean, department chair or graduate program director.
Return of Title IV Funds Policy
The federal government’s policy states that if a Title IV aid recipient (Direct Stafford Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, Pell Grant, SEOG) withdraws from the institution, either officially by withdrawing through the Registrar’s Office or unofficially by dropping out, during a period of enrollment in which the recipient began attendance, the institution must calculate the percentage and amount of Title IV assistance the student did not earn and return those funds to the Title IV programs. Once 60 percent of the enrollment period has elapsed, 100 percent of the aid is determined to be earned and no calculation is required. For further information please visit the financial aid website.
Application Procedures for University Financial Aid Programs
Students who wish to apply for financial aid must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) indicating that Salisbury University (Title IV Code 002091) is to receive the information.
The University’s financial aid deadline can be found on the financial aid website. Although incoming freshmen and transfer students are not offered financial aid until they have been formally admitted to the University, they must meet the same application deadline. Immediate processing of new applications or announcements of results prior to the beginning of the school year cannot be assured; therefore, an alternate arrangement for bill payment should be made. If funds are still available, cases will be processed during the school year.
Disbursement of Financial Aid
Financial aid is disbursed to the semester bill once all required actions have occurred to allow disbursement. Required actions may include: accepting the aid offer, providing requested documentation and completing promissory notes and entrance counseling. Students must be enrolled and have completed all required steps in the financial aid process before aid is permitted to disburse to their semester bill.
If there is a credit balance due to the student after all charges have been deducted, a refund will be processed for the student as early as the first week of classes. For credit balances that occur near or after the beginning of the term, the excess funds will be available within two to three weeks. Students have the option of receiving excess funds by check or electronic deposit.
Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy
Undergraduate Policy
Federal regulations require that institutions of higher education establish minimum standards of “Satisfactory Academic Progress” (SAP) for potential and current financial aid recipients. Financial aid applicants must comply with the SAP Policy as a condition of initial or continued eligibility. Please note that a student’s prior academic progress will be measured to determine his or her eligibility. The Financial Aid Office will review SAP at the end of each payment period (fall, spring and summer).
Financial aid programs that are affected by the SAP Policy include: Federal Pell, Federal TEACH, Federal SEOG, Federal Work Study, Federal Direct Stafford Loan, Direct PLUS Loan, Salisbury University funding, TRIO Grant, Partnership for Success Grant and State grants/scholarships.
SAP for undergraduates is measured in three areas:
maintaining a satisfactory cumulative grade point average, successfully completing a required percentage of attempted credits and receiving a degree within a maximum timeframe.
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average
Undergraduate students must maintain the required cumulative grade point average necessary for continued enrollment at SU. Therefore, they must maintain an academic standing consistent to the Undergraduate Scholastic
Standards as outlined below:
| Total Credits Earned (Including transfer credits) |
Minimum SU Cumulative GPA |
| Fewer than 30 |
1.400 |
| 30-35 |
1.500 |
| 36-41 |
1.600 |
| 42-47 |
1.700 |
| 48-53 |
1.800 |
| 54-59 |
1.900 |
| 60 or more |
2.000 |
Minimum Credit
All undergraduate students must have successfully completed at least 67 percent of all credits attempted.
How do I calculate my percentage completed?
An attempted credit includes graded courses (A, B, C, D, F) and non-graded courses (I, PS, S, CS, AU, W, WF, WP, NR, IP, RA, RB, RC, RD, RF, X, Advanced Placement, CLEP, Departmental Challenge Exams, International Baccalaureate Exams, Military Education Credit, study abroad attempted credits, credits excluded in Academic Clemency, accepted transfer credits).
To calculate the percentage of credits a student has completed, total all attempted credits and total all completed credits. (See the Repeat Course section in the University Catalog for further information regarding repeating of courses) Then, divide the number of completed credits by the number of attempted credits.
Total Completed Credits/ Total Attempted Credits = Percentage Completed
Students placed on warning after the first occurrence for one or both of the above requirements (Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average/Minimum Credit Requirement) must meet all SAP requirements after the next consecutive payment period in which they are enrolled or financial aid eligibility will be terminated.
Maximum Time Frame
Undergraduate students seeking their first bachelor’s degree must earn their degree, regardless of their program of study, within their first 180 attempted credits. Students who have not earned a degree within their first 180 attempted credits, whether they have previously received financial aid or not, will lose their financial aid eligibility.
What Counts as Attempted Credits?
An attempted credit includes graded courses (A, B, C, D, F) and non-graded courses (I, PS, S, CS, AU, W, WF, WP, NR, IP, RA, RB, RC, RD, RF, XD, XF, Advanced Placement, CLEP, Departmental Challenge Exams, International Baccalaureate Exams, Military Education Credit, study abroad credits, credits excluded in Academic Clemency, all transfer credits accepted by SU). Ex. John has 30 transfer credits accepted by SU and had registered for 15 credits at SU for the fall 2017 semester but only obtained 12 credits at the conclusion of the fall 2017 semester. His attempted credits are 45.
Undergraduates Seeking First Bachelor’s Degree
A financial aid eligibility termination letter will be sent to those students who have attempted more than 180 credits.
Undergraduates Seeking Second Bachelor’s Degree
A financial aid eligibility termination letter will be sent to those students who have attempted (includes attempted credits/transfer credits from first bachelor’s degree) more than 270 credits.
Appeal Process
If a student is placed on warning, he or she does not need to appeal, because financial aid eligibility has not been revoked. A student who has had his or her financial aid eligibility terminated has the right to make a written appeal if extenuating circumstances exist and can be documented.
Additional Information
Academic dismissal or disciplinary suspension from SU will result in the automatic cancellation of financial aid eligibility.
Only matriculating students (formally admitted) can receive financial aid.
The Financial Aid Office is not permitted to exclude credits/grades for students granted Academic Clemency.
Students ceasing attendance at SU, either officially by withdrawing through the Registrar’s Office or unofficially by dropping out, will have their financial aid adjusted in accordance with the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Refund Policy.
Graduate Policy
Federal regulations require that institutions of higher education establish minimum standards of “Satisfactory Academic Progress” (SAP) for potential and current financial aid recipients. Financial aid applicants must comply with the SAP Policy as a condition of initial or continued eligibility. Please note that your prior academic progress will be measured to determine your eligibility. The Financial Aid Office will review SAP at the end of each payment period (fall, spring and summer).
Financial aid programs that are affected by the SAP Policy include the Federal Direct Stafford Loans, Federal TEACH Grant and state grants/scholarships.
SAP for graduates is measured in three areas:
maintaining a satisfactory cumulative grade point average, successfully completing a required percentage of attempted credits, and receiving a degree within a maximum timeframe.
Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average
Graduate students must maintain the required cumulative grade point average of at least a 3.00.
Minimum Credit
All graduate students must have successfully completed at least 67 percent of all credits attempted.
How do I calculate my percentage completed?
An attempted credit includes graded courses (A, B, B+, C, C+, D, F) and non-graded courses (I, AU, W, WF, WP, NR, IP, RA, RB, RB+, RC, RC+, RD, RF, Departmental Challenge Exams, Study Abroad, transfer credits accepted toward a student’s program)
To calculate the percentage of credits a student has completed, total all attempted credits and total all completed credits. (See the Repeat Course section in the University Catalog for further information regarding repeating of courses) Then, divide the number of completed credits by the number of attempted credits.
Total Completed Credits/ Total Attempted Credits = Percentage Completed
Students placed on warning after the first occurrence for one or both of the above requirements (Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average/Minimum Credit Requirement) must meet all SAP requirements after the next consecutive payment period in which they are enrolled or financial aid eligibility will be terminated.
Maximum Time Frame
The federal government requires a graduate student to obtain his or her degree within a given time frame to remain eligible to receive financial aid. A student is allowed to have attempted up to 150 percent of the required credits for a graduate degree and still receive financial aid. The published length for a student to obtain his or her degree varies according to the degree sought. Refer to the SU Catalog to determine the published length required for the degree.
What Counts as Attempted Credits?
An attempted credit includes graded courses (A, B, B+, C, C+, D, F,) and non=graded courses (I, AU, W, WF, WP, NR, IP, RA, RB, RB+, RC, RC+, RD, RF, and Departmental Challenge Exams, study abroad attempted credits, all transfer credits accepted by SU). Ex. John has three transfer credits accepted by SU and had registered for nine credits at SU for the fall 2017 semester but only obtained six credits at the conclusion of the fall 2017 semester. His attempted credits are 12.
A financial aid eligibility termination letter will be sent to those students who have attempted more than 150 percent of the required credits necessary to obtain a degree.
Appeal Process
If a student is placed on warning, he or she does not need to appeal, because financial aid eligibility has not been revoked. A student who has had his or her financial aid eligibility terminated has the right to make a written appeal if extenuating circumstances exist and can be documented.
Additional Information
Academic dismissal or disciplinary suspension from SU will result in the automatic cancellation of financial aid eligibility.
Only matriculating (formally admitted) students can receive financial aid.
The Financial Aid Office is not permitted to exclude credits/grades for students granted Academic Clemency.
Students ceasing attendance at SU, either officially by withdrawing through the Registrar’s Office or unofficially by dropping out, will have their financial aid adjusted in accordance with the Federal Return of Title IV Funds Refund Policy.
Financial Aid Repeat Grade Policy
Federal regulations specify that students may receive federal financial aid funding for one repetition of a previously passed course. The regulation limits the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive federal financial aid for that course.
Examples of repeated coursework that may count toward a student’s enrollment status for purposes of determining federal financial aid eligibility are listed below:
- Repeated coursework may be included if the student withdrew (W) or received a failing grade (F). A student may repeat a failed course until it is passed.
- Repeated coursework may be included when determining enrollment status in a term-based program if a student needs to meet an academic standard for a particular passed course, such as a minimum grade. Ex: Student received a D in a course that requires a minimum grade of C for his or her major.
Examples of repeated coursework that may not count toward a student’s enrollment status for the purpose of determining federal financial aid eligibility are listed below:
- Retaking a passed course more than once. If a student receives a D in a course and decides to repeat the course to improve his or her GPA, he or she may repeat this passed course one time. However, if the student wants to repeat it a second time, the course would not count toward the student’s enrollment status.
Additional Information
All repeated courses affect financial aid satisfactory academic progress calculations, regardless of whether the student received financial aid or not, all repeated coursework must be counted as attempted credits.
Certain course descriptions listed in the Salisbury University Catalog may state that a specific course “must be repeated for degree” or “may be repeated for credit if content differs”; a student may receive financial aid for these courses, regardless if a passing grade has been received, as long as the course content is different. This regulation applies whether or not the student received aid for the earlier enrollments in the course.
Audit Policy
Courses that are audited do not count toward required enrollment for financial aid purposes.
Financial Aid Programs
Federal Grants and Loans
Federal Pell Grant
The Federal Pell Grant is an entitlement program for undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor’s degree. Federal Pell Grants are considered a foundation of federal financial aid, to which aid from other federal and nonfederal sources might be added. Eligibility is dependent on the results from filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The maximum Pell Grant award is $5,920 and is dependent on enrollment status as full or part time.
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program is for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Students eligible for the Federal Pell Grant receive priority consideration for the FSEOG. Awards amounts range from $100 to $1,000 per year.
Federal Work Study (FWS)
The Federal Work Study Program provides jobs on and off campus to degree-seeking students with demonstrated financial need. These jobs are usually assigned as part of the financial aid package. If possible, students are employed in positions related to their academic major or special interest. Students receive minimum wage and are paid every two weeks for hours worked.
William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Programs
Salisbury University participates in the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Programs (Direct Loan).
The Direct Loan enables degree-seeking students enrolled at least half time to borrow money directly from the federal government rather than private lending institutions (i.e., banks, credit unions). Loans can easily and quickly be obtained by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and signing a Promissory Note. Undergraduate students can borrow up to $5,500 per annum for the freshman year, $6,500 for the sophomore year and $7,500 for the third through fifth year. Graduate students can borrow up to $20,500 per annum. Repayment begins six months after recipients drop below six credits.
Parents also may borrow through the William D. Ford Federal Direct PLUS Program. Parents may borrow up to the cost of attendance at the institution minus other estimated financial assistance for the student. Parents may choose to defer payments until six months after the date the student ceases to be enrolled at least half time. Accruing interest could either be paid by the borrower monthly or quarterly, or be capitalized quarterly. Parents must complete a promissory note.
Information on the William D. Ford Federal Direct Student Loan Programs is available in the Financial Aid Office.
Salisbury University Funding
The Salisbury University Fund is for full-time, first bachelor’s degree-seeking undergraduate students who have established financial need by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid. These grants are usually awarded in combination with other financial aid awards, considering academic performance and financial need.
Veterans’ Benefits
Financial aid is available for veterans and their dependents who are eligible for GI benefits. These benefits are processed by the Salisbury University Office of Veteran Services, located in the Registrar’s Office.
Work Experience
Campus employment information is available through Career Services. Students can apply for jobs without having to apply for financial aid and are hired based on job availability and skills.
Maryland Higher Education Commission Programs
State Scholarships
The State of Maryland each year awards Guaranteed Access grants, Rawlings Educational Assistance grants, House of Delegates and Senatorial scholarships to legal residents of the state. To apply, students need to complete the FAFSA.
The application deadline is March 1 for the following academic year.
For a list of all State of Maryland scholarships go to the MHEC website.
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