Financial Aid: Scholarships, Grants & Loans

At Mount St. Joseph University, we make it easy to apply for need-based aid. Just follow the simple steps below to get started:

STEP-BY-STEP APPLICATION PROCESS

1: Complete the admission application.

2: Visit our Financial Aid page online tools to help determine the approximate cost of an education at the Mount and for finding MSJ Scholarships.

3: Go to studentaid.gov and establish a FSA ID. This ID will give you access to start the FAFSA, gather your income information, and manage your progress.

4: Complete and submit the FAFSA for the maximum amount of assistance. The FAFSA factors in income, assets, family size, and number of children in college when determining the expected family contribution figure. The Mount's federal code is 003033.

After your FAFSA has been processed, the Mount will develop an individualized financial aid package for you.

Remember

Fill out all of your forms carefully and keep copies for your records.  You may be asked to submit additional documentation to verify information on the FAFSA.

Codes

• ACT: 3254
• Advanced Placement: 1129
• FAFSA Federal Code: 003033
• SAT: 1129

Student Aid Index (SAI): Primarily based on your family's prior year income, combined with assets, and family size. The lower your SAI, the more need-based aid you may qualify for. Formerly known as the Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): A standardized form used to determine your eligibility for need-based financial aid by collecting data about your family’s income and monetary assets.

Financial need: The difference between the annual cost of attendance and your SAI.

Grant: An award based on financial need that does not have to be repaid.

Loan: A sum of money lent at a specific rate of interest for a specific timeframe.

Financial Aid Offer: The total combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and employment offered to students to meet financial need.

There are several types of loans that will help finance your education, including low-interest federal government loans and loans from private foundations or banks.

Subsidized Direct Loan
Award: $3,500-$5,500
Source: Federal
Requirement: Students must demonstrate financial need to qualify for this loan to be subsidized.

Additional Unsubsidized Direct Loan
Award: $4,000-$5,000
Source: Federal
Requirement: Students do not need to demonstrate financial need to qualify for this loan. Amount and eligibility based on grade level during awarding term with a parent who was denied the Parent PLUS Loan. Available for Dependent students only.

Unsubsidized Direct Loan
Award: $20,500
Source: Federal
Requirement: This is available to all students regardless of financial need; students are responsible for interest that accrues.

Grad PLUS Loan
Award: Varies
Source: Federal
Requirement: This is a loan for graduate students attending school at least half time. This loan is not subsidized, and you must repay the amount borrowed with interest. Application at Graduate PLUS Application.

Nursing Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)
Award: Varies
Source: Health Resources & Services Administration (HSRA)
Requirement: For eligible students in the Mount’s Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) or Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) programs who are committed to being nurse educators toward the cost of tuition, fees and other reasonable education costs for eligible students.  Up to 85% of the loan can be forgiven for those who complete their degree program and teach at an accredited school of nursing.

Students have the option to borrow private loans directly from lenders (banks) to help finance the cost of their education. There are many options available so it is important to do some preliminary research and to know that all loans are not equal. Pay special attention to interest rates, fees, credit scoring, and co-signing requirements. But first, before you look at private loans, make sure that you have exhausted all possibilities for federal and state financial aid programs. Exploring your options now may save you time and money in the future.

Student Financial Services will work with any lender and servicing agency to process a private/alternative education loan for our students. Please be advised that these loans may be more expensive than federal student loans. The terms and conditions of alternative loans vary from lender to lender and we encourage all borrowers to review and evaluate each program.

A co-signer with a strong credit history will increase a student’s chances of being approved for a private/alternative loan and will help you secure the best interest rate. If you are an undergraduate who is planning to ask a parent to serve as a co-signer, you should also consider the parent loan options to ensure that, as a family, you are getting the best rates available to you.

A grant is a financial aid award typically based on your financial need, and it does not need to be repaid. Grants come from multiple sources including the Mount, the federal government and the Ohio state government. Eligibility is determined upon receipt of a completed FAFSA. Check out the list of available grants below to learn more.

Grants

MSJ Grant
Award: $500-$13,000
Source: Mount St. Joseph University
Requirement: Students must demonstrate financial need to qualify for this grant.

Catholic High School GAP Awards
Award: Up to 85 percent off tuition/room/board.
Source: The Mount
Requirement: Students must have a financial need after loans, work study, and gift assistance. Must have graduated from a Catholic high school.

Pell Grant
Award: $740-$7,395
Source: Federal
Requirement: Students must demonstrate financial need to qualify for this grant.

Plan ahead

Become familiar with procedures in our procedures section, as well as priority dates and deadlines.

File the FAFSA

Find this government-issued form online. Be sure to list Mount St. Joseph University and its six-digit code, 003033. We’ll be able to access your information electronically as soon as it is processed. The FAFSA is available online October 1.

Apply early

The best time to file the FAFSA for maximum, timely consideration is between October 1 and March 1 using your tax return from two years prior.

Do your research

Be sure to research scholarships and grants, especially local sources. Find help in a variety of places, including:

• The Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation
• The Junior League of Cincinnati
• Parent teacher associations
• Your high school counselors
• Your place of employment
• Your parents’ place of employment
• Your affiliated religious organizations

Respond to information requests

Promptly reply to all requests from the Mount for additional information so that we can quickly process your request.

Keep records

Complete all forms carefully and keep copies of them for your records.  You may be asked to submit documentation to verify information on the FAFSA.

Ask questions

Contact Student Financial Services with any questions or concerns you may have. Feel free to email, call (513) 244-4418 or schedule an appointment to discuss your situation.

Consider special circumstances

If you or your family’s financial circumstances change after your initial evaluation, or after you submit your FAFSA, contact Student Financial Services regarding possible adjustments. Visit our forms and applications section to download a special circumstance form.

Reapply every year

Financial aid is not automatically renewed. Each year, you must file a FAFSA by March 1 to be considered for need-based financial aid. You should also check renewal requirements on all scholarships.

Manage your debt wisely

We recommend you limit borrowing to necessary educational expenses. The Mount’s Student Financial Services team offers debt management assistance to help you plan repayment obligations.

Anthony Munoz Foundation

To assist students in continuing their education at local colleges and universities, The Anthony Munoz Foundation is offering up to seven $20,000 scholarships to Greater Cincinnati high school seniors. Visit here to view scholarship opportunities and applications to apply.

Cincinnati Scholarship Foundation

This organization creates, maintains and administers funds for the cultural and educational advancement of worthy and financially needy students from the Greater Cincinnati area. Find out more on their website.

U.S. Department of Education

The United States Department of Education establishes policies on federal financial aid for education, and distribution as well as monitoring of those funds. To find out more about their role in the financial aid system, visit their website.

IRS & 1098-T

The 1098-T Tuition Tax Statements are now available online. Mount St. Joseph has partnered with ECSI again this year.  Click here to access a 1098-T statement online.

If you have questions, visit here for the ECSI Student Tax Info link for information regarding your tax documents or call ECSI at (866) 428-1098.  

Students w/ Electronic Consent
Students that have consented to receive their 1098-T electronically should have received an email notification directly from ECSI. 
 
Students w/o Electronic Consent
Students that have not consented to receive their 1098-T electronically will have a paper copy mailed to their permanent address by January 31st.  However, you can still retrieve your statement online by going to the website noted above.

Prior Year Statements

Prior year statements for the 2022 and 2023 tax years are also available on the ECSI website.

Please note that Mount St. Joseph University CANNOT provide individual income tax advice. If you have any 1098-T tax-related questions regarding the education credits, eligibility, or reporting information on your taxes, please contact a tax professional or the IRS.  You can refer to IRS Publication 970 for further information here.

The ACT

Sponsored by the ACT, this site provides testing and financial aid information for students. Find more information on their website.

American Council on Education

ACE is the major coordinating body for all the nation’s higher education institutions. They provide information on public policy as it relates to Colleges and Universities in the United States. Check out their website to find out more information.

CashCourse

The National Endowment for Financial Education provides this valuable resource for students who want to learn more about budgeting and personal finance. Check out their website to learn more.

College Board

College board is a not-for-profit association connecting students to opportunities for collegiate success. Learn more at their website.

Have you been asked to submit a completed form to the Student Financial Services Office? We have made the most commonly requested forms available to download. 

To submit forms

You must print and complete the forms and then mail them to the Student Financial Services Office for processing unless noted otherwise. To view the forms you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

This is a standardized form that determines your eligibility for need-based financial aid by collecting data about your family’s income and monetary assets. For more information, and to download the application, visit the FAFSA site.

Special Circumstance Form

• 2025-2026
• 2026-2027

Cost of Attendance Increase Form

• 2025-2026
• 2026-2027

Setting Your Refund Choice

Student Refund Choice Instuctions

Applying for Need-Based Aid

Read about the steps for applying for need-based financial assistance.

Financial Aid Rights and Responsibilities

Read specific guidelines that apply to students receiving financial aid, and what a student must do in order to maintain financial aid.

Professional Judgment - Special Circumstances

Review examples of extenuating circumstances that may warrant consideration if a family situation has significantly changed after required information was provided on the FAFSA. 

Dependency Override

Review information surrounding dependency override, in rare circumstances, where a student may be considered independent even though he/she does not meet the FAFSA requirements to be considered independent.

Estimated Cost of Attendance

Review the standard estimates we use in calculating financial aid eligibility. They can be customized for variances in enrollment status and/or differences in tuition rates.