Introduction

This guide is designed to help you understand your financial aid offer from Montana State University (MSU). It explains how to accept your aid, how funds are disbursed, and what steps to take in special or unusual circumstances.

You are responsible for knowing and following the procedures outlined in this guide. We encourage you to review it regularly—at least once a year. We are here to help you achieve your educational goals!

Financial Aid Offers

Your financial aid offers are determined by a combination of your eligibility and the availability of funds. Not all aid programs may be represented in your offer, as some funds have restrictions or limited availability.

If you qualify, the Federal Pell Grant is included first in your aid package. After that, additional grants (federal, state, and/or institutional) and scholarships may be offered. Please note that certain grants and scholarships are reserved for Montana residents. MSU grants and scholarships are limited and awarded to eligible undergraduate students on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.

Student loans are offered after grants and scholarships. Work-Study opportunities are also available—please contact our office to find out if you qualify.

Your financial aid offer is intended to help cover as much of your educational costs (COA) as possible. Please note that all offers depend on the following conditions:

  • Funds being available from federal, state, and institutional sources.
  • The accuracy of the information you and/or your contributors provided on your FAFSA.
  • Any additional resources you receive may reduce your eligibility.
  • Updates or new information that changes your financial need or Student Aid Index (SAI).
  • Your ability to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards toward your degree.
  • Your timely submission of any additional documentation we request to support your application.
  • Your eligibility to receive aid includes but is not limited to:
    • Being a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen,
    • Not being in default on a student loan,
    • Completing and signing all required documents,
    • Being enrolled in a degree-seeking program for the appropriate number of credit hours.

About Your Offer

Your financial aid package reflects the most equitable offer MSU can provide based on the information from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the University's estimated funding for current year and the date you applied for aid. Keep in mind that your aid may be adjusted if federal or state regulations change, funding levels shift, or your eligibility status is updated. Final federal funding is determined by Congressional appropriations.

If you have questions or need assistance, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Responding, Accepting or Declining Your Offer

Please respond to your Financial Aid Offer Notification promptly. Some parts of your offer are limited in funding and may be canceled if not accepted by the start of the term.

You will receive an email with instructions to respond to your Financial Aid offer through your MyMSU account. You must reply to the aid offered. Portions of aid with limited funding may be canceled if not accepted within two weeks, but no later than the start of classes. Accepting your offer does not obligate you to attend Montana State University.

Undergraduate aid is based on full-time enrollment, at least 12 credits per semester. Graduate aid is based on half-time enrollment, 7 credits per semester. If you enroll in fewer credits, attend only one semester, or change your status, your aid may be reduced or canceled (see “Financial Aid Pro-Ration Based on Enrollment Status”). Audit and reserved credits not applicable to your degree do not count toward enrollment requirements.

If you wish to accept less than the full amount offered, indicate the amount. Loan amounts accepted will be split evenly between two semesters. If your aid is not enough to cover your costs at MSU, please contact us to review your options. Let us know if you have unique circumstances we should consider. Any requests to change your aid must be submitted in writing as early as possible, and no later than two weeks before the end of the semester. Be sure to include your full name and the last four digits of your MSU ID in all correspondence.

Before accepting or declining a loan offer, consider the following:

Determining Eligibility

There are three components used to determine your financial aid eligibility. 1) Cost of Attendance (anticipated educational expenses), 2) Student Aid Index (SAI), and 3) other financial resources available to you.

The cost of attendance for a student is an estimate of that student's educational expenses for the period of enrollment. These expenses reflect spending levels for an academic year including tuition, fees, food, housing, books, and other miscellaneous expenses.  Adjustments to these spending levels may be considered for items such as dependent care or computer purchase. Please contact our office to discuss these options.

Cost of attendance components are developed for the traditional academic year, fall and spring terms. Tuition, fees, books and supplies are based on full-time enrollment for on-campus undergraduate programs and average credit load for Graduate, Gallatin College or Online programs. Specific program or course fees can be added.

Food and housing represent the average or median of MSU housing options. This value does not represent your actual costs as they vary by dorm, meal plans and individual preferences. Supplemental housing can be added for off-campus housing for main campus programs. Additional components exist for personal expenses, local transportation, and average or actual loan fees.

Actual expenses will be different and based on your lifestyle and other factors. Manage resources wisely. Borrow responsibly. Resources are for educational related expenses and do not meet all family needs. Financial coaching is available.

The Student Aid Index (SAI) is a formula-based index number that determines student eligibility for federal (and other) financial aid. The SAI is calculated from data collected on the FAFSA. This includes the student and any contributors. This formula is established by Congress and can change annually.

Other Financial Resources represent other known financial resources that are awarded from resources outside of MSU.

Disimbursement of Funds

Financial aid will be distributed to your account once all requirements are met. This can vary by program. For example, loans require additional entrance counseling and promissory notes to be completed. Review your MyMSU account for outstanding requirements.

If financial aid is available when you are billed, your semester aid will appear as estimated amounts (“memo’d”) on your bill and deducted from the total due. This covers billable charges such as tuition, fees, and on-campus housing and dining, as well as up to $200 in prior year’s charges or other authorized charges (e.g., library or parking fines). If you decline certain terms and conditions, indirect charges may need to be paid before federal aid can be released.

Review your bill carefully. Some types of aid, such as Work-Study, will not appear. In addition, some scholarships are not disbursed until after the semester begins, which may require you to pay your bill before those funds are received by the University.

Private or alternative loan checks made payable to both the student, and the University must be endorsed by the student at the Office of Financial Aid and Education before being applied to the student’s account.

Financial Aid is delivered electronically to the Student Accounts Office. Financial Aid does not issue refunds. All aid information is sent to the Student Accounts Office for processing. Direct any questions regarding your bill, refund amounts, or release dates to the Student Accounts Office.

Accept (Confirm) Bill

You must confirm your bill (pay your fees) each semester with the Student Accounts Office. Confirming your account means paying your bill in full, setting up payment plan (Applications and more information are available at the Student Accounts Office in Montana Hall or online: MSU Tuition Payment Plan) or using a combination of financial aid and other resources that meet your total bill. If your financial aid covers your bill in full, you can confirm through MyMSU. For questions, contact Student Accounts at 406-994-1991.

If your aid is greater than your university charges, the difference will be refunded. Aid disbursements begin at the start of the semester and continue until the last day of the term. Refunds are only released once your bill is confirmed with the Student Accounts Office.

If you receive a loan disbursement you do not wish to keep, you may cancel all or part of the loan under federal regulations. Instructions are provided after each disbursement.

Factors that influence aid

Verification

Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may be selected for review called verification to determine the accuracy of application data. Selection can be random or based on federal analysis on how questions were answered. Selection does not mean you did anything wrong. If you are selected, you will be required to provide additional documentation. Under federal regulations, your participation is mandatory, not voluntary, and we appreciate your cooperation. Failure to provide requested documentation can result in the cancellation of aid offers or repayment of aid disbursed. More information regarding verification can be found www.montana.edu/financialaid/verification.html.

Repeated Coursework and Financial Aid

Federal regulations limit how many times you can repeat a course and still receive federal financial aid for it:

  • You may receive aid for a course you previously failed (F).
  • You may receive aid one additional time for a course you previously passed (D or better, or P for pass/fail).
  • Once you have passed a course and repeated it twice, you are no longer eligible for federal aid for that course.

Repeated courses that exceed these limits will not count toward your enrollment level for financial aid, even though they appear on your bill. For example, if you are enrolled in 12 credits and 3 of those credits are ineligible repeats, your aid will be based on 9 credits.

Financial Aid does not decide whether you are allowed or required to repeat a class—that is determined by your program or personal choice. Financial Aid only determines whether a repeated course is eligible for funding.

Please note: If you pass a course (D or better, or P) and then retake it and fail, that failed attempt still counts as your one allowable repeat. A third attempt would not be eligible for federal financial aid.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

Students must meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy standards to qualify for federal and state financial aid programs, as well as most scholarships and tuition waivers, regardless of whether they have previously received financial aid. These standards represent the minimum requirements for financial aid eligibility and may differ from the academic standards required by the institution or a specific program.

The full policy can be viewed at www.montana.edu/financialaid/SAP.html. Failure to meet these standards will result in the loss of financial aid eligibility.

Dropping, Adding and Withdrawing from the University

When a Financial Aid offer is prepared for you, Financial Aid and Education operates with the notion that you will be enrolled for 12 or more credits as an undergraduate or 7 or more credits as a graduate student. It is understood, however, that not all students enroll in a full-time course of study. The Registrar’s Office officially verifies the number of credits for which all students are enrolled at MSU. Financial Aid uses this information to determine your enrollment status based on the 15th class day of university instruction.

CHANGE IN ENROLLMENT STATUS ON OR BEFORE THE 15th CLASS DAY: Disbursement of your aid is contingent upon the number of credits for which you are enrolled at the time your aid is disbursed. If your enrollment status changes on or before the 15th class day of university instruction due to your dropping credits after financial aid funds have been disbursed, including any retroactive drops with an effective date within the first 15 class days, you may have received funds that you were not entitled to receive. You will receive a bill from the Student Accounts Office for any overpayment made to you.

WITHDRAWAL FROM CLASSES AFTER THE 15TH CLASS DAY: If you withdraw from some, but not all, of your classes after the 15th day of university instruction, earning a “W” (withdraw) in the class(es), and if your aid has already disbursed, your current financial aid may not be affected. However, grades of “W” are not considered passing for the purposes of the Satisfactory Academic Progress Policy and may affect your future financial aid eligibility (see below).

Withdrawals & drops both result in changes in credits. Drops suggest that engagement was never started in the course(s), and a request was made to be removed from the course. Withdrawals suggest that engagement may have begun. Financial Aid reviews the date of the withdrawal and possibly communicates with the course instructor. If the instructor has no evidence that academic engagement exists, the withdrawal is like a drop, and the course(s) do not count toward eligibility. This will result in a change of aid and a potential bill from the Student Accounts Office for overpayment.

WITHDRAWING

If you have confirmed your bill (paid your fees with the Student Accounts Office) and you decide to stop attending classes at MSU, you must officially withdraw from the University by contacting the Registrar's Office in Montana Hall (undergraduate students), or the Graduate School (graduate students). If you withdraw from the University and are assigned no grade before the 15th class day or a grade of ‘W’ after the 15th class day, then an official withdrawal has taken place.

For financial aid purposes, the withdrawal date will be assessed by your first date of contact with the respective offices listed above. If you never attend any class, make this known upon completing your University withdrawal.

If you earned all non-passing grades (“F, I, N, W, NR”) at the end of the semester, it is determined that you unofficially withdrew and the amount of Title IV aid to be returned for the payment period will be calculated based on the latest date recorded as “last date of attendance” by your professor(s). If your “last date of attendance” cannot be determined, the amount of Title IV aid to be returned for the payment period will be calculated as if you withdrew at the 50 percent point of the semester.

If you received a combination of passing and non-passing grades, and your schedule includes courses with start and/or end dates outside of the standard course calendar, it may be determined that you unofficially withdrew if you did not complete your last scheduled class.

The date of official or unofficial withdrawal, the type and amount of financial aid received, and the amount of your original charges are factors used to determine the aid repayment amount. For more complete details on the calculation performed please contact our office.

If you receive funds for which you were not eligible, you will receive a bill from the Student Accounts Office and a Financial Aid Revision Notice from Financial Aid and Education. If you have any student loans, your loan servicer(s) will be notified of the change in your enrollment status. In keeping with the terms of your loan promissory note(s), you are expected to notify your loan servicer(s) regarding any changes in address or enrollment status.

If you are eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement, you will be sent a letter of notification of your eligibility, which must be returned within 14 days from the date of the notice, or the offer will be rescinded.

If you plan to return to MSU in a subsequent term during the academic year, please notify Financial Aid and Education.

Other Changes that Influence Aid

exceed your financial aid eligibility when other financial assistance is received such as scholarships, grants, fellowships, tuition waivers or other educational benefits.

exceed the aggregate eligibility limits for the loan or Pell Grant programs or are delinquent or in default on student loans.

become an in-state student after originally being considered a non-resident student.

submit incorrect information on the FAFSA or other financial aid forms or documents.

do not use financial aid received during the award year solely for expenses related to your education such as tuition and fees, books, supplies, and reasonable living costs.

Minimum enrollment levels are not met. See Financial Aid Pro-ration Based on Enrollment Status.

Your Rights and Responsibilities

Your Right to Privacy
All records and data submitted with your financial aid application are confidential. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and Montana state law prohibit the University from releasing information outside the institution without your written consent. Confidential records include financial aid, scholarship, and billing/account information. To allow another person (such as a parent) access, you must complete the Authorization to Release Financial Information form, available at Financial Aid and Education or online at www.montana.edu/financialaid.

Your Right to Review Records
You may request to review your financial aid records with a financial aid administrator. Dependent students cannot review parents’ income information, and parents/spouses cannot access an independent student’s records without written consent.

Your Right to Information
Details on costs, financial aid programs, policies, and opportunities are available on the Financial Aid and Education website or by contacting our office.

Your Right to an Explanation
Our staff is available to explain the financial aid offer process and answer your questions.

Your Right to Appeal
You may request a review of any decision regarding your aid eligibility. In some cases, you may be asked to submit a written appeal with supporting documentation. Reviews may or may not result in changes to your aid.

Your Right to Fair Treatment
Montana State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, national or ethnic origin, disability, veteran status, or age.

Your Responsibility to provide accurate information and supply requested documentation (e.g., tax transcripts or forms) by required deadlines.

Your Responsibility Read, understand, and retain copies of all forms or agreements you sign.

Your Responsibility Report all external funding (scholarships, grants, fellowships, tuition waivers, etc.) not listed on your financial aid offer.

Your Responsibility Contribute toward your expenses. Financial aid supplements but does not replace your own (and when applicable, your parents’ or spouse’s) resources.

Your Responsibility Report changes that may affect your eligibility, including residency, enrollment status (drops, withdrawals), other resources, or marital status.

Your Responsibility Use aid responsibly for education-related expenses at MSU.

Your Responsibility Repay loans according to the terms of your agreement. Inform your loan servicer of any changes to your name, enrollment, or attendance, both during and after your time at MSU.

Your Responsibility Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to continue receiving financial aid.

Your Responsibility Keep your contact information current. Follow university policy to update your physical and email addresses.

Additional Information, Tips and Reminders

Come to the University with some money of your own. Even if your aid is prepared on time, funds may not be available until after classes begin. You will need money for housing, books, and other immediate expenses. If you are able to save money during the summer before school starts, these savings will be useful in meeting your beginning-of-the-semester expenses and protect you from hardships if your aid is delayed.

Pay your fees and other charges by the due date if your aid is delayed.

Do not drop any of your classes or withdraw from MSU without checking first with Financial Aid and Education. If you drop below the required minimum credit load or fail to complete the appropriate number of credit hours, your financial aid may be reduced and/or canceled and repayment may be required.

Always communicate in a thorough and timely manner by responding immediately to all correspondence from our office. Always include your MSU Identification Number (ID) on written correspondence or telephone messages. Keep photocopies of all forms and documents you submit to all agencies and offices.

Keep your permanent, local and email addresses current with the Registrar’s Office at 101 Montana Hall.

Information regarding academic programs, facilities, withdrawal and refund policies is available in the current MSU Catalog. Student graduation and retention rates can be obtained from the Office of Planning and Analysis. You can obtain additional information regarding financial aid programs and services by reviewing publications and fact sheets available at the Office of Financial Aid and Education or on our website.

Policies and procedures governing financial aid programs are subject to change at any time without prior notification or publication due to changes in University, State, and/or Federal guidelines and regulations. Montana State University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution that does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, creed, religion, or veteran status.

Staff are available on a walk-in basis to assist you. Office hours and phone lines are open from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. weekdays. Please don’t hesitate to visit our office or phone us with your questions.