Maintaining Financial Aid Eligibility
Our financial aid programs are available to all masters-level students who also meet the requirements listed below. The federal student loan program is the only type of financial aid available to Doctor of Ministry and Certificate students.
Current Eligibility
Register for, and maintain, at least the minimum required amount of credit hours per semester:
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Half-time: You must be registered for at least 5 credits per semester to maintain eligibility for federal loans, the Seminary Grant, and a small handful of institutional scholarships.
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Full-time: You must be registered for at least 9 credits per semester to maintain eligibility for federal work study and most institutional scholarships (although a handful of the scholarships require a minimum of 12 credits per semester).
Maintain your cumulative GPA: All students must maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress. Be aware of your scholarship's specific requirements.
Other specific scholarship requirements: Minimum credits, GPA, and other specific requirements can be found on the Scholarship Guide, which can be downloaded from the Financial Aid Forms page on MyDenSem. If you have been awarded a scholarship, its name can be found on your Award Letter as well as on your student account under "Pending Aid" (until it is actually disbursed, at which point it will become its own line item).
Future Eligibility
Re-apply! Annual submission is necessary to maintain eligibility for all financial aid, with exception to renewable scholarships. The FAFSA is available as early as January 1st prior to the next academic year. The scholarship priority application deadline is April 1st for the Fall and November 1st for the Spring. The deadline to apply for loans to ensure financial clearance is August 1st.
Grants & Scholarships: The updated Scholarship Guide and Application is available as early as the 2nd week of January prior to the next academic year. Certain scholarships are automatically renewable (details will be noted in the scholarship's description, which can be found on the Scholarship Guide and Application), assuming requirements are maintained. The rest of the scholarships and grants are dependent on the availability of funds and require an annual re-application.
Federal Loans: The FAFSA must be renewed every academic year. The Master Promissory Note (MPN) is valid for 10 years, and thus generally does not need be renewed.
Applicable Policies & Procedures
Specific information on how financial aid is awarded and disbursed can be found here. Our Return of Federal Funds and Return of Institutional Aid policies can be found here.
