Types of Aid at Salisbury University

Scholarships

A scholarship is gift aid given to you to help fund your education. Most scholarships awarded at SU come from Salisbury University and the SU Foundation’s endowments with unique eligibility and scholarship renewal requirements. There are also many scholarships available to you from other, external organizations. Keep in mind, scholarship money does not have to be repaid.

Grants

A grant is essentially free money or gift aid given to you to finance your education. It can come from the state or federal government, from SU or from private sources and it doesn’t have to be repaid.

Loans

If scholarships and grants can’t cover the entire cost of your education, you can secure a loan from the federal government or from a private institution like a bank to cover the difference. Generally speaking, Federal student loans include many benefits (such as fixed interest rates and income-driven repayment plans) not typically offered with private loans. In contrast, private loans are generally more expensive than federal student loans.

For more federal Direct loan information
For more Federal Parent PLUS loan information.
For more information about Private vs Federal Loans

Entrance Counseling for Student Loan Borrowers

First time borrowers must complete an entrance counseling session as well as sign a master promissory note for any loans that they choose to accept. The entrance counseling sessions can be completed online and usually only needs to be done once. Entrance counseling covers comprehensive information on the terms and conditions of the loan and of the borrower’s responsibilities. Most promissory notes will also only need to be completed once. Both requirements must be completed before the loan can be disbursed. Login to StudentAid.gov to complete entrance counseling.

Exit Counseling for Student Loan Borrowers

Students who have received a loan(s) under the Direct Loan Program or Perkins Loan Program, must complete exit counseling each time they drop below half-time enrollment, graduate, or leave school. Exit counseling provides important information in preparation to repay your federal student loan(s). Login to StudentAid.gov to complete exit counseling.

Work Study

The Federal Work Study program enables you to earn money for part-time employment to help pay for your education. In most cases, you would be employed by SU in the Work Study program. In order to be considered eligible for the Federal Work-Study Program, students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) available at fafsa.ed.gov. Only students who demonstrate financial need will be considered for the work study program. If, after you after completed your FAFSA form and you feel your application demonstrates a financial need, you are encouraged to complete the Federal Work Study Questionnaire and submit to the Financial Aid Office.

529 Prepaid Tuition Plans

The Maryland Prepaid Tuition Plan is a savings plan that allows parents to set aside funds to pay college tuition for their dependents. The university does not bill the tuition plan directly. Normally, once the first bill of the semester is received, parents forward a copy of the bill to the Maryland Prepaid Tuition Plan and the tuition plan sends payment to the university on behalf of the student.

For more information about the State of Maryland's plan, visit www.collegesavingsmd.org. Prepaid tuition plans are also available in many states and procedures for requesting payment from the tuition plan may vary. For information regarding prepaid tuition plans outside the State of Maryland, please contact a representative from your individual state program.

Tuition Waivers

Some companies offer tuition remission for their employees or dependents of employees. We encourage students to investigate tuition remission programs through their employer or with their parent's employer.

Regular, benefit-eligible employees within the University System of Maryland (USM) may take advantage of tuition remission for themselves or their dependent children. Tuition remission, if applicable, is a benefit where tuition or a portion thereof is paid by the employer. The level of benefit depends upon the hire date of the employee.

Contact Human Resources at your place of employment for more information.

Veteran's Educational Benefits

VA benefits are administered by the Registrar's office so to begin using your VA Education Benefits, supporting documents are needed for the University to certify your enrollment with the VA. To access your benefits, you must first complete an Application for Education Benefits online through the VA’s website. If you have not received your Certificate of Eligibility, please provide the Veteran's Office with a copy of your completed Application.

Once you receive your Certificate of Eligibility, to receive enrollment certification at SU, the Veterans Benefit Certification Request needs to be completed each semester.

Maryland State Financial Aid

The Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC) Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) awards a variety of grants and scholarships to students that are Maryland residents. These awards are based on merit and/or financial need and are in addition to aid awarded by the institution. Students who wish to be considered for state aid must submit the FAFSA by March 1 each year. For a full list of programs, deadlines, separate application and eligibility requirements please visit the MHEC website

Completed Credits	Estimated Award Amount
23 or Less	$0
24	$13,500
25	$14,000
26	$14,600
27	$15,200
28	$15,700
29	$16,300
30 or More	$16,900

Completed Credits	Estimated Award Amount
23 or Less	$0
24	$2,400
25	$2,500
26	$2,600
27	$2,700
28	$2,800
29	$2,900
30 or More	$3,000

Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship

Beginning with the 2018-2019 award year, a Pell-eligible student whose parent or guardian died in the line of duty while serving as a public safety officer is eligible, under the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship, to receive a maximum Federal Pell Grant award.

Federal Pell Grants are awarded to both full- and part-time undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelors or professional degree. In certain situations, an eligible student can receive up to 150% of their scheduled Federal Pell Grant for an award year.

Please note that any changes to the FAFSA data may result in an adjustment to your Federal Pell Grant, including but not limited to:

Review of your FAFSA due to Verification.
Enrollment less than full-time (12 credits for undergraduate).
Corrections made by staff due to conflicting university data.

To qualify, a student must:

Be otherwise Pell-eligible.
Have a Pell-eligible EFC greater than $0.
Be less than 24 years of age OR enrolled at an institution of higher education at the time of their parent or guardian’s death.

A public safety officer is defined as:

An individual serving a public agency in an official capacity, with or without compensation, as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain;
An employee of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) who is performing official duties of the agency, if those official duties–
- are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and
- are determined by FEMA to be hazardous duties;
An employee of a state, local, or tribal emergency management or civil defense agency who is performing official duties in cooperation with FEMA, if those official duties–
- are related to a major disaster or emergency that has been, or is later declared to exist with respect to the area under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act; and
- are determined by the agency to be hazardous duties;
A member of a rescue squad or ambulance crew who, as authorized or licensed by law and by the applicable agency or entity, is engaging in rescue activity or in the provision of emergency medical services; or
A fire police officer, defined as an individual who is serving in accordance with state or local law as an officially-recognized or designated member of a legally organized public safety agency and provides scene security or directs traffic in response to any fire drill, fire call, or other fire, rescue, or police emergency, or at a planned, special event.

A parent or guardian includes non-custodial parents, step-parents, and parents of independent students. In all cases, the parent/guardian status at the time of death is the qualifying eligibility criterion. This may be different from the current parent/guardian status.

If you meet the above criteria please contact our office for the application and documentation required to apply for this scholarship.

Assistantships