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Bachelor's Completion Financial Aid
Committed to Accessibility and Affordability
Finishing your bachelor's degree can be a big investment, but it is one that pays lifelong dividends in career improvement and life satisfaction. At Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, we are committed to making that investment as accessible and affordable as possible for you.
Find financial support when you need it.
If you are in a degree-granting program and enrolled at least half time, you may be eligible for financial aid. Loans and grants are possible components of a financial aid package.
Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible to see if you are eligible.
If you are an active-duty service member, reservist, veteran, or a family member of someone who has served, we encourage you to reach out to our Office of Military and Veterans Services for financial aid options unique to your situation.
Associates Degree Scholarship
Do you have an associate degree? Whether you earned it last month or 30 years ago, you’re eligible for a $500 scholarship each semester (full time student) throughout your program — on top of your other awards!* Part time students are eligible for a $250 scholarship each semester.
Trusted Partner Scholarships
We offer a scholarship to employees of our Trusted Partnership Program, thanks to our collaborations with numerous regional and national businesses, school districts, healthcare systems, professional associations, and other organizations.
Check if your employer is part of our Trusted Partnership Program to take advantage of the scholarship and to learn more about additional benefits of our partnerships.
Loans
Student loans are a form of financial aid that must be repaid. Most are offered at low interest rates with repayment deferred until after graduation. Participants in any loan program must be enrolled at half-time status or more. It is important to note that if you drop below half-time status during the semester, all or a portion of your loan funds for that semester may be returned to the lender. This may result in your owing money to Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota, if the university has to refund the money. You will owe money to the lending institution, if you have received a refund check.
Financial Aid OfficeDirect Unsubsidized Loans are available to bachelor’s degree completion students; there is no requirement to demonstrate financial need.
Eligibility
- Minimum of half-time status
- U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Not in default on any student loan
- Degree seeking
Repayment
- You are responsible for paying the interest on a Direct Unsubsidized Loan during all periods.
- If you choose not to pay the interest while you are in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, your interest will accrue (accumulate) and be capitalized (that is, your interest will be added to the principal amount of your loan).
Loan Amount
- Click here to see the allowed amounts of Direct Unsubsidized Loans you are eligible to borrow.
- Actual amount is based on cost of attendance.
Private loans are used to bridge the gap between the cost of education and the amount of other financial aid received. You should exhaust all federal loan programs before applying for private loans.
There are many different private loan programs offered; please take the time to compare the terms and conditions of all private loans you are considering. We have provided a Private Loan Options List as a service to students, and it is intended to assist in the selection of a lender. The selection of a lender is solely your choice and you may use any other lender outside of this list that may better suit your needs. Saint Mary’s does not endorse any one lender listed and will certify any private loan you are eligible to receive.
Lender Options
The lender options shown above are unaffiliated lenders who provide students with loan programs that have longevity in the loan industry, provide good customer service to borrowers, offer competitive interest rates, and may offer a look back feature for past due balances. These lenders are also compatible with FastChoice and ScholarNet to ensure efficient certification and disbursal of loan funds to Saint Mary’s. Lenders not associated with these loan programs will be processed by paper certification and paper check disbursal.
Use the Electronic Lender List and Loan Comparison Chart to find the loan that best fits your needs.
Code of Conduct for Lenders
The Financial Aid Office of Saint Mary’s is committed to providing objective information about lenders in a professional manner in order to assist you and your family in making informed decisions. The Financial Aid Code of Conduct for Lenders describes how Saint Mary’s maintains this commitment and can be downloaded below. You may also view a hard copy in the Financial Aid Office.
Institutions that enter into an agreement with a potential student or parent of a student regarding a Title IV loan are required to inform the student or parent that the loan will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) and will be accessible by servicers, guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system. Students can access their information as well at www.nslds.ed.gov
In compliance with federal regulations under HEOA Sec. 489 amended Sec. 485B (d) (4) (20 U.S.C. 1092b) the College is required to notify you that approved loans will be submitted to the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) by the U. S. Department of Education and will be accessible by servicers, guaranty agencies, lenders, and institutions determined to be authorized users of the data system as determined by the U. S. Department of Education.
Terms and conditions
Terms and conditions of Title IV, HEA loans Terms and conditions of Federal Student Loans are listed on the Master Promissory Note signed by a borrower accepting the loan. The Stafford Promissory Note is completed online through https://studentaid.gov/.
Before receiving a student loan, borrowers must complete an online entrance counseling session. This interactive counseling session will help you understand:
- How the loan process works;
- Managing your education expenses;
- Other financial resources to consider to help pay for your education; and
- Your rights and responsibilities as a borrower.
The online entrance counseling session will take you approximately 15-30 minutes to complete. To get started:
- Go to www.studentloans.gov
- Log in using your FSA ID username and password
- Select “Complete Counseling”
- Select “Start Entrance Counseling”.
- Select “Minnesota” and “Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota” from drop down boxes.
- Select “Notify This School.”
- Select Student Type and Continue
- Complete entrance counseling by answering all questions
- Click “Submit”
- Print the Entrance Counseling for your records.
The Federal Stafford Loan and Federal Direct Loan Exit Counseling is used when a student has borrowed in a federal loan program and has dropped below half time status (please see definition listed below).
It is mandatory that this counseling information be completed by students in order to receive their rights and responsibilities of repaying their student loans.
Please click on the Federal Stafford and Federal Direct Loan Exit Counseling link in order to complete the exit counseling.
*Please note: It does not matter which loan program (Federal Stafford Loan or Federal Direct Loan) you have borrowed from. The exit counseling is the same for both programs.
Federal Stafford & Federal Direct Loan Exit Counseling
*Half-time status is defined as the following:
- Graduate students must maintain the following: a minimum of 4 credits per term or an equivalent to this OR if you are registered by a learning contract, you must maintain one credit per month of your contract. (Example: 7-month contract must have at least 7 credits in order to be half-time)
- Undergraduate students must maintain the following: a minimum of 6 credits per term.
See Samples of Financial Aid
Loan Forgiveness Programs
To encourage students to enter and remain in certain high-need professions and sectors, loan forgiveness programs have been developed that may apply to you if you're going into teaching, the health professions, or public service.
To encourage individuals to enter and remain in the teaching profession, the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program grants loan forgiveness up to $17,500 for teachers in certain specialties and up to $50,00 for other teachers who teach for five years in low-income schools and meet other requirements.
This program repays a portion of student loans if you work in under-served areas. Professions that may qualify for this program include primary care nurse practitioners, marriage and family therapists, licensed professional counselors, licensed psychologists, and licensed social workers.
Under this program, you may qualify for forgiveness of the remaining balance due on your eligible federal student loans after you have made 120 payments on those loans under certain repayment plans while employed full time by certain public service employers.
Get in Touch
La Salle Hall, Room 158
Minneapolis Campus
Hours: Monday–Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.2500 Park Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55404-4403
612-238-4566
866-437-2788
Fax: 612-728-5121
studentcentral@smumn.edu