Mar 28, 2024  
Mansfield University 2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
Mansfield University 2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [Archived Catalog]

Financial Information


Mansfield University offers quality graduate education at competitive rates. Please contact the Student Accounts Office for information on tuition and fees, (570) 662-4888, 224 South Hall, or visit the web at http://esd.mansfield.edu/tuition-and-fees/index.cfm. Independent Study and Individualized Instruction are not considered online courses and are subject to the miscellaneous fee schedule.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Mansfield University participates in federal and state financial aid programs. To be considered for financial aid the following must be completed:

  1. File for financial aid immediately upon confirmed admission to Mansfield University. To apply for aid, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  2. Identify Mansfield University (003324) as a school choice on the FAFSA. If the graduate student does not do this, the University will not receive the student’s FAFSA and will be unable to process any aid.
     

Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans are the primary source of available aid. Graduate students may apply for Federal Direct Loans by completing the FAFSA. Graduate Entrance Counseling and the Master Promissory Note (required for federal direct loans) is completed at https://studentloans.gov.

Alternative loan financing is also available by going to www.elmselect.com. To obtain more information about financial aid and student loan forgiveness programs please visit www.studentaid.ed.gov. For additional information regarding financial aid, please call the Financial Aid Office at (570) 662-4129.

Academic Progress

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended by Congress, mandates that institutions of higher education establish minimum standards of “satisfactory academic progress” (SAP) for students receiving federal financial aid. These standards apply to all Federal Title IV aid programs including the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, TEACH Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loans, Federal Direct PLUS Loans and Federal Work-Study.  The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) standards apply to all students seeking federal Title IV financial aid, regardless of whether a student has received Title IV financial aid in the past. To retain financial aid eligibility a graduate student must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

Process of Determining Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP):
Each student will be measured for satisfactory academic progress at the end of each semester/term. This evaluation will determine if the student has sufficient progress to be eligible for future Title IV funding.  Students who have not met the minimum SAP requirements will be notified of their eligibility for future financial aid. 

Satisfactory Academic Progress Measurement

Qualitative Measure (cumulative Mansfield University GPA):

  • Graduate students must achieve at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA.

Quantitative Measure

     Completion Rate/Pace:  Pace is calculated by dividing cumulative hours the student successfully completed by cumulative hours the student has attempted. This calculation includes all attempted credits, both at Mansfield University and those accepted in transfer. Courses for which a student receives academic credit, withdraws, receives incomplete or repeat grades and/or fails are counted in the calculation of the completion rate/pace.

  • Graduate students must successfully complete 67% of the total cumulative attempted credits.
  • Graduate students may receive aid for all credits attempted up to 150% of the specified number of credits required by their specific degree programs.

     Students who change majors are responsible for completing the degree requirements within the timeframe specified above.

Readmitted Students: If a student is readmitted to the University, satisfactory academic progress will be based on the student’s previous attendance at MU and credits accepted in transfer. Students who have not met the minimum requirements will be notified of their ineligibility for federal financial aid and informed of the options to regain eligibility.

Special Grades and Their Use in Satisfactory Academic Progress Determination:

  • I - Incomplete - Student will receive no credit for an “I” grade, although the “I” is counted as attempted credit(s). If, however, the incomplete grade is resolved and a passing grade is received, the credits will be counted.
  • W - Withdrawal - No credit received; however counted as attempted credit.
  • AU - Audit - No credits received.
  • P/F - This refers to the pass/fail option. P means the student receives credit(s) but GPA is not affected. A grade of F will impact the GPA.

Repeat of Course: The last grade earned is always used in calculating the GPA. If the student failed the course the first time but passes it the second time, the appropriate number of credits will be received after the second attempt. If, however, the student passed the course the first time, repeats it in an attempt to improve the GPA but receives a failing grade, the appropriate number of credits will be deducted from the cumulative credits earned total. Maximum hours earned for any course cannot exceed the number of credits listed for that course in the catalog.  

Regaining Eligibility: If a student fails to meet the satisfactory academic progress standards, but meets the standards later at some point, the student can once again be eligible to receive federal Title IV support.  In such cases, financial aid eligibility will begin with the academic semester after which the student re-establishes progress. 

Students taking coursework at another institution to regain SAP eligibility should be aware that:   

  1. A Request to Transfer Credits form must be completed (available from Academic Forms page at http://esd.mansfield.edu/forms-and-policies/index.cfm) prior to taking any courses elsewhere if the credits are to be transferred back to MU. The transfer credit evaluator must accept the transfer credits for those credits to be counted toward satisfactory academic progress.
  2. Only “credits” transfer back to Mansfield University; “grades” do not. If the student’s deficiency is in GPA, direct equivalency courses at another institution must be taken to increase the overall MU GPA.

Appeal Process: Students whose financial aid eligibility has been terminated may “appeal” that status if they have experienced extenuating circumstances that affected their abilities to meet the academic progress standards. In general, extenuating circumstances can include, but are not limited to, illness, injury, death of relative or friend, difficulties with accommodations for students with disabilities, and adversity due to unforeseen events.  Students interested in appealing their termination of financial aid eligibility may submit the Academic Progress Appeal Form.  Each student must also address in the appeal why the student failed to attain SAP, what has changed that will allow the student to maintain SAP in the next evaluation period, and the student must submit an academic plan for success.  The student will be notified via email and/or in writing of the decision.  

Financial Aid Warning: Mansfield University evaluates academic progress at the end of each payment period (semester). Students on a “Financial Aid Warning” status may continue to receive Title IV aid for one payment period despite a determination that the student was not meeting SAP. A warning status is granted automatically and may be assigned without an appeal or other action by the student. Students are notified via their Mansfield University email account.

Financial Aid Probation: This status can only be granted after the student has appealed and has had eligibility reinstated based upon the appeal. A student on “financial aid probation” may receive Title IV funds for one payment period only. After the completion of the payment period, the student must meet SAP.

Other Fees

Deferred Payment Fee

Students may defer payment up to one-half of the balance due until approximately seven weeks after the first day of the semester. The balance due is defined as the total fees for the current semester, less approved financial aid. Balances not paid in full on the initial due date automatically incur a $50 deferred payment fee.

Late Payment Charge

A Late Payment fee will be assessed if a student’s account balance (net of approved financial aid) is not paid in full by the deferred payment period (approximately seven weeks from the start of the semester). The amount of the Late Payment fee is proportional to the account balance as described in the following table. The late fee will be assessed once per month on accounts with balances.

Account Balance Due (ABD)

Late Payment Fee


$100
$1,000
$2,500
$5,000

 

 




 

ABD
ABD
ABD
ABD
ABD

<=
<=
<=
<=

$100
$1000
$2500
$5000

$ 0
$10
$25
$50
$75

Returned Check Fee

A $25 fee is charged for each check or e-check returned by the bank for non-sufficient funds (NSF). A $5 fee is charged for each e-check (electronic check) returned by the bank for invalid account information.

Parking Decal Fee

The fee for a valid parking permit from September through August is as follows:
Commuter Student $25
Resident Student    $50

Parking permit applications are located at the website https://parking.mansfield.edu/login.php

Withdrawal from the University

The following information is subject to change without notice (visit the website http://esd.mansfield.edu/withdrawal-from-the-university.cfm for details):

Tuition, housing, community building fee, health fee, activity fee and fitness center fee are adjusted for all students according to the refund schedule. The technology fee is non-refundable.

Dining adjustments are pro-rated on a weekly basis.

First day through drop period          100%
Through Second Week                     80%
Through Third Week                        60%
Through Fourth Week                      50%
Through Fifth Week                         40%
Sixth Week                            No Refund

If a student receives financial aid funds from the Federal Title IV Aid Programs and the student withdraws from the university prior to completing 60% of the semester, a portion of the federal funds may need to be returned. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 570-662-4129 or financial.aid@mansfield.edu for more information on this policy.

Financial Obligation

Failure to meet financial obligation by the due dates may result in future registrations being blocked and transcripts withheld. The minimum amount required to confirm registration is the total charge, LESS financial aid, DIVIDED by two, PLUS any beginning balance. Payment of the minimum amount due will allow the student to defer the remaining balance due for approximately seven weeks. Failure to make payment in full by the payment due date will automatically result in the student account incurring a deferred payment fee of $50. For additional information contact Student Accounts at (570) 662-4888, 224 South Hall.

Nelnet Campus Commerce Payment Plans (Formerly Tuition Management Services)

Nelnet Campus Commerce partners with Mansfield University to offer a monthly payment plan for your tuition balance. The payment option is available for a small enrollment fee and includes personal account service and counseling automated account information 24 hours a day and access to your account through their web page http://mansfield.afford.com

***Note: Nelnet payment plans are not available for the summer option.

Delinquent Accounts

A student is not permitted to register for course work, receive a diploma, or obtain official transcripts until all overdue accounts have been paid. Students requesting transcripts are encouraged to pay any outstanding balance by credit or debit card, money order or cashier’s check to avoid a 10 business day clearing period on personal checks.