Financial Aid News

• Gearing up for the New Semester - Items to keep in mind!
• 2010-2011 Mason Scholarship Application now available!
• Have You Filed Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2009-2010?
• Federal Stafford Undergraduate Loan Limits

 

Gearing up for the New Semester - Items to keep in mind!

As the new school year begins, here are some items to keep in mind.

 

Federal Work Study: To find out more about the Federal Work Study

program, please review the website. Contact your counselor with any

questions about the program.

 

Refund Checks:  If you are due a refund check, they are mailed 7-10 business

days from the date of disbursement.  Any questions about a refund can be answered

by Student Accounts and you can also view if it is in process by checking your web

bill on Patriot Web.

 

Sign up for Direct Deposit at Student Accounts by going to the forms section

and downloading the authorization form. This will eliminate waiting for your

refund to show up in the mail!

 

Why hasn’t my financial aid paid to my account?

     

First check Patriot Web to see if you have any outstanding tracking requirements. 

This can include your Award Letter, Tax Info or any other items requested by the

financial aid office. 

 

Did you complete your Stafford, Perkins or Grad Plus Loan Entrance Counseling?

You can access these links under the Quick Resources box located to the left.

 

Have you completed your Master Promissory Note?

This can be done on the website of your lender.

 

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2010-2011 Mason Scholarship Application now available!

The Mason Scholarship Application for 2010-2011 is now available for download here.

This application will be used to select recipients for scholarships that are listed on the Mason Scholarship Website for the 2010-2011 Academic Year.

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Have You Filed Your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for 2009-2010?

The 2009-2010 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is available on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Remember, only applications received by the federal processor before March 1st (Mason's priority filing date) will receive priority consideration for all available funds.

• You can file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) through the web. All it takes is access to the web through Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer and a PIN number from the Department of Education. If you do not already have a Department of Education PIN, one may be obtained from the Department of Education's PIN web site. (Note: Parents and students must obtain separate PIN numbers.) To access the online FAFSA filing process, just link on over to FAFSA on the Web.
• If you received your PIN from the Department of Education for your 2009-2010 Renewal FAFSA, you can complete your renewal online.

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Federal Stafford Undergraduate Loan Limits

Changes in federal loan legislation has increased the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan borrowing limits for undergraduate students. Effective July 1, 2008, you may be eligible to increase your existing Federal Stafford Loan up to an additional $2000 through the unsubsidized Stafford loan to your existing financial aid award.

 

The following charts identify the new loan limits as of July 1, 2008:

 

Dependent Students

Except Students Whose Parents Cannot Borrow a PLUS Loan)

Class Standing	Base Amount	Additional Unsubsidized	Total	Aggregate Limit
Freshman	$3,500	$2,000	$5,500	$31,000 with a maximum $23,000 in sub Stafford
Sophomore	$4,500	$2,000	$6,500
Junior	$5,500	$2,000	$7,500
Senior	$5,500	$2,000	$7,500

 

Independent Undergraduate Students

& Dependent Students Whose Parents Cannot Borrow a PLUS Loan

Class Standing	Base Amount	Additional Unsubsidized	Total	Aggregate Limit
Freshman	$3,500	$6,000	$9,500	$57,500 with a maximum $23,000 in sub Stafford
Sophomore	$4,500	$6,000	$10,500
Junior	$5,500	$7,000	$12,500
Senior	$5,500	$7,000	$12,500

 

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