Types of Aid

The major types of aid are grants and scholarships, student employment, and loans. Grants and scholarships are gifts and do not need to be repaid. Sources of aid include the federal government, the state in which a student resides, private organizations, and colleges. St. Mary's offers both need-based and merit aid to students. The St. Mary's Office of Financial Aid also coordinates a student's federal and state aid into a unified "award package."

Need-based grants

All students who are accepted to the College and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) are automatically considered for federal, state, and college financial assistance programs. To be eligible for need-based aid, students must file the FAFSA prior to March 1. (Students applying for admission to the spring term must file by November 15.)

Filing after March removes you from consideration for certain Maryland aid programs and jeopardizes the availability of aid from St. Mary's. Online applications (www.fafsa.ed.gov) are recommended. Be sure to designate St. Mary's College to receive the FAFSA information, using Title IV code 002095. As need is re-calculated each year, you must file a FAFSA annually by the deadline.

Need is determined by comparing the cost of attendance to the "expected family contribution" or EFC. The EFC is determined by the federal government and reported to St. Mary's through the FAFSA process.

Employment

The Work/Study Program is a federally-funded program that provides on-campus job opportunities and is awarded to students based on the information supplied on the FAFSA. Many types of jobs are available. The Office of Financial Aid assigns jobs. Students typically work five to ten hours per week and receive a paycheck every two weeks. These funds are not credited to the student's account.

In addition, a number of on-campus jobs are available to all students through the employment office in the Career Center.

Loans

Loans are provided to students by the federal Stafford and Perkins loan programs. Any student who files a FAFSA form is automatically eligible for a federal loan. In addition, federal and outside financial institutions offer parental loans to interested families. St. Mary's offers all federal loans on behalf of the government at the time other financial aid awards are made.

Merit-based Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded by a number of federal, state, and outside organizations to recognize academic excellence. Examples include the federal National Merit Scholarships and the Maryland Distinguished Scholar awards.

St. Mary's scholarships recognize academic achievement and significant co-curricular accomplishments outside of the classroom and are given on a competitive basis without regard to financial need. Applicants for Merit Awards must file the FAFSA by March 1. Although Merit Awards are not based on financial need, filing the FAFSA is required to make sure students receive all need-based aid for which they are eligible. This data is also used to collect demographic information on recipients of institutional funding requested by the state of Maryland. All applicants are reviewed for scholarship by the Scholarship Review Committee. Consideration for Merit Awards includes academic record, strength of curriculum, standardized test scores, essay, recommendations, and co-curricular activities. St. Mary's does not use set formulas for determining merit awards. Each student applicant is considered as an individual on a holistic basis by the Scholarship Review Committee. The examples of academic excellence in the descriptions are general guidelines used by the committee. So that St. Mary's can recognize the accomplishments of as many students as possible, scholarship offers from St. Mary's will not exceed the value of in-state tuition. Tuition waivers are scholarships and count towards this limit. Scholarships from outside sources do not count, nor do need-based grants from St. Mary's or other sources.

Recipients of merit awards have challenged themselves with a rigorous course of study that often includes Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, or honors courses. Awards are based primarily on academic achievement. Awards are renewed for up to four consecutive years of full-time study at St. Mary's (two years for transfer students) as long as the student remains in good standing and maintains at least a 3.0 grade point average (GPA) in each semester.

• St. Mary's Academic Achievement Awards are given for outstanding academic achievement in the amount of $3,000 to $8,500. St. Mary's does not use set formulas for determining this award, but academic excellence often is demonstrated by a class rank in the top 10%, a cumulative GPA above 3.5 in academic courses (3.9 weighted GPA), or an SAT I (new) score above 2000.
• Paul H. Nitze Scholars Program Awards. Each year St. Mary's admits about 14 entering students into the Paul H. Nitze Scholars Program. In addition, several students completing their first year of study at St. Mary's are invited to become Nitze Scholars. Nitze Scholars have demonstrated commitment to the liberal arts and sciences through outstanding academic success, and a commitment to the improvement of society through leadership and service. Each scholar receives $3,000 per year in addition to any other merit awards, renewed for up to four years of participation in the program. Application is by invitation of the Nitze Scholars Committee, administered by the faculty at St. Mary's. (Contact Dr. Michael Taber, mstaber@smcm.edu, for more information.)
• Presidential Merit Awards are given for academic achievement and impressive co-curricular accomplishments in the amount of $500 to $2,000 per year. St. Mary's does not use set formulas for determining this award, but academic excellence often is demonstrated by a class rank in the top 25%, a cumulative GPA above 3.3 in academic courses (3.6 weighted GPA), or an SAT I (new) score above 1900. Candidates must also demonstrate significant achievement in co-curricular activities as identified in the student's resume and letters of recommendation. Examples of such activities include art, communications and media, community service, creative writing, debate/forensics, Eagle Scout or Gold Award, internship and employment experiences, environmental service clubs, math and science fairs and competitions, Model United Nations, music, peer mentoring, student government, theater, or YMCA/YWCA. (Students may not receive both a St. Mary's Achievement Award and a Presidential Merit Award.)
• St. Mary's International Baccalaureate (IB) Scholarship. Students who earn an IB diploma or multiple IB certificates with outstanding academic records are considered for this scholarship in the amount of $1,000 to $8,500.
• CollegeBound Partnership Scholarships are matching awards to students from Baltimore public high schools that receive scholarships or grants from the CollegeBound Foundation.
• First-Year Excellence Awards. Students who complete their first year of study at St. Mary's with excellent grades in 16 or more credits will be considered, on a competitive basis, for this award in the amount of $500 to $2,000. These awards are limited to students who did not receive a scholarship from St. Mary's upon entrance to the College.
• Phi Theta Kappa Awards. All transfer students who enter St. Mary's with an A.A. or A.S. degree, a GPA of 3.5 or better, and who are members in good standing of Phi Theta Kappa receive this award in the amount of $1,000 to $5,000.
• St. Mary's Transfer Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to transfer students with outstanding academic records at another college. Academic excellence can be demonstrated by a cumulative GPA above 3.5 in academic courses and a rigorous course of study. Awards range from $500 to $5,000 per year.

Assistance

For an application for admission, call 800-492-7181, email admissions@smcm.edu, or get one online.

Contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@smcm.edu or call 800-492-7181.

To apply for St. Mary's grants and scholarships, submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before March 1. Our Title IV code is 002095.