2010-2011 Financial Aid Forms

Applying for Financial Aid

2010-2011 Financial Aid Application Packet Cover Letter

This letter accompanies the other documents in the financial aid application packet and serves as an introduction to the financial aid process and an important source of additional instructions about the application process.

2010-2011 Financial Aid Instructions

This document contains instructions for the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and information about other aspects of the financial aid application process.

2010-2011 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (PDF)

If you cannot or do not wish to complete the FAFSA on the Web, you can use this PDF version of the FAFSA. The PDF FAFSA must be mailed for processing. The PDF FAFSA is available for you to print and fill out manually or is screen-fillable. Screen-fillable means you can enter your data on the screen before printing. Please note that if you choose this option you will not be able to save your data to your PC. In other words, if you fill out the PDF FAFSA on your computer and then attempt to save it, you will save only the PDF FAFSA form and none of your personal information. To print a PDF FAFSA file from within your reader, we recommend you use the PDF’s print button rather than the browser’s print function.

2010-2011 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet

Complete this worksheet if you plan to use FAFSA on the Web to apply for financial aid. Use this worksheet to collect your (and your parents') information before beginning your 2010-2011 online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Last year 98% of our families applied using FAFSA on the Web and we recommend it as the best way to apply.

Family Size Verification Form

If this is a required document necessary for completion of the financial aid package, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student via email and/or paper letter.

Year in College Verification Form

If this is a required document necessary for completion of the financial aid package, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student via email and/or paper letter.

Prior Degree Verification Form

If this is a required document necessary for completion of the financial aid package, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student via email and/or paper letter.

Scholarship/Grant Forms

Non-Institutional Scholarship Form

The purpose of this form is to collect information from you about any non-institutional/private scholarships you will be receiving. This means scholarships that are not from state, federal, or Messiah College sources.

Academic Competitiveness Grant

If this is a required document necessary for completion of the financial aid package, the Financial Aid Office will notify the student via email and/or paper letter.

Covenant Grant

--Only applicable to members or regular attendees of Brethren in Christ churches--
Covenant Grants are awarded to full-time students who are members of Brethren in Christ churches or other denominations which support the Parish Grant Program.  An application is required. The amount of the Covenant Grant is $500 per school year.  A travel allowance, ranging in amounts of $75 to $300, is available to non-Pennsylvania residents who also qualify for the Covenant Grant.

One application is sufficient for all four school years.

State-specific Forms

Major-specific Forms

Nursing Student Loan Application

--Only applicable to Nursing students--

Please note that you must apply for the Nursing Student Loan each year. If applying for the Nursing Student Loan, please complete the Verification forms below even if not selected for verification by the Federal Processor.

VERIFICATION INSTRUCTIONS AND WORKSHEET

Current students: Do not complete this form unless the Financial Aid Office instructs you to do so.

Freshmen and new transfer students: Each year, some students who file a FAFSA are selected in the Federal government's verification process. Ordinarily, we wait until we know that a student has been selected for verification, and then we send a letter telling the student they are selected and listing the forms that need to be sent to our office. For incoming students, the process of requesting these forms can delay the completion of the financial aid package by several weeks or more. Therefore, if you wish to avoid this possible delay, you can send us the Verification Worksheet below and the forms listed in the Verification Forms section of the Financial Aid Instructions so that we will already have these forms on file if we find that you are selected for verification. You are not required to send these forms unless you are selected for verification; we are simply offering you the option of doing this now so that you can avoid possible delays if you are selected.

2010-2011 Verification Worksheet

When you file your Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the Federal processor might select you for verification. If so, you will need to complete this form and submit it to the Messiah College Financial Aid Office. The Financial Aid Instructions contain more information about verification under the section entitled "Verification Forms".

2010-2011 Loan Forms and Information

PLUS vs Alternative: Which Should I Choose?

If you decide to take out an additional loan, this document will help you decide if a PLUS Loan or an alternative loan is the best option for you.

What Do I Owe Worksheet
This worksheet will help you estimate what you will owe after your financial aid is applied, and will help you decide if you need to borrow an additional loan.

Supplemental Parent PLUS Loan Application

Use this Supplemental Application for a Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loan through the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program in conjunction with applying online at www.studentloans.gov.   The Parent PLUS Loan application process is two separate steps. Please complete all the requested information both online at www.studentloans.gov and our Supplemental Parent PLUS Application.  Please return your completed Supplemental Parent PLUS Application to Messiah College, Financial Aid Office, Box 3006, Grantham, PA 17027, or email to finaid@messiah.edu, or fax to 1.717.691.2349.