Distance Learner Applying for Financial Aid

Non-degree seeking students are not eligible for federal financial aid. However, if you need assistance in covering costs, you have two options:

1. Contact MSUM Business Services to set up a payment plan.
2. Apply for a private student loan that requires either you or a co-signer to prove creditworthiness.
   1. Choose from one of the private loan lenders.

Once the MSUM Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid receives your private loan information electronically, we will certify the loan. To certify the loan, you need to complete and submit one of the following:

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Request for Waiver of Application File Private Loan

You are considered dual enrolled if you are physically attending classes at a Minnesota State community or technical college but pursuing a bachelor’s degree from MSUM in one of the following areas:

• Operations Management
• Construction Management
• Special Education
• Business
• Technical Management
• Biosciences

If you elect to pursue an AA degree from a Minnesota State community or technical college prior to pursuing a bachelor’s degree from MSUM, you need to follow the instructions for “Seeking a bachelor’s degree from another Minnesota state School, but taking at least one course from MSUM.”

Home School - MSUM

• Your home School is MSUM, and a Minnesota State System community technical college is your host school.
• Your home school will award and disperse financial aid.
• Complete the FAFSA and enter MSUM’s School Code: 002367. If North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) is your host school, also enter the school code for NHCC: 002370.
• A Consortium Agreement is not required as your home school has a record of your remote registration at your host school.
• Activate your MSUM email address. This email account is the official means of communication. Faculty and staff use this address and you do not want their messages getting marked as spam or sent to your junk folder.
• Credits at your host school count toward your total credits for disbursement, provided the credits are applicable to degree requirements at MSUM.
• If you have sufficient financial aid approved, you may be able to charge books purchased from the MSUM Bookstore against your MSUM financial aid. Books for non-MSUM courses need to be purchased using other resources if purchased prior to financial aid disbursement.
• At disbursement, MSUM will apply your financial aid to your bill at MSUM. Any overage funds will either be mailed to you or directly deposited into your checking/savings account if you have made arrangements with MSUM Business Services.
• If financial aid disbursement is not sufficient to pay all MSUM charges, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance. Balances not paid in full will result in a late fee and a registration hold for subsequent semesters. This means you’ll be unable to register or receive a copy of your transcript.
• Upon course completion, contact the MSUM Registrar’s Office to upload courses to your eTranscript to ensure your DARS is accurate.

Host School – A Minnesota State system community or technical college

• If you have already completed the FAFSA and entered school codes for both your home and host schools, you will need to request the host school cancel your FAFSA/financial aid application at their school.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines at each school.
• To avoid having your courses dropped at your host school for non-payment, it is critical you speak with their business office to set up an acceptable payment plan.
• Any overage funds can be used to pay remaining charges at the host school or used as reimbursement for payments already made.
• Since financial aid is not automatically sent to your host school, it is your responsibility to pay the host school’s tuition and fee charges by their payment date.

Home School - MSUM

• Complete the FAFSA and enter MSUM’s School Code-002367
• Your home School will award and disburse your financial aid.
• A Consortium Agreement is usually not required as MSUM has a record of your remote registration at the other Minnesota State system school.
• Credits at your host school count toward your credits for disbursement at MSUM, provided the credits are applicable to degree requirements at MSUM.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines at each school.
• Activate your MSUM email address. This email account is the official means of communication. Faculty and staff use this address and you do not want their messages getting marked as spam or sent to your junk folder.
• If you have sufficient financial aid approved, you may be able to charge books purchased at the MSUM Bookstore against your MSUM financial aid. Books for courses taken at your host school need to be purchased using other resources if purchased prior to financial aid disbursement.
• At disbursement, MSUM will apply your financial aid to your bill at MSUM. Any overage funds will either be mailed to you or directly deposited into your checking/saving account if you made arrangements with MSUM Business Services.
• If financial aid disbursed is not sufficient to pay all MSUM charges, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance. Balances not paid in full result in a late fee and a registration hold for subsequent semesters. This means you will not be able to register or receive a copy of your transcript.
• Upon course completion, contact the MSUM Registrar’s Office to upload courses to your eTranscript to ensure your DARS is accurate.

Host School - Minnesota State system community or technical college

• If you have already completed the FAFSA and entered school codes for both MSUM and your host school, you will need to request the host school cancel your FAFSA/financial aid application at their school.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines at each school.
• To avoid having your courses dropped at your host school for non-payment, it is critical you speak with their business office to set up an acceptable payment plan.
• Since financial aid is not automatically sent to your host school, it is your responsibility to pay the host school’s tuition and fee charges by their payment date.
• Any overage funds can be used to pay remaining charges at the host school or used as reimbursement for payments already made.
• If there are no overage funds disbursed, it is your responsibility to pay any remaining charges at your host school.

Home school - Minnesota State system community or technical college

• Complete the FAFSA and enter your home school’s federal school code.
• Your home school (the other Minnesota State institution) will award and disburse your financial aid.
• A Consortium Agreement is usually not required, as your home school should have record of your remote registration at MSUM. Check with your home school to see if any forms are needed.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines at each school.
• If your credits at the host school (MSUM) are applicable to your degree requirements at your home school, the credits at MSUM will count toward your total credits for financial aid disbursement.
• At disbursement, your financial aid will apply to your bill at your home school and any overage funds will be disbursed to you.
• Any overage funds from your home school can be used to pay remaining charges at MSUM or used as reimbursement for payments already made.
• Upon course completion, contact MSUM Registrar's Office to upload courses to your eTranscript to ensure your DARS is accurate.

Host school - MSUM

• If you have already completed the FAFSA and entered the school codes for both your home and host schools, you will need to request your host school (MSUM) cancels your FAFSA/financial aid application.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines.
• Activate your MSUM email address. This email account is the official means of communication with you. Faculty and staff use this address and you do not want their messages getting marked as spam or sent to your junk folder.
• Books for purchase from the MSUM Bookstore must be purchased using other resources if purchased prior to financial aid disbursement from your home school.
• If financial aid disbursed is not sufficient to pay all MSUM (host school) charges, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance. Balances not paid in full result in a late fee and a registration hold for subsequent semesters. This means you will not be able to register or receive a copy of your transcript.
• To avoid having your courses dropped at your host school for non-payment, it is critical that you speak with MSUM Business Services to set up an acceptable payment plan.
• Since financial aid is not automatically sent to your host school, it is your responsibility to pay MSUM’s tuition and fee charges by their payment due dates.

This does not apply to Tri-College registration at Concordia College or North Dakota State University.

Home School - MSUM

• Complete the FAFSA and enter MSUM’s School Code: 002367
• Your home school will award and disburse your financial aid.
• A Consortium Agreement is required, as MSUM does not have record of your remote registration at your host school. Obtain a Consortium Agreement from the MSUM Office of Scholarship and Financial Aid.
• Credits from your host school will be registered at MSUM as “exchange” and allow you to receive financial aid for those credits.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines at each school.
• Activate your MSUM email address. This email account is the official means of communication with you. Faculty and staff use this address and you do not want their messages getting marked as spam or sent to your junk folder.
• If you have sufficient financial aid approved, you may be able to charge books purchased at the MSUM Bookstore against your MSUM financial aid. Books for courses taken at your host school need to be purchased using other resources if purchased prior to financial aid disbursement.
• At disbursement, MSUM will apply your financial aid to your bill at MSUM and any overage funds will be either mailed to you or directly deposited into your checking/saving account if you made arrangements with MSUM Business Services.
• If financial aid disbursed is not sufficient to pay all MSUM charges, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance. Balances not paid in full result in a late fee and a registration hold for subsequent semesters.
• Upon course completion, request for your host school to send your Official Academic Transcript to the MSUM Registrar's Office.

Host School – A non-Minnesota State system institution

• If you have already completed the FAFSA and entered school codes for both MSUM and your host school, you will need to request your host school cancel your FAFSA/financial aid application.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines.
• To avoid having your courses dropped at your host school for non-payment, it is critical that you speak with their Business Office to set up an acceptable payment plan.
• Since financial aid is not automatically sent to your host school, it is your responsibility to pay the other school’s tuition and fee charges by their payment due date.
• Any overage funds from MSUM can be used to pay remaining charges at the host school or used as reimbursement for payments already made.

Home School – A non-Minnesota State institution

• Complete the FAFSA and enter your home school’s federal school code.
• Your home school (the non-Minnesota State school) will award and disburse your financial aid.
• A Consortium Agreement is required, as your home school does not have record of your registration at MSUM. Contact your home school’s financial aid office for a Consortium Agreement.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines at each school.
• MSUM credits will be registered at your home school and allow you to receive financial for those credits.
• At disbursement, your financial aid will apply to your bill at your home school and any overage funds will be disbursed to you.

Host School – MSUM

• If you have already completed the FAFSA and entered school codes for both your home and host schools, you will need to request the host school (MSUM) cancel your FAFSA/financial aid application.
• Be aware of drop/add deadlines.
• Activate your MSUM email address. This email account is the official means of communication with you. Faculty and staff use this address and you do not want their messages getting marked as spam or sent to your junk folder.
• Books from the MSUM Bookstore must be purchased using other resources if purchased prior to financial aid disbursement from your home school.
• If financial aid disbursed is not sufficient to pay all MSUM (host school) charges, it is your responsibility to pay the remaining balance. Balances not paid in full result in a late fee and a registration hold for subsequent semesters. This means you will not be able to register or receive a copy of your transcript.
• To avoid having your courses dropped at MSUM it is critical you speak with MSUM Business Services to set up an acceptable payment plan.
• Since financial aid is not automatically sent to your host school (MSUM), it is your responsibility to pay MSUM’s tuition and fee charges by the payment due dates. Balances not paid in full result in a late fee and a registration hold for subsequent semesters. This means you will not be able to register or receive a copy of your transcript.
• Any overage funds from your home school can be used to pay remaining charges at MSUM or used as reimbursement for payments already made.
• Upon course completion, request the MSUM Registrar's Office to send your Academic Transcript to your home school’s registrar's office.