Financial aid offer determination for undergraduate students

Once the Expected Family Contribution and financial need have been determined, a financial aid counselor will review your information and prepare a financial aid offer for you. This offer may consist of a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and employment. This offer is made for the entire academic year (August through May) and is based on full-time enrollment. You must notify the Office of Student Financial Aid in writing if you will not be enrolled full-time.

The typical financial aid offer is prepared in the following way:

  1. If you are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant, this is put into your offer first.
  2. All undergraduates are then reviewed for state grant eligibility.
  3. If you are selected to receive an academic and/or other type of scholarship, it will be put into your offer.
  4. Federal grants (other than the Pell Grant) and Marquette grants are offered to undergraduates on the basis of remaining financial need. Every effort is made to distribute funds equitably.
  5. Loan and employment assistance is put into your offer last. The amounts and programs offered depend upon your year in school and your financial need.

In addition, you are responsible for reporting to the Office of Student Financial Aid all assistance received from outside sources, as federal law requires that we consider all outside assistance as part of your offer. Outside scholarships will affect your financial aid offer in the following manner: outside resources will be used to meet any remaining "unmet need" first. If no unmet need remains, every effort will be made to reduce self-help aid (loans and employment). However, in some instances, adjustments may include a reduction in MU grants. Please contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for more information.