Cost & Financial Aid FAQs

Stonehill requires students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to be  considered for financial aid, including but not limited to Pell grant, student loans, and work study.

Yes. Merit Aid is awarded to students with exemplary academic performance in high school, whether or not that student has demonstrated financial need through their FAFSA filing.

Yes. Need-Based Aid is awarded to students based on demonstrated financial need through their FAFSA filing.

Yes. We offer two different Job Aid programs: Federal Work Study and our own Student Employment Program.

Yes. We offer two different Job Aid programs: Federal Work Study and our own Student Employment Program.

No. We only award Direct Loan eligibility. The amount of a federal student loan depends on the number of credits you have completed. Private loans come with private terms and conditions. Please refer to our Loans page for more information.

Yes. Provided that family members are dependent members of a single household, full-time students, are matriculating at the same time, and are not receiving any other funding from the College. The total family reduction will be divided and applied equally to each family member. The following family tuition schedule will apply: first student: pays full tuition; second student: pays 75% of full tuition; third and subsequent student(s): pays 50% of full tuition.

While we adhere to a need-blind admission policy for most of our admission decisions, budgetary constraints sometimes result in need-sensitive admission decisions for a small segment of the applicant population.

Students who apply for Early Decision admission are not treated differently in the awarding of financial aid than those who apply for admission through the regular decision process. There is no advantage or disadvantage in the financial aid process.

Typically, half of each institutional and government award is credited to your account in each semester. The entire amount cannot be credited to one semester unless otherwise noted.

Appeals for need based aid with no changes to income and requesting consideration for additional funding may be written to William Smith, Asst. Vice President, Student Financial Assistance, Stonehill College, 320 Washington Street, Easton, MA 02357. Please contact our office at (508)565-1088 for further details.

If there has been a reduction in income, the Special Conditions Application for Dependent Students form or Special Conditions Application for Independent Students form should be submitted instead, along with all the documentation indicated on the form.

We understand there are circumstances which necessitate appealing student financial aid awards. While we consistently work to review all received appeals, all appeal will be reviewed and responded to within a timely manner. Unfortunately, this may be after May 1. If you have questions, please notify Student Financial Assistance.  

The Cost of Attendance includes billed costs for tuition and Room and Board (if a resident student), as well as student loan fees, and estimated out of pocket expenses for books, living expenses (if commuting), personal miscellaneous expenses, and estimated transportation expenses. For further information about Undergraduate Cost Of Attendance, click here. For further information about Graduate Cost Of Attendance, click here.

Your deadline for applying for financial aid depends on your application type. Please refer to our Important Dates & Deadlines page.

In order to receive or continue to receive financial aid funded by the government and/or Stonehill College (including student or parent education loans, grants, scholarships and jobs), a student must maintain eligibility as defined below:

- Academic Progress
A student must pass a specific number of the credits he/she attempts each academic year to maintain eligibility for financial aid. Please see our Standards of Academic Progress for Financial Aid Recipients.

- Community Standards
Student conduct that warrants separation/dismissal as a result of violation of community standards may result in forfeiture of eligibility for Stonehill merit scholarships if readmitted. Please see our Community Standards.

- Drug Laws
A student convicted of possession or sale of illegal drugs loses eligibility for financial aid for a period of time specified in law. The period of ineligibility depends on whether the conviction was for possession or sale of (including conspiring to sell) illegal drugs. Please see the Notice of Federal Student Financial Aid Penalties for Drug Law Violations.

Stonehill’s code number for filing the FAFSA is 002217.

No! It is better to use estimated financial information than to miss the filing deadline. 

No, do not wait. Typically the priority filing deadlines are earlier than the date that acceptances are mailed.

Federal loans have a six month grace period which begins when you graduate, leave school, or drop to less than half-time enrollment. Payment on these loans begin the day after your grace period ends.

You can view a listing of the federal loans you have received for each academic period, and their interest rates on the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) website.

When you receive your notification of your financial aid award depends on your application type. Please refer to our Important Dates & Deadlines page.

If required by federal regulations to adjust an aid package, the College will eliminate or reduced 1) SEOG then Perkins/ NIL Loans, 2) Federal Work-Study, 3) Federal Direct Student Loans, in that order. Stonehill gift aid will not be reduced unless the total of all gift aid exceeds federal need or billed costs.

An abroad fee of $750 per semester will be charged to students who choose to study away. Since you will remain a Stonehill student while abroad, your other charges will equal those assessed for any Stonehill student. You will receive a bill from Stonehill, including your financial aid, and you must pay the balance due to Stonehill as you normally would.  For further information about studying abroad while at Stonehill, click here.

Yes and no. As a general rule, financial aid awards are applicable to study abroad programs approved by and administered through the College. However, Tuition Exchange Scholarships are only partially transferable to study abroad, full-time internships or for programs at other venues.

As a result of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, aggregate scholarship and grant assistance that exceeds tuition and required fees for course instruction or academic enrollment must be included in taxable income. Students are responsible for determining whether any scholarship, in whole or in part, should be reported as taxable income. Gift aid in excess of the costs of tuition and fees in a calendar year is taxable. Wages earned through the Federal Work-Study and Student Employment Programs are taxable. Student employees will receive a W-2 Wage and Income Statement from the College during January for the previous tax year. You are encouraged to contact the Internal Revenue Service or a tax preparer for further information or assistance.

Congress has provided opportunities for families to gain tax savings through various education tax credits, penalty-free withdrawal from an IRA, and/or the student loan interest deduction. You are encouraged to contact the Internal Revenue Service or a tax preparer for further information or assistance. 

The Yellow Ribbon Program was established by the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008. This program allows institutions of higher learning (such as colleges, universities, and other degree-granting schools) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with VA to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill.

The institution can contribute a specified dollar amount of those expenses, and VA will match the contribution, not to exceed 50% of the difference.

To receive the Yellow Ribbon Program benefits you must be enrolled in an approved program offered by an institution of higher learning that participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program.

You may qualify for the Yellow Ribbon Program benefit if you:

► Served an aggregate period of active duty after September 10, 2001, of at least 36 months and were honorably discharged;

► Were discharged from active duty for a service-connected disability and you served 30 continuous days after September 10, 2001; or

► Are a dependent who received benefits transferred from an eligible Service Member

The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays all in-state tuition and fee charges at public schools and tuition and fees not to exceed a national cap at private schools.

Out-of-state students and those attending private schools may receive additional funds to help cover unmet costs under the Yellow Ribbon Program.

To see the current national cap, please visit our website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/. If your charges exceed the tuition and fee amounts payable under the Post-9/11 GI Bill and you are enrolled at a participating school, additional funds may be available to you through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Institutions of higher learning that enter into a Yellow Ribbon Program Agreement with VA will choose the amount of funds they will contribute toward your tuition and fees. VA will match that amount and issue payment directly to the institution on your behalf.

The school must agree to:

► Enter into an official agreement with VA

► Provide contributions to eligible individuals who apply for the Yellow Ribbon Program on a first-come first‑served basis

► Make contributions toward the program on behalf of the individual in the form of a grant, scholarship, etc.

► State the dollar amount that will be contributed for each participant during the academic year

► State the maximum number of individuals for whom contributions will be made in any given academic year

You can search for Yellow Ribbon Program schools on the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill website at http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/.

Your school will let you know:

► If you are accepted to participate in the Yellow Ribbon Program, and

► The maximum amount that may be provided to you on a yearly basis

You must contact your School Financial Aid Office to apply for Yellow Ribbon Program benefits.

Visit http://www.benefits.va.gov/gibill/ for additional information on the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Post-9/11 GI Bill, and other education programs.

You must have either a Federal Work Study Award or Stonehill Employment Award and employment paperwork also must be completed before beginning work through the Student Employment Program. The required paperwork is as follows: W-4, M-4, I-9 (with supporting documentation presented in the Payroll office), and direct deposit form. For more information, please visit Student Employment & Payroll.

Measure of overall historic academic achievement at the College, calculated by dividing the total number of grade point received over the total number of credits attempted while in attendance. At Stonehill courses accepted as transfer credits are not included in the calculation of a GPA.

Allows you to temporarily stop making payment on your federal student loans. You are not charged interest on subsidized loans during deferment. Interest will continue to be charged on your unsubsidized loans and PLUSloans.

Expenses the student/family pays to the college.

Direct Deposit (or Direct Payment) is an electronic transfer of funds from one bank account to another (e.g. a system that automatically deposits your paycheck into your bank account electronically each pay period).

A form of financial aid that must be repaid with interest. Educational loans
have varying interest rates and repayment terms. Students and/or parents are required to sign a promissory note when accepting an educational loan.

Academic workload (or course load), as defined by the institution, that a
student is carrying for a defined academic period. This relates to the number of credit hours taken by a student during a given academic period. At Stonehill, full-time status = at least 12 credit hours, three?quarter time status = 9-11 credit hours, and half-time status = 6-8 credit hours.

A measure of how much the student/family can be expected to contribute to the cost of the student’s education for the year. The EFC is calculated according to a formula specified in the law and is based upon the information provided by the student and his or her family during the FASFA filing process.Note- When determining institutional financial aid, many schools use more comprehensive calculation using information on the Profile or an Institutional Financial Aid Application which may result in a higher expected family contribution.

FAFSA is short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It is a form that should be completed annually to determine your eligibility for government financial aid (e.g. the Pell Grant, Federal student loans and Federal Work-Study). This form should be completed annually by Stonehill’s priority filing deadlines.

Many schools award institutional scholarships and grants based on a more comprehensive calculation of family financial circumstances using information provided on the CSS PROFILE or the College’s own financial aid form. This can result in a higher(or lower) financial responsibility for the student (and his/her family) than the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) might indicate with its Expected Family Contribution (EFC)estimate.

A grant provided by the federal government to qualified undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need and have an Expected Family Contribution below a threshold designated annually by the U.S. Department of Education.

A grant provided by the federal government to qualified undergraduate students who demonstrate exceptional financial need.

A program that provides part?time employment to students attending institutions of higher education who need the earnings to help meet their costs of postsecondary education and encourages students receiving FWS assistance to participate in community service activities.

Fees are costs outside of Tuition and Room & Board that you may be responsible for, depending on your needs and activities while at Stonehill (e.g. Student Health Insurance, Course Fees, Study Abroad Fee, Parking Decal, and Dorm Damage).

Financial need is determined by subtracting the Expected Family Contribution from the Cost of Attendance.

The FSA ID is a username and password that you must use to login to certain US Department (ED) websites. The FSA ID is used to sign legally binding documents electronically. The FAFSA requires signatures from both student and parent for dependent students. Therefore, both student and parent must have their own FSA ID. To apply for a FSA ID please visit https://studentaid.gov/help/fsa-id

Full Time students are those who attempt 12 or more credits in a semester.

Funds awarded to the student that do not have to be repaid, unless the student fails to meet certain terms, such as a service requirement, specified as a condition of the grant. Gift aid includes awards with titles such as grants, scholarships, remissions, waivers, etc. Gift aid can be awarded based on many factors, including (but not limited to) financial need, academic excellence, athletic, musical, and theatrical talent, affiliation with various groups, or career aspirations.

A period of time that generally begins on the day after a borrower graduates, leaves school, or drops below half-time enrollment and ends on the day before repayment period begins. A borrower is not required to make payments during the grace period. Grace periods for subsidized and unsubsidized made under the Direct Loan programs are 6 months, and grace periods for Perkins loans are generally 9 months.

Grade Point Average (or GPA) is a measure of scholastic achievement calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received in a semester over the total number of credits attempted in that semester.

Gift aid awarded to the student that does not need to be repaid. Grants are typically based on financial need.

The HillCard is your campus ID card and serves as a debit and access card. Your HillCard is linked to your meal plan and HillDollars account, and is used to access residence halls, borrow from the library, pay campus fees and eat off campus at participating locations.

Expenses the student/family may pay to a third party (merchant, landlord, etc.)other than the college.

Interest is a fee charged by a lender to a borrower for the use of borrowed money, usually expressed as an annual percentage of the borrowed money.

The IRS Data Retrieval Tool is an easy and secure way to access and transfer tax information directly to the FAFS Aapplication, saving time and improving accuracy. Either the IRS Data Retrieval tool or a copy of your Tax Return Transcript will be required, if your file is selected for a process called verification.

Job Aid is eligibility for part-time employment for students. Job Aid can help defray day-to-day costs of attending college. Students are paid for hours worked, and there is no guarantee of placement or earnings. Job aid is not creditable to the tuition bill. Job aid may be in the form of Federal Work Study or the Student Employment Program.

A Master Promissory Note is a binding legal document you sign when you get a student loan. It lists the conditions under which you are borrowing and the terms under which you agree to repay the loan.

Merit Aid or scholarships are a form of gift aid that is awarded because of a student’s achievements or talent in a particular area, such as academics or athletics. It does not have to be repaid.

Need Based Aid is financial aid that is based upon financial need as demonstrated on the FAFSA and/or Profile application forms.

Need Blind means that admission decisions are made without any knowledge of students’ financial circumstances.

Amount of direct and indirect costs remaining after all gift aid (scholarship and grant)is subtracted.

The alien registration number or “A-number” is an identifying number that the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will assign to certain non-citizens.

Part Time students are those who attempt less than 12 credits in a semester.

Room and Board refers to lodging and food provided on the College’s campus. At Stonehill, Room & Board consists of your residence hall accommodations and your meal plan.

To receive or continue to receive financial aid funded by the state, the federal government, or the college (including loans, grants, jobs, scholarships), you must be making Satisfactory Academic Progess, which requires that you achieve and maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 after four semesters of college attendance. In addition, you must complete a minimum number of the total credits attempted.

https://www.stonehill.edu/offices-and-services/financial-aid/faqs/sap/

Scholarships/ Merit Aid are a form of gift aid that is awarded because of a student’s achievements or talent in a particular area, such as academics or athletics. It does not have to be repaid.

Financial aid in the form of loans or student employment. Loans are used to help pay the remaining net costs after gift aid is deducted. Student employment earnings (including work study awards) are not deducted from billed costs but can be used to help cover indirect costs and are paid in the form of wages to the student.

A summary of information your submit on your FAFSA that provides you with your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

Student Employment Program is a college funded part-time employment program.

Process to confirm the accuracy of data provided by the applicant on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the CSS Profile. In order to complete the verification process, students are required to provide certain documents to the school for review.

Award Letters are sometimes referred to as “Financial Aid Packages”. Your Award Letter will include details about the financial aid you can expect to receive from Stonehill College and government/private sources for the academic year.

The person responsible for repaying a loan.

Unpaid interest that has been added to the principle balance of a loan. Future interest is charged on the increased balance.

• The estimated cost of attending Stonehill for one academic year. This amount includes, billed costs, along with estimates for out of pocket expenses, such as:
  -Expected charges for one year of tuition and fees
  a. Tuition – Charges assessed for classes
  b. Fees – Charges assessed for other college services
  Room and board for resident students
• Estimated living expense ?? allowance for rent, utilities, and food for off?campus living
  Estimated transportation costs
• Estimated books and supplies
• Miscellaneous costs