Graduate & Professional Student Aid

Scholarships

(do not have to be repaid)

Non-Milligan Assistance (NMA) and Outside Scholarships

• These are scholarships awarded to the student by an outside source. These scholarships are credited directly to the student’s account.
• Receipt of any outside scholarship may reduce the total award package per federal regulations. You are required to report outside scholarship awards to Student Financial Services. Report the annual amount of the scholarship on your award letter.
• If you are searching for private scholarships, be sure to use a reputable source (you should never have to pay for scholarship information — beware of scams). Reputable sources we recommend include www.fastweb.com and www.ecampustours.com.
• TECTA Financial Assistance Program – Early Childhood Ed & M.Ed. only

Grants

(do not have to be repaid)

Federal Pell Grant

(undergraduates only)

• This is gift aid and does not have to be repaid.
• Eligibility for this grant is determined by a formula consistently applied to all applicants which takes into account the cost of attending the institution and the student’s part or full-time enrollment status. It is based on results of information submitted on the FAFSA.
• Annual awards currently range from $639 to $6,345 (subject to change, per Department of Education).
• One-half of your annual Federal Pell Grant award will be credited to your student account each semester.

Federal SEOG Grant (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant)

(undergraduates only)

• This is gift aid and does not have to be repaid.
• This federal grant is available to students with exceptional financial need. Priority is given to Pell Grant recipients.
• Grants range from $250 to $1,000 annually.
• One-half of your annual Federal SEOG award will be credited to your student account each semester.

Tennessee Student Assistance Award (TSAA)

(undergraduates only)

• This is gift aid and does not require repayment. Only Pell-eligible Tennessee residents may receive this grant.
• If you are not a Tennessee resident, you may check with the Higher Education Agency in your state to see if your state’s tuition grant can be transferred to Tennessee.
• TSAA Grant funds will be received by the University through electronic funds transfer (EFT) each semester, and the grant will be credited to your student account in two equal disbursements during the academic year.

Tennessee Reconnect

Tennessee Reconnect is a state grant program for adults to earn an associate degree or technical certificate, tuition-free. Since Milligan does not offer Associate Degrees, students can not use the Tennessee Reconnect grant at Milligan.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program

(ADCP students are not eligible)

• The TEACH Grant program provides grants of up to $4,000 per year ($8,000 maximum for Graduate students) to students who intend to teach in a high-need field in a low-income elementary or secondary school.
• In exchange for accepting this grant, the student must agree to serve as a full-time teacher in a high-need field (defined in the law) in a low-income public or private elementary or secondary school for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing degree or withdrawing from the program.
• If the student fails to comply with these requirements, the grant is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan with interest accruing from the date each grant was disbursed.

The student must meet the following conditions to apply for a TEACH grant:

• Complete the FAFSA
• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Be enrolled as an undergraduate, post-baccalaureate, or graduate student at least half-time
• Be enrolled in coursework that is necessary to begin a career in teaching or plan to complete such coursework
• Maintain cumulative 3.25 GPA or score above the 75th percentile on a college admissions test
• Sign a TEACH Grant Agreement to Serve for each year the TEACH Grant is received
  The student must meet the following conditions upon graduation to retain the grant:
  Teach full-time as a highly qualified teacher (defined by each state) for at least four academic years within eight calendar years of completing coursework or withdrawing from program
• Teach in a low-income school. See www.teach-ats.ed.gov for a listing of eligible schools
• Teach in an area of high need – currently includes bilingual education and English Language Acquisition, foreign language, mathematics, reading specialist, science, and special education

If the TEACH Grant recipient does not meet these requirements, the grant is converted to a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan that must be repaid with interest charged from the date of each TEACH grant disbursement.

Additional information regarding the TEACH Grant is available at www.teach-ats.ed.gov.

Troops to Teacher benefits

(veterans only)

Military Veterans can obtain Troops to Teacher benefits information from:

Mike Schroeder, Director
710 James Robertson Pkwy
Fourth Floor, Andrew Johnson Tower
Nashville, TN 37243
1-800-286-5301
615-532-4869
Mike.Schroeder@state.tn.us
http://www.state.tn.us/education/lic/troop.shtml

Loans

(must be repaid, with interest)

Federal Direct Stafford Loans: Subsidized and Unsubsidized

Federal Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans must be repaid.

• Subsidized loans (available for undergraduate students only after July 1, 2012) are need-based and the government pays the interest while the student is in college.
• The Unsubsidized loan is available to all students and the interest accrues while the student is in college.
• These loans require Entrance Loan Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN) for all first time borrowers and Exit Loan Counseling for all borrowers who are graduating, not returning to Milligan, or have dropped below at least a half-time enrollment status.
• Your loan funds will be received by the college via electronic funds transfer (EFT). Stafford loans are disbursed in equal disbursements for the academic year.
• You will receive a notification indicating the amount of loan that has been credited to your account and a notice giving you the opportunity to reduce and/or cancel the loan in writing within 14 days of receiving your notification.
• The currently published interest rate for 2021-22 is 3.73% for undergraduate and 5.28% for graduate.

Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) and Graduate Students

(MBA not eligible)

• A Federal PLUS Loan is a credit-based loan for parents of undergraduate students and for graduate students. It must be repaid.
• Graduate students may benefit from using the PLUS loan as opposed to an alternative loan because students may not qualify for an alternative loan based on credit history, or the interest rate may be higher than the 6.28% PLUS Loan interest rate.
• The Graduate PLUS Loan requires Entrance Counseling for all first-time borrowers and Exit Loan Counseling for all borrowers who are graduating, not returning to Milligan, or who have dropped below at least half-time enrollment status.
• If you need assistance in determining the amount to borrow, please contact Student Financial Services.
• If you borrow through the PLUS Loan Program, your loan funds will be received by the University, via electronic funds transfer (EFT) and the proceeds will be disbursed directly to the student’s account in equal disbursements for the academic year.