Types of Aid

Grants

A grant is a type of gift aid that does not require repayment. Each grant has different requirements for eligibility. Eligibility for need based grants is determined by the information provided by the student on the FAFSA.

After the FAFSA is filed, you are automatically considered for the following grants based on your eligibility:

Students who are interested in a career in teaching may want to inquire about the TEACH Grant. Students are not automatically considered for TEACH Grant eligibility. Interested students should contact the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.

Loans

Loans are awarded after your eligibility for grants, scholarships, Federal Work-Study (FWS), and any other awarded aid is considered. Your financial aid package may include loans that are need-based and/or non-need-based financial aid.

After the FAFSA is filed, you are automatically considered for the following federal loans based on your eligibility:

Students who are interested in additional funding, may want to consider a Federal Parent PLUS Loan (for dependent students), a Federal Grad PLUS loan (for graduate students) and/or anAlternative (Private) Loan. To be considered for these loans, students will need to file a separate application.

 

Additonal Resources

Students who are eligible for tuition benefits may considering reviewing the following as applicable.

  • Veteran’s & Military Benefits– Students who are using military benefits may have additional documents to submit to the university. At UMBC, the Registrar’s Office coordinates all veteran and military benefits direct. The Registrar’s Office Veteran’s Students page provides detailed information regarding this process including a checklist of required steps.
  • Tuition Remission– Some companies offer tuition remission for their employees or dependents of employees. We encourage students to investigate tuition remission programs through their employer or with their parent’s employer. Regular, benefit-eligible employees within the University System of Maryland (USM) may take advantage of tuition remission for themselves or their dependent children. Tuition remission, if applicable, is a benefit where tuition or a portion thereof is paid by the employer. The level of benefit depends upon the hire date of the employee. Contact human resources at your place of employment for more information.
  • Maryland Prepaid Tuition Plan– The Maryland Prepaid Tuition Plan is a savings plan that allows parents to set aside funds to pay college tuition for their dependents. The university does not bill the tuition plan directly. Normally, once the first bill of the semester is received, parents forward a copy of the bill to the Maryland Prepaid Tuition Plan and the tuition plan sends payment to the university on behalf of the student. Payments received are posted to the student’s account within 72 hours of receipt. For more information about the State of Maryland’s plan, please visit www.collegesavingsmd.org. Prepaid tuition plans are also available in many states and procedures for requesting payment from the tuition plan may vary. For information regarding prepaid tuition plans outside the State of Maryland, please contact a representative from your individual state program. You may also reach out to Student Business Services for additional information on agency payments at UMBC.

Adjustments to your Financial Aid

Please note that any changes to the FAFSA data may result in an adjustment to your financial aid package, including but not limited to:

  • Review of your FAFSA due to Verification.
  • Enrollment less than full-time (12 credits undergraduate/9 credits graduate). Students who will be enrolled less than full-time must complete the Enrollment Update Form. We also recommend that you contact our office to discuss how part-time enrollment may impact your award(s).
    • Please note students must be enrolled at least six credits to receive a Federal Stafford, Parent PLUS or Grad PLUS Loan
  • Change in your housing status from what was reported on the FAFSA. If your housing plans have changed you must complete the Housing Update Form.
  • Corrections made by staff due to conflicting university data.

You will receive an electronic notification each time your award package has been adjusted.