Types of Aid & Payments

Please visit the Bursar's Office website for more information on enrolling in this option or to make a direct payment: https://www.juniata.edu/offices/bursar/index.php. The Bursar’s Office (bursarsoffice@juniata.edu or 814-641-3188) can assist with requests for assistance with making any payment arrangements or billing inquiries.

William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program

• Students who have borrowed federal loans can access information about their loans by logging into their Federal Student Aid dashboard.
• Current interest rate information can be found at www.studentaid.gov.
• Annual combined subsidized and unsubsidized maximums are $5,500, $6,500, $7,500 and $7,500 in years one, two, three and four of college, respectively. (Subsidized maximums are $3,500, $4,500, $5,500 and $5,500 each year respectively and unsubsidized maximums are up to $2,000 each year.)
• We suggest that you consider making interest-only payments while you are enrolled. Even a small amount per month will reduce total repayments later. Interest may be tax-deductible.
• Federal regulations require two equal disbursements by electronic funds transfer, half in the fall and half in the spring. The federal government currently deducts a loan fee of 1.057% from each disbursement.
• For example, if you borrow $3,500 for the academic year, this is actually $1,750 per semester and the disbursements will be $1,732 for fall and $1,732 for spring since the federal government currently deducts a loan fee of 1.057% from each disbursement. These fees are federally regulated and subject to change.
• Federal funds are not disbursed until after the first day of the Drop/Add Period each semester.
• First-time borrowers must complete a 30-minute Loan Entrance Counseling session before the first disbursement. Confirmation of completion is sent to Juniata electronically.
• First-time borrowers must complete the Loan Agreement/Master Promissory Note (MPN) before the first disbursement. Confirmation of completion is sent to Juniata electronically. If you are a returning student and previously borrowed a Federal Direct Loan within the last year, you do not need to complete a new MPN.

Repayment

• Upon graduation or ceasing to be enrolled at least half-time, students who have borrowed federal loans are required to complete the exit counseling process.
• Repayment begins six months after graduation, dropping below half-time, or withdrawal.
• A student who enters into public service employment can have any remaining balance on Federal Direct Loans forgiven after 10 years of repayment while in public service work.
• The Department of Education has various repayment options and repayment calculators on its website: https://studentaid.gov/manage-loans/repayment/plans.

• The U.S. Department of Education makes Direct PLUS Loans to eligible parents through schools participating in the Direct Loan Program.
• Information regarding interest rates, eligibility, and repayment of Parent PLUS Loans can be found on Federal Student Aid.

• Alternative loans are educational loans offered through a private lender. When the student is the borrower of an alternative loan, a credit-worthy cosigner is required for approval. Please review our list of alternative lenders at www.elmselect.com. Keep in mind that the interest rates for private/alternative educational loans can vary depending upon your credit. They can also have different terms and conditions (fixed or variable). Other things you may want to consider are:
  
  • If the interest rate is capped
  • If the interest rate may change
  • How often your credit will be checked
  • If there is built-in life insurance and/or loan forgiveness in the event of the permanent disability or death of the student
  • If there are loan deferment options
  • If there are any additional processing fees
  • What the annual and aggregate loan limits are
  • If there is a grace period before repayment begins
  • If consolidation is a possibility

• Federal Pell Grant: Federal Pell Grants usually are awarded only to undergraduate students who display exceptional financial need and have not earned a bachelor's, graduate, or professional degree, and eligibility is determined by a student’s FAFSA submission.
• Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant (SEOG): A Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) is a grant for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need, and eligibility is determined by a student’s FAFSA submission.
• PA State Grant Program: The PA State Grant Program is a financial aid program that assists eligible Pennsylvanians (those who have lived in the state for at least five years) afford the costs of higher education at the undergraduate level. Eligibility is determined by a student’s FAFSA submission.
• PA Fostering Independence Tuition Waiver (FosterEd) Program: Seeks to remove barriers in accessing postsecondary education for PA youth who are or have been in foster care. The waivers, which also cover college application fees, can be used for up to five years or until a student reaches age 26.
• Institutional Need-Based Grants: Juniata provides need-based grants to students based on their FAFSA submission beyond their merit scholarships to help students afford their education.

Applying for Aid

At this time, Juniata College does not offer any type of scholarship or fellowship for our graduate programs.

Like undergraduate students, any graduate or professional student who needs assistance from the U.S. Department of Education to pay for classes must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

In almost all cases, graduate and professional students are considered independent students and do not have to provide their parents' tax information on the FAFSA.

Types of Available Aid

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans: You are automatically eligible for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans once you submit the FAFSA. Eligible students can borrow up to $20,500 per year ($10,250 per term) and up to $138,500 during their career as a graduate student. The graduate debt limit includes Direct Loans received for undergraduate study. Please reach out to financialplanning@juniata.edu to request the amount of your eligibility you wish to be disbursed each term upon receiving your bill from the Bursar’s Office.

These loans will be processed using the Master Promissory Note (MPN) already on file from undergraduate borrowing, if you attended Juniata College.  If you did not previously borrow, Entrance Counseling and a MPN must be completed at https://studentaid.gov/mpn/ and https://studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling under the “Graduate/Professional Students” tab.

To be eligible for Unsubsidized Loans, you must be enrolled at least half-time. The loan(s) will go into repayment 6 months after you leave school or cease to be enrolled at least half-time.

Federal Direct Subsidized Loans are not available for graduate students.

Direct Graduate PLUS Loan: For a Graduate PLUS Loan, you can borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance received. After you apply for a Graduate PLUS Loan, a credit check will be performed. If you have an adverse credit history and are denied the loan, you can obtain an endorser (cosigner) or appeal the denial.

In order to qualify for a Graduate PLUS Loan, you must be enrolled at least half-time. The loan(s) will go into repayment 6 months after you leave school or cease to be at least half-time.

Private Alternative Education Loans: You can borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other financial assistance received. To view alternative loan options and compare the varying interest rates, visit https://www.elmselect.com/v4/school/597/program-select and choose “Graduate” under the “Select Your Program” drop-down. Depending on the lender and student credit history, these loans may require a co-signer.

Federal Work-Study: This need-based program allows you to earn money to help pay for educational expenses.

Cost

The per credit charge for graduate coursework at Juniata College is $800 for the 2023-2024 academic year. If you earned your undergraduate degree from Juniata College, you are given an alumni discount of $675 per credit.

Working On Campus

Juniata offers a host of on- and off-campus employment opportunities that help students to develop marketable skills while defraying their educational expenses. Available positions are noted on Handshake program.

While Juniata cannot guarantee that all interested students will secure employment, there has been a fairly even balance between the number of available positions and the number of students who are interested in working. Studies of student success at the College show that students who work on campus more than seven hours per week have better outcomes. Campus employment is limited by the budgets for individual positions and in no case can exceed seventeen hours per week.

For students who acquire significant experience through campus employment prior to their senior year, the College offers more than fifty Juniata Associate positions. These are positions for which the student has a professional level of responsibility and receives additional compensation.

Working Off Campus

Students interested in off-campus work opportunities funded through the federal work study program must qualify through either the State Work Study Program or Juniata's federally subsidized Community Service Program.

Significant opportunities also exist for students to obtain employment directly from local businesses and organizations.

Tuition Benefit and Tuition Exchange Info & Forms