Research Contracts

Financial aid is money that you can use to help pay for college expenses. Financial aid comes from a variety of sources, including the federal and/or state governments. It can be in the form of grants or loans. You will automatically be considered for all types of financial aid once you have completed the financial aid application process. Undergraduate students must enroll at least half-time (six credits per semester) to be eligible for most aid programs. Graduate students are eligible for up to $20,500 in direct unsubsidized loans per academic year, provided they enroll at least half-time (four credits per semester).

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the official form that you use to apply for financial assistance to help pay for college. The FAFSA asks a series of questions about income, assets and other factors, which is then shared with the colleges you’re applying to. The information you supply on the FAFSA determines what type(s) of aid you may qualify for. It may be completed online at studentaid.gov.

At Merrimack, some special populations are required to submit a FAFSA. The majority of students do not need to submit a FAFSA unless they wish to be considered for need-based aid.

The FAFSA determines your eligibility for subsidized federal student loans (which are based on need), unsubsidized federal student loans (which most students qualify for regardless of need), federal grant programs, work-study programs, state-based financial aid, school-based financial aid, scholarships and other aid.

REMEMBER: The FAFSA is not a loan! There is no financial commitment when you file the FAFSA. You’re simply providing colleges with more information to help calculate all the different financial aid options you qualify for such as scholarships, grants, loans, work-study and more. That means your potential aid can come from many different sources so you should still file the FAFSA even if you don’t plan on taking out any loans.

Before you begin your FAFSA, you will need to create a Federal Student Aid (FSA) ID for yourself and for any FAFSA contributor (like a parent or spouse). It’s important that the FSA IDs are registered with different email addresses as this is your official electronic signature for the FAFSA and other important federal documents, such as Loan Entrance/Exit Counseling and Loan Master Promissory Notes. To create a Federal Student Aid ID, go to studentaid.gov. We encourage you to take advantage of the helpful resources on studentaid.gov website, including how to fill out the FAFSA form.

Comprehensive fees help the College to provide students with a variety of services which enhance their academic and student life experiences. Fees help cover services such as:

• McQuade library (including online access)
• Fully equipped fitness center and inside track
• Campus-wide Wi-Fi
• Career Services, which includes career fairs and panels, job-search workshops, on-campus interviews and extensive one-on-one counseling
• Free printing up to 1,000 pages each academic year
• Discounted or free tickets for athletics and performances
• Participation in intramurals/recreation, club sports, social and educational programs, clubs/organizations and Greek life
• Hamel Health Center, which provides medical, psychological and health-education services

The Board of Trustees at Merrimack College determines the final costs in their annual meeting each Summer. Once those costs are finalized, we will publish the updated information on our website.

Initial financial aid correspondence will be mailed to the address you have on file with Merrimack. Important financial aid information is also sent to Merrimack student email accounts, so it is important that you check your email frequently. For returning students, all correspondence is sent electronically to your student email account.