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When Your Financial Aid Package is Not Enough

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Options for Students Who Did Not Receive Enough Financial Aid to Cover Educational Expenses

Students may contact the offices below for information regarding financial assistance and scholarship opportunities:

Academic Department (student’s area of study)

JSU Alumni and Constituency Relations
Apply at: https://www.jsums.edu/alumni/scholarships/

JSU Business Office
Payment Plan: (601) 979-2216

State of Mississippi Financial Assistance Office
Telephone: (601) 432-6997            Toll-Free: (800) 327-2980
http://riseupms.com/state-aid/
Email: sfa@mississippi.edu

If the financial aid you have been awarded will not cover all of the expenses for your education, you and/or your parent may want to consider the Direct PLUS Loan.

The 2016-2017 Parent PLUS Direct Loan requests may be completed at https://studentaid.gov/.  Jackson State University does participate in the Parent PLUS Direct Loan Program; however this process may not be available until June 1st of each year.

Parent PLUS Direct Loans (Undergraduate Dependent Students Only)

Parent PLUS Direct Loans are low-interest credit-based loans for the parents of dependent students.  The lender is the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) rather than a bank or other financial institution.  Interest is charged during all periods.  All PLUS loan applicants must meet all general eligibility requirements for the Federal Student Aid programs.  You can find more information about these requirements in the Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid or by going to the Federal Student Aid Website at https://studentaid.gov/.

Application for the Parent PLUS Direct Loan, which includes a Master Promissory Note (MPN), may be made online at https://studentaid.gov/.  A FAFSA for the student must be on file with the Financial Aid Office before a parent may apply.  A parent may borrow up to an amount equal to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid awarded to the student.

Once the application has been submitted to, acknowledged, and pre-approved by the Department of Education (DOE), the borrower (parent) must submit a Direct PLUS Loan Status Retrieval Form, a copy of their driver’s license or state identification card to the Financial Aid Office.   Applicants who have been pre-approved will have funds credited to the student’s account.  If the loan is denied, the borrower may resolve any incorrect information with the credit bureau and have Direct Loan reconsider the application or the borrower may have the loan resubmitted along with the endorsement of a co-signer.

If a parent is denied a Parent PLUS Direct Loan and decides not to resubmit for pre-approval, the student may be considered for an additional unsubsidized loan:

Freshmen and Sophomore students may qualify for up to $4,000 yearly.

Junior and Senior students may qualify for up to $5,000 yearly.

Direct Grad PLUS Loans (Graduate & Professional Students Only)

Direct Grad PLUS Loans are low-interest credit-based loans for the graduate students.  The lender is the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) rather than a bank or other financial institution.  Interest is charged during all periods.  All PLUS loan applicants must meet all general eligibility requirements for the Federal Student Aid programs.  You can find more information about these requirements in Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid or by going to the Federal Student Aid Website at https://studentaid.gov/.

Application for a Direct Grad PLUS Loan, which includes a Master Promissory Note (MPN), may be made online at www.studentloans.gov.  A FAFSA for the student must be on file with the Financial Aid Office before the student may apply.  The student may borrow up to an amount equal to the cost of attendance less any other financial aid awarded to the student.

Once the application has been submitted to, acknowledged and pre-approved by the Department of Education (DOE), the borrower will be awarded the Direct Grad PLUS Loan.  If the loan is denied, the borrower may resolve any incorrect information with the credit bureau and have Direct Loan reconsider the application or the borrower may have the loan resubmitted along with the endorsement of a co-signer.

The 2016-2017 Direct Graduate PLUS Loan requests may be completed at https://studentaid.gov/.  Jackson State University does not participate in the Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Program; however this process may not be available until June 1st of each year.

Note:  You may still apply for 2016-2017 (Spring and Summer) through the end of the Summer session.