Quick Questions

Complete the annual FAFSA application each year to access federal loans and work-study. Graduate level federal loans and limited work-study eligibility combine to pay your tuition, fees and up to $21,450 for education related costs. Tuition, fees and the education related cost total is the maximum amount of financial aid you can receive. The combined costs are called your financial aid budget. An increase to the estimated annual budget can be made, based on documented dependent care expenses, monthly insurance premiums, and/or a one-time computer purchase. Send your documentation together with our form via e-mail or fax.

The Federal Direct (Stafford) Unsubsidized loan is available for up to $20,500 annually. The Federal Direct Grad PLUS loan funds the remainder of the financial aid budget after scholarship and other loans have been credited. Information about federal work-study is provided in the link in the left hand box on this page. Contact the financial aid office for specific federal work-study eligibility details.

Mitchell Hamline financial aid online forms

The Department of Education (DOE) contracts with Servicers who process loan paperwork and maintain contact with you on behalf of the Department of Education. The servicer related to your loans eventually processes your loan payments. The National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS),  located at www.nslds.ed.gov, provides a list of your federal loan details including servicer contact information. Contact the Financial Aid Office anytime you want confirmation that a loan-related business has a legitimate reason for contacting you.

• Servicers
• National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)

The lifetime limit for subsidized/unsubsidized loans at the Graduate student level is $138,500 including all undergraduate subsidized/unsubsidized loans. The annual limit for a federal unsubsidized loan is $20,500. The Grad PLUS annual loan limit is the difference between the total budget and all other financial aid. There is no Grad PLUS lifetime limit. All federal student loans can be reviewed on the National Student Loan Data System website www.nslds.ed.gov.

The Federal Direct Subsidized loan program was discontinued on July 1, 2012, for graduate students when the unsubsidized loan limit for graduate students was increased to $20,500 annually. The Perkins loan program was discontinued for all new borrowers as of Oct. 1, 2016.

No: we process aid, and issue it to you to use to pay your host school. You are responsible for paying your tuition bill at your host school. Contact the financial aid office when you are planning to study away from Mitchell Hamline.

• Finaid @mitchellhamline.edu

First, federal eligibility requires a FAFSA on file for the school year: Summer ’24 starts the 2024-25 year and requires a 2024-25 FAFSA. Use FAFSA school code G02391. Next, you must have registrar approval for any classes you plan to transfer to Mitchell Hamline to apply to your J.D. The program cost of a fall/spring study abroad/study away program—as determined by the sponsoring school—is added in place of Mitchell Hamline’s regular fall/spring budget. Summer study abroad program costs are added in addition to the planned fall/spring budget. The increased budget is funded with loans. As always, you can accept as much of the offered loans as you wish. Mitchell Hamline scholarships cannot be applied to any study abroad or off-campus tuition. See more information in the link about Study Abroad in the column to the left.

Newly admitted students will be able to see their financial aid as soon as tuition amounts have been published by the school.  Continuing students who registered for summer semester will see financial aid offers just after summer/fall registration has become open for all students. All 2024-25 federal aid requires a 2024-25 FAFSA.

• 2024-25

All summer aid for study abroad, classes on campus, and summer study at another school is determined by the 2024-25 FAFSA. This FAFSA is currently available!

• 2024-25

Your refund date is determined by the start date for your classes. The checks disbursed in the Finance/Student Account Office (Please note: NOT the Financial Aid office) room 276 in the LEC or electronically disbursed to you through CASHNet. Signing up for electronic refunds can be completed via Agresso under your “My Student Account” link. You can check on your disbursements and the credit balance amount by looking at your Student Account in the Student Records area of the website

Workstudy is a federal financial aid resource that replaces some of your loan eligibility. You must file an annual FAFSA, and contact the financial aid office to let us know you want work-study eligibility. See more information about work-study in the work-study topic listed under Types Of Aid in the box to the left.

• finaid @mitchellhamline.edu

The total available amount of financial aid is based on your actual tuition cost plus an estimated living expense budget that is the same whether you are full time or part time. If you change from full-time to part-time status, the total amount of financial aid changes because you are paying less tuition. If you are part time and increase to full time, you would need to accept additional loan amounts for processing. Your scholarship is adjusted automatically.

Federal loans require a valid Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). All transfer credits must be approved in advance by the Mitchell Hamline Registrar. See Study Abroad information in the column to the left

Yes: Graduating students will be offered a budget increase to pay for the Minnesota State Bar exam, currently $700 with laptop fee. The Grad PLUS loan amount needed to pay out $700 after loan fees are deducted is $730. If you are taking the Bar Exam in a different state, please send an email to the Financial Aid Office with documentation showing that state’s cost and requesting additional loan funds.

Unfortunately no. BarBri costs cannot be added to the annual school cost-of-attendance to be funded by federal loans because BarBri is not applicable to the school’s credits to earn the J.D. This is a longstanding problem for law students that has been addressed over the years by the ABA and particularly Access Group, Inc.—a former federal loan lender.

Instead, to fund BarBri and related costs after graduation, lenders make private non-federal “Bar Loans” and “Education Loans” available to students. As non-federal private loans, Bar and Education loans are subject to private loan underwriting requirements. Loan terms vary from lender to lender. In today’s tighter lending environment, students are finding that private loans  now require co-signers, may have variable interest rates, and may not be available when other loans total more than the lender’s aggregate debt limit.

• Bar Study Loan Lender List

We are ready to help you evaluate your private loan borrowing options. Send us an email, stop in, or make an appointment.

If you are registered for J-term and have a valid financial aid application on file, we will email you to offer financial aid for J-term tuition. The cost of J-term credits can be added to your annual financial aid budget, and an additional loan added to pay for the tuition cost. The added financial aid will pay out along with your spring semester scheduled aid in late January.