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Financial Assistance

The office of Office of Financial Aid Administration and Office of Student Accounts and Bursar Services will assist in obtaining the maximum financial aid available to those who qualify. Since the majority of students enrolled in the graduate programs at Manhattan College are attending part-time, financial assistance is limited.

To be eligible for financial assistance, a student must be matriculated and attending at least 1/2 time (3 credits per semester). To be considered for financial aid, students must comply with the timely submission of the following:

Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) — our FAFSA code is 002758. The FAFSA application must be completed by filing directly on the web at www.fafsa.gov.  

The Federal Student Aid Program performs a needs analysis service which computes the student/family contribution toward educational costs. Manhattan College then determines financial need based on the total cost of attendance at the College. The cost of attendance includes tuition and fees, a room and board allowance, books, transportation and other miscellaneous costs. The office of Student Financial Services deducts the family contribution as determined by the FAFSA from the Total Cost of Attendance to arrive at an amount of family need. An online financial aid award letter will be sent to advise students of eligible aid types. Typical financial awards might include:

Unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Student Loan: a matriculated graduate student may borrow up to $20,500 per year depending on need as determined by the FAFSA. Under this program, borrowers are responsible for interest that accrues while attending school.

Graduate PLUS Loans: a matriculated graduate student is eligible to borrow under this additional program to meet the costs of attendance if they have exhausted their Federal Direct Stafford annual limit or aggregate limit. Students are advised to meet with a financial aid counselor for a review of eligibility.

Note: Maximum eligibility for these federal loans is $20,500 per academic year. However, the loan amount may be limited to cover only the cost of attendance as determined by the guidelines above. First-time borrowers at Manhattan College must submit a Master Promissory Note (MPN) and complete Online Entrance Interview Counseling. Links are available at https://studentaid.gov/.

Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH Grant): The TEACH Grant is a federal program that strives to encourage teachers into high-need teaching areas in K-12 low-income schools. It allows for a grant (not need-based) of up to $4,000 per year for students in qualifying undergraduate and graduate programs in exchange for service as full-time highly-qualified teachers in a high-need field within a low-income school upon graduation. If the teaching service years are not fulfilled within eight years of graduating or leaving the qualifying program, the grant is converted into a Federal Direct Unsubsidized loan with interest, and must be repaid in full. Teachers are responsible for gaining employment within these parameters by themselves. No formal assistance is provided by the College. To be eligible, students must be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens, have a documented score of at least the 75th percentile on any section of the SAT or ACT or have an overall GPA of at least 3.25, annually complete a FAFSA and Agreement to Serve (ATS) and entrance counseling, and enroll in a teacher certification program in one of the following areas offered at Manhattan: Foreign languages, Mathematics, Science (grades 5-9 and 7-12), Special Education, NYC teachers only for English (grades 5-9 and 7-12), and Physical Education. More information is available on the Student Financial Services website.

Graduate Assistantships: Generally awarded to a student based on his or her academic program, graduate assistantships are part-time jobs working for a faculty member, department, or the College in general. All graduate assistantships are administrative except through the School Of Engineering, which are research-based. Graduate Assistants are typically hired on a 9 month contract, work 20-30 hours/week, and cover 9 credits a semester ( fall and spring only) with a maximum of 18 credits per calendar year. Graduate assistantship positions do not cover fees.

Research Assistantships:  Graduate Research Assistantships ( GRAs) involve a full-tuition scholarship and a monthly stipend for 18-24 months. GRAs are required to work 24 hours/week during school sessions, and 35 hours/week during winter intersession and summer. 

Veterans: All recipients of veterans' educational benefits must meet the certifying officer after proceeding with an application for admission to Manhattan College. Please forward a copy of your certificate of eligibility to Manhattan College's VA Certifying Official.

The Yellow Ribbon GI Education Enhancement Program ( Yellow Ribbon Program) allows institutions of higher learning (degree-granting institutions) in the United States to voluntarily enter into an agreement with the Department of Veteran Affairs to fund tuition expenses that exceed the highest public in-state tuition rate. This tuition benefit program includes both undergraduate and graduate study at either a full-time or part-time enrollment. This significant commitment upholds a long history of Manhattan College support for our veterans and their academic and career endeavors.
Title 38 USC 3679 ( e) Compliance. This will allow an individual to attend or participate in a program of education if the Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 Beneficiary provides the school with a "Certificate of Eligibility (COE)."

Yellow Ribbon Benefit at Manhattan College: The Department of Veteran Affairs will match at the same amount 50% of the difference between the student's tuition benefit and the total cost of tuition and fees. The VA published cap rate for 2024/2025 is $ 28,937.09.

Code of Conduct Policy : Manhattan College enforces a code of conduct policy for all employees who are involved with the administration of federal student aid. The purpose of the policy is to prohibit conflicts of interest in situations involving student financial aid and to establish standards of conduct for employees with responsibility for student financial aid. Visit the Student Financial Services website for current information.

Academic Progress and Program Pursuit for Federal Loans:

As a graduate student you must meet a  3.0 GPA  and complete credits for each term.

Federal Direct Stafford Loan

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan for Graduate Students

Degree and Aid Time Limits

There is a maximum length of time set for completion of a degree program with the benefit of receipt of federal financial assistance. The standards provide that a student must complete two-thirds of all coursework attempted in each term.

Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)

  • All graduate students are required to have a cumulative average of 3.0 or higher while earning the minimum number of credits to demonstrate good academic standing.
  • All graduate students will only have federal aid paid one time for courses they are repeating to improve a course grade.
  • Each School at Manhattan College may implement additional guidelines for satisfactory academic progress in their programs.

All students at Manhattan College are expected to make positive academic progress toward a degree. Students are said to be making satisfactory academic progress when they meet both the quantitative and qualitative criteria established by federal regulations.

Standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress involve both qualitative (cumulative grade point average and academic standing) and quantitative (hours earned compared to hours attempted and a maximum time limit) elements. This requirement applies to all applicants for any type of federal assistance. To be eligible for financial aid at Manhattan College students must be in compliance with all three of the following areas: cumulative GPA, hours earned, maximum time limit.

I. Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): Students must maintain the required 3.0 cumulative grade point average established by Manhattan College to continue enrollment and to be eligible for financial aid. Satisfactory progress will be measured for all coursework attempted and/or completed toward the student's degree.

II. Earned Hours (Compared to Attempted Hours): It is recommended that students attempt to earn at least two-thirds of the credits required per academic year in order to complete graduation requirements in the degree limit time. To remain eligible for financial aid, students must earn at least 67% of total cumulative hours attempted.

III. Maximum Time Limit: To remain eligible for financial aid, undergraduate students must complete their degree requirements within 150 percent of the published length of their academic program. At Manhattan College, for example, this means that students in programs requiring 36 credit hours for graduation are eligible for financial aid during the first 54 attempted credit hours. All attempted hours are counted, including transfer hours, whether or not financial aid was received, or the course work was successfully completed.

SAP Reviews: At the end of the each semester, a review is completed, and students who are out of compliance with one or more of the SAP standards will be notified by the Dean and the Office of Student Financial Services. The College's policies on academic warning, probation and dismissal are cited under the Academic Standards and Procedures section of the catalog. Manhattan College may fund students during their probationary period.

Regaining Eligibility for Financial Aid:  To regain eligibility, the student may attend summer school and/or any other terms necessary, without aid, until all deficiencies are remedied.

Appeals: Federal regulations allow for certain cases in which the school may waive the standards. Appeals for the waiver may be considered if a student's failure to comply with one or more areas of Satisfactory Academic Progress is due to mitigating circumstances. These must be appropriately documented for the specific term(s) in which the deficiency occurred. Eligibility may be regained by appeal. Contact the Director of Student Financial Services to process a Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Appeal.

Endowed and Special Category Scholarships

Eder Associates Scholarship

Founded by Eder Associates, the scholarship provides tuition assistance to a financially needy graduate student with an outstanding academic record who is seeking a master's degree in the Graduate Environmental Engineering Program.

The HydroQual, Inc., Scholarship

Founded in 1991 by HydroQual, Inc., to provide tuition assistance to students accepted for matriculation in the Graduate Environmental Engineering Program.

The Hazen and Sawyer Scholarship

In honor of C. Richard Walter '50. Founded in 1990 by Hazen and Sawyer, P.C. upon the occasion of C. Richard Walter's retirement as president and chair of Hazen and Sawyer. This scholarship will provide tuition assistance to graduate students accepted for matriculation in the Graduate Environmental Engineering Program.