Saint Meinrad has many generous benefactors committed to supporting theological education. Their gifts allow students to take advantage of the quality academic, spiritual and personal formation offered by our school. We give equal consideration for financial aid awards to full-time and part-time students.
To be eligible for federal or Saint Meinrad financial aid, you must meet and maintain our standards of satisfactory academic progress toward a degree. If you are placed on academic probation, you will lose all subsequent financial assistance until you are removed from academic probation.
Should you withdraw from the school while receiving financial aid, you will be responsible for repaying a portion of aid.
Remember to submit all applicable forms each year to receive financial aid.
Federal Direct Student Loans are available through the Federal Government. These are Graduate Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans. (up to $21,500 annually). They have a variable interest rate and are unsubsidized. That is, interest accrues on the loan from the date that it is disbursed. St. Meinrad Seminary & School of Theology, however, does not participate in the “Grad Plus Loans”.
To qualify for the Graduate Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans, you:
must be enrolled in at least 6 credits per semester;
must submit a FAFSA form online and
contact Saint Meinrad's Director of Financial Aid for further direction.
Title IV funds are awarded under the assumption that you will attend school for the entire period for which the assistance is awarded. When you withdraw, you may no longer be eligible for the full amount of Title IV funds that you were originally scheduled to receive.
Federal law specifies how your school must determine the amount of Federal Student Aid (FSA) assistance that you earned up to the time you withdraw. At Saint Meinrad, we apply the same guidelines to institutional aid.
When you withdraw during your payment period, the amount of financial aid that you have earned is determined on a pro-rated basis. For example, if you completed 30% of the term, you earn 30% of the assistance you were originally scheduled to receive. The Office of Financial Aid will determine the actual percentage.
If you received less assistance than the amount that you earned, you may be able to receive those additional funds. If you received more assistance than you earned, the excess funds must be returned by the school and/or you.
If you are responsible for returning a loan, you have a six-month grace period to repay the loan. If you are responsible for returning a grant, you will incur a charge on your school statement.
The grace period for loan repayments for Federal Subsidized Stafford Loans will begin on the day you withdraw from school. You should contact the lender if you have questions regarding the grace period or repayment status.
A number of part-time positions are available at Saint Meinrad for full-time or half-time students through the federal work-study program. Positions include clerical and other office work. Your FAFSA application determines whether you are eligible to participate in the program.
Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology has been approved for veterans' educational benefits under Section 1775 of Title 38 of the United States Code. New students applying for veterans' educational benefits should contact the Registrar upon their arrival at Saint Meinrad.
Should he not have them already, each seminarian beginning his studies at Saint Meinrad receives the following books: Liturgy of the Hours (four-volume set), Catechism of the Catholic Church, and the Harper-Collins Study Bible, NRSV translation.
At the appropriate times during his course of studies, each seminarian also receives the Code of Canon Law, the Sacramentary and a study edition of the Lectionary. The donation of these books to our seminarians is made possible by the Theological Book Fund, an endowment established by an anonymous benefactor who wished to ensure that all seminarians could begin their priestly formation and education with the basic theological tools.
Master of Divinity students who participate in the Mexican American Catholic College Spanish-language programs or other intensive language programs that prepare them to minister with the Hispanic community are eligible to apply for grants from Saint Meinrad's GAR Foundation Endowment. Depending on the number of applicants and funds available per year, monies are awarded to help with room, board, tuition and personal expenses.
Funds are also available through the Arnold F. and Barbara T. Habig Endowment for Priestly Ministry in the Multicultural Church.
The Marsha and Fred Souders Endowment was established to help fund special learning opportunities for students, such as Holy Land studies, a study tour of Rome or programs of the Mexican American Catholic College.
All financial aid awards are subject to availability of funds. Students who receive an award letter for financial aid are responsible for signing up for classes and submitting their paperwork in a timely manner to ensure they receive the funds.
For further information about all financial assistance opportunities, contact the Director of Financial Aid at (812) 357-6561 or financialaid@saintmeinrad.edu.