How to apply for financial aid for Northeastern Seminary
Complete the steps below to become eligible for financial aid.
1. Apply to Northeastern Seminary
Applying to attend Northeastern Seminary is the very first step in your financial aid process. Apply online here.
2. Fill out your FAFSA
You should complete the FAFSA as part of the application process. This will help you gauge whether or not you will be eligible for a need-based scholarship. Students must be admitted and registered at least half-time in a program leading to a graduate degree. Apply for your FAFSA
All you need is:
- Roberts College Code (002805)
- Driver's license
- Federal income tax return from two years prior — throughout the FAFSA form, you will be asked to reference numbers from your tax return.
- Direct Unsubsidized– Available for up to $10,250 per semester for graduate students
- Grad PLUS– Fixed-rate credit qualifying loans which allow for additional funds to help pay for graduate educational expenses, up to the Cost of Education, as established by Northeastern Seminary The PLUS Request process, including a credit check, can be completed at studentloans.gov.
3. Get Accepted to Northeastern Seminary
We'll let you know within a few weeks of receiving all application materials if you have been accepted — sooner if the start date is right around the corner — and we’ll call you and send an email notification so you know the next steps.
4. Receive Your Financial Aid Award Letter
Award letters outlining your scholarship and loan eligibility are generated after the early incentive deadlines for each semester — June 15 for the fall and November 15 for the spring. If you have completed the FAFSA and have been accepted into the program after June 15 (fall) or November 15 (spring), please allow two weeks for your award letter to be sent.
5. Make Your Decision and Submit Your Deposit
As soon as you know that you'll attend Northeastern, you can submit your enrollment deposit to secure your place! In many cases, this occurs at the acceptance stage. If you know you’re coming, you don’t have to wait for the financial aid award letter.
Payment Options
All tuition and fees must be paid prior to the beginning of the term, except in cases where an extended payment plan has been arranged. Financial Aid is applied at the beginning of each term.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Your financial aid eligibility may be impacted by your age and independence status. If you are under the age of 25, you may be considered a dependent of your parents for Federal financial aid purposes. Dependent students are required to provide certain parental information on the FAFSA, including income, which will be used to determine their financial aid eligibility and may result in reduced levels of aid. New York State also has separate guidelines for independence.
6. Complete Enrollment Documents
See the virtual paperwork section in the New Student Orientation for required forms.
Financial Planning
We encourage all students to explore the long-term financial implications of their schooling. While it can be difficult to know what vocational setting you will be in after completing your seminary experience it is helpful to begin to understand the uneasy financial questions that can arise post-graduation and to make prudent financial decisions as part of the discernment process before you start seminary.
There are a number of online resources available to you for gaining and keeping control over personal finances by making use of scholarships, student loans, and careful planning. Below you will find links to several sites that provide financial tools and information to help you prepare.
- Adventures in Education
- Mapping your Future
- The Simple Dollar – Debt Payoff Calculator
- My Money
- 360 Degrees of Financial Literacy
Eligibility Awareness
As you are forecasting the future costs of seminary, it is important to remain eligible for your financial awards. Here are four important things to remember:
- Loans and credit hours – You must be enrolled for at least 4 credit hours per semester to be eligible for federal loans
- Scholarships – Seminary-awarded scholarships are available to both full and part-time students
- FAFSA completion – All Seminary scholarship and loan eligibility requires annual resubmission of the FAFSA form. Forms may be submitted as early as October 1 of the previous academic year.
Entrance Counseling & Master Promissory Note
If you are receiving a loan for the first time at Northeastern Seminary, upon receipt of the award letter, you will need to complete loan entrance counseling and the master promissory note before your funds will be disbursed. This is done online by logging onto the Federal Student Aid website here and completing the online entrance counseling portion. You can sign the Direct Loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) through the Federal Student Aid website here. Instructions will be provided in the award letter. The rate and fees charged are set by the Department of Education annually effective 7/1. For more information regarding the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program, please visit www.studentloans.gov. Contact the Northeastern Seminary/Roberts Wesleyan College Student Financial Services office for any questions at 585.594.6150 or studentfinancial@roberts.edu.
Alternative Loans
After exhausting all other financial resources, students may choose to apply for a private loan (also known as an alternative loan) through the lender of their choice. These loans may have either a fixed or variable rate, are in the name of the student, and typically require a cosigner. The interest rate varies by lender and credit score.
Students may borrow up to a maximum of the cost of attendance minus financial aid, as determined by Northeastern Seminary. All private/alternative loans must be certified by the Seminary Office of Financial Aid.
Although you may borrow from any lender of your choosing, the institution has partnered with FASTChoice through Great Lakes to make the loan process a little easier—FASTChoice can help you find private/alternative loan options here.
Account Statement
Students will receive their first account statement 30 days prior to the start of the semester. Payment is due by the first day of class.