Scholarships & Financial Aid

Many families mistakenly think they don’t qualify for aid and prevent themselves from receiving financial aid by failing to apply for it. In addition, there are sources of aid such as the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Grad PLUS Loan, and the Parent PLUS Loan that are not need-based. Submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is free, and your information is confidential.

Required Documents: Due February 1

1. FAFSA
2. Financial Aid Questionnaire
3. CSS Profile 

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – All US Citizens, Eligible Non-Citizens (green card holders), and Dual Citizens can receive federal financial aid to attend MSM. School Code: 002759.

FAFSA Help Line: 800-4-FED AID or FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov

Financial Aid Questionnaire is an internal MSM application required of all applicants, regardless of whether or not you wish to receive institutional scholarship or federal financial aid. This questionnaire is free and is located on your applicant Status Portal. If you have questions about your Financial Aid Questionnaire, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@laolitaohuo.com.

CSS Profile is the College Board financial application. This is used to help determine your family’s demonstrated financial need. School code 2396.

CSS Profile Help Line: 305-829-9793 or help@cssprofile.org

Please make sure you list Manhattan School of Music on your applications, so that we receive your applications and are able to view them. Please do not forget to electronically sign and fully submit the application. Even if your taxes are not finalized by February 1, complete the application using estimated income. It is better to have estimated data than to have no data at all.

Application Review

The Office of Financial Aid will review completed financial aid applications. The information is analyzed to determine both the types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive in the form of grants, scholarships, work study, or loan options. Financial Aid results will be available when admission decisions are released, typically by April 1 each year.

Notification of Aid

If you have been accepted into the school and have received your financial aid eligibility, it is time to determine what aid is best for you. You may need to consider the terms of your loan agreement, how much money you will need in student loans, what you can contribute from savings, and if you can make payments throughout the semester. All of these questions require important discussions and are often best had with your parent(s), guardian(s), or other family members.  For a detailed description and definition of the different types of aid you might be eligible for, please see Types of Aid.

Financial Aid on my Bill

Financial Aid will only be able to be applied to your bill after all of the steps below have been completed. Your financial aid will be posted as “Anticipated” financial aid on your student Billing Worksheet found on the MSM Student Portal.

Accept or Decline Your Financial Aid

To accept or decline your financial aid, please log into the MSM Student Portal at http://my.laolitaohuo.com/ics using the same MSM credentials that you use to sign into your MSM email account. Once logged in, click on the “My Student Financial Aid” link in the sidebar menu. Next, click on the link for “Financial Aid Awards and Documents”. There you will be able to view, accept and/or decline your awards. Please officially accept/decline your awards by May 15, 2022. Through this link you can also view the documents we have received and any documents we are missing from you, so please be sure to check the portal often.

If you have accepted federal loans as part of your financial aid package, please complete the following before July 1, 2022:

• To Accept the Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized loans:

• • Go to www.studentloans.gov and complete Entrance Counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
  • Entrance Counseling explains your rights and responsibilities as a loan borrower
  • The MPN promises you will pay the loan back under those terms

• To accept the Direct Parent or Grad PLUS loans:

• • Go to www.studentloans.gov and complete the PLUS Request/Application Process and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
  • The PLUS Request/Application Process collects your information and runs a basic credit check on the borrower. Click here for more information on the Graduate PLUS Loan and here for more information on the Parent PLUS Loan.
  • The MPN promises you will pay the loan back under those terms

Once your response has been processed, your financial aid will be posted as “Anticipated” financial aid on your student Billing Worksheet found on the MSM Student Portal.  Anticipated aid will disburse to your account in September pending successful completion and approval of loan applications. 

Verification

In some instances, a student is selected by the Federal Processor for a process called Verification. Being selected does not mean that there is a problem with your application, it just means that the Office of Financial Aid needs to verify some information. If you are selected, the requested documentation should be submitted to the Office of Financial Aid at MSM immediately because of specified deadline date requirements. Changes made to your information do have the possibility of affecting the types and/or amounts of aid you might receive.

Verification Process

1. You will be notified by the Office of Financial Aid through an official email. Once you receive this email it is important to complete the requested steps as soon as possible.

2. Fill out one of these forms:

• Dependent Verification Worksheet

• Independent Verification Worksheet

3. Verify your prior year’s (and parent’s if applicable) tax data. This can be achieved in one of two ways.

First way: Use the IRS’s Data Retrieval Tool through FAFSA. Instructions can be found here, or

Second way: Submit a copy of your Tax Return Transcript* via

• Online instant PDF: This will give you an instant PDF of your Tax Return Transcript that you can then save or print and submit to the office of financial aid. Copies, scans, and faxes are all acceptable forms of submission

• Online request to be mailed: Once completed a paper copy of your tax return transcript will be mailed to you in 5-10 business days
• Phone Request (800-908-9946): Once completed a paper copy of your tax return transcript will be mailed to you in 5-10 business days.

* This is a request for a tax return transcript, not your filed tax return (i.e. 1040,1040A, or 1040EZ). We are not able to accept your 1040 as an acceptable document for verification purposes.

4. Please provide your parents’ data and tax information if you answer no to all the questions below. If you answer no but are unable to provide parental information, please contact the Office of Financial Aid.

• Will you be 24 prior to January 1 of the coming year?
• As of today, are you married?
• At the beginning of the upcoming school year will you be working on a master’s or doctorate program?
• Are you currently serving on active duty or a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
• Do you have a child or other dependent that you provide more than half of their financial support?

5. Once all required items have been received, the Office of Financial Aid will review and make changes, if necessary, to the student’s financial aid information. This process is typically completed within two weeks of items being received.

New students will typically have a preliminary financial aid notification letter prior to verification being completed. If changes are made to the types or amounts of aid received, the student will be notified of the changes through receipt of an undated financial aid notification letter. Returning students will not receive a financial aid notification letter until this process has been completed.

Warning: If the required documentation is not provided to the Office of Financial Aid before the necessary deadline, MSM will not be able to apply any financial aid to your billing account.

Required Documents: Due February 1

All International Applicants

1. Financial Aid Questionnaire
2. CSS Profile 

Financial Aid Questionnaire is an internal application required of all applicants. This questionnaire is free and is located on your applicant Status Portal. If you have questions about your Financial Aid Questionnaire, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at finaid@laolitaohuo.com.

CSS Profile is the College Board financial application. This is used to help determine your family’s demonstrated financial need.

CSS Profile Help Line: 305-829-9793 or help@cssprofile.org

Please make sure you list Manhattan School of Music on your applications, so that we receive your applications and are able to view them. Please do not forget to electronically sign and fully submit the application. Even if your taxes are not finalized by February 1, complete the application using estimated income. It is better to have estimated data than to have no data at all.

Application Review

The Office of Financial Aid will review completed financial aid applications. The information is analyzed to determine both the types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive in the form of grants, scholarships, work study, or loan options. Financial Aid results will be available when admission decisions are released, typically by April 1 each year.

Accept Your Financial Aid

To accept or decline your financial aid, please log into the MSM Student Portal at http://my.laolitaohuo.com/ics using the same MSM credentials that you use to sign into your MSM email account. Once logged in, click on the “My Student Financial Aid” link in the sidebar menu. Next, click on the link for “Financial Aid Awards and Documents”.  There you will be able to view, accept and/or decline your awards. Please officially accept/decline your awards by May 15, 2022. Through this link you can also view the documents we have received and any documents we are missing from you, so please be sure to check the portal often. 

Once your response has been processed, your financial aid will be posted as “Anticipated” financial aid on your student Billing Worksheet found on the MSM Student Portal.

Students must reapply for federal and institutional financial aid (grants, scholarships, work study and loans) every year.

Required Documents: Due May 1

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) – All US Citizens, Eligible Non-Citizens (green card holders), and Dual Citizens can receive federal financial aid to attend MSM.

Complete the Application

Complete the FAFSA before the May 1 deadline. Before starting, be sure to have your (and your parents, if a Dependent undergraduate student) prior year’s tax information easily accessible. Complete the appropriate year’s application based on fall semester of the upcoming school year.

Please make sure you list Manhattan School of Music on your applications, so that we receive your applications and are able to view them. Please do not forget to electronically sign and fully submit the application. Even if your taxes are not finalized by May 1, complete the application using estimated income. It is better to have estimated data than to have no data at all.

FAFSA helpline: 800-4-FED AID or FederalStudentAidCustomerService@ed.gov.

MSM Office of Financial Aid: 917-493-4809 or finaid@laolitaohuo.com

Application Review

During May and June the Office of Financial Aid will be completing a review of your financial aid application and prior year academic transcripts. The information is analyzed to determine both the types and amounts of financial aid that you are eligible to receive. These types of aid include grants, scholarships, work study, and loan options. Returning students are typically notified by mid-June of their financial aid eligibility for the upcoming academic year. If you have not received the Financial Aid Notification Letter by email by mid-June, something might be missing or was not received that is preventing us from creating your financial aid package. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine what is needed.

Notification of Aid

If you have received your financial aid eligibility, it is time to determine what aid is best for you. You may need to consider the terms of your loan agreement, how much money you will need in student loans, what you can contribute from savings, and if you can make payments throughout the semester. All of these questions require important discussions and are often best had with your parent(s) or guardian(s).  For a detailed description and definition of the different types of aid you might be eligible for, please see Types of Aid.

Financial Aid on My Bill

Financial Aid will only be able to be applied to your bill after all of the steps below have been completed. Your financial aid will be posted as “Anticipated” financial aid on your student Billing Worksheet found on the MSM Student Portal.

Accept or Decline Your Financial Aid

To accept or decline your financial aid, please log into the MSM Student Portal at http://my.laolitaohuo.com/ics using the same MSM credentials that you use to sign into your MSM email account. Once logged in, click on the “My Student Financial Aid” link in the sidebar menu. Next, click on the link for “Financial Aid Awards and Documents”.  There you will be able to view, accept and/or decline your awards. Please officially accept/decline your awards by May 15, 2022. Through this link you can also view the documents we have received and any documents we are missing from you, so please be sure to check the portal often. 

If you have accepted federal loans as part of your financial aid package, please complete the following before July 1, 2022: 

• To Accept the Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized loans:

• • Go to www.studentloans.gov and complete Entrance Counseling and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
  • Entrance Counseling explains your rights and responsibilities as a loan borrower
  • The MPN promises you will pay the loan back under those terms

• To accept the Direct Parent or Grad PLUS loans:

• • Go to www.studentloans.gov and complete the PLUS Request/Application Process and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN)
  • The PLUS Request/Application Process collects your information and runs a basic credit check on the borrower. Click here for the credit requirements for a PLUS loan
  • The MPN promises you will pay the loan back under those terms

Once your response has been processed, your financial aid will be posted as “Anticipated” financial aid on your student Billing Worksheet found on the MSM Student Portal.  Anticipated aid will disburse to your account in September pending successful completion and approval of loan applications. 

In some instances, a student is selected for a process called Verification. This process requires additional documentation, allowing the Office of Financial Aid to verify that the information submitted on the FAFSA is accurate. In this case, the student and parent, if applicable, will need to complete a Verification Worksheet and have the prior year tax information verified. Click here for the specifics about Verification, how you will be notified of the requirement, and what to do if selected.

Review of the Applications

During May and June, the Office of Financial Aid is completing a review of your financial aid application and prior year academic transcripts. The information is analyzed to determine both types and amounts of financial aid you are eligible to receive. Returning students are typically notified by mid-June of their financial aid eligibility for the upcoming academic year. If you have not received this notification by mid-June something might be missing or was not received. Please contact the Office of Financial Aid to determine what is needed.

Financial Aid on Your Tuition Bill

To accept or decline your financial aid, please log into the MSM Student Portal at http://my.laolitaohuo.com/ics using the same MSM credentials that you use to sign into your MSM email account. Once logged in, click on the “My Student Financial Aid” link in the sidebar menu. Next, click on the link for “Financial Aid Awards and Documents”.  There you will be able to view, accept and/or decline your awards. Please officially accept/decline your awards by May 15, 2022. Through this link you can also view the documents we have received and any documents we are missing from you, so please be sure to check the portal often. 

Once your response has been processed, your financial aid will be posted as “Anticipated” financial aid on your student Billing Worksheet found on the MSM Student Portal. 

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