Applying for Financial Aid
You must reapply for financial aid each year, beginning October 1, by completing the FAFSA online with our Federal School Code: 002161. UMass Lowell priority filing deadline is March 1.
Merit Aid Requirements
Maintaining Merit Aid: The Financial Aid Office evaluates the cumulative GPA of merit scholarship recipients at the end of each spring semester. You must maintain the minimum cumulative GPA requirements of the scholarship program to have the award renewed. For most merit programs, you must be enrolled full time in day school courses each semester. Please refer to your original award letter for renewal criteria. If you are not meeting program requirements, appeals may be sent by email to: scholarships@uml.edu.
Meeting Satisfactory Academic Progress
You must meet satisfactory academic progress (SAP) standards to ensure progress is made toward your degree or certificate program. SAP standards apply to all federal, state and university financial aid programs.
- Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.000, maintain a minimum 70% completion rate and complete their program within the 150% program length.
- Graduate students must maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.000, maintain a minimum 70% completion rate and complete their program within the 150% program length.
- SAP evaluations are conducted at the end of each spring term for undergraduate and graduate students.
- Certificate students are evaluated at the end of each semester.
Students who do not maintain the university SAP standards become ineligible to receive financial aid with the option to appeal for reinstatement of aid. The complete SAP Policy.
Withdrawal Policy
Students withdrawing from the university are required to discharge all financial obligations to the university, return all university property and complete the online university withdrawal form.
Students should meet with a financial aid advisor prior to withdrawing in order to understand the financial impacts.
Students earn Title IV federal financial aid by attending and participating in classes. The amount of federal aid a student has earned for the enrollment period is based on the percentage of time the student remains enrolled for that period.
The earned percentage is calculated by dividing the numbers of days within the enrollment period by the number of days attended.
The last date of attendance (or withdrawal date) is determined by the date the student officially submits the withdrawal form to the University, or otherwise notifies the University of his/her intent to withdraw.
The calculation of Title IV funds earned by the student has no relationship to the student’s incurred institutional charges.
Unofficial Withdrawal
An unofficial withdrawal occurs when a student enrolls in courses and either never attends any courses or stops attending all courses at some point during the semester without providing official notification to the University. Students receiving Title IV federal aid who unofficially withdraw will have their aid recalculated in the same manner as an official withdrawal.
Find the complete official withdrawal policy.