Contact Information
Applying for Financial Aid
Receiving Financial Aid
Tax Filing and Financial Aid
Contact Information
Q: Who do I contact if I have financial aid or billing questions?
A: Your first point of contact is Marquette Central in person, by phone or email.
You can always contact Marquette Central through the Contact Form linked in the blue box on the right-side of every page.
Marquette Central
PO Box 1881, Zilber Hall, Suite 121
Milwaukee, WI 53201-1881
Phone: (414) 288-4000
Email: marquettecentral@marquette.edu
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Q: What is FERPA? How does FERPA impact communication regarding my student records, financial aid, and bursar information?
A: FERPA stands for the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act which is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. Visit http://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html for more information about FERPA, or visit http://www.marquette.edu/mucentral/registrar/policy_ferpa.shtml for Marquette University’s policy..
To meet FERPA requirements and protect your privacy, the following is required to communicate with us about your information:
- Student Marquette Central visits- will require your Marquette I.D. card.
- Email: We must email your Marquette email account when student specific information is being provided. If you email a question from another email account, our response will be to your Marquette email account unless we are only providing general, not student specific information.
- Phone calls- require your Marquette I.D. number and your MCAN.
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Q: What is the MCAN and why is it required before I can talk about my records?
A: In order to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, students and their families must be able to verify their identity when contacting Marquette Central for assistance.
The Marquette Central Access Number is a four-digit number used in conjunction with the nine-digit Marquette ID number to help Marquette staff identify people authorized to receive information regarding a student’s account. (The MCAN is NOT associated with the online Guest Access process.)
- Students can find the MCAN in the CheckMarq Student Center > Personal Information > MU Central Access Number (found in drop-down menu).
- A student may grant authorization for others to receive financial aid, bursar or student record information (excluding grades and schedules) by providing the MCAN and the MUID.
- The MCAN can be changed by the student in CheckMarq at any time.
- Students should be careful when disclosing their MCAN and/or MUID numbers to help protect personal information about their finances and academic records.
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Applying for Financial Aid
Q: How do I apply for Financial Aid?
A: Obtain a Personal Identification Number (PIN) if you have never filed the FAFSA previously or no longer have your PIN at: www.pin.ed.gov.
- If parent information is required on the FAFSA, both student and parent must obtain a PIN to electronically sign the FAFSA. Once you have your PIN(s), retain.
- File the appropriate Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) prior to each academic year by applying online at: www.fafsa.gov
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Q: Does Marquette require any application forms in addition to the FAFSA?
A: No. Some schools require the CSS Profile or an institutional application, but Marquette only requires the processed FAFSA to determine eligibility for financial aid.
- If there are questions about the information reported on the processed FAFSA, there may be a request for additional information before an award offer can be made.
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Q: Do I need to apply for financial aid every year and if so, when?
A: Yes, students applying for financial aid must complete the FAFSA prior to each new academic year.
- The earliest you may file the FAFSA is January 1st prior to the upcoming academic year (e.g. 2012-13 FAFSA will be available to complete as of 01/01/2012)
- Continuing students must file the FAFSA no later than February 15th to ensure the results are received by Marquette before the March 1st priority deadline.
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Q: I received an email stating that I need to submit additional documents before my aid can be processed. Why do I need to do this?
A: A percentage of FAFSAs are selected by the Federal Processor for a review process called Verification. The school is required to collect documentation in order to verify what has been reported on the FAFSA. The Student Aid Report you receive once your FAFSA is processed will indicate if your FAFSA has been selected for verification. There also may be other issues pertaining to the FAFSA that require additional information or documentation before a financial aid award may be determined.
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Q: When do I need to submit requested documents to Marquette?
A: Students are notified through the Marquette email account of any required documentation. You can also see if documents are required from your Student Center of CheckMarq, To Do Lists.
- Continuing students must submit requested documents within 30 days of the initial document request in order to be considered for all available financial aid.
- The sooner requested documents are submitted to Marquette, the more quickly they can be reviewed and a financial aid award will be available.
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Q: Should I wait until our taxes are completed before filing the FAFSA?
A: No. It is better to estimate. Do not wait until your tax returns are filed. Due to limited funding, Marquette’s aid is awarded on a first come, first served basis. It is best to file the FAFSA by February 15 prior to the upcoming academic year to ensure results are received by the March 1st priority deadline to be considered for all forms of assistance. You always have the option to go back to your processed FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov to update information based on your completed taxes.
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Q: Why are there deadlines for filing the FAFSA and submitting documents?
A: Certain types of grant, loan and work assistance have limited funding available. For this reason, both filing the FAFSA by February 15th and submitting documents within 30 days of the initial request must be met to be considered for all available assistance.
- Late filing and late submission of documentation can reduce or eliminate grant, loan, or work assistance such as: Marquette Grant, Wisconsin Tuition Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant; Federal Work Study; Rice Loan, Federal Perkins, Nursing, and Health Professions Loan.
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Q: When is the last possible day to apply for financial aid?
A: It is possible to apply for aid anytime during the academic year. However, it is best to apply as early as possible.
- Continuing students are required to meet the March 1st priority deadline to be considered for all financial assistance.
- It is a federal regulation that we cannot award financial aid after a term has ended so even if you have all your forms in before the end of the term, we may not have enough time to process your information and provide an award before the last day of classes. The same is true for summer. We cannot award you financial aid after the end of the semester or session.
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Q: Who is considered independent for Financial Aid?
A: For financial aid purposes, a student is considered an “independent student” during 2011-12 if he or she can answer yes to one of the following questions on the FASFA:
- Were you born before January 1, 1988?
- At the beginning of the 2011-12 school year, will you be working on a master's or doctorate program?
- Are you married?
- Do you have children who receive more than half of their support from you between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012?
- Do you have dependents (other than your children or spouse) who live with you and who receive more than half of their support from you now and through June 30, 2012?
- At any time since you turned age 13, were both your parents deceased, were you in foster care or were you a dependent/ward of the court?
- Are you a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?
- Are you currently serving on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces for purposes other than training?
- As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you an emancipated minor?
- As determined by a court in your state of legal residence, are you or were you in legal guardianship?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did your high school or school district homeless liaison determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did the director of a runaway or homeless youth basic center or transitional living program determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless or were self-supporting and at risk of being homeless?
- At any time on or after July 1, 2010, did the director of an emergency shelter or transitional housing program funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development determine that you were an unaccompanied youth who was homeless?
If you cannot answer yes to at least one of these questions, then you will be considered a “dependent student” for financial aid purposes.
If you do not qualify for independent status according to the above but you have special circumstances that you believe make you an independent student, you can submit an appeal to our office. Parents’ unwillingness to help with educational expenses or the fact that the student is not claimed on the parents’ tax return does NOT qualify a student for independent status.
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Q: How do I know my FAFSA was received and processed?
A: Make sure you have provided the necessary signatures (PINs) and actually submit the FAFSA to the processor. Once you submit the FAFSA:
- You will immediately receive an email confirmation from the Federal Processor. This means the FAFSA has been received by the processor; it does not mean that your FAFSA has been processed.
- If you provide an email address on the FAFSA, you will receive an electronic Student Aid Report (ESAR) in approximately a week to 10 days. Read the SAR in full in order to make sure there aren’t any issues with your FAFSA. If there are problems, the comments will indicate what you need to do. The processor’s phone number is: 1-800-4-FEDAID (1-800-433-3243) if you have questions.
- In addition to the SAR comments and depending on when your FAFSA is filed, you or your parent may receive a letter from Marquette notifying you that your FAFSA has been rejected by the federal processor. Make sure you and your parent(s) read all mail received from Marquette University. If the FAFSA is rejected, you will need to correct the problem(s) before it can be processed and received by Marquette.
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Q: How do I make corrections to my FAFSA?
A: Go to www.fafsa.gov, click "Start Here" and follow the prompts. Make sure to include all PINs (student and parent when parent information is required on the FAFSA) and any other information it asks for.
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Q: I plan to transfer to Marquette University. How do I receive financial aid?
A: Aid from your other school will not transfer to Marquette University.
- You must apply for financial aid through Marquette University. Go to www.fafsa.gov, click "Start Here" and follow the prompts. Add Marquette University using school code 003863.
- Once you are admitted and we have received your processed FAFSA, you will either receive an email notice that your financial aid award is available or a request for additional information via your eMarq account.
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Q: What do I do if I have special circumstances that aren’t reflected on the FAFSA?
- Prospective Students - After you have submitted the FAFSA and have received an initial Financial Aid Award from Marquette, you may contact Marquette Central about your circumstances. A representative from our office may provide you with a Special Circumstance Form to complete and submit along with any other required documentation.
- Continuing Students - Once you have filed the FAFSA and submitted it to the federal processor you may contact Marquette Central. A representative from our office may provide you with a Special Circumstance Form to complete and submit along with any other required documentation.
- A signed copy of Pages 1 and 2 of your parent(s)’ Federal Tax Return and a verification worksheet is required with all Special Circumstance requests. Other forms may also be necessary.
Special Circumstances may include (but are not limited to):
- Parent loss of job/income.
- High medical/dental expenses not covered by insurance and/or high insurance premiums.
- Private elementary/secondary tuition for student’s siblings.
- Parent separation or divorce.
- Death of a parent/spouse.
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Receiving Financial Aid
Q: When will I receive my financial aid award for next year?
A: Following are approximate awarding timelines.
- Prospective Undergraduates, Law Students: awards generally are available late-March and continue on a rolling basis contingent on the FAFSA receipt date.
- Continuing Undergraduate, Graduate Students: mid-April and awarding continues on a rolling basis contingent on the FAFSA receipt date.
- If documentation is required, documents must be submitted to our office within 30 days of the initial request. Documents must be received before you will receive a financial aid award.
- When we begin processing the information you have provided, we may have additional questions and will contact you by phone, through your eMarq account, or postal mail.
- Dental, Graduate Dental: late-April and continues on a rolling basis contingent on the FAFSA receipt date.
- If documentation is required, documents must be submitted to our office within 30 days of the initial request. Documents must be received before you will receive a financial aid award.
- When we begin processing the information you have provided, we may have additional questions and will contact you by phone, through your eMarq account, or postal mail.
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Q: What financial aid is available for undergraduate students?
A: All students who complete the FAFSA will be considered for the following assistance. More information can be found in the 2011-12 Award Information Guide 
:
- Gift Assistance: (assistance that does not have to be repaid)
- Scholarships- are determined by your MU Admissions Application, are based upon merit and are awarded by Marquette’s Office of Admissions.
- Grants- are awarded based upon the FAFSA by Marquette’s Student Financial Aid Office and are awarded according to need.
- Self-Help: (assistance that has to be earned or repaid)
- Employment- must be earned. Includes need-based and non need-based employment.
- Loan assistance- must be repaid. Includes need-based and non need-based loans.
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Q: How do I apply for outside scholarships and if I receive one, where do I send the check?
A: Begin by searching for scholarships through organizations in your local area (e.g. religious groups, Elks, Rotary Club, Jaycees). Check into whether your parent’s or guardian’s employer provides scholarships to their employee’s children for college.
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Q: Will outside scholarships affect my financial aid?
A: You are obligated to notify us if at any time during the year you receive any type of financial assistance that you did not originally report to us, or of any outside aid you are receiving that is not listed on your award notice. Do not assume that your scholarship/fellowship/assistantship/VA benefit sponsor automatically informs our office of your outside aid.
- If you have remaining need, the scholarship will go towards your unmet need first.
- We may be required to modify your financial aid award as a result of receiving outside aid. If this occurs, an email will be sent to your eMarq account.
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Q: Do I need to sign my private scholarship check?
A: Whether you need to sign the private scholarship check depends on the following:
- If the check is made payable to You and Marquette University, then you must endorse the private scholarship check.
- When the check is made payable to You or Marquette University, your endorsement on the check is not required.
If you receive an email at your eMarq account from the Office of Student Financial Aid informing you an endorsement is required, please stop by Marquette Central to sign your scholarship check.
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Q: Can my private scholarship check be applied to a specific semester?
A: How your scholarship check is applied depends on the following:
- If the scholarship donor has specified how the award is to be applied, Marquette must honor the donor specifications.
- If the donor has not specified how the award is to be applied, the award is automatically split evenly between Semester I and II.
- If the donor has not specified how the award is to be applied and you do not want it split evenly between Semester I and II, make your request through Marquette Central for consideration.
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Q: When will my private scholarship be applied to my bursar account?
A: Private scholarship checks are processed daily. During the very busy months of January and August, please allow more time for processing because of the volume of checks received. Make use of your CheckMarq account to view updates to your financial aid award and your bursar account.
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Q: What are the main steps for receiving financial aid?
A: Follow these important steps:
- File the FAFSA early.
- Prospective students must complete the admissions process and receive notice of admission.
- Submit any requested documentation to the requesting office.
- Receive an email notice of your financial aid award at your eMarq account.
- Accept and/or decline aid offered to you other than grants and scholarships (already accepted for you) and optional parent/student loans (require separate application or form).
- Use your eMarq account and CheckMarq “To Do” lists to keep on top of what needs to be done.
- Complete any outstanding Loan Entrance Counseling and/or electronic Promissory Notes upon notification.
- Make sure you are fully enrolled.
- Semester disbursement of financial aid will apply to your account no earlier than 10 days prior to the first day of classes for the term/session.
- If financial aid exceeds bursar charges, a refund will be issued to you. Contact Marquette Central or see this FAQ to learn about setting up Direct Deposit.
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Q: My financial aid award includes an "Optional Loan (Parent-Student)" award or a "PLUS-Grad/Prof-Optional" award. How do I accept it?
A: The optional loan is there to inform you of the option to apply for a parent and/or student loan in addition to your other financial aid for an amount up to the maximum listed on your award. You will not be able to accept the optional loan from CheckMarq because a separate loan application is required for the parent and student loan.
- The optional parent loan is the Federal Parent PLUS Loan, a federal loan borrowed by the parent for their dependent student’s education. To apply for the Parent PLUS Loan, the parent must complete and submit the Parent Loan Request Form. Visit http://www.marquette.edu/mucentral/financialaid/ugrad_loans_plus.shtml for more details about this loan.
- The optional graduate/professional PLUS loan is a Federal Grad/Professional PLUS Loan, a federal loan available to independent students. To apply for the Grad PLUS loan, the student must complete and submit the Grad PLUS Loan Credit Authorization form. Visit http://www.marquette.edu/mucentral/financialaid/grad_loans_plus.shtml for more details about this loan.
- The optional student loan is a private alternative loan, a non-federal loan borrowed by the student through a private lending institution. In most cases the student is required to have a credit-worthy co-signer. Visit http://www.marquette.edu/mucentral/financialaid/ugrad_loans_index.shtml to look into the various alternative loan options and apply for a private loan online directly through the lender of your choice.
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Q: If I decline all or part of my financial aid award and my circumstances change, can I ask to have my aid reinstated?
A: Enrollment, timing, eligibility, and funding availability must all be considered when looking into whether declined aid can be reinstated or not. Reinstatement of aid such as Marquette Grant, Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant, Rice Loan, Federal Perkins, Nursing Student Loan, and Federal Work Study depends on the funding availability at the time of the request. Enrollment and timing are important considerations as to whether Stafford Loans can be reinstated.
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Q: I plan to take summer classes. How do I receive financial aid?
- Summer is considered part of the current academic year for financial aid purposes. We must have your current academic year processed FAFSA to consider you for summer aid.
- As of March 1st, the Summer Financial Aid Application is available to download, at: http://www.marquette.edu/mucentral/
- You must register for summer classes before submitting the Summer Financial Aid Application to Student Financial Aid.
- Once your application has been reviewed, you will receive an email notification at your eMarq account of the results of our review.
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Q: Am I allowed to receive financial aid from more than one institution at the same time?
A: No. If you are enrolled at more than one college or university at the same time, you may only receive financial aid from one of the institutions, not both. If you have questions about your situation, contact Marquette Central for guidance.
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Q: How do I pay for my housing and food if I move from campus housing to an apartment?
A: Most freshmen and sophomores are required to live on campus unless living with parents, a guardian, or other family member.
- If you are transitioning from campus housing to an apartment, bursar charges will reflect tuition and fees only.
- Semester aid exceeding these charges will be refunded to you or deposited into your bank account if you have direct deposit. This refund can be used for housing, food, and personal expenses.
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Q: Work study isn’t appearing on my billing statement. Why not?
A: Work Study awards are earned by working for eligible employers and collecting a biweekly pay check based on rate of pay and hours worked up to the amount of the award. These monies do not go directly toward paying a Bursar balance.
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Q: I plan to study abroad. How do I receive financial aid for my study abroad program?
A: It is best to begin looking into your Study Abroad options at least a year prior to studying abroad.
- Begin by going to http://www.marquette.edu/abroad/ to research the programs offered.
- It can be very helpful to attend one of the various study abroad Info Sessions and/or Study Abroad Fairs offered by the Office of International Education.
- Contact the Office of International Education (OIE) and speak with a coordinator about your options:
- Alumni Memorial Union, 425
P.O. Box 1881
Milwaukee, WI 53201
studyabroad@marquette.edu
For appointments, please call:
(414) 288-7289
- In some cases, your aid may not apply to the program you have chosen. Once you have narrowed down your choices, contact Student Financial Aid to speak with a financial aid counselor. The counselor will be able to inform you whether your financial aid will apply to the program(s) you are considering.
- Financial aid adjustments for study abroad are made once Financial Aid is notified of students attending programs prior to each semester. You will receive a revised award notice if your aid is affected by the program you are attending.
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Tax Filing and Financial Aid
Q: Do I have to report any grants, scholarships, or fellowships to the IRS as income?
A: If you have questions about how to complete your taxes, you should consult your tax professional or refer to the IRS.
Marquette University cannot provide tax advice. The IRS can be contacted below:
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Q: What about Federal Work Study and Co-op income – are these taxable?
A: Yes. Any money received as the result of work (i.e., Work Study, temporary employment on or off campus, some fellowships, etc) is considered taxable income. You will be asked to file an Employee’s Withholding Allowance Certificate (W-4 Form) and you will receive a Wage and Tax Statement (W-2 Form) each calendar year. Your taxable earnings from Federal Work Study and work under a cooperative education program (co-op) must also be reported on your FAFSA.
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Q: What are the current Federal Income Tax Filing Requirements?
A: See information on Who Must File over at the IRS website (www.irs.gov):
- The Three Charts
- Chart A - For Most People Who Must File is for individuals who cannot be claimed as a dependent on another taxpayer's return.
- Chart B - For Children and Other Dependents is for single and married dependents.
- Chart C - Other Situations When You Must File should be reviewed for all individuals as a last step after using the other charts.
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