Financial Aid & Billing Resources

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FAQs

Financial Aid FAQs     Billing FAQs

Financial Aid FAQs

Below we have answered questions you might have related to the financial aid office, your award letter, scholarships, and loans.

What is a financial hold and how do I resolve it?

A financial hold is a restriction placed on your account which will prevent you from registering for courses, completing Enrollment Check-In, or participating in the housing lottery. There are three main reasons your account will be placed on financial hold: (1) there is an outstanding balance due on your student account (2) you have not submitted your billing contract (3) you have not paid your deposits for the upcoming term (Fall only).

How do I know if I am eligible for a merit scholarship?

Merit scholarships are awarded by the Admissions Office, who use your GPA and SAT/ACT scores, as well as other application information, to determine your eligibility. Students who apply to the College and who are eligible will automatically be considered and will receive scholarship information with their acceptance letter. Music and theatre scholarships require an audition and art scholarships require an art portfolio. Check the Scholarships page for more information.

Can I lose my merit scholarship?

Full-time students will receive their merit scholarships for two academic years (four semesters) before the cumulative GPA will be reviewed. GPA calculations for merit purposes only will drop the semester with the lowest GPA, and use the resulting figure for determining eligibility. Merit GPA is calculated again at the end of each subsequent year. If you are not meeting the required GPA at these times, you may be at risk of having your scholarship reduced or losing it completely. It is recommended that you contact your financial aid counselor at that time for additional information. Please note that merit scholarships do not increase; they are based on the student’s original agreement when accepted to Gordon.

What is Work-Study? How does the Work-Study program operate?

Work-Study is a need-based financial aid award. It is not a grant or a loan; therefore it will not show up as a credit on your student account or have to be repaid. Rather, you can view Federal Work-Study funds as a pool of money from which you will be paid if you are hired for an on-campus job. Jobs that are available on-campus are posted on the Student Employment Job Board. It is important to note that having Work-Study does not guarantee you a job, and there is no guarantee that you will earn the full amount of the award. If hired for an on-campus job, students will regularly receive paychecks and can use the funds as they choose.

What does it mean if I have been selected for verification?

Verification is the process through which the information from your FAFSA is checked for accuracy. This process may require the collection of various documents, as determined by the Department of Education. If there are differences between your FAFSA and the documents you’ve submitted, corrections may need to be made to the FAFSA by our office. Your financial aid process is not finished until verification has been completed. Only 20-30% of our applicants are selected for verification. You will more than likely not be selected, but if you are you will be notified by FAFSA directly, as well as by our office. Verification information and forms can be found at www.gordon.edu/verification.

Can my parents apply for any federal loans?

Yes, parents can receive Federal PLUS Loans. In order to receive this award, parents need to receive credit approval or have a credit-worthy endorser. Learn more →

When should I submit the FAFSA? Is there a deadline?

For incoming students, the priority deadline to file the FAFSA is March 15th. However, you may complete the FAFSA well before that time, starting in December. The sooner you complete the FAFSA and turn in any requested documents, the sooner your financial aid award can be determined. For returning students, the recommended deadline is April 15th.

What is Gordon's FAFSA school code?

Gordon’s FAFSA code is 002153.

When will I receive my award letter?

The Student Financial Services office begins sending accepted incoming student award letters on February 15th and continues to send award letters on a rolling basis as students are accepted and FAFSAs are received. You can expect to receive your award letter approximately 2 weeks after completing the FAFSA.
The Student Financial Services office begins mailing returning student financial aid award letters in mid-June. You can expect to receive your award letter only after the FAFSA has been submitted and any other required documents (such as those needed for verification) have been received and processed by our office.

Who handles my financial aid? If I ever have a question, who should I speak with?

Students are assigned a financial aid counselor alphabetically by last name. Your financial aid counselor is the primary person who evaluates your FAFSA and handles in-depth aspects of your account. However, our front desk staff are well-equipped to answer many questions, escalate your issue to a financial aid counselor, or transfer you to another department if need be. View a list of Student Financial Services staff members.

How can I decline or reduce a Direct Loan?

If you wish to decline or reduce a Subsidized or Unsubsidized Direct Loan you have been awarded, you can certainly do so. Please complete the Direct Loan Change Request Form at www.gordon.edu/directloan.

Why do I need to complete a Master Promissory Note and Entrance Counseling for Direct Loans?

The Master Promissory Note (MPN) includes important language about the rights and responsibilities of borrowing a Direct Loan and collects your signature electronically. Entrance Counseling helps students understand the terms and conditions of the loans they are borrowing.
The MPN for the Direct Loans must be signed and Entrance Counseling completed prior to our school receiving the funds for your account. This information only needs to be completed for the first year of borrowing and is valid for ten years. So, you will only need to take action on future Direct Loans if you wish to decline or reduce them. Learn more →

As a student, are there any resources available to help me manage my money and student loans?

Gordon has partnered with the Summer App to provide additional financial resources. Please contact our office for more information.

Billing FAQs

Below are questions relating to tuition and fees, billing and payment matters.

How much does Gordon cost?

Visit www.gordon.edu/tuition to view a breakdown of the cost of tuition, housing and meal plan and fees. 

Do I have to pay the full bill at one time or can I pay in installments?

If you are unable to pay your bill in full by the first due date, we offer a four-month or six-month payment plan for each semester. If you wish to enroll in the payment plan, you must do so via Transact. 

Can I opt out of tuition insurance and/or medical insurance?

Tuition Insurance: For a full explanation of Gordon’s tuition insurance coverage, view the “Resources” section here. To opt out of enrollment in the plan, you must complete a waiver online before August 15th of each year.
Medical Insurance: Massachusetts requires that all students enrolled in 9 or more credit hours have student health insurance or comparable coverage. If you do not wish to take the medical insurance and have adequate coverage through another insurance carrier (see criteria on what is considered adequate coverage in the state of Massachusetts), you must waive enrollment here. Select “Gordon College,” then “Waiver Form” and follow the prompts to complete the waiver. You will receive a confirmation when it has been successfully submitted. This must be done every year before August 15th. If you do not submit a waiver form, the charge for medical insurance will remain on your bill.
*Please note that if you are an international student, it is college policy that you be enrolled in the Gordon College student health insurance plan.

There is an apartment meal plan on my bill, but I don't want a meal plan. Can I decline this?

If you would like to decline an apartment meal plan, you can certainly do so by completing the online form found at www.gordon.edu/mealplan. 

How can I find out what loans I took out while attending Gordon?

All federal loan information (Subsidized Direct, Unsubsidized Direct, Parent Plus Loans, Perkins) can be viewed online at www.studentaid.gov. Logging into this site will provide information regarding the amount of your federal loans, specific lenders and how to contact them. You may also request that a student account history from your time at Gordon be sent to you. This will indicate any private loans that were received when you were at Gordon.

Financial Aid Forms

Listed below are the available types of financial aid forms

Financial Aid Policies & Procedures

Listed below are the available types of financial aid policies & procedure forms