Financing Your M.A. in Biomedical Sciences

The Master of Arts in Biomedical Sciences (MABS) program does not currently offer scholarships. We encourage students to explore outside scholarship opportunities. Eligibility for private scholarships ultimately depends on the funding organization’s guidelines. We have compiled a list of legitimate private scholarship search engines to help you find awards that best match your background, interests, and qualifications. The websites below include funding options for MABS students:

• Appily
• Bold
• Career One Stop
• The Columbus Foundation
• Nursing Explorer: Scholarship Database (Not limited to nursing students)
• Scholarships.com
• ScholarshipOwl
• Scholarship America
• Scholarship Guidance
• Scholly
• Study.com Student Scholarships
• UNCF (United Negro College Fund)
• Unigo
• The Voice of Black Cincinnati

Xaiver University offers a flexible payment plan that allows you to divide your semester balance over five monthly installments. Review current payment plan options and deadlines on the Office of the Bursar website.   

Most graduate students require additional financial resources to cover tuition, fees, and everyday living expenses. To help manage these costs, students typically depend on a combination of federal and private student loans.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are issued by the federal government and offer many advantages over private loans, including fixed interest rates, income-driven repayment options, and access to federal loan forgiveness programs. To be eligible for federal loans, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, complete the FAFSA, and be in good standing on any existing federal student loans.

Private student loans are issued by banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions, with terms and conditions that vary by lender. Eligibility is based on meeting an individual lender's criteria and may depend on factors such as credit history or the availability of a qualified cosigner.

Although private loans offer fewer borrower protections than federal loans, some advantages include access to higher loan amounts and lower interest rates for well-qualified applicants.

The chart below summarizes many key differences between federal and private student loans:

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

• Amount Available: Capped at $50,000 annually with an aggregate (lifetime) limit of $200,000
• Credit Requirement: No credit check is required.
• Interest Rates: The interest rate is fixed and is often lower than private loans. View the current interest rates on federal student loans. 
• How to Apply: Students must complete the FAFSA each year to determine eligibility. 
• When Payments Become Due: Six months after you graduate, leave school, or change your enrollment status to less than half-time. 
• Repayment Plans: The standard repayment is 10 years. You can also pick from repayment plans that base your monthly payment on your income or plans that give you a fixed monthly payment over a set repayment period. 
• Postponement options: If you are having trouble repaying your loan, you may be able to temporarily postpone or lower your payments. 
• Loan forgiveness: You may be eligible to have some portion of your loans forgiven if you work in public service. Learn about loan forgiveness programs. 

Private Student Loans

• Amount Available: Up to the annual cost of attendance minus any other financial aid resources. Aggregate limits vary by lender.
• Credit Requirement: Often require an established credit record or a cosigner.
• Interest Rates: Can have variable or fixed interest rates, which may be higher or lower than the rates on federal loans depending on your circumstances. 
• How to Apply: Directly with a lender of your choice.  
• When Payments Become Due: Many private loans require payments while you are still in school. Others allow you to defer payments while in school or residency.  
• Repayment Plans: Repayment options vary by lender.  
• Postponement options: Check with your lender to find out about options for postponing or lowering your loan payments. 
• Loan forgiveness: Private lenders do not offer loan forgiveness programs, but some state agencies offer repayment assistance programs for qualifying applicants.  

We encourage students to maximize available federal loan funding before pursuing private loans because they often provide greater repayment flexibility and borrower protections.

To apply:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• Note: Enter Xavier University's school code (003144) in the school selection part of the application.

If this is your first time borrowing as a medical student, you must also complete the following:

• Master Promissory Note (MPN) for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans
• Entrance Counseling for Graduate & Professional Students

When you submit the FAFSA, review the submission summary for accuracy and make any necessary corrections. A federal processor will then forward your FAFSA to Xavier to confirm your eligibility and extend the appropriate loan offer to you.

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Sometimes the U.S. Department of Education requires us to verify that information reported on the FAFSA is accurate. In many cases, the verification selection process is random. If your FAFSA is selected, we notify you of the documents required for us to complete the process.

Continuing students must also meet standards of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to maintain federal aid eligibility, which is evaluated prior to each academic year.

Timeline

Although the application can be submitted throughout the academic year, we recommend students complete the FAFSA by March 1. We begin preparing aid offers for students in late spring in preparation for fall semester, so early FAFSA submission will allow adequate time for processing and completion of any necessary requirements, helping to ensure that your federal loans will be applied to your fall bill.

We will notify you via email once your federal loan eligibility is finalized. The maximum loan amount that you are eligible to receive will be automatically accepted on your behalf. No further action is necessary unless you wish to accept a lesser amount. Funds will disburse to your account on the second week of class each semester.

If additional funding is needed after scholarships and federal loan funding has been exhausted, private student loans may help bridge the gap. Xavier University is prohibited from recommending specific lenders or loan products. Therefore, students must explore private loans independently and apply on the chosen lender’s website. Use our FASTChoice loan comparison tool to help narrow your search.

As you explore private loan options to meet your unique needs, consider questions such as:

• How long will you have to repay the loan?
• If you have limited credit history, do you have someone willing to cosign your loan?
• Does the lender place limits on the total amount you can borrow?

Timeline

Once you have chosen a lender, you will apply directly through their website. If your loan is approved, the lender will notify us, and we will certify the loan after you enroll in classes. The loan application and certification process typically takes 2-3 weeks.

To allow enough time for processing and ensure your loan appears on your fall billing statement, we recommend that you apply for private loans 2-4 months before the start of the fall semester.

Loan funds will disburse to your student account on the second week of class each semester.

The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, requires Xavier University to develop and enforce standards of SAP prior to awarding any federal financial aid funds to students. SAP was established to encourage students to successfully complete courses for which federal financial aid is received, and to progress satisfactorily toward degree completion. The standards apply to federal financial aid programs. For the MABS program, this applies only to Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans. These financial aid standards of academic progress are separate from, and in addition to, academic standards required by the University for continued enrollment.

The criteria used to determine SAP are cumulative grade point average, cumulative completion rate (or pace), and maximum time frame for completion of educational objective. Because MABS is a one-year program, the Office of Student Financial Services reviews the academic progress of all students who received any type of Title IV federal student aid at the end of each payment period (semester). All periods of enrollment are reviewed, including semesters during which no financial aid was received.

Qualitative Requirement

Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA): MABS students must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.000.

Quantitative Requirement

Completion Rate (Pace): Students must successfully complete a minimum of 67% (two-thirds) of cumulative credit hours attempted. Attempted hours are hours for which a charge was incurred, excluding audited hours.

Maximum Time Frame for Completion of Educational Objective

MABS students must complete their degree program within 150% of the published length of their degree program in calendar time. Given that the published program length is one year (2 semesters), a student cannot receive financial aid beyond 1.5 years (3 semesters) attempted, regardless of whether financial aid was received during all terms of enrollment. The student becomes ineligible at the moment they can no longer mathematically complete their degree within the maximum timeframe for the MABS program.

Incomplete Grades

Grades of “I” (Incomplete) may be granted only rarely and only for serious reasons. The grade “I” does not count toward the GPA. If the Incomplete is not resolved by the last day of the subsequent semester, the student will fail the course and “I” will be permanently changed to an “F.”

A grade of “IP” (In Progress) will indicate the student is continuing a long-term project related to the course, and should only be used when such continuation is the expectation of the program. The grade of “IP” does not count toward the GPA.

Grades of ‘W’ for courses dropped after the add/drop period will count as hours attempted.

Pass/Fail

Pass/Fail grades are not utilized in the MABS program. All courses use standard letter grading conventions.

Repeated Coursework

Repeated courses affect academic progress as follows:

• Cumulative Grade Point Average - Only the most recent grade counts in the student’s CGPA.
• Cumulative Completion Rate - When a course is repeated, it will be counted as attempted hours.
• Maximum Time Frame - A course that is repeated will be counted as attempted hours.

Grade Changes

We are not required to recheck SAP or recalculate due to grade changes. Any changes to grades that occur during the academic year will be accounted for in the regularly scheduled SAP evaluation point that occurs after the grade has been changed.

Students on financial aid probation Academic Plans have their quantitative and qualitative progress checked at the end of each semester while on a Plan, and any grade changes for these students will be factored into the evaluation of their progress while on the Plan.

If a student who is currently on financial aid suspension, who has either not appealed or has a denied appeal, has a grade change that returns the student to good SAP standing for the current academic year, the student can submit an appeal to have their aid reinstated based on the new GPA.

Remedial Coursework

Students must complete prerequisites before entering the MABS program, so they will not be permitted to take remedial courses.

Transfer Hours

Students are not currently permitted to transfer hours toward the MABS program, so only credit hours attempted in the program will be evaluated for meeting SAP standards.

Timing of Reviews and Notification

The standard academic year for the MABS program consists of two terms: fall and spring. Admitted students must begin enrollment in fall only. Given that MABS courses are not offered in the summer, their academic year will be considered fall/spring only. All programs are offered in credit hours with terms.

All periods of enrollment for the academic year will be evaluated for SAP, including semesters during which no financial aid was received. Students who received any type of Title IV federal student aid at any point during the academic year will have their academic progress reviewed at the end of both fall and spring semesters after all grades have been reported. Students not meeting one or more of the SAP components will be notified by email to their Xavier email account following the semester-end review. The email will explain the SAP regulation and alert the student that they are not meeting the requirements. The notification will also provide a link to the appeal form, instructions on how to appeal their SAP standing, and the appeal deadline.
New financial aid recipients (i.e., those students who had never previously applied for aid, or those returning after an absence from Xavier) will have their academic progress reviewed when the Office of Financial Aid receives the results of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students not meeting SAP standards will be ineligible for federal student aid unless they appeal their SAP standing and are approved.

Financial Aid Suspension

At the time of the review, students who are not meeting the minimum requirements for SAP will be placed on financial aid suspension. Students placed on financial aid suspension are ineligible for federal financial aid for subsequent enrollment periods. Students are notified of their aid suspension by email to their Xavier student account. During financial aid suspension, students may be permitted to attend Xavier at their own expense to demonstrate academic progress. Financial aid suspension is separate from university suspension, and only pertains to the student’s ability to receive federal financial aid funds

A student not meeting the standards of SAP may re-establish eligibility by meeting the SAP requirements on his/her own, or through the appeal process.

SAP Appeals

Appeal is a process by which a student, who is not meeting the institution's SAP standards for the receipt of federal student aid, petitions the institution for reconsideration of the student's eligibility for Title IV program assistance. A student on financial aid suspension may appeal the loss of aid if extenuating circumstances prevented the student from making satisfactory progress.

When the student is notified of failure to meet SAP requirements, they are offered the opportunity to appeal and are provided with the link to the appeal form and the appeal deadline. The appeal must include the signed appeal form and a written statement describing the extenuating circumstances or conditions that prevented the student from meeting SAP, and what has changed that will allow the student to meet SAP at the next evaluation.

SAP appeals are reviewed by the SAP coordinator for the College of Osteopathic Medicine (COM), who then communicates the decision and corrective action to the student.

Appeal circumstances can include, but are not limited to:

• The death of a relative
• Physical injury or illness of the student
• Struggles with anxiety, depression, or substance abuse
• Family difficulties such as divorce or illness
• Interpersonal problems with family or significant others
• Difficulty balancing school and work or family responsibilities
• Financial difficulties
• Learning disabilities

Xavier does not require students to submit third-party documentation for each circumstance. However, depending upon the situation, a student may choose or be asked to provide supporting documentation, such as a statement from a physician, hospital, or therapist.

SAP Appeals may be reviewed on a case-by-case basis after the deadline has passed, but appeals are generally not considered after the first week of the semester for which the student is appealing reinstatement, unless there is an extenuating circumstance. SAP appeals are not retroactive. From the date the appeal is approved, aid can be reinstated going forward for the terms and conditions specified in the student's Academic Plan. Aid cannot be applied to a previous, completed semester for which no approved appeal is on file.

If a student who was not meeting SAP at the semesterly evaluation point achieves SAP prior to appealing, they can appeal to reinstate their aid for subsequent semesters in the academic year with no corrective action required.

A student may appeal SAP more than once, but they must either present an entirely new set of circumstances, or a new course of remediation/treatment for an existing chronic issue, that will allow them to achieve the desired academic result.

Academic Plans

Students who successfully appeal their SAP standing will be placed directly on an Academic Plan for the terms specified by the Plan. The Academic Plan will inform the student which SAP metrics they are not meeting and the corrective action required. Academic Plans are developed by the Financial Aid Office, and administered by the FAO in cooperation with student advisors and Care and Support Services.

Approved students can continue to receive federal student aid while making progress on an Academic Plan. Students on Academic Plans will be evaluated by the SAP program coordinator for the COM at the end of each term for which a valid plan exists. Students must sign an Academic Plan contract and achieve the GPA and/or course completion benchmarks specified by the end of each semester on their Plan to continue receiving federal financial aid for subsequent semesters.

Students not meeting Maximum Timeframe will be expected to provide a Graduation Plan developed by their advisor indicating the remaining coursework necessary for graduation, which semesters the courses will be taken, and their expected graduation date. The student’s SAP appeal may be approved pending receipt of the Graduation Plan, but no federal aid can disburse until the Graduation Plan is received by the Financial Aid Office. The Graduation Plan will then form the basis for the student’s Academic Plan, and the student will need to follow it completely. Any changes or deviations from the Graduation Plan must be explained and approved.

Students who do not meet the terms of their Academic Plan and fail to achieve stated term goals by the end-of-term evaluation points, will generally be considered in violation of their Academic Plan and financial aid will be suspended for subsequent enrollment periods, unless a mitigating factor occurred. The SAP reviewer may allow deviations from the Plan if the impact of the exception is minimal to the student’s overall outcome. For example, all students who are not meeting SAP for course completion rate are expected to complete 100% of their credits successfully while on their Plan. However, exceptions can be made for a single course drop depending upon the reason and if the student’s overall improvement outweighs the negative impact of the single drop. Similarly, a student with a term GPA requirement of 3.5 may be permitted to continue on their Plan if they get a moderately lower GPA as long as overall improvement warrants the exception and they can still remain on track to good standing by meeting their remaining goals. A student also may not meet their Plan goals, and yet still achieve good academic standing due to grade changes or other factors outside of their Plan. A student who does not meet Plan goals, but still achieves SAP good standing, is no longer considered to be failing SAP.

Students who do not meet the goals of their Plans and have their federal aid suspended for subsequent enrollment periods may appeal their Academic Plan if new circumstances arose that impacted their ability to meet the Plan objectives. Students who fail their Plan objectives can appeal their Plan by submitting a statement of appeal along with any supporting documentation they feel helps them make their case. If the Plan appeal is approved, the student may receive a new Academic Plan or be permitted to continue on the existing Plan.

Denied Appeals/Unsubmitted Appeals

If an appeal is denied or not submitted, students not meeting the requirements of SAP may choose to attend Xavier while on financial aid suspension, at their own expense, provided they are still eligible to remain in the program.