Student Financial Aid Application Process

Jump to the application steps for:

Undergraduate Students
Graduate Students

Undergraduate Student Steps to Apply

(Bachelor’s Programs)

The Office of Student Financial Aid processes Federal Direct Student Loans, Pell and SEOG Grants, Work Study and State Scholarships (i.e. LIFE and Palmetto Fellows, SC Need Based Grant) only.

Students working on a second bachelor’s degree are limited to Federal Direct Student Loans and Work Study only.

Scholarships, grants, and assistantships are managed by individual academic departments. For these, contact your department or check the MUSC SOARS portal.

Step 1: Complete the 2025-26 FAFSA

Visit FAFSA.gov and use MUSC’s school code: 003438.
Select Other Undergraduate under Student College or Career School Plans.
Important: You must consent to the IRS Direct Data Exchange when prompted, or your FAFSA will not calculate correctly. If you are a dependent student, your parents must also consent to the IRS DDX.

Step 2: Review the Cost of Attendance

Review your cost of attendance estimated expenses (tuition, fees, books, housing, etc.) to determine your financial need. Borrow conservatively, as most aid comes from loans.

Step 3: Review Your Financial Aid Offer

Log into the MUSC portal to accept or decline your loan offers. Scholarships and grants are auto-accepted.
Undergraduate loan offers consist of the Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. For more information, visit: Student Loans | MUSC

Step 4: Sign the Master Promissory Notes (MPN)

Sign your MPNs for Direct Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS loans at studentaid.gov/mpn.
Continuing students with prior loans may skip this step.

Step 5: Complete Entrance Counseling

New students must complete Entrance Counseling at studentaid.gov/entrance-counseling.
Continuing students with prior loans may skip this step.

Step 6: Apply for Health Professions Loan (if applicable)

Nursing, Dental, and Pharmacy students may apply for the Health Professions Loan (HPL).
Submit your application through the student portal. Dental and Pharmacy students will also need to upload their parent’s 2023 IRS tax return transcript.

Step 7: Applying for Gap Financing

If your financial aid offer does not meet your needs, consider applying for a Private Student Loan or your parent may apply for a Parent Plus loan (Dependent Students only).

Graduate Student Steps to Apply

(Master’s and Doctoral Level Programs)

The MUSC Office of Student Financial Aid processes student loans and Federal Work-Study awards for graduate students. Scholarships, grants, and assistantships are managed by individual academic departments. For these, contact your department or check the MUSC SOARS portal.