The Financial Aid Office will prepare your financial aid offer once you have been accepted to the college and you have submitted your FAFSA. Don’t forget to add Elms College’s school code: 002140. Students will be provided with their log-in credentials for ElmsConnect once they have been accepted to the college. Once they receive this information, they can check on the status of their financial aid offer anytime.

On the Financial Aid Page on ElmsConnect students can also see if the Financial Aid Office needs any documentation from the student or their family before they can create their offer. The Financial Aid Office will communicate to the student via email regarding any information that is missing but required in order for us to move forward with the student’s financial aid offer. Documents that need to be sent directly to the Financial Aid Office may be emailed to finaid@elms.edu.

New graduate students will be notified of their financial aid offer through the mail while returned graduate students will be notified of their financial aid offer through their Elms email address.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans

Graduate students who complete the FAFSA and enroll at least half-time (3 credits per semester) may be eligible for up to $20,500 per academic year in an unsubsidized federal loan. Although a FAFSA is required to determine a student’s eligibility for the loan, eligibility is not need-based. Interest will accrue on any amount borrowed while a student is enrolled half-time and during period of deferment. However, students are not required to begin paying the loan until six months after graduating or dropping below half-time status. Students are encouraged to pay the loan’s interest as it accrues if capable. Unsubsidized loans disbursed between July 1, 2021 and June 30, 2022 have a fixed interest rate of 5.28%.

Accepting or Declining Your Financial Aid Offer

If you don’t actually accept it, you won’t get it! Students will be required to visit the Financial Aid page on ElmsConnect to accept or decline their financial aid offers. An encrypted email with your ElmsConnect log-in credentials is emailed to the personal email for all new students from the IT Department at Elms College. If you did not receive this email (don’t forget to check your spam folder!), or if you have trouble activating your account, you may contact the Elms College Help Desk at helpdesk@elms.edu or 413-265-2390. If you accept any of the federal student loans you have been offered, you will also be instructed on ElmsConnect to complete both your Entrance Counseling (ENT) as well as your Master Promissory Note (MPN) on studentaid.gov.

Understand Your Payment Options

Now’s the time to come up with a plan to reconcile your balance in preparation for your billing statement. If you have a plan, great! If not, feel free to reach out to your admission counselor or the Financial Aid Office for help.

Pay Your Balance in Full: Once you receive your bill, you may choose to pay your balance in full by the due date. Payments can be made online using a credit card or check through Elms Connect. Check payments can also be mailed to Elms College, Student Accounts, 291 Springfield Street, Chicopee, MA 01013. Cash payments can be made in person with the Student Accounts Office, located on the first floor of Berchmans Hall, Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm EST. The office can be contacted at 413-265-2208 or studentaccounts@elms.edu

Monthly Payment Plan: Students can set up a five-month payment plan each semester for a $50.00 enrollment fee. The fall payment plan will run from August 1 – December 1, while the spring payment plan will run from January 1 – May 1. Balances must be paid in full in order to register for the following semester. Contact the Student Accounts Office at 413-265-2208 or studentaccounts@elms.edu to set up a payment plan.  

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan: After June 1, graduate students may visit studentaid.gov to complete a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan application. Direct PLUS loans for the 2021-2022 academic year have an interest rate of 6.28% and a loan origination fee of 4.228%. Direct PLUS loan are subject to credit approval. Those that are approved for this loan must complete a PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note. An endorser can be added to the application if the student has adverse credit and is denied for the loan. Students that are approved for a Graduate PLUS loan with an endorser must also complete PLUS Credit Counseling.

Private Student Loans: Students and/or parents are welcome to explore private student loans on https://www.elmselect.comor through any educational lender of their choosing. We recommend the lenders on this website based on the quality of products and services they provide to students and families. Neither Elms College nor its employees who select the preferred lenders has a revenue-sharing interest in any of the lender agreements. All students and their parents have the right and ability to select the education loan provider of their choice, and are not required to use any of the lenders on the preferred lender list, and will suffer no penalty from the college for choosing a lender not on said preferred lender list. Please note that credit checks may only be good for 90 days – if you apply for the loan too early, the original credit check may expire before we receive the funding (which means you may need to reapply for the loan).

Finalizing Your Financial Aid Offer

The Financial Aid Office may need to have students and/or parents complete/submit documents to our office in order for us to finalize the student’s financial aid offer. The Financial Aid Office will communicate this to students via email and/or telephone. Documents that need to be sent directly to the Financial Aid Office may be emailed to finaid@elms.edu. Students are responsible for responding to all requests from the Financial Aid Office in a timely manner. Students can view any outstanding documents on ElmsConnect 24/7. An encrypted email with your ElmsConnect log-in credentials is emailed to the personal email for all new students from the IT Department at Elms College. If you did not receive this email (don’t forget to check your spam folder!), or if you have trouble activating your account, you may contact the Elms College Help Desk at helpdesk@elms.edu or 413-265-2390.

Graduate Assistantships

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available each semester in various departments and offices on the Elms College campus. Information is available from program directors and advisors.

Tuition Vouchers

In appreciation for the learning experiences provided to our full-time practicum students, Elms College issues one three-credit voucher per student to the full-time practicum supervisor.