How to Apply for Financial Aid
At Gwynedd Mercy University, 100% of full-time undergraduate students receive some form of financial aid.*
And, we’re committed to making the financial aid process as easy as possible. So if you have any questions along the way, we’re here to help you!
*Does not include second degrees.
Applying for Financial Aid
Step 1: Create a Studentaid.gov Account (formerly called the "FSA ID"), which you'll need for Step 2. The student needs an Account, and parent(s) need their own Account. Go to www.studentaid.gov and follow the instructions. You'll need to access your Account each time you complete the FAFSA, for every academic year you're enrolled in college.
Step 2: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and include GMercyU’s code of 003270.
The Department of Education announced the 2025-26 FAFSA will open to all students on or before December 1, 2024. Learn more
Not planning to file the FAFSA? Please complete our FAFSA Waiver as soon as possible so we can issue a financial aid offer letter, which includes any GMercyU merit or other scholarship aid offerred to you at admission. Find the waiver on our Financial Aid Applications & Forms page or in the Self-Service Portal for accepted students.
Have questions? Contact one of our trained financial aid professionals who are ready to help you at any time, at no charge!
Deadlines for 2025-2026 Academic Year Applicants
Priority deadlines and funding are only applicable to traditional undergraduate students.
- January 1: Admissions Application Priority Deadline for new students, especially those seeking a Presidential or Cristo Rey Scholarship
- March 30: FAFSA Priority Deadline for returning students
- May 1: Final deadline for filing the FAFSA if you're interested in receiving a Pennsylvania State Grant
Having questions about the FAFSA? Contact the Student Financial Aid Office!
Understanding Your Aid Offer
A typical undergraduate financial aid package includes all state, federal, and GMercyU aid, such as:
- Grants or scholarships — money you do not need to pay back
- A low-interest student loan that you will need to pay back after you leave college
- Campus employment (up to 15 hours per week)
Undergraduates will likely receive the same amount all four years as long as you reapply for financial aid annually, you continue to meet all conditions of the offer, and your financial need remains essentially unchanged. If you have any questions about your offer, please contact us!
Remember, not all financial aid is created equal. If you’re comparing one school’s offer to another school’s offer, make sure you are comparing apples to apples. If you have questions, we are here to help.
How to Review and Accept Your Aid Package
When your financial aid package is ready, we will send a notification to the email address provided on your FAFSA. To complete this process:
Step 1: Log into the GMercyU Self-Service Portal.
Step 2: Click on the “Financial Aid” tile
Step 3: Click on “Review and accept your Financial Aid Award Letter." Detailed instructions also are available here: How to Accept Your Aid on the Portal (PDF).
Step 4: Download a copy of your aid package for your records, and please read our Financial Aid Terms and Conditions (PDF).
Additional Info
FAFSA Verification: If you were selected to undergo the federal verification process, you can find all appropriate verification documentation on the Self-Service Portal (click the “Financial Aid” tile). Requested tax documentation – such as W-2(s), IRS tax return transcripts, etc – can be found on IRS.gov. If you have any questions regarding the verification requirements, please contact us! We’re ready to help you.
Federal Direct Loan Recipients: If you are receiving Federal Direct Loans for the first time, you must complete the entrance counseling and master promissory note before you can receive loan funds.
Covering Any Out-of-Pocket Expenses
Please reference this Closing the Gap brochure for more alternative financing information.
Special Circumstances Requests
Financial Aid Administrators have the authority to take into consideration unique family circumstances not reflected on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). An aid administrator may use Professional Judgment (PJ) on a case-by-case basis to adjust the following:
- Student's Cost of Attendance
- FAFSA data elements used to calculate the student’s EFC/SAI
- Students Dependency Status
- Number in college if it has created a financial hardship
The following is a list of circumstances that may be used by a financial aid administrator in the use of Professional Judgment.
- Unemployment or reduced employment of the student, spouse, or parent
- Loss or reduction of an untaxed income or benefit
- Disability of a student, a spouse, or a parent
- Lump sum settlement received in the base year
- Excessive medical/dental expenses paid in the current year
- Divorce or separation of a dependent student’s parent or death of independent student's spouse
- Dependent childcare costs
- Disability expense allowance
- Computer Costs
- Auto Repairs
- Travel Expenses
- Insurance Expenses
- Dependency Status based on extraordinary circumstances (requires meeting with a financial aid advisor to determine eligibility)
- Family member’s enrollment in postsecondary education program that results in a financial hardship
To apply for a special circumstances review, parents and/or students must submit all required documents related to the special circumstance for review. Documents will be reviewed and processed by a financial aid advisor to determine eligibility. If approved, the financial aid award letter will be revised, and a notification sent to the student.
The federal Department of Education announced that it make the 2025-2026 FAFSA available to all students on or before December 1, 2024. Starting on October 1, 2024, they will release the 2025-26 FAFSA for testing with a limited set of students and institutions. Learn more here.
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. It’s the form used to determine a student’s financial need.
Students who choose not to submit a FAFSA will not be eligible for any institutional, federal or state need-based aid, and they also will not be eligible for outside scholarships that are based on financial need. Students should still be eligible for institutional merit scholarships. At GMercyU, merit scholarships are awarded at the time of admission.
YES! While we wait for the 2025-26 FAFSA to be released by the Department of Education, you can give yourself a head start in completing the financial aid process by creating your Studentaid.gov Account (formerly called the "FSA ID") if you haven't already!
The Studentaid.gov Account is something that students and parent(s) need to have in order to complete the FASFA. The student needs an Account and parent(s) also need their own Account. To complete this process, simply go to http://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch and follow the instructions.
You will need to access your Account each time you complete the FAFSA.
Did You Know? You will need to complete the FAFSA for each academic year you’re enrolled in college.
With this tool, students can find out how much federal student aid you may be eligible for starting with the 2024-25 award year (check back for it to be updated for the 2025-2026 year). Access the Federal Student Aid Estimator Tool at http://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/.
Applicants who do not agree to share their tax information via the IRS Data Exchange Tool (see above) will not have access to the Federal Student Aid Estimator Tool.
If you are applying for aid for the 2024-25 academic year, you will need to complete the 2024-25 FAFSA.