PELL Grant is a need-based federal grant for low-income families. A student’s eligibility is determined through their FAFSA. The amount may change based on how many units they are taking and the amount of lifetime eligibility they have already used.
| Amount | Up to $7,395 |
| Eligibility | Must be an undergraduate student Must be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen Must have financial need |
| Required Documents | FAFSA |
The Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (SEOG) is a need-based grant for low-income families. The Master’s University offers this grant on a first-come, first-served basis based on when a student completes their FAFSA.
| Amount | Up to $1,000 |
| Eligibility | Must be an undergraduate student Must be a U.S. Citizen or Eligible Non-Citizen Must have financial need |
| Required Documents | FAFSA |
Cal Grant is a state need-based grant for middle to low-income families. A student’s eligibility is determined by the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC). It is based on a student’s need presented on the FAFSA and a GPA Verification, which may vary depending on what kind of High School or College you have attended (see table below). All required documents must be completed before April 2nd, 2025.
| Amount | Cal A: $9,358 Cal B: up to $11,006 |
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| Eligibility | Click here to see the full list of the Cal Grant eligibility requirements | ||||||||||
| Required Documents | FAFSA (to see if you are below the Cal Grant income and asset ceilings, please click here) GPA Verification:
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Federal Work Studies are part-time, need-based employment opportunities. The Master’s University offers both on and off-campus opportunities for students who qualify for Federal Work Study to apply for. Job applications begin to open on August 1st. For more information on these employment opportunities, please get in touch with the Student Employment office at .
| Amount | Up to $9,000 |
| Eligibility | Federal program based on need. |
| Required Documents | FAFSA |
All undergraduate students who complete a FAFSA are eligible for Federal Direct Stafford Loans. The amounts that a student is eligible for may vary depending on their grade level and the amount of lifetime eligibility that they have already used. Students can receive a Subsidized Stafford Loan (the government pays the interest while you are in school) and/or an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan (the government DOES NOT pay the interest while you are in school) depending on their eligibility. Per the new OBBBA policies beginning the 2026-2027 academic year, all unsubsidized and subsidized annual loan amounts will be reduced based on enrollment status for those less than full time students.
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| Interest and Fees | Interest Rate: 6.39% (subject to change after July 1st) & 1.057% Origination Fee | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Eligibility | Minimum half-time enrollment. | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Required Documents |
The Federal Direct Parent PLUS Loan is available to parents of dependent undergraduate students. The student must be enrolled in at least six units, and parents may borrow up to $20,000 per year per child, with a lifetime limit of $65,000 per child.
| Amount | $20,000 per academic year ($65,000 Lifetime Limit) |
| Interest and Fees | Interest Rate: 8.94%(Subject to change after July 1st) Origination Fee: 4.228% |
| Eligibility | Parents must be US Citizen, or eligible non-citizens with US Address. Student must be half time. |
| Required Steps | Apply – Apps are processed through www.studentaid.gov. Parent logs in with FSA ID Complete Parent Master Promissory Note – This is the parent contract on the loan. This is found at www.studentaid.gov Complete a TMU a PLUS Loan Amount Request form – PLUS Loan Amount Request Form 2026-27 |
For more information about Private Loan options, please view our Private Loan Page.
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) was signed into law, resulting in changes to federal student aid programs beginning 2026-2027 academic year. Some of these changes went into effect immediately, while others will go into effect in July 1st 2026 and beyond.
New incoming freshmen and transfer students who begin attending TMU/S 2026-2027 are under the new program policies. These new updates include new lifetime loan limits for grad students, annual loan limit and lifetime limits for Parent PLUS loan, Schedule of Reductions – new limit for less than fulltime enrollment, updated loan repayment plans, and the end of the Grad PLUS loan.
Returning students may qualify for “legacy provisions” which allows those students to still be in the previous policy. New updated policies such as the schedule of reductions will still be in effect for all students (new or current).
Please feel free to reach out to our office if you have any questions and/or inquiring to see if you fall under the “legacy provisions” if you are a current student with us.
You may find specifics of the new policies through the Federal Student Aid website – OBBBA Update Summary
Exit Loan Counseling: Prior to graduating or leaving college, borrowers are required to complete an exit counseling session. This online exit counseling session has been created to ensure you understand your rights and responsibilities as a Stafford Loan borrower. The session will take about 30-40 min. to complete on www.studentloans.gov.
Loan Servicer: Your Loan servicer can be found by logging into the NSLDS website. Contact your servicer to review and schedule your repayment options.
67% of students completed their studies with less than $20,000 in debt, while 42% graduated debt-free. The average payment after graduation for $20,000 of student debt is about $200/month over 10 years.
Taking out a loan for college tuition can be intimidating. However, with careful consideration and biblical principles, there are compelling reasons why such a step can be valuable in the long term.
