Financial Assistance

A limited number of fellowships, assistantships and tuition scholarships are available each year in various program areas. Fellowships usually involve remission of tuition and academic fees for two academic terms or, in some circumstances, for the entire year. Some may include stipends.

Upon admission, students should apply for graduate fellowships and assistantships available through the graduate program to which they have been accepted. Designated recipients will be required to respond to the offer within 30 days. After that period, the University reserves the right to rescind its offer and notify a designated alternative that the award is available.

Open All | Close All

  • 听

    Graduate Awards

    Recipients of graduate fellowships and assistantships must remain full-time students, in good standing in their major program, during the period of the award. Duties and responsibilities of award recipients are defined by the dean and are limited to teaching, research and/or other activities related to scholarship. Failure to fulfill the obligations of an assistantship or fellowship may result in immediate termination of the award. Approximately 20 hours per week should be devoted to these duties. For further information on the availability of and guidelines for these awards, contact the dean of the college to which the application will be made.

  • 听

    Financial Aid

    Financial assistance is available to students enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits per term) in programs leading to a graduate degree or certificate. This assistance can include Federal Work Study. In addition, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans may be available to those who qualify. The Unsubsidized Stafford provides funds, not based on financial need, up to $20,500 per academic year. The student is responsible for the interest on the unsubsidized amount while in school; however, principal and interest payments can be postponed. The interest rate changes annually, for loans disbursed between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 the interest will be fixed at 6.00%, with repayment terms of 10 to 25 years. Repayment begins six months after a student graduates, drops to less than half-time enrollment or leaves school.

    The Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan is a credit based loan available to graduate and professional students who are enrolled at least half-time. The maximum that may be borrowed may not exceed the cost of attendance minus any financial aid the student is eligible for. The interest rate changes annually, for loans disbursed between July 1, 2017 and June 30, 2018 the interest will be fixed at 7.00%, with repayment terms of 10 to 25 years Students may qualify to defer their loan payments while they attend school on at least a half-time basis. Interest continues to accumulate on Grad PLUS loans during this deferment period.

    Private loans, based on cost of your education, less other financial aid, are available to graduate students. Eligibility for these loans is based on individual credit worthiness. Borrowing limits and interest rates vary, depending upon the type of loan.

    Additional information can be found on the .

    A Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is required for each academic year the student wants to be considered for grants, work-study or loans. The FAFSA can be completed online at www.fafsa.gov.

  • 听

    Satisfactory Academic Progress

    Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is a term used to describe a student’s successful completion of coursework toward a degree or certificate. SAP is required to receive all federal and state financial aid. Federal regulations require the Financial Aid Office to apply reasonable standards for measuring whether a student is making progress toward a degree. This is to ensure that students receiving funds are successfully progressing through their program of study. If you do not meet the minimum requirements, you could lose your eligibility for financial aid.

    Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards

    Student academic progress is measured at the end of each semester against the following qualitative and quantitative standards: cumulative grade point average (GPA), completion rate (pace), maximum time frame and meeting the academic standards of your school or college (e.g., the College of Engineering & Science, the School of Architecture, etc.).

    Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA): 2.0 for undergraduate, Law and Dental (DDS) programs, 3.0 for graduate programs. At any time that it becomes mathematically impossible for the student to meet the GPA requirement by the time the student would complete enough credit hours to graduate, the student becomes ineligible for federal aid.

    Completion Percentage (Pace): At least 67% of all credit hours attempted must have successfully passing grades that can be applied to the degree. The 67% completion rate maintains a pace of progression toward the degree or certificate that ensures completion of the academic credential within the maximum time frame allowed. The pace of progress is calculated by dividing cumulative hours that you have successfully completed by the cumulative hours you have attempted. This includes hours attempted for which you do not receive credit, such as repeated courses which do not count toward your degree and classes taken prior to restarting your degree program.

    Note: Credit hours transferred from other schools that are accepted toward completion of a student’s Detroit Mercy program count as hours attempted and hours completed. However, transfer credit hours are not included the calculation of a student’s grade point average. Please refer to the Grades and Credits section of this policy for a list of attempted credit hours.

    Maximum Time Frame: Students must complete a degree or certificate program in no more than 150% of the published length of the program in credit hours. Examples:

    Undergraduate degrees that require 126 credit hours: Attempted credit hours may not exceed 189 (126 credits x 150% = 189 credits).

    Master’s degrees that require 36 credit hours: Attempted credit hours may not exceed 54 (36 credits x 150% = 54 credits).

    Professional and other degrees that require completion within a specific number of years from the start date: Student must complete the degree in no more than the maximum number of calendar years from the date s/he began the program AND student must complete at least 67% of credit hours attempted during any given semester AND attempted credit hours may not exceed 150% of the required credit hours for the student’s program of study.

    Note: If at any point it becomes mathematically impossible for the student to meet degree completion and/or grade point requirements prior to the maximum time frame, the student immediately becomes ineligible for future federal (and/or) state financial aid.

    For the number of credit hours that specific programs require for completion, consult with an academic advisor or refer to the University of Detroit Mercy Course Catalog.

    Both Pace and Maximum Time Frame are measured in credit hours only, except in the case of programs that have a maximum calendar year requirement, regardless of attendance level (such as full-time or part-time).

    Procedures

    Each aid recipient's record will be evaluated at the end of each semester to determine that the student is meeting the standards described above. Students with classes that require more than one semester to receive a grade will be evaluated both on a semester basis for any classes graded at the end of the term, and at the completion of the class for multi-semester classes. If the student has reached the maximum number of scheduled hours or maximum years without earning a degree or it is mathematically impossible for the student to do so in the remaining number of hours or time frame, the student must be excluded from further participation in federal financial aid programs.

    Financial Aid Warning

    Students will receive a "financial aid warning" letter the first time they have experienced academic difficulty, which results in not meeting the SAP standards. The letter will remind them of the minimum academic requirements for their aid programs and strongly urge them to take advantage of the academic services that are available to students at Detroit Mercy. Students will be required to meet with their academic advisor to discuss strategies for a successful semester and return the letter, endorsed by the academic advisor and the student. Students will be eligible to receive federal aid during this warning semester. These students are notified that their records will be checked again at the end of the semester and that further action will be taken if the student does not meet SAP standards at that time. Students will be sent a financial aid suspension letter if, at the end of the warning semester, they are not meeting SAP standards. Students can only receive aid for one semester under this "warning" status.

    Students whose classes meet for two or more terms before a grade is given do not qualify for a warning semester. Students in this category have their aid suspended at the end of the second semester of two-term classes during which they have not made SAP and must appeal for SAP probation to receive consideration for any further financial aid (see below).

    Financial Aid Probation

    Financial aid probation status will be assigned to students who have failed to meet SAP standards and have successfully appealed to have their aid eligibility reinstated.

    Students who are not meeting SAP standards after a semester with a warning status or who attend multi-term classes may appeal to have their aid eligibility reinstated. If the appeal is approved the student will be offered a financial aid probation contract. The contract will outline the academic requirements the student must meet in order to receive aid for the following semester. This contract must be approved by an academic advisor in the student’s college or school and can be modified by the advisor to include any steps required by the college or school for the student to maintain good academic standing with that college or school. If the student on financial aid probation meets the terms of the probation, he/she will be permitted to continue to participate in the federal student aid programs for a subsequent semester. Students who have been placed on probation shall be considered to be making satisfactory academic progress for the purposes of receiving financial aid as long as the student continues to meet the academic requirements outlined in their probationary contract which may extend to one or more semesters.

    The Scholarship and Financial Aid Office will review the records of students who are on financial aid probation at the end of each semester to determine continued eligibility. If the student does not meet the terms of the probation, the student will forfeit eligibility for all federal financial aid programs.

    Federal regulations require that these standards apply to all students, even to first-time aid applicants who have previously enrolled at the University of Detroit Mercy, or to those who have not been formally placed on probation.

    Loss of eligibility due to lack of satisfactory progress

    A student who has lost eligibility to participate in federal or state student aid programs for reasons of academic progress can regain that eligibility by enrolling at his/her own expense and demonstrating that he/she is capable of completing a semester without any failures, incompletes, or withdrawals and showing the ability to complete their degree requirements in a more regular fashion and by submitting an appeal for reinstatement. The mere passage of time will not ordinarily restore eligibility to a student who has lost eligibility for failure to make satisfactory progress.

    Students who have been academically dismissed from the University but who are subsequently given permission to re-enroll are not automatically eligible to continue to participate in federal, state, or institutional aid programs. Admissions decisions are totally separate from funding decisions.

    SAP Appeal

    Submit a typed letter requesting reinstatement of financial aid eligibility to the Associate Director of Scholarship and Financial Aid.

    The SAP appeal must include:

    • An explanation of your overall situation, including your entire academic history at Detroit Mercy, detailing the circumstances that contributed to your inability to meet the Financial Aid Satisfactory Academic Progress standards.
    • An explanation of circumstances that contributed to your most recent unsuccessful semester.
    • Demonstrate what you have done to correct the problems that have hindered your success.
    • Attach supporting documents, such as obituaries, medical notices, tutoring contracts, etc.

    Students should not assume that a SAP appeal will be approved and accepts responsibility for paying his/her tuition and fees if the appeal is denied.

  • 听

    Grades and Credits

    Attempted credit hours include the following whether or not paid for with financial aid:

    • Earned Hours (A-D)
    • Pass (P)
    • Satisfactory (S)
    • No Record (NR)
    • No Pass (NP)
    • Unsatisfactory (U)
    • Withdrawal (W)
    • Failure (F)
    • No Record Failure (XF)
    • Final Grade Postponed - Law School Only (X)
    • Incomplete (I)
    • Incomplete/Failing (I/F)
    • Numerical grades (0.0 - 4.0)
    • Transfer Credit
  • 听

    Repeated Courses

    Federal regulation limits the number of times a student may repeat a course and receive financial aid for that course.

    • A student may receive aid when repeating a course that was previously failed, regardless of the number of times the course was attempted and failed.
    • A student may receive aid to repeat a previously passed course one additional time.
    • Once a student has completed any course twice with a passing grade, he/she is no longer eligible to receive aid for that course.
    • This rule applies whether or not the student received aid for the earlier enrollments in the course.

    Note: Federal regulations specify that students may not receive aid for repeating courses previously passed if the student is required to retake those courses as part of a structured program. For example, a student who fails a course in a semester and is required by the college or department to repeat all the courses taken in that semester before moving on in the program would not be eligible to receive aid for the passed courses, only for the failed one(s). That may mean that the student would not be eligible for any aid for the semester, depending upon the number of previously passed courses being repeated.

    With the exception of the Law School, if a student repeats a course, credit hours for each registration in the course will be added to his/her attempted credit hours total. Repeat courses will be counted in the GPA for graduate and professional students, however, only the most recent grade will be counted in the GPA for undergraduate students.

    For the Law School, if a student repeats a course, credit hours for each registration in the course will be added to his/her attempted credit hours total. Both the credits and the grades for the repeated courses will be included in the calculation of the student’s cumulative GPA, and the student’s graduation credit hour requirements will be increased by the number of credit hours repeated. If a student is dismissed and then re-admitted as a new start, courses repeated from prior to the dismissal are counted for purposes of the 67% completion rate, but the calendar year limit begins again and the total credit hour requirement for completion is the one effective at the time the student re-enters the school.

    Withdrawal from Courses: If a student withdraws from a course after the drop/add period the course credit hours will be added to his/her attempted credit hours total.

    Remedial Courses: Credit hours for each remedial course a student takes are included in the calculation of his/her attempted credit hours total and are included in the GPA calculations but are not counted towards degree requirements.

    Incomplete Courses: Credit hours for incomplete courses are included in the calculation of a student’s attempted credit hours total but not in the calculation of his/her GPA.

    Audit Courses: Credit hours are not earned for audited courses; therefore, they are not included in the calculation of a student’s attempted credit hours total or GPA.

    Pass/Fail Courses: Credit hours for pass/fail courses are included in the calculation of a student’s attempted credit hours total but not in the calculation of his/her GPA.

    Undergraduate Courses at the Graduate Level: Undergraduate courses taken by graduate students do not earn graduate credit, and therefore, they are not included in the calculation of the students’ GPA, or included in the calculation of the student’s attempted credit hours total.

    Change Majors Courses: For students who change majors, the credit hours taken under all majors will be included in the calculation of the attempted credit hours total, the GPA calculation, and the maximum time frame for degree completion.

  • 听

    Student Support Services

    The Financial Aid Office encourages any student experiencing academic difficulties to utilize the resources available at University of Detroit Mercy to assist you if you are struggling to maintain satisfactory academic progress. You do not have to be on probation in a warning status to use these resources!

    Student Success Center

    The Writing Center

    • McNichols Campus, Briggs 135
    • Website:
    • Phone: 313-993-1022

    University Ministry

    • McNichols Campus, Student Center – Across from Bookstore
    • Website: 
    • Phone: 313-993-1560

    Counseling Wellness Center

    • McNichols Campus, West Quad – Wellness Center Room 105
    • Website:
    • Phone: 313-578-0496 or 313-993-1170

    Law School Academic Support Services

    • Renaissance Campus/Dowling Hall Room 325A
    • Email: omichinm@udmercy.edu (Ms. Nancy Omichinski)
    • Phone: 313-596-0226
  • 听

    Return of Title IV Funds/Institutional Refund Policy

    This policy applies to students who withdraw or are expelled, and refunds for these students are determined according to the following policy:

    The term "Title IV Funds" refers to the Federal financial aid programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965 (as amended) and includes the following programs: Unsubsidized Stafford loans, Subsidized Stafford loans, Federal Perkins loans, Federal PLUS loans, Federal Pell Grants, ACG/National SMART Grant, Federal SEOG and other federal sources of aid.

    A student’s withdrawal date is: the date the student began the institution’s withdrawal process or officially notified the institution of intent to withdraw; or the midpoint of the period for a student who leaves without notifying the institution; or the student’s last date of attendance at a documented academically-related activity.

    Refunds on all charges including tuition, room and board, and fees will be prorated based on the University policy.

    Title IV aid and all other aid is earned in a prorated manner on a per diem basis up to the 60% point in the semester. Title IV aid and all other aid is viewed as 100% earned after that point in time. A copy of the worksheet used for this calculation can be requested from the Financial Aid Office.

    In accordance with federal regulations, when financial aid is involved, refunds are allocated in the following order: Unsubsidized Stafford loans, Subsidized Stafford loans, Federal Perkins loans, Federal Parent PLUS/Grad PLUS loans, Federal Pell Grants, ACG/National SMART Grants, Federal SEOG, other Title IV assistance, other Federal sources of aid, other state, private and institutional aid, and finally the student.

    The student’s responsibilities in regard to the return of Title IV funds include returning to the Title IV programs any funds that were disbursed directly to the student and which the student was determined to be ineligible for (via the Return of Title IV Funds calculation), within 45 days after notice from the University of an overpayment of a grant.