Office of Financial Aid
Cost of attendance
Applying for financial aid
To apply for financial aid students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. The federal school code for Geisinger College is G41672.
- Students must file the FAFSA each year and are encouraged to submit the FAFSA once it becomes available. Please check the degree you are seeking for specific submission deadlines. Late filers or an incomplete FAFSA can delay loan processing and could result in ineligibility for some types of aid.
- Private scholarships may also require the FAFSA information.
- Additional information about applying for financial aid can be found in program-specific financial aid guidebooks.
In addition to completing the FAFSA, students interested in federal and/or institutional funding must:
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress for their program.
- Be a U.S. citizen, be an eligible non-citizen with a valid social security number or have a Permanent Resident Visa.
- Be accepted for admission or enrolled at least half-time.
- Not be in default on any loan or owe a refund on any grant made under Title IV at any institution. If you are in default on a federal loan, find more information regarding the Fresh Start program.
- Have financial need, which is the difference between the cost of attendance (COA) and the Student Aid Index (SAI) for most Geisinger College scholarships.
- Have a high school diploma, a GED or a passing “ability to benefit” test result.
Grants
A grant is a form of financial aid that doesn’t have to be repaid.
Scholarships
Scholarships help students pay for college. This type of free money, which is sometimes based on academic merit, talent or a particular area of study.
Loans
Many students use federal loans (must complete current year’s FAFSA). Students may also decide to apply for private loans.
GI Bill® educational benefits
The GI Bill® provides aid for military service members, veterans and military families
Employee benefits
For nursing students, substantial support is available for Geisinger employees to obtain or advance their nursing education.
Loans, debt management and financial planning
All students
- Return of Title IV funds policy (R2T4)
- Repayment plans
- Public Service Loan Forgiveness fact sheet 2023-2024
- Special circumstances form for students 2024-2025
- Dependency status based on unusual circumstances 2024-2025
Medical students
- Student rights and responsibilities – medical and graduate students
- Financial aid terms and conditions 2024-2025 – medical and graduate students
- Satisfactory academic progress for the MD program
- PA Residency Appeal Form 2024-2025 (This determines the tuition that is charged to the student and used to determine the cost of attendance when determining eligibility for aid.)
- Special condition form for 2023-2024 students
- Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine financial aid guidebook – 2024-2025
Graduate students
- Student rights and responsibilities – medical and graduate students
- Financial aid terms and conditions 2024-2025 – medical and graduate students
- Satisfactory academic progress for the School of Graduate Education
- School of Graduate Education financial aid guidebook – 2024-2025
Nursing students
The Office of Financial Aid has a default prevention plan in place for students and graduates who may fall behind on loan repayment. Students are monitored to ensure timely loan repayment and letters can be sent to students who fall within the following categories:
- 31-90 days delinquent
- 91-120 days delinquent
- 121-270 days delinquent
This gives students ample notification to reach out to the Office of Financial Aid and/or their Federal Loan Servicer for counseling advice and alternative options to keep their loans in good standing.
In addition, please refer to Loans, Debt Management and Financial Planning for additional information regarding borrowing, repayment options, deferment, forbearance, consolidation as well as loan forgiveness information and how to manage debt.
The Office of Financial Aid also offers individual sessions with our students to discuss budgeting, debt management, loan repayment options and strategies and ways to make college affordable. Reach out to our office for more information and assistance:
- Nursing students: nursingfinancialaid@geisinger.edu
- Medical and graduate students: financialaid@geisinger.edu
Estimate of federal student aid
The Federal Student Aid Estimator at studentaid.gov will provide an early estimate of how much federal student aid you may be eligible for.Meet our team
Roxanne Seymour, MBA, MSHE
Penny Zesiger
717-242-7206
plzesiger@geisinger.edu
nursingfinancialad@geisinger.edu