Cost, Tuition, and Financial Aid

In addition to tuition, cross-cultural travel costs are the responsibility of the student. Total cost depends on the trip and is typically between $1000-$2000. Additional Gap year certificate fees will apply, including room and board in Washington D.C.

Financial Aid and Graduate Assistantships:
The program administrative team will oversee the allocation of available financial aid in the form of graduate assistantships. Typical assistantship awards are between $500 and $1000 per term and expected workload hours are 5-10 hours per week. Graduate assistants are not permitted to carry academic loads greater than 12 hours per term. 

Federal Student Loans:
Eligibility for graduate federal student loans requires at least half-time enrollment (5 or more credits per term) and all loan options are unsubsidized.  The amount of loan eligibility offered is determined by the number of credits per term as well as other expenses included in the Biomedicine cost of attendance (housing/food, fees, books, personal and transportation allowances.)

The MS in Premedicine is not an eligible graduate program for borrowing federal student loans. Most students who need to borrow use a private student loan. Some may be eligible for VTAG (requires an applicant to verify domiciliary residence in Virginia), if they are registered for at least 9 credits of graduate level classes during a given term. 

Contact: 
Steph Jensen | 540.432.4029 | steph.jensen@emu.edu 
Recruitment Specialist, Biomed/Premed

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

Biomed Financial Aid Checklist

Scholarships:
CJP has a variety of internal scholarships available. Students who wish to be considered for a scholarship must select the checkbox on the admissions application. CJP does not offer full scholarships. Scholarship priority will be given to full-time students, and part-time students considered as money is available. Students should submit their application as soon as possible to be considered for scholarship.

External scholarships are available beyond The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding and EMU. The PDFs below were accurate when created, but we are not responsible for information that is now out of date. 

• Domestic Student Scholarship Guide  
• Graduate School Scholarship Search
• International Student Scholarship Guide

Financial Aid:
Students are generally able to fund their program-related expenses through a combination of sources such as external and internal scholarship, federal student loans, organizational sponsorships and personal funds. 

Grants and Discounts:
Faith Community Matching Grant: CJP matches whatever your church or faith congregation provides up to $1,000 per year ($2,000 career maximum). Students must be enrolled in at least 5 credits per term. March 1 is the"preferred response date" for churches to inform EMU of their intent to send funds for students.

Volunteer Service Discount Application: Students who have served for at least two years with a fully volunteer service organization are eligible to apply for this discount which will award 12.5% tuition discount per credit hour. 

Fulbright Scholars: Fulbright Scholars receive a 12.5% tuition discount for the duration of their Fulbright award. Learn more about our Fulbright Scholars.

GI Bill and Yellow Ribbon Program: EMU participates in the GI Bill and the Yellow Ribbon Program. Learn more about using your veterans benefits at EMU. 

The Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program: The Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellows Program is a distinction offered to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) at The Center for Justice and Peacebuilding who intend to continue their dedication to community service while pursuing a master’s degree in conflict transformation or restorative justice. Learn more about the Coverdell Fellows program at EMU. 

Contact: 
Adam King | 540-432-4144 | adam.king@emu.edu | Recruitment Specialist, CJP

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

CJP Financial Aid Checklist

Contact your HR representative for help in exploring an employee assistance package with your employer, if your HR department doesn't already have one. 

Students can also search for scholarships using the Sallie Mae Graduate School Scholarship search.

Students can receive 10% off tuition for two or more admitted applicants from the same organization. Reach out to the Program Administrator for more information.

Contact: 
Joanna Greenawalt | 540-432-4033 | joanna.greenawalt@emu.edu
Recruitment Specialist, Graduate Business

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

Graduate Business Financial Aid Checklist

Scholarships and Grants:
Students who are domiciliary residents of Virginia, may apply for the Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant. Eligibility requires full-time enrollment status (9 or more credits per semester) and an approved VTAG application. 

There are a number of scholarships in the community students can apply for, including the Laymon H. & Ruth S. Lantz Scholarship which supports training for qualified graduate students who plan to attend the EMU Seminary or MA in Counseling program.

Students can also search for scholarships using the Sallie Mae Graduate School Scholarship search.

Church Match Grants: Students who receive tuition assistance grants that originate from a congregation, a church conference, or a group of churches who have pooled resources for the purpose of providing tuition assistance grants are eligible to receive a matching grant. Enrollment of at least 5 hours per term in Graduate Counseling is required. The maximum grant eligibility is $1000 per academic year and $2000 during the lifetime of the student’s studies. March 1 is the"preferred response date" for churches to inform EMU of their intent to send funds for students.

Loans:
There are federal loan forgiveness/repayment opportunities that may be available to counseling graduates, particularly those who work as Licensed Professional Counselors (LPCs) in high-need areas. These programs may change based on funding. Other resources are listed at the end of the below document.

Student Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Programs for Counselors

Contact: 
Joanna Greenawalt | 540-432-4033 | joanna.greenawalt@emu.edu
Recruitment Specialist, Graduate Counseling

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

Graduate Counseling Financial Aid Checklist

Financial Aid options:
Check out the American Association of Colleges of Nursing and the Sallie Mae graduate school website for more financial aid options.

External Scholarship Opportunities:
Learn more about non-EMU scholarship opportunities.

Contact: 
Steph Jensen | 540.432.4029 | steph.jensen@emu.edu
Recruitment Specialist, DNP

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

DNP Financial Aid Checklist

Students employed by a school division should check with their administration on professional development financial assistants.

Students can research additional scholarship options using the Sallie Mae Graduate School Scholarship website.

Contact: 
Joanna Greenawalt | 540-432-4033 | joanna.greenawalt@emu.edu
Recruitment Specialist, Graduate Teacher Education

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

Graduate Teacher Education Financial Aid Checklist

For students in the Leadership & School Nursing concentration, required MA in Education courses will be invoiced at the Masters in Nursing tuition rate. In addition, a technology fee of $50 per semester will be charged when MA in Education courses are taken.

Students will incur additional costs for textbooks.

For School Nurse Certificate Students:

• The PA Dept. of Education charges a fee to obtain the Level 1 certificate. Please refer to the PA Department of Education Certifications website for current fees.
• EMU uses Certified Background for managing all documents related to clearances. Students will incur a fee for this records management service that is required for the School Nurse Practicum Course. Please refer to the Certified Background website for current fees.

Financial Aid options:
Check out the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for more financial aid options.

Contact: 
Steph Jensen | 540.432.4029 | steph.jensen@emu.edu 
Recruitment Specialist, MSN

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

MSN Financial Aid Checklist

A financial aid guide is provided to students at the time they receive admission to EMS. This guide will help you navigate your options, and the processes associated with securing the financial support you need.  Financial aid packages may include scholarship and/or grant awards from the seminary.

Financial Aid:
Many seminary students receive financial assistance. We are fortunate to have a community of supporters who believe in the impact of an EMS education and who have given generously to offer financial aid and scholarships to help degree-seeking students.

Grants and scholarships are contingent on availability of funds and qualified students. 

Generous scholarships of up to 100% of tuition are awarded on the basis of academic excellence, ministry service and leadership potential, and financial need. Scholarships are extended to qualified students who are enrolled in a degree program at least part-time, taking 5 or more credits each during fall and spring terms.  You will be notified of your scholarship award at the time of your admission offer.

Contact: 
Adam King | 540-432-4144 | adam.king@emu.edu | Recruitment Specialist, Seminary

Financial Assistance | finaid@emu.edu | 1.800.330.9683 or 540.432.4137

Seminary Financial Aid Checklist

Tuition: Cost is per credit hour based on the graduate program you are admitted into. Students typically take 18-30 credits per year full-time. 

Additional Living Expenses includes utilities, phone, laundry, cable, etc.

PLEASE NOTE: Books, Rent, Additional Living Expenses, Food, and Miscellaneous expenses are all estimates and will vary depending on personal lifestyle, the state of the economy, etc. Please take this into consideration when making financial decisions. 

*Activity Fee: Some programs (Biomedicine, Graduate Counseling, CJP, and EMS) also have activity fees that vary by the program and range from $30-$140 for full-time students and $3-$50 per credit hour for part-time students.

**General Services Fee: All programs incur a general services fee. For full-time (9+ credit hours) students, it's a flat rate of $125. Part-time students are charged $14 per credit hour (for 1-8 credit hour enrollment).

***Rent for a single person varies depending on whether the student plans to live alone or share an apartment and if they rent an apartment from EMU or a private landlord/leasing company. 

****Health insurance is mandatory for all international students and full-time Seminary and Master's in Counseling students.

Health insurance is an EMU requirement for full-time Seminary, full-time Master's in Counseling, and all International students at the Harrisonburg site. The health insurance plan is only available to those student groups.

EMU offers a health insurance plan through RCM&D Student Health Insurance for Harrisonburg based students. Information about the plan is available through the RCM&D website or by calling their toll-free number at 1-877-480-4161.