Discover an Affordable College Experience at St. Mary’s
The Office of Financial Assistance at St. Mary’s will work one-on-one with you to provide the personal financial solutions that best suit your family. Gift aid includes scholarships, grants, and other benefits; these types of financial assistance generally do not need to be paid back unless otherwise specified.
Meet the Financial Aid Team
Our staff works personally with students and their families to explain available options and help them choose the best methods to meet the cost of attendance by connecting them with the financial resources required to finance a St. Mary’s education.
Keep in mind, students from families of all income levels can demonstrate financial need based upon their particular circumstances. Most students who apply are eligible.
Filing the FAFSA®
Start the financial aid application process by submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) every year and list St. Mary’s University. Use school code 003623
The Priority Deadline for continuing students to complete the application for the 2025-2026 academic year is March 15, 2025. It’s essential to submit your application before the deadline to ensure your eligibility for aid. Some financial aid programs are on a first-come, first-served basis.
For details on the financial aid process, visit Applying for Aid.
Net Price Calculator
The Net Price Calculator at St. Mary’s University is designed to give you and your family a sense of the financial commitment you can expect to make to pursue a degree at St. Mary’s University.
Applying for Aid
Whether you are a new incoming freshman, transfer student, or a returning Rattler, the Office of Financial Assistance is here to help you through the financial aid process. All incoming students are considered for a merit scholarship in the Admission process. In addition, we encourage you to submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) to determine your eligibility for additional federal, state and institutional funding.
Apply for Admission
You are eligible to receive financial aid after being accepted to St. Mary’s University.
Returning student? Skip this step!
Submit your FAFSA
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) and list at St. Mary’s University on your application using FAFSA® Code 003623.
You need to submit your FAFSA® every year you attend St. Mary’s. For students attending in Fall 2025 (new or continuing students), the FAFSA® is now open. The priority deadline for this year’s FAFSA is March 15.
Receive your Admission Decision
You will receive your decision indicating if you have been accepted to St. Mary’s and awarded a St. Mary’s University academic scholarship.
Returning student? Skip this step!
View Missing Requirements
Requirements may keep you from being awarded additional financial aid.
To view requirements in Gateway, find Financial Aid in the sidebar menu. Once in the Gateway Self-Service Menu, select Requirements, then Financial Assistance Requirements. Select the appropriate aid year and click Submit.
Receive your Award
You will receive a financial aid award letter in the mail.
You can accept your award by visiting Gateway and selecting Students, then Financial Aid under the sidebar menu. Once in the Gateway Self-Service Menu, Select Award, then View Award Offer. Select the appropriate academic year and click Submit. Select Accept Award Offer, then if offered, decide if you want loans or Work-Study funding.
Returning students will need to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) to receive their award.
Review Optional Aid Requirements
Federal Direct Loans. If you are a first-time borrower of Federal Direct Loans, you will complete two steps at www.studentaid.gov: Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes (MPN).
Work-Study. If you accept Work-Study funding, you will receive an email with a link to the job board in July, so you can apply for available Work-Study positions.
Budgeting
Set an appointment with the Office of Financial Assistance for one-on-one financial planning. Payment is due in full by the first day of class, or payment plans are available.
During the month of January, the Office of Financial Assistance is available for walk-in appointments and calls.
Review Additional Options
Apply for Additional Loan Options. Explore additional loan options at www.elmselect.com. Parents of dependent students can apply for the Parent PLUS Loan at www.studentaid.gov.
Apply for Outside Scholarships. If you receive an outside scholarship, send us a copy of your selection letter.
How to Apply for Aid
Important Dates
| February 2025 | New Undergraduate and Graduate Award Offers released |
| March 15, 2025 | 2025-2026 FAFSA priority deadline |
| March 2025 | New Law Student Award Offers released |
| July 1, 2025 | Current Undergraduate and Graduate Student Award Offers released |
| July 15, 2025 | Current Law Student Award Offers released |
Special Circumstances
We understand that unforeseen circumstances arise and your family might need assistance. If you have either incurred additional expenses or if your household has experienced loss of income, this process might be one to consider. Fill out the Special Circumstances Form found on the Financial Aid Forms page to be considered.
The Student Emergency Fund (SEF) provides limited emergency financial assistance to currently enrolled St. Mary’s University students who are unable to meet immediate, essential expenses because of temporary hardship related to an unexpected situation. The fund is designated to offset a short-term financial need and is not intended to replace or supplement financial aid.
Student Emergency Fund
Have you lost your job due to COVID-19? Rattler Readiness is a virtual workforce development workshop open to Bexar County residents. The workshop is in partnership with Project Quest and is no cost to participants.
Rattler Readiness
Here to Help
Prospective students and those without a St. Mary’s University username can call 210-436-3141 to speak with a financial aid counselor.
Students with a St. Mary’s username can schedule an appointment with the Office of Financial Assistance. If you need to submit documents, please submit in Gateway.
FAQs
Yes. St. Mary’s does not require any additional application for financial aid.
Is the FAFSA® application the only application St. Mary’s requires for applying for financial aid?
You should be comparing “apples to apples” instead of “apples to oranges.” Financial aid is awarded in two primary categories: gift aid and self-help. Gift aid consists of financial aid that does not have to be repaid or earned. Examples include grants and/or scholarships awarded by the institution. Self-help is comprised of student loans and/or work-study.
Some institutions may inflate your financial aid offer by including an alternative loan (such as a parent loan and/or private loans). St. Mary’s University does not pre-package these loans since this is a family decision and most, if not all, are based on a credit check. Our Financial Aid counselors can assist you with this process, but we do not automatically add this to your financial aid award.
One of the key resources you will have is your award letter, which will outline charges and your awarded financial aid. What is your bottom line after you factor in all the aid you are receiving? Even though charges might appear to be high, it might be more manageable than you think given your financial aid award and additional aid options.
How do I compare financial aid offers from several schools?
Academic scholarships are awarded by the Office of Undergraduate Admission during the admission process. Students are also encouraged to seek additional scholarship opportunities in their communities. Once a student has their Gateway credentials, they can log in and access iGrad which has an outside scholarship search tool.
How do I apply for scholarships?
Various factors can impact the amount of financial aid you receive at any point in your academic career. In awarding financial aid, several factors are taken into account:
- When was your financial aid file completed?
- How much financial need do you have?
- How much does your family make, and what is your family size?
- What is your cumulative grade point average?
What factors impact my financial aid package?
If you will be receiving an outside scholarship from your community or an organization outside of St. Mary’s University, you will want to send us a copy of your scholarship notification letter as soon as possible. We will need to update your award to reflect this. We will then work with the Business Office to apply the scholarship to your account when the donor sends the funds.
How do I report an outside scholarship to St. Mary’s?
If you accept Work-study, you will be sent an email in July with a link to the job board. Jobs are not guaranteed. You will go through the process of applying for jobs. If hired, you will then work with your supervisor and Human Resources to make sure the necessary paperwork has been submitted.
How do I receive a work-study assignment?
It depends on when you make the change. We award undergraduate financial aid on the basis of full-time enrollment (and full-time charges). If you drop during the tuition credit period, you will no longer be charged full-time tuition, which is what your aid is designed to cover. In this situation, your aid will be reduced.
If you drop after the tuition credit period, your aid will not be changed. However, to maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, students must complete 67 percent of the hours attempted. Please review the information under the Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) section of our web page.
What happens if I drop below full-time status?
Questions?
For any questions you or your family may have, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re here to support you.
Office of Financial Assistance
St. Louis Hall, Room 301
210-436-3141
finaid@stmarytx.eduFAFSA® Help Hotline
1-800-433-3243
studentaid@ed.govOffice Hours
Monday – Thursday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed from noon to 1 p.m.
Friday
Noon to 5 p.m.