Welcome Sacred Heart students! The Financial Aid Office seeks to advance the Mission of Sacred Heart Major Seminary by providing financial aid opportunities to all qualified students in pursuit of their educational and formation goals.

A Walk Through How Federal Financial Aid Works 

Available Resources and Eligibility

The following resources may be available to students who qualify:

• Sacred Heart institutional grants.

Students who minister in a parish or teach religion/theology in the Archdiocese of Detroit may be eligible for:

• Fishermen’s Fund, Catechetical Leaders service based grants.
• Parish Empowerment grants for those qualified parishes.
• Pastoral Ministry need-based grants.

Federal financial aid grants such as:

Federal PELL Grant 
Federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants 

Federal financial aid student loans such as:

Stafford Subsidized/ Unsubsidized student loans may be available to those in degree programs who qualify. Students must be enrolled at least half-time to qualify for federal student loans: [undergraduate: 6 credit hours; graduate: 4 credit hours].

State of Michigan Aid:

• The Michigan Tuition Grant is available to those students pursuing the A.B. Philosophy degree and has financial need.
• The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) is an incentive program that encourages eligible students to complete high school by providing tuition assistance for the first two years of college and beyond. To meet the financial eligibility requirement, a student must have (or have had) Medicaid coverage for 24 months within a 36-consecutive-month period as identified by the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS). TIP provides assistance in two phases. Sacred Heart Major Seminary will pay Phase I benefits only for Associate of arts in Ministry (AAM). Tip will pay those eligible student $86 per credit hour, up to 24 credit hours per academic year. In addition, TIP will pay registration fees for the academic year. See the Fact Sheet for more information.
• Michigan Student Aid Information and Programs
• Children of Veterans Tuition Grant (CVTG)
• Dual Enrollment
• Fostering Futures Scholarship
• Michigan GEAR UP Scholarship
• Michigan Tuition Grant (For A.B. Philosophy program only)
• Tuition Incentive Program (TIP)
• Futures for Frontliners

How Do I Apply

To apply for Sacred Heart institutional grants, federal or state aid, students are required to file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) application for the academic year the student plans to enroll. Renew or start a new application at the official FAFSA site: https://fafsa.ed.gov/.

Remember that FAFSA is FREE: Never pay to file for financial aid or to manage your student loans.

The Sacred Heart federal school code is: 002313.

Students and parents of dependent students are required to create an individual FSA ID (Federal Student Aid ID). The FSA ID will enable access to the FAFSA, electronic signatures, and transfer of student/parent income tax information from the IRS and to access other important federal financial aid sites. Create a username and password at this direct link: https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm.

Keep this information and all financial aid information in a secure place to avoid identity theft. The FSA ID will be needed to reapply each new academic year.

Students and parents of dependent students may apply as early as October 1st of each year for the upcoming new academic year. The FAFSA requires prior-prior year income tax information. For Example: applicants for the 2023-2024 academic year may file as early as October 1, 2022, using 2021 income tax information. Applicants for the 2024-2025 academic year may file as early as October 1, 2023 using 2022 income tax information. The change is to allow students to file early and on-time without waiting for tax filings in the current year to be completed.

Resources:
Eligibility Requirements
Staying Eligible 
Regaining Eligibility
FAFSA Deadlines
Filing Out the FAFSA Form 
Reviewing and Correcting Your FAFSA Form 
Renewing Your FAFSA Form

Applications Required/Available

For consideration of Sacred Heart institutional grants:

File FAFSA application each new academic year.

Sacred Heart Financial Aid Application: be sure to include your planned credit hours.

ACE Grant certification form: for those students involved in a catechetical ministry at a parish or teach religion/theology at a catholic school in the Archdiocese of Detroit. Submit the certification form annually.

Fishermen’s Fund application and Pledge Agreement: be sure to include your personal statement on a separate Word document. For those students in the Archdiocese of Detroit.  Submit the applications annually.

Generous Financial Aid:  Review financial aid options.

Other Applications Available

PEF (Parish Empowerment Fund): for students in qualified parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Awarded annually: applications available in May-June of each year. Contact the department of Parish Life and Services at 313-237-4696 for parish eligibility and application availability.

Pastoral Ministry Grant: for students in the Archdiocese of Detroit with financial need. Applications are submitted each term. Contact the Department of Development and Stewardship at 313-596-7400 for application deadlines and availability.

Annual Awarding of Sacred Heart Institutional Grants

Sacred Heart institutional grants are awarded in June of each year for the upcoming new academic year. It is strongly recommended that students complete the FAFSA and other required applications by March 1st for priority awarding. Late applications received up to mid-May will be considered. 

Late awards for the fall and winter terms and spring term awards will be considered at a later date and is dependent upon funding availability.

Award Notification

Student award letter notifications will be sent in July to the official school email address. Students will have the opportunity to accept or decline gift aid and/or accept, decline, or reduce federal student loans. Notifications for later awards will be sent as the aid is finalized.

Students are encouraged to access their award letter and tuition billing statement on COR under the Billing/Financial Aid tab.

Contact Your Financial Aid Staff

We are here to help you through the complexities of the financial aid process. Always feel free to contact us with any question or concern. 

Office hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. or contact us for individual appointments.

Tamra Perzanowski, Financial Aid Director
[email protected] 
313-883-8692; (fax) 313-883-8797

Financial aid will be returned in accordance with federal policy:

• Federal unsubsidized Stafford loans
• Federal subsidized Stafford loans
• Federal Pell grants
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity grants (FSEOG)

Withdrawals and Refunds

Students withdrawing prior to the 60% completion point of the term may find that they owe a significant balance to the institution, as full charges will be assessed, even though there is only partial financial aid eligibility.

Sacred Heart Funds

When a student drops or withdraws in full from classes, Sacred Heart institutional scholarships will be removed from the student account. The award may be reassigned to subsequent term(s) of the same academic year. In the case where the amount of the scholarship exceeds the student account balance, it will be removed from the student account or may be reassigned to subsequent term(s) of the same academic year.

Archdiocese of Detroit Funds

When a student withdraws from a class, funds are adjusted to reflect the withdrawal. See the link at the left for aid options funded by the Archdiocese of Detroit.

MichiganWorks!

Funding is contingent upon availability of grants made by the state to the various Michigan counties. Students must contact the MichiganWorks! office in the county in which they reside. See the MichiganWorks! website for more information, or call (517) 371-1100.

Michigan Rehabilitation Services (MRS)

A person with a disability may be eligible for MRS services if the disability causes problems in preparing for, finding, or keeping a job. Educational assistance services can help with funds toward tuition, fees, books, supplies and transportation. Please contact the central office at: 1-800-605-6722 to locate the MRS office closest to you.

The Tuition Incentive Program (TIP)

TIP is an incentive program that encourages eligible students to complete high school by providing tuition assistance for the first two years of college and beyond. To meet the financial eligibility requirement, a student must have (or have had) Medicaid coverage for 24 months within a 36-consecutive-month period as identified by the Michigan Department of Human Services (DHS). TIP provides assistance in two phases. TIP will pay Phase I benefits only for the Associate of Arts in Ministry (AAM) to those eligible students @ $86 per credit hour, up to 24 credit hours per academic year. In addition, TIP will pay registration fees for the academic year. For the process and more information, click here.