Occasionally students want to spend a semester or academic year at another domestic institution and transfer the hours earned back to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES). Students often enroll simultaneously at UMES and a community college and want to combine the hours at both institutions for financial aid purposes. It is possible to receive financial aid under these circumstances as long as certain requirements are met. The purpose of a consortium agreement is to ensure disbursement of the proper amount of financial aid. Consortium agreements will only be processed if they are necessary for you to receive your federal financial aid.
Requirements:
- The earned credit hours must transfer to UMES and be counted toward your degree requirements.
- Complete the financial aid application process through the UI Office of Student Financial Aid. The UI Office of Student Financial Aid must have the results from your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- You must meet all of the eligibility requirements required by the federal financial aid programs.
- You must take less than 12 hours (undergraduate students) or less than 9 hours (graduate students) at UMES.
Information
- Your financial aid will be awarded by the institution from which you will receive your degree. If you plan to enroll simultaneously at UMES and another institution, you should apply for financial aid at the school from which you expect to graduate. The school from which you will graduate is the “home” institution that must process a consortium agreement with the other school (the “host” institution).
- After the consortium agreement is processed, the Office of Student Financial Aid will contact the UMES Registrar’s Office and request they register you in either 6998:0001, Undergraduate Transfer, or 6997:0001, Graduate Transfer, for the number of credit hours that will transfer from the other school. This registration is needed so the University Billing Office can disburse your financial aid. Do not inadvertently drop this class.
- If there are any past-due charges on your University bill or other restrictions on your registration, you will need to remove those restrictions before the UMES Registrar’s Office will register you for the transfer course(s).
- You must meet the minimum enrollment requirements to qualify for financial aid (six (6) credit hours for undergraduate students and four (4) hours for graduate students). If you enroll simultaneously at UMES and another school, the total registration hours between the two schools will be used to determine your financial aid eligibility. If you receive scholarships from UMES, they may be reduced or canceled based on the terms of the scholarship and/or number of hours you are taking at UMES.
- The University of Maryland Eastern Shore will not send any payments to the other school. You will be responsible for paying any program fees/bills at the other institution. You may use financial aid funds that are refunded to you by UMES to pay the other school.
- If you receive financial aid funds for classes approved by this consortium agreement, after you complete the course(s), it is your responsibility to provide an official transcript to the UMES Office of Admissions. You will not be permitted to register for any upcoming sessions at The University of Maryland Eastern Shore until the official transcript is received. If you have early-registered for a subsequent semester and the official transcript is not received in a timely fashion, your early registration will be voided.
Procedures
- Complete the Consortium Agreement Form and submit it to the UMES Office of Student Financial Aid.
- You must complete a Consortium Agreement Form for each term that you register at another school. The consortium agreement will only cover classes for which you have already registered. If you plan to attend the other school for an academic year, you will have to process one consortium agreement for the fall term and another agreement after you have registered for spring classes.
- Deadline: If you will enroll simultaneously at UMES and another institution and are receiving federal grant or loan money, you must complete the consortium process prior to the closure of UMES’ Add/ Drop period. Please note: No loan processing or changes may occur a loan after the last day of classes for that semester. To ensure processing, please complete all requirements at least 14 business days prior to the closure of the desired semester.
