Apply for Traditional Undergraduate Financial Aid

Basic steps to apply for financial aid:

• Apply to Montreat College.
• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• Pay your deposit.

You will be awarded a financial aid package only after the Student Financial Services Office has all of your paperwork. Your aid will not disburse until after you start your classes.

Additional Financial Aid Details

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Montreat College FAFSA school code: 002948
For dependent students, the student and at least one parent are required to use an FSA ID, made up of a username and password, to access certain U.S. Department of Education websites. Your FSA ID is used to confirm your identity when accessing your financial aid information and electronically signing your federal student aid documents. Then complete the FAFSA online and use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) to update your FAFSA with IRS tax return information. You must indicate that you have completed a Federal tax return to be eligible to use the IRS DRT.

North Carolina residents

To apply for the North Carolina Need-Based Scholarship, you must submit your FAFSA and complete the North Carolina Residency Determination Service (RDS). Eligibility is determined by the state of North Carolina. State funds may be limited, so application through both the FAFSA and the RDS is encouraged as early as possible.

Entrance counseling (new borrowers)

If you have not previously received a Direct Loan or Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), the Federal Government requires you to complete entrance counseling to ensure that you understand the responsibilities and obligations you are assuming.

Complete this step by June 1 to ensure your loan is credited to your student bill. If you plan to take out any Federal student loans as a first-time Stafford borrower, you must complete loan counseling. You may complete the process at Federal Student Aid.

Promissory note(s) (MPN) (new borrowers)

Complete this step by June 1 to ensure your loan is credited to your student bill. If you are a first-time Stafford Loan borrower or a Parent PLUS Loan borrower, complete the promissory note for any loans that you have been offered and want to accept. This can be completed online at Federal Student Aid.

Satisfy all fees

• Bills are mailed in early July and payments are due in early August.
• Before making a payment, check your balance on the Montreat Access Portal.
• You can pay your balance online by credit card.

Report outside scholarships

• Any outside scholarships that you receive must be reported to the Student Financial Services office.
• All outside scholarships will be considered as part of your financial aid package.
• Montreat College reserves the right to reduce institutional scholarships or grants due to outside resources you are receiving.
• If the outside scholarship agency requires a billing statement before funds can be released, contact the Student Financial Services Office to make arrangements.

Honors Program Application

The Honors Program application is the first step in the Honors Program Admissions and Scholarship process. Students interested in applying for the Honors Program must meet one of the following criteria:

• 3.5 unweighted GPA
• or qualifying test score of 1200 SAT, 25 ACT, or 78 CLT
• Note: If you are a first-time student, your Honors Program application must include a test score even if the test score does not meet the minimum score criteria listed above.

Standard acceptance to Montreat College as a first-time or transfer student is required before a student can apply to the Honors Program. 

Students interested in applying for the Honors Program must contact the Admissions Office via email. Please email admissions@montreat.edu to let us know of your interest. Once we hear from you, your Admissions Counselor will open the Honors Application Portal for you. From there, you’ll follow the steps to submit the application. 

Here are some tips to consider before you begin the Honors application process:

• Take your time in planning and writing your responses. Don’t rush. The deadline to submit your Honors Program application is January 13, 2025.
• Read each question carefully and answer the questions completely. Be honest and thoughtful in your responses. This is our chance to meet you and to know why you are interested in our Montreat Honors Program community.
• Follow the word-count recommendations on the application. The short essays, in particular, are designed for you to demonstrate how you think through and write about concepts.
• Double-check your responses for correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Prepare for your essays

Students are encouraged to be thoughtful in their essay responses. For this reason, we’ve included the questions below to help you prepare for your application submission.

1. Why do you wish to participate in the Montreat College Honors Program?
2. What are your aspirations (career, graduate school, or otherwise)?
3. Describe your understanding of Jesus Christ. Who is He?
4. The Montreat College mission statement claims that the college “educates students through intellectual inquiry, spiritual formation, and preparation for calling and career, all to impact the world for Jesus Christ.” How might all three of those areas be important to your growth and development?
5. C.S. Lewis, in a lecture titled “Our English Syllabus,” makes a distinction between the life of the mind and a person’s livelihood. He says, “Human life means to me the life of beings for whom the leisured activities of thought, art, literature, conversation are the end, and the preservation and propagation of life merely the means.” Reflect upon what C.S. Lewis claims the best kind of life is. Do you agree? Why or why not?