Check your Joe’SS to-do checklist now to see if there are any items that are being requested from you. Submit requested items as soon as possible, but prior to the start of the first week of class, to avoid any due date issues. 

If you have not yet completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and would like to utilize federal aid, you will need to complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA at fafsa.gov.  We generally receive completed FAFSAs and offer federal aid within 1-2 weeks of completion.

Accept any loan, work study, or athletic aid in Joe’SS.

1. Accept any loan funds if you are sure that you will need the funds. (You are not required to accept the full offered amount and can choose to reduce it in Joe’SS if desired.)
2. If you were offered Federal Work Study as part of your financial aid package, please accept or decline the offer in Joe’SS. While work study will not apply to your bill (you will earn it in a paycheck for the hours you work through the semester), accepting it allows us to begin placing you in a position.
3. Any athletic aid offered will need to be accepted before it will show as anticipated aid on your bill.

If you have anyone helping you navigate the financial aid and billing processes, grant them access to your accounts:

1. You can grant Additional Authorized Access and Third Party FERPA Release in Joe’SS. This allows our office to speak with your parents/loved ones about your account.
2. You can set up Authorized User(s) in TouchNet. This allows others to make payments or set up payment plans on your behalf and receive a copy of the bill.

If you received a private scholarship, please report the name and amount of the scholarship in Joe’SS (Self-Report Private Scholarships). We will add it as an offer to your financial aid and it will show as anticipated aid on the bill. (You will not be able to accept that amount in Joe’SS; it will be accepted once we receive the funds from the donor.)

Private scholarship checks should be mailed to the Student Financial Services office for processing. Please include your name and 8-digit student ID number with the check. (No need to endorse the check.) If you have already cashed a private scholarship check, you can email our office at sfs@mst.edu to let us know you received that scholarship. Please include the name and amount of the scholarship along with your 8-digit student ID number.

S&T has partnered with Barnes & Noble who is putting your Miner Book Bundle together; this includes all the required materials you will need for the courses you are registered for in the fall semester.  For undergraduate students, the cost is $360 per semester for full-time students, and $168 for part-time students, and for graduate students the cost is $24 per credit hour. If you prefer to purchase your materials independently, you may opt out of the Miner Book Bundle. Opt-out instructions will be available beginning July 17 mst.edu/minerbookbundle (in the FAQs). Once you complete the opt-out process, a credit for the Miner Book Bundle will be applied to your student account.  (The deadline to opt-out for fall 2026 is September 6.)

There are some additional loan options you and your family can explore if needed. If applying for one of these loans, use the loan term of August 2026–May 2027 to cover both the fall and spring terms. Please allow 3-5 business days after approval for the loan to be added to anticipated aid toward your bill.

1. A Direct Parent PLUS Loan is a federal loan; approval is based on your parent’s credit, and they are considered the borrower. If interested, your parent would need to complete an application and credit check at gov. 
2. A private student loan is a loan through an outside lender; approval is based on student’s credit (and a cosigner’s credit, if needed). You can use any lender of your choosing, but we encourage you to check out our preferred lender list for options.

The upcoming bill will be for the fall semester. Here are some payment options to consider:

1. If you plan to use a 529 college savings plan, you must initiate the payment from your 529 servicer and a check will be mailed to us from that provider. (Please allow 10-14 business days for processing.)
2. If you are submitting an international payment through Flywire or TransferMate, please be aware that it may take 7–10 days from the time you initiate the payment for us to receive the funds.
3. You can choose to pay the full amount due (after financial aid is deducted) by the September 10 due date (no additional fees for paying in full).
4. You can set up a payment plan in TouchNet to split your total amount due into four (4) installments, with the first payment due on September 10 ($50 set up fee per semester). If you do not pay your balance in full by the first due date and are not already signed up for a payment plan, you will be added automatically to an administrative payment plan and the $50, non-refundable, payment plan set up fee will be applied to your student account.
5. If you are expecting full or partial payment of your student account balance from an outside sponsor (employer, agency, organization, etc.), please submit your financial guarantee documentation to Student Financial Services as early as possible. Receipt of the financial guarantee allows our office to apply anticipated third-party credits to your account and helps ensure your first bill reflects expected sponsorship coverage.

Students using Post-9/11 G.I. Bill® educational benefits should work with Kevin Walkup, the campus V.A. Representative, to ensure the appropriate service indicators are added to their student account. These indicators are required to make eligible students available for enrollment in the G.I. Bill payment plan and help prevent delays in billing and payment arrangements. Check out additional resources here: mvsc.mst.edu/veteransresources.