Other Financial Aid
Departmental Scholarships
In addition to the general scholarships and awards, there are a limited number of departmental scholarships related to specific disciplines, such as music, speech, journalism, art, agriculture, accounting, and science. Interested students should contact the academic discipline for more information regarding these programs.
Also available is a variety of privately-funded scholarships which are administered by the University with the assistance of the MSU Foundation, Inc. A comprehensive list of these scholarships, including eligibility requirements and other criteria,may be obtained by contacting the Office of Enrollment Services at (606) 783-2011.
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Graduate Assistantships
Under construction
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Veterans Administration Educational Assistance
Under construction
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Benefits for Veteran's Dependents
Under construction
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Waiver of Tuition
Below are elibility requirements for tuition waivers, if you are in one of these categories, contact the Office of Enrollment Services, by e-mail to finaid@moreheadstate.edu or call (606) 783-2011.
For dependents of disabled or deceased Kentucky veterans, police officers, fire fighters, or volunteer fire fighters
Under KRS 164.505, KRS 164.507, KRS 164.515 and KRS 164.2842, the state of Kentucky provides for the waiver of tuition for eligible dependents of totally disabled or deceased Kentucky war veterans, police officers, fire fighters, or volunteer fire fighters. Dependents of veterans must apply for the waiver through the Kentucky Center for Veterans Affairs, 545 S. Third St., Room 123, Louisville, KY 40202.
Eligibility
Under KRS 164.505, a student or spouse may be eligible for a waiver of tuition if his or her parent or spouse was a Kentucky resident upon entrance into military service of the Kentucky National Guard and was killed while serving during a national emergency or war as declared by Congress or died as a result of a service connected disability.
Under KRS 164.507, any nonremarried spouse (regardless of age), and any child, stepchild, or orphan between the ages of 17 and 23 may be eligible for a waiver of tuition if the deceased parent served in the Armed Forces during a national emergency, wars declared by Congress, or actions of the United Nations, or died while on active duty in the Armed Forces regardless of wartime service, or died as a result of a service-connected disability acquired while on active duty regardless of wartime service and was a resident of Kentucky and received honorable discharge.
Under KRS 164.515 and KRS 164.2842, any child or orphan between the ages of 17 and 23 or spouse (regardless of age) of a permanently or totally disabled Kentucky war veteran, police officer, fire fighter, or volunteer fire fighter may be eligible for a waiver of tuition. To be entitled to benefits under this section, the veteran parent or spouse, if living, must be rated permanently and totally disabled for pension purposes and 100% disabled for compensation purposes by the Veterans Administration for a period of at least 30 days, or if deceased, must have held this rating at the time of death.
The Veterans Administration determines eligibility. Eligible students must submit their authorization form to the Office of Financial Aid.
For Kentucky foster or adopted child
Under KRS 164 the state of Kentucky provides for the waiver of tuition for eligible foster and adopted children. Foster and adopted children must apply for the waiver through the Cabinet for Families and Children.
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Vocational Rehabilition
The Department of Vocational Rehabilitation assists individuals with disabilities to achieve suitable employment and independence, including educational assistance. More information is available from the department's Web site at http://ovr.ky.gov/index.htm. The Morehead office is located on US 32 S; the phone number is (606) 783-1527.
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Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
What Is The Hope Scholarship?
The Hope Scholarship is actually a tax credit, not a scholarship. Tax credits are subtracted directly from the tax a family owes, rather than reducing taxable income like a tax deduction. A family must file a tax return and owe taxes to take advantage of it. The Hope credit is not refundable for families who do not pay taxes or who owe less in taxes than the maximum amount of the Hope tax credit for which the family is eligible.
A family may claim a tax credit of up to $1,500 per tax year for each eligible dependent. This can be done for up to two tax years. A family may claim up to 100% of the first $1,000 of eligible expenses and 50% of the next $1,000 for a maximum credit of $1,500.
The actual amount of the credit depends on the family's income, the amount of qualified tuition and fees paid, and the amount of certain scholarships and allowances subtracted from tuition. The total maximum credit also is based on the number of eligible dependents, rather than a maximum dollar amount for the family, as with the Lifetime Learning tax credit.
Who Qualifies?
The Taxpayer: An eligible taxpayer must file a tax return and owe taxes to claim the credit. The taxpayer must also claim the eligible student as a dependent, unless the credit is for the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse. The taxpayer is eligible for the maximum benefit with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of up to $40,000 for a single taxpayer (or $80,000 for married taxpayers). The credit amount is phased-out between $40,000 and $50,000 for single taxpayers (or $80,000 and $100,000 for married taxpayers).
The Student: An eligible student must be enrolled at least half-time in an eligible program leading to a degree or certificate at an eligible school during the calendar year and must not have completed the first two years of such undergraduate study. The student may claim the credit if the student is not claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer; this means the eligible student may also be the eligible taxpayer. In addition, the student may not have been convicted of a Federal or State felony drug offense before the end of the tax year in which the academic period occurs.
How Do You Get The Credit?
To qualify for the credit, the taxpayer must report the amount of tuition and fees paid as well as the amount of certain scholarships, grants, and untaxed income used to pay the tuition and fees. Current law specifies that schools will supply this information in the form of a "return" to individual taxpayers and to the IRS. More information about the return will be available after the Treasury Department issues regulations to implement this law.
When Is The Credit Available?
The taxpayer may claim the Hope credit for qualified expenses paid January 1, 1998 and after for education furnished in academic periods beginning on or after this date.
Taxpayers may pay educational expenses in a tax year for an academic period that begins following the tax year (e.g., paying in December 1998 for an academic period beginning in the first three months of 1999). Because the law does not take effect until January 1, 1998, these prepayments are not permitted for the first year of the credit.
Can A Family Claim Multiple Benefits?
A family may claim a Hope credit, a Lifetime Learning credit and an exclusion from gross income for certain distributions from qualified State tuition programs or education IRAs as long as the same student is not used as the basis for each credit or exclusion and the family does not exceed the Lifetime Learning maximum per family.
What Is the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit?
The Lifetime Learning credit is a tax credit available to individuals who file a tax return and owe taxes. This means the amount of the credit is subtracted directly from a family's actual tax liability, rather than reducing taxable income like a tax deduction does. The Lifetime Learning credit is not refundable.
A family may claim a tax credit of $2,000 per tax year for the taxpayer, taxpayer's spouse, or any eligible dependents for an unlimited number of tax years. A family may claim up to 20% of $10,000 of eligible expenses.
The actual amount of the credit depends on the family's income, the amount of qualified tuition and fees paid, and the amount of certain scholarships and allowances subtracted from tuition. This credit is family-based (e.g., $1,000 per family) rather than dependent-based like the Hope credit.
Who Qualifies?
The Taxpayer: An eligible taxpayer must file a tax return and owe taxes to claim the credit. The taxpayer must also claim the eligible student as a dependent unless the credit is for the taxpayer or the taxpayer's spouse. The taxpayer is eligible for the maximum benefit with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) of up to $40,000 for a single taxpayer (or $80,000 for married taxpayers). The credit amount is phased out between $40,000 and $50,000 for single taxpayers (or $80,000 and $100,000 for married taxpayers).
The Student: An eligible student may be enrolled at least half time in an eligible program leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree at an eligible school during the calendar year or may be enrolled at any enrollment level in any course of instruction at an eligible school to acquire/improve the student's job skills during the calendar year. The student may claim the credit if the student is not claimed as a dependent by another taxpayer.
How Do You Get The Credit?
To qualify for the credit, the taxpayer must report the amount of tuition and fees paid, as well as the amount of certain scholarships, grants, and untaxed income used to pay the tuition and fees. Current law specifies that schools will supply this information in the form of a "return" to individual taxpayers and to the IRS. More information about the return will be available after the Treasury Department issues regulations to implement this law.
Can A Family Claim Multiple Benefits?
A family may claim a Lifetime Learning credit, a Hope credit, and an exclusion from gross income for certain distributions from qualified State tuition programs or education IRAs, as long as the same student is not used as the basis for each credit or exclusion and the family does not exceed the Lifetime Learning maximum per family.
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