Cost of Attendance

All students are required to have health insurance. You are automatically enrolled in the Mercer University Health Plan at the beginning of each school year, but if you have other health insurance, you may opt-out of university coverage. You MUST opt-out each semester, otherwise you will continue to be enrolled in university coverage and billed accordingly.

Mercer University Campus Health

All financial aid, including scholarships and loans, will be disbursed at the beginning of each semester. All aid will be applied to your tuition and fees first. Any remaining funds will be disbursed to you for your living expenses. We encourage you to enroll in direct deposit so you will receive your living allowance faster. Learn more about student refunds on the Bursar’s website.

1.    Sign into your MyMercer portal.
2.    On the left-side menu, click “My Finances.”
3.    Select “Pay and Manage My Account.”
4.    Click “Manage Refunds.”
5.    Please have your bank account information ready, and follow the steps.

Please make sure that all account information is correct prior to submitting enrollment. If a bank account or routing number is entered incorrectly, you will receive a paper check and your refund may be delayed.

The living expense allowance for financial aid purposes is set based on the average living expenses of our students for the 9-month academic year, as determined by surveys and a review of area expenses such as rental rates. The living allowance includes housing, utilities, transportation, food, books, personal expenses, and average loan fees. It does not (and cannot) include car payments, credit card payments, or other expenses unrelated to obtaining an education.

The federal government only allows expenses related to obtaining an education to be included in the living allowance for financial aid purposes. It considers car payments and credit card payments to be consumer debt and not related to obtaining an education.

The living expense allowance reflects the average amount students spend on living expenses during the academic year. We encourage students to minimize living expenses. Federal regulations allow limited exceptions or adjustments to information reported on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Such exceptions or adjustments are known as “Professional Judgement”. These requests are considered on a case-by-case basis based on supporting documentation of a student’s circumstance. Students who have extenuating circumstances and may require additional aid may request a living expense budget increase by submitting the relevant form and documentation to the Financial Aid Office. If approved, the increase typically allows the student to borrow additional loan funds, subject to annual loan limits and/or credit approval.