Notice to Students
Federal Financial Aid (Title IV) Status
Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) has received PRE-ACCREDITATION approval from The Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA). Until the fall 2025 semester starts and students begin attending, the school is ineligible to participate in Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), which includes administering federal student financial aid programs and Title VII programs of the Department of Health and Human Services. MSOM will be submitting the application to participate to the US Department of Education on the first day of classes starting in July 2025 as required by Federal Student Aid Regulations for new non-profit Institutions of Higher Learning. The Department of Education will assign the school a federal school code (OPEID) once it obtains eligibility to participate in Title IV federal student aid programs. Once approved, MSOM’s Financial Aid Team will notify all students of the ability to obtain federal student aid.
The Financial Aid office will work with all enrolled students to ensure their FAFSA is filed and determine their eligibility for federal student aid once MSOM receives approval from US DOE. If the student is eligible, the Financial Aid office will process Federal Student Aid in place of the alternative financing the student had in place to start the program. This means, MSOM will retroactively award aid from the US Department of Education and return funds to the private loan lenders directly on behalf of the student. The MSOM Financial Aid Office wants to make this process as seamless as possible for students.
While MSOM awaits approval for Federal Student Aid, enrolled students will need to seek a private, educational loan through a third party lender of their choosing or make payment out of pocket.
Veteran Affairs (VA) Education Benefits
Meritus School of Osteopathic Medicine (MSOM) has been pre-approved as an institute of higher learning in Maryland from the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC). Until the fall 2025 semester starts and students being attending, the school is ineligible to participate in VA Educational Benefit programs (including, but not limited to, Chapter 30, 31, 33, 35, MGIB, etc.). MSOM will be submitting the application to become a VA Approved Program with the State Approving Agency (SAA) at MHEC on the first day of the program in July 2025. Once the Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine program is a VA Approved Program, MSOM can begin certifying VA Education Benefits.
More information on the VA Educational Benefits, including information to apply, can be found here: VA Education And Training Benefits | Veterans Affairs