Master of Public Health Degree Online

• Master of Public Health Program Guide +

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    Click on the Master of Public Health program guide to learn more about the program and university.

    Read detailed course descriptions and obtain answers to many of your questions regarding application and tuition.

• Accreditation +

  • A.T. Still University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, a commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, 230 S. LaSalle Street; Suite 7-500; Chicago, IL 60604, Phone: 800.621.7440.

• Career Advancement +

  • Many diverse career options in both the public and private sectors are available for graduates who have earned ATSU’s master’s degree in public health, including:
    • Assistant/Associate Professor in Health Education
    • Director of Community Health Services
    • Director of Health and Wellness Program (for a corporation, hospital, or health system)
    • Health Advocacy/Policy/Research
    • Health Educator
    • Health Education Consultant
    • Health Policy Adviser/Consultant
    • Public Health Information Officer
    • Public Health Project Manager
    • Public Health Management Analyst
    • Program Manager at an Insurance Company

Master of Public Health Degree Faculty

ATSU School of Health Management (SHM) instructors have diverse academic and working backgrounds in public health, and all hold doctoral degrees. Their academic areas of interest include access to care, workforce issues, impact of water shortages, preventive health care, health disparities, injury prevention, maternal and child health, health policy and cultural disparities.

ATSU-SHM faculty and staff are dedicated to your success, and comprehensive student services are available, including advising, tutoring, career services and technical support.

• Interim Dean and Department Chair +

  • • Don Altman, DDS, DHSc, MPH, MBA, MA
      Interim Dean and Department Chair
      
      

      Dr. Don Altman, is the interim Dean for SHM as well as Professor and Chair, Department of Public Health (SHM) and Director, Public Health & Research at the Arizona School of Dentistry & Oral Health. He has been with the University since October 2006.

      Dr. Altman graduated from The University of Texas Dental Branch (DDS) in 1983. He completed his Master of Public Health degree at The University of Texas School of Public Health in 1989 and became Board Certified in Dental Public Health in 1999. Dr. Altman completed his MBA at The University of Phoenix (2002) and a MA in Bioethics from Midwestern University (2004). He graduated with a Doctor in Health Science (DHSc) degree in March 2012 from the Arizona School of Health Sciences at A.T. Still University.

      Dr. Altman has worked for The City of Houston, the State of Texas, the State of Arizona, as well as The Principal Financial Group. Dr. Altman's public health experience includes: serving as President of the Arizona State Board Dental Examiners; serving as President of the Arizona Public Health Association; volunteering with Health Volunteers Overseas (Cambodia and Vietnam); Director of the National Oral Health Leadership Institute; and serving as the Consumer Representative to the Dental Products Panel for the Food and Drug Administration. On May 1, 2012 he was appointed as a Director to The American Board of Dental Public Health.

      Dr. Altman's research interests are currently centered on public health and higher education. He has published articles in the Journal of Dental Education, Journal of the American Dental Association, Public Health Reports, Special Care in Dentistry, and Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology.

• Associate Dean +

  • Katherine M. Adler, DHA, FACHE
    Associate Dean of Academic Success and Assessment
    
    

    Dr. Adler is the Associate Dean for Assessment and Student Success at the School of Health Management (SHM). She began teaching for the School of Health Management in 2006, became the Program Chair for Health Administration in 2009, and became the Associate Dean in 2012.

    Dr. Adler holds a Doctorate in Healthcare Administration and Leadership from the Medical University of South Carolina. She has more than 25 years of varied experience in the not-for-profit health care industry, spending the bulk of her career working at safety-net hospitals in urban Detroit.

    During her tenure in administrative roles, Dr. Adler worked closely with physicians in medicine and surgery, having direct oversight of those departments and subspecialties, and gained extensive knowledge in public health, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, and environmental health sciences. Through her formal training and work, Dr. Adler has a strong background in health services administration as well as public health. She is a patient advocate, understands the plight of the underserved and underinsured, and has worked to incorporate patient-centered care into the curriculum with the understanding that prevention and whole person healthcare are the keys to a healthy community and society.

• Faculty +

  • • V. James Guillory, DO, MPH, FACPM
      Professor
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Guillory is a professor of public health at the School of Health Management at A.T. Still University, as well as an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

      Dr. Guillory has served on numerous committees and boards related to preventive medicine and public health, locally and nationally. He has taught many courses on epidemiology, biostatistics, research design and methodology, and maternal and child health. Dr. Guillory practiced family and emergency medicine for 12 years prior to retraining in preventive medicine and public health. He spent much of his time in practice working with the Public Health Service in medically underserved, rural areas. He also has served as a district and county medical director in local and regional public health agencies. Dr. Guillory has completed fellowships in healthcare leadership, and public health policy and leadership. He is board certified in family medicine as well as in preventive medicine and public health.

      Dr. Guillory's primary research activities focus on the determinants of maternal and child health, particularly focusing on those factors that lead to disparities in birth outcomes. His research includes examining factors related to the prevention of infant morbidity and mortality, the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity, and the association between insurance status and health.

    • Michael E. Samuels, DrPH
      Professor
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Samuels is professor of the Master of Public Health program at ATSU's School of Health Management. He is the emeritus endowed chair and distinguished scholar in rural health policy and research, and professor of family medicine, at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He is a former professor and chair of the Department of Health Services Policy and Management at the Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, and founding director of the South Carolina Rural Health Research Center.

      Dr. Samuels is a nationally-known health services researcher with a long record of supported research and numerous journal articles on rural health, health professions. His teaching has focused on health policy and politics, and public health history. He has a Doctor of Public Health in public health administration from the University of North Carolina Gillings School of Global Public Health in Chapel Hill, NC, a Master of Arts in Public Administration from George Washington University in Washington, DC and a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Guilford College in Greensboro, NC.

      Dr. Samuels served as principal assistant to Surgeon General C. Everett Koop, legislative health aide to Congressman Richard Gephardt, fellow of the Institute of Medicine, National Academy of Sciences, deputy director of National Health Service Corps, and director of Community and Migrant Health Centers. He has received all the civilian awards available from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Distinguished Educator Award (2010) from the National Rural Health Association.

      Dr. Samuel's research interests include rural health services, health policy and politics, health disparities, U.S./Mexico border health issues, and health workforce.

    • David Line Denali, PhD, MPH, MSW
      Associate Professor
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Line Denali received his PhD from the University of New Mexico in health, physical education, and recreation in 2004. He has a master's degree in public health from the University of New England and a master's degree in social work from the State University of New York at Albany. He received a bachelor's degree in hotel administration with a joint major in Africana studies and research from Cornell University.

      Dr. Line Denali's professional experience includes behavioral health, emergency preparedness, and public administration. For 15 years, he coordinated a behavioral health program for the Supreme Court of Arizona with a focus on adjudicated youth and service learning. Most recently, he has been a public health emergency preparedness division manager and provided services as an incident commander for the New Mexico State Police. His pre-hospital medical experience includes providing EMT services at Yosemite and Grand Canyon National Parks. He also is a member of the National Ski Patrol.

      Previously, Dr. Line Denali held academic appointments at Green Mountain College, Springfield College, and The University of New England. His academic interests include emergency preparedness, international public health, environmental economics, and financial management in the public arena. He has conducted research on the impact of water shortages on public health, the impact of health education on student's self-concept, and the effectiveness of the incident command system within public health. He is currently concluding a 10-year study on injury rates in endurance sports and is working on International Border Health Issues.

    • Gregory S. Loeben, PhD
      Associate Professor
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Loeben received his PhD in philosophy from the University of Arizona in 1998, where he specialized in medical ethics, social and political philosophy, and the philosophy of law. His current areas of interest include public health ethics, clinical ethics, end-of-life care, and medical humanities. He also holds a degree in environmental studies.

      Prior to joining the faculty at ATSU, Dr. Loeben held primary faculty position at Midwestern University in Glendale, AZ, where he established and ran a master's program in bioethics, and at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, where he helped develop a bioethics network and outreach program within the UPENN healthcare system. He also has held adjunct faculty position at Arizona State University's Barrett Honors College, Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Grand Canyon University's College of Nursing.

      Dr. Loeben currently serves as a clinical ethicist at several hospitals in the Phoenix area and as a consultant to numerous other healthcare organizations. He has an extensive background working with healthcare ethics committees and research institutional review boards, both as a trainer and as a member. He has published broadly on medical ethics, including work on medical futility, end-of-life decision making, reasonable suspicion in child abuse, ethical issues in genetic screening, and the nature of teaching ethics to professional students. He is regularly invited to speak to public and professional groups on a wide range of medical ethical issues, giving more than 100 such presentations to date.

    • Mary-Katherine Smith, DrPH, MPH, MCHES
      Assistant Professor
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Smith is an assistant professor with ATSU-SHM's Master of Public Health program. She holds a doctorate of public health with an emphasis in social and behavioral sciences from the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth, a master's in rural public health from Texas A&M University Health Science Center, and a bachelor's degree in biology from Texas A&M University. She is also a Certified Health Education Specialist. Dr. Smith has extensive experience in epidemiology, program planning, and community health; both in the non-profit sector, government sector as well as in academia. She has been with ATSU since 2007.

      Dr. Smith's research interests include emergency preparedness, cultural disparities, and maternal and child health issues. She has published multiple research articles in pandemic planning and emergency preparedness, and presented at national conferences. She also has served as a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association, as well as chair of the American Heart Association Cultural Health Initiatives Tarrant County Task Force. She is a member of the National Society of Public Health Education, the U.S. and Texas Public Health Associations, and the National Rural Health Association. She was actively involved in multiple public health and pandemic influenza planning groups and served on multiple boards. She participates in yearly medical mission trips to Central America.

• Adjunct +

  • • Haile Cattledge, PhD, MSEH, FACE
      Adjunct
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Cattledge, a native of Fayetteville, NC, is deputy associate director for science for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Ga. Dr. Cattledge received a a PhD in environmental/occupational epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh, her Master of Science in Environmental Health with a specialty in epidemiology from East Tennessee State University and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Fayetteville State University. For more than 20 years at the CDC, she has mentored students into public health career paths, especially in the area of epidemiology. Prior to coming to ATSU, she taught at the University of Pittsburgh and Morehouse College. She has received numerous honors and awards and has authored several peer-reviewed articles, and a book chapter.

      At CDC, Dr. Cattledge oversees various scientific aspects of the Center, including mentoring and training scientists and students. Prior to her current position, Dr. Cattledge held several positions at the CDC/National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). At NIOSH, she served in numerous scientific and leadership capacities. Her primary research was in occupational fall injuries in the construction industry.

      Dr. Cattledge was involved in the daily operations of the implementation of the National Occupational Research Agenda and also served as the National Leader for its Special Population At Risk Team. Prior to joining the CDC, her research interests were hypertension among African Americans, cardiovascular responsivity, physical activity, lung cancer, breast cancer, obesity and environmental risk factors.

    • Christopher Miller, DHSc
      Adjunct
      Read Bio Close

      Dr. Miller holds a doctorate of health sciences from Nova Southeastern University in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, a bachelor's of science in health services administration from Barry University in Miami, a master's degree in healthcare management from St. Thomas of Miami, and an associate of arts degree in occupational therapy assisting.

      Dr. Miller serves on several boards and is active in the nonprofit sector, currently serving as secretary of the South Florida Scleroderma Foundation Chapter and on the scholarship committee for the local Coalition on the Aging.

      From 2001-2010, he owned a private healthcare company that provided home care services, consulting, education, and support to both patients and healthcare professionals. Dr. Miller now focuses on consulting and health education. He also owns a small education company offering educational course design and professional development in the health field for healthcare companies. Prior to starting his company, he worked as the manager of a residential care facility and has clinical experiences working as a certified occupational therapy assistant on the rehab wing of a major hospital in Ft. Lauderdale.

      Most of his research has been internally focused as part of consulting work or his doctoral internship. He is currently working on a qualitative study based on numerous visits to non-profits in rural South Africa, exploring the common concerns and barriers among non-profit leaders.

    • Ann Nevers, LLM
      Adjunct
      Read Bio Close

      Ann Nevers has a law degree from the University of Utah law school, and a master of laws (LLM) degree in health law from St. Louis University. Her professional experience focuses on business compliance, including health care, general business and employment, as well as dispute resolution through processes of arbitration and mediation. She is an arbitrator affiliated with a number of national alternative dispute resolution panels including the American Arbitration Association arbitration panel, American Health Lawyers Association ADR panel, and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. She also has served on appeals panels and regularly chairs pre-litigation medical malpractice hearings in her state.

      Ms. Nevers has experience teaching law, ethics, policy, and general business courses in both the classroom and online setting. Her experience includes curriculum development and online faculty mentoring. Her areas of writing interest include health law and policy, legal compliance, and dispute resolution, and she has published legal academic articles related to dispute resolution, medical malpractice arbitration, and ERISA law.

      She also has published legal updates for compliance manuals for more than 10 years, including chapters on employment and labor, public health, and appeals and settlements. Her updates include information for medical group practice legal compliance, emergency department legal compliance, perinatal legal compliance, pharmacy department legal compliance and dispute

Master of Public Health Degree Admissions

ATSU's renowned public health master's degree program admits public health professionals who have diverse graduate education, work history and life experiences. Qualified candidates demonstrate an ability to pursue a rigorous course of graduate academic study and hold increasingly responsible positions in public health.

Students are selected by an admission committee that considers the overall qualities of the applicant through application content, academic record, prior experience, letters of evaluation, and personal motivation. In special circumstances, a personal interview may be required.

• Requirements +

  • Application requirements for the Master of Public Health program include:

    Bachelor's degree, or higher, from an accredited university recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. Applicants who graduated from a university outside the United States must provide a degree equivalency evaluation.

    Completed admissions application

    Official transcript from degree-granting institution

    Non-refundable application fee submitted with application
    Computer literacy and experience in word processing. All curricula require extensive computer usage. Accepted applicants are required to have a personal computer prior to matriculation and have access to a high-speed Internet connection.

    Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 3.0 (4.0 scale)

    Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants when English is not their first language. The Computer Based Test (CBT), Internet Based Test (iBT), or the Paper Based Test (PBT) are accepted. The following are the minimum required score based on test type:

    • CBT - minimum total score of 213
    • Min. 22/Reading Skills section | Min. 26/Writing Skills section
    • iBT - minimum total score of 80
    • Min. 22/Reading Skills section | Min. 24/Writing Skills section
    • PBT - minimum total score of 550
    • Min. 57/Reading Skills section | Min. 61/Writing Skills section

    Applicants are selected by an admission committee.

    For additional information contact an Enrollment Counselor at 877.469.2878 or onlineinquiry@atsu.edu.

• Application +

  • Application to the Master of Public Health program is accepted through the ATSU School of Health Management online admissions system.
    Apply Now
    
    
    
    For additional information contact an Enrollment Counselor:
    877.626.5577 or shmonlineadmissions@atsu.edu

• Tuition and Financial Services +

  • Application Fee: $70
    Tuition: $437.50 per credit hour (2012-2013 school year)
    Note: All fees and tuition are subject to change.
    

     

    Federal financial assistance is available for qualifying students. For information on financial aid, please visit ATSU's Financial Services department online or contact them at 866.626.2878 or by email at financialaid@atsu.edu

• Request Information +

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    MISSOURI CAMPUS

    
    800 W. Jefferson Street
    Kirksville, MO 63501
    Phone: 660.626.2121
    

    ARIZONA CAMPUS

    
    5850 E. Still Circle
    Mesa, AZ 85206
    Phone: 480.219.6000
    

• Financial Aid +

  Investing in your future as a student is one of the most important steps you will take in your life. ATSU can help you put together a financially-sound aid package that will let you focus on getting an exceptional education instead of worrying about how you will finance it.

  Students must be registered at least half-time to receive financial aid. Half time is defined as taking five credits each quarter. Financial Aid is available to students who are simultaneously enrolled at KCOM or ASHS. Contact the Student Financial Services at 866.626.2878, ext. 2529 for more information. All students receiving financial aid, whether through Student Financial Services or other institutions, must notify our office of their status.

  • • required steps
    • eligibility for financial assistance
    • satisfactory academic policy
    • student budget determination
    • verification
    • tuition
    • special conditions
    • financial planning
    
    
    
    
    

    THE 9 STEPS REQUIRED FOR A STUDENT TO RECEIVE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

    The student completes the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA) or a Renewal FAFSA by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov and following the instructions on the website. ATSU's school code is G02477.

    The Central Processing System (CPS) performs matches and edits, calculates a student contribution, and sends the data back to the processor.

    ATSU receives the information electronically (ISIR) within three to five business days.

    The student looks over the Student Aid Report (SAR) and, if accurate, keeps it for his/her records. If any corrections are needed, the student contacts the Financial Assistance Office.

    Student Financial Services performs verification and then sends an electronic award letter to the student's ATSU email address, along with instructions for completing the loan applications and other required forms.
    The student accepts, refuses, or modifies the award letter and submits all required forms to the Financial Assistance Office.

    Student Financial Services looks over the required forms and transmits the loan data to Sallie Mae.

    The lender wires the funds by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) to the school or sends the institution a loan check.

    If by EFT, all funds will be applied to the student's account. The refund will be directly deposited to the student's bank account if so desired by the student and proper documentation is on file.

    Eligibility for Financial Assistance

    Eligibility or unmet financial need is determined by subtracting a student's expected contribution from the student budget. The student's expected contribution is listed on the Student Aid Report (SAR) and is based on the student's financial strength. Students may choose to receive financial assistance up to their unmet financial need. For example, if a student's budget is $9,000 and the expected contribution is $5,000, the student's unmet financial need is $4,000. The student may receive financial aid through scholarships, loans, etc., to arrive at this figure. (Note: Students may use the Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan or any private loan to replace their expected contribution.) Every effort will be made to meet the student's need, but in some instances, the student may have to rely on other outside resources. It is of critical importance to be creditworthy, as most private loans require a credit check.

    Satisfactory Academic Progress for Federal Financial Aid

    According to the United States Department of Education regulations, (34CRF 668/16 and 668.34 and October 29, 2010 Final Federal Register), all students receiving federal financial assistance must meet and maintain satisfactory academic progress. Student Financial Services will review the academic progress of financial aid recipients after each payment period. Satisfactory academic progress (SAP) is measured in terms of qualitative and quantitative standards.

    Qualitative Measure

    The qualitative measure of a student's progress is measured by cumulative grade point average. The minimum cumulative GPA students must maintain for financial aid is as follows:

    Minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average at A.T. Still University

    2.0 for all programs on 4.0 scale

    70% for all programs on 100% scale

    Quantitative Measure

    Maximum Time Frame

    Financial aid recipients must complete an educational program within a time frame no longer than 150% of the published length of the educational program. All attempted withdrawn, failed, repeated, and/or transferred credits that apply to a student's program count toward this maximum time limit. For example, a student pursuing a doctorate degree requiring 120 credit hours may attempt up to 180 credit hours before financial aid eligibility is suspended (120 x 150% = 180). A student pursuing a doctorate degree requiring 5100 contact hours may attempt up to 7650 contact hours before financial aid eligibility is suspended (5100 x 150% = 7650).

    Pace of Progression

    Pace of progression is required to ensure students complete within a maximum time frame and that the pace is measured at each standard review time. Financial aid recipients must maintain a 67% minimum completion rate for attempted credit hours or contact hours. For example, a student pursuing a doctorate degree requiring 120 credit hours may attempt up to 180 hours before financial aid eligibility is suspended (120 divided by 180 = 67%). A student pursuing a doctorate degree requiring 5100 contact hours may attempt up to 7650 contact hours before financial aid eligibility is suspended (5100 divided by 7650 = 67%).

    Dropped, failed, and remedial courses for which no credit is received do not count towards credit hours earned. Credit hours for a course are earned by completing and passing the class.

    Financial Aid Warning

    Failure to meet the minimum academic progress requirements will result in a student being issued a financial aid warning. Students issued a financial aid warning will have one payment period to correct a progress problem due to qualitative or quantitative standards. Students will be notified of their status in writing via ATSU email. Students issued a financial aid warning will have an opportunity to file an appeal to request financial aid probation prior to the upcoming standard review time, which is at the end of each payment period.

    Financial Aid Probation

    If a student appeals their financial aid probation status and the appeal is approved, that student is put on financial aid probation for one payment period. Students may receive federal financial aid while on financial aid probation if he/she meets the terms of his/her appeal decision. If a student fails to meet SAP standards during the term of financial aid probation, he/she may request an additional appeal.

    Financial Aid Suspension

    Students who fail to meet the requirements of the financial aid warning or do not appeal their financial aid probation status are placed on financial aid suspension and are not eligible for federal financial aid. These students will receive written notification to their ATSU email account of their failure to comply and that future federal aid will be canceled.

    Appeal Procedure

    Students who have been issued a financial aid warning may submit a written appeal for reinstatement of eligibility prior to the start of the next payment period. Occasionally, extenuating circumstances contribute to their inability to meet the requirements for satisfactory progress. Extenuating circumstances include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • Death of an immediate family member
    • Severe injury or illness of the student or an immediate family member
    • Emergency situations such as fire or flood
    • Legal separation from spouse or divorce
    • Military reassignment or required job transfers or shift changes

    Students whose appeal is denied must establish eligibility by completing courses without federal aid in one or more payment periods at ATSU until the cumulative GPA and/or completion rate meet the required standard before any additional federal aid will be disbursed.

    Students who have extenuating circumstances may appeal using the following procedure:

    • Submit a completed Appeal form. Student will be notified if additional supporting documentation is required.
    • Appeal packet is presented to the SAP Committee for consideration.
    • Student is notified via email of the SAP Committee's decision and recommendations.

    Reinstatement

    Federal financial aid may be reinstated when one of the following conditions has been met:

    The student completes courses without federal aid in one or more payment periods at ATSU until the cumulative GPA and/or completion rate meet the required standard.

    - OR -
    
    

    The student files an appeal and the SAP Committee approves the appeal. It is the student's responsibility to notify Student Financial Services when reinstatement conditions have been met.

    Enrollment Status Policy

    Full-time enrollment definition

    Students enrolled in the Doctor of Dental Medicine and Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine are always defined as full-time.

    Full-time enrollment requires enrollment in a minimum of nine (9) quarter credit hours, or six (6) semester hours.

    Half-time enrollment definition

    Half-time enrollment is defined by enrollment in a minimum of five (5) quarter credit hours or three (3) semester hours.

    Enrollment Status Definitions
    1 Quarter Credit = .67 semester credit

    Program	Minimum # of Credit Hours	Minimum # of Credit Hours
    	Full-Time	Half-Time
    Osteopathic Medicine and Dental	Enrollment is always full-time
    All other programs	9/quarter, 6/semester	5/quarter, 3/semester

    Student Budget Determination

    The student expense budget is determined each year by the Director of Student Financial Services. Every effort is made to ensure that allowances in each category are realistic and fair. Although the Director of Student Financial Services determines the average student budget, students having credit history difficulties may not be able to borrow the full budgeted amount due to the private loans being based on creditworthiness.

    Verification

    Verification is the process by which Student Financial Services checks the accuracy of the information submitted by the student when applying for federal financial aid. It is intended to reduce errors in the financial information that students submit so eligible applicants can receive the correct amount of financial assistance.

    ATSU will verify all applicants who are selected for verification from the federally approved edits. If selected, students will need to submit a signed copy of their federal income tax return from the prior calendar year along with a verification worksheet. ATSU will compare the tax return and the verification worksheet to the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) to verify required items. Financial aid will not be awarded until the verification is complete.

    Special Conditions

    Professional judgment allows the Director and Assistant Director the flexibility to handle individual students with extenuating circumstances on a case-by-case basis. This authority is clearly stated in the regulations and is used as needed. The adjustments may be made in the cost of attendance, expected family contribution, or satisfactory academic progress.

    Although every effort is made to meet a student's financial need, financial assistance is not an entitlement and, in some instances, not all of a student's need will be met.

    Financial Planning

    Setting Goals
    Financing your education is an investment in your future. As a major investment, it should be entered into with conscientious planning. Setting goals and establishing a game plan are essential in order to minimize your debt.

    A simple financial plan begins with the establishment of a long-term goal. As you plan your strategies to reach this end, keep in mind that your short- and mid-term goals should be consistent with and built upon this long-term goal. To help keep you on track, it is important to develop a budget.

    A budget lists all sources of income, as well as all estimated expenditures. To make a budget work for you, keep the following points in mind:

    Have a written plan
    Set realistic goals
    Establish priorities
    Keep expenditures below income
    Stick to your game plan

    It is important for you to determine your needs so that you will borrow only the amount necessary, rather than the amount for which you are eligible. In the end, you may pay back 2-3 times the amount you borrowed. Therefore, the less debt you accrue in school, the more financially secure you will be later.

    Tuition

    For online programs, tuition is due 14 calendar days prior to the first day of class. For programs with payment per credit or course, the tuition covers the payment for the coming quarter. For programs that have payment per program, payment in full is due prior to the start of the program or per their admissions agreement on a quarterly payment schedule. The Controller's Office will receive tuition payments and make refunds as necessary. Delinquent tuition penalties accrue at 1 1/2% per month, which is 18% per year.

    Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) Policy

    The Department of Education is encouraging and, at times, requiring educational institutions to become paperless. Therefore, funds received through federal and private loans will normally be transferred electronically to a student's account at ATSU. Students will receive a receipt itemizing the type of loan and amount credited to their account at the institution. Funds electronically transferred above what is owed for tuition and fees will promptly be refunded to the student by check or deposited directly to the student's bank account. (Students that have lenders that do not wire money to ATSU will receive their financial aid through a co-payable check.) Generally, funds are available when tuition is due.

    Direct Deposit

    Many banks in states outside of Missouri make students wait 10 business days to tap their loan funds when deposited by check. Therefore, we require all students to use direct deposit where ATSU wires money to the student's bank account. This way, the money is available on the day it is wired to the bank.