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Have questions? Contact Andrea Lewis, Senior Assistant Director and Manager of Financial Aid at andrea.lewis@jhu.edu.
Consortium Agreement
Taking classes somewhere else? Here’s how financial aid can still work for you.
Overview
If you’re enrolled at Hopkins but want to take courses at another school that will count toward your Hopkins degree, a consortium agreement may help you use financial aid to cover those credits.
Here’s how it works:
- A consortium agreement is a contract between Hopkins (your “home school”) and another college (the “host school”) that enables Hopkins to disburse federal aid to assist with the cost of enrollment in courses at the host school towards your degree program at Hopkins.
- The consortium agreement enables Hopkins to adjust your federal financial aid eligibility by including the credits you’ll be taking at the host school in your Cost of Attendance.
- Your federal financial aid (grants and/or loans) is then disbursed by Hopkins, and you can use any resulting refund to pay your bill at the host school.
Eligibility
You will qualify if you:
- Are enrolled in a minimum of 6 credits for the requested semester. The 6 credits can be a combination of credits taken at both Hopkins and the host school during the requested semester.
- Are taking courses that are pre-approved to be transferred towards your Hopkins degree.
- Are eligible for Federal Financial Aid (grants and/or loans).
You will not qualify if:
- The course is not transferable to your current Hopkins degree program.
- You are not eligible for the Federal funding (grants and/or loans).
Next Steps
Utilize this downloadable Financial Aid Consortium Agreement Checklist to track your progress in completing the consortium agreement process.
Step 1: Confirm That Your Financial Aid Application is Complete
Ensure all JHU required financial aid documents are completed by reviewing your SIS to-do list.
Step 2: Talk to Your Academic Advisor
Before you register for classes at another school, check in with your academic advisor to make sure the courses will transfer back and count toward your Hopkins degree. Together, you’ll complete an External Course Review form, which you’ll then submit to Student Financial Support.
- Log in to SIS, then select Registration → Online Forms → External Course Request Form from the menu.
- Upload a syllabus for the course you are requesting. An acceptable syllabus should include a detailed explanation of the content covered, the title of the textbook, and learning outcomes. Generally, we are looking for a syllabus that has a detailed listing of the topics covered in each lecture or each week.
- Once you have received notification that the course will be accepted for transfer, you will register at the host institution as a non-matriculating, non-degree-seeking student. Your academic advisor can help you with this process.
Step 3: Meet with the Host School
Be sure to check in with the host school’s billing office to confirm when your tuition and fees are due. Sometimes payment deadlines come before your financial aid from JHU is disbursed, which means you may need to cover the cost upfront and then use your refund to pay yourself back once your aid is released. While you’re there, request a billing statement from the host school so you have a clear picture of what you’ll owe and when.
Step 4: Submitting Your Request
You will need to submit the following items:
- Fill out the consortium agreement form through DocuSign. On the first page, you’ll enter the contact information for the financial aid office at your host school (where you’ll be taking the class) and your home school (Hopkins). Make sure these details are accurate to ensure your form is routed correctly and gets processed without delays.
- Upload billing statement from the Host School via SIS Self-Service.
- Upload JHU Academic Advisor Approval via SIS Self-Service.
- JHU external course review form OR
- E-mail from Academic Advisor stating the specific course(s) the student is approved to take.
Step 5: Consortium Agreement gets Processed
Once you’ve submitted your consortium agreement, Student Financial Support will review it and update your financial aid package based on your new courses and your financial aid eligibility. We’ll notify you as soon as your updated award is ready.
Your aid will be applied to your JHU account within 5–7 business days. From there, you’ll receive a refund from JHU that you can use to pay tuition at your host school.
One important note: Your attendance at the host school will be verified after classes begin. If you’re marked as not attending, your funding will be cancelled, and you may end up owing a balance to JHU.
Deadlines
The deadline for submission is 10 days before the end of the term.
Additional Resources
- Consortium Agreement Checklist
- Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences & Whiting School of Engineering Undergraduate Concurrent Enrollment Policy
- How to request pre-approval to transfer credits
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I submit my documents?
The Consortium agreement form must be submitted via DocuSign. Your Host School billing statement and Hopkins Advisor approval must be submitted using the SIS document uploader.
Who should I list as the “host school” and “home school” on the consortium agreement?
The host school is the financial aid representative from the institution you will be visiting to take the course. The home school is your financial aid advisor at Hopkins.
Will I receive the funds through my host school or JHU?
If eligible, your additional funding will be applied to your Hopkins account.
Who pays the host school tuition?
You are responsible for paying the host school. If you are eligible for addition funding, the award will be disbursed to your Hopkins account, and any credit will be sent to you as a refund. There is a chance that this may not cover the full cost of the course you would like to take. You will be responsible for covering the difference. You will need to work with the host school on options to resolve the remainder of your balance.
Please keep in mind that if you have a balance on your Hopkins account, your refund will automatically go towards your Hopkins bill, and then you will receive a refund of any remaining funds.
Will the consortium agreement cover the full cost of the course at the host school?
You will be awarded based on your eligibility per Federal Guidelines. There is a chance that this may not cover the full cost of the course you would like to take. You will be responsible for covering the difference.
Do I need to submit a consortium agreement if I am not eligible for a Pell grant, but I would like to take out Federal Student loans to cover the cost of the courses at my host school?7
Yes. Federal student loans also require the submission of a consortium agreement. Please review Loan Options for more information on loans and how to request them.
I did not complete a financial aid application. How do I apply to see if I can get funding assistance?
Please submit the FAFSA application for the current academic year and enter the code E00473 to send your information to Hopkins if you are interested in grants and/or loans. Please review Applying for Financial Aid and Loan Options for more information.
If I am eligible for Hopkins Grant funding, can I request additional Hopkins grant funding to cover the cost of taking courses at another school?
No. Hopkins Grant funding cannot be used at another institution. Only Federal funding, such as student loans or Pell grant funding, can be utilized.
What happens if I drop or withdraw from the host school course?
If you drop your courses at your host school, you must notify Hopkins’ financial aid office immediately. Dropping courses could result in the cancellation of some or all of your award. As a result, you may owe a bill to Hopkins.
Can a consortium agreement be made with any school?
Consortium agreements can be made with any school as long as the course is transferable to your current degree program and you adhere to the External Credit Policies | Johns Hopkins University Academic Catalogue.
Can I request a consortium agreement for a course to meet Grad school requirements if the course does not align with my current degree program?
No. Consortium agreements can only be used for courses that apply to your current degree program.
How long does the process take, and how will I receive my refund?
Once all documents are submitted and signatures are received, consortium agreements are processed within 5-7 business days. The additional financial aid award will be disbursed to your Hopkins account, and any credit will be sent to you as a refund. Please keep in mind that if you have a balance on your Hopkins account, your refund will automatically go towards your Hopkins bill, and then you will receive a refund of any remaining funds.
