Admissions & Financial Aid:Twin Cities

Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University takes applications for Fall semester admission. Students are encouraged to apply early with the expectation that the majority of applicants will be received by February 1st. Decisions are made on a first come, first serve basis with the expectation that decisions will be made by April 15th. Admission requirements are as follows:

A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution or an appropriately certified foreign institution

An undergraduate degree grade point average of at least 3.25 (on a scale of 4.0) -or- A graduate GPA of 3.5 (on a scale of 4.0) for a minimum of 25 graduate credits from a regionally accredited institution or an appropriately certified foreign institution

Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores are optional and are not required for admission.

A minimum score on an Argosy University pre-approved English language proficiency test is required for all applicants whose native language is not English or who have not graduated from an institution at which English is the language of instruction as specified in Section Five, Admission Policies, “English Language Proficiency Policy .”

Completion of an interview with a member of the program Admissions Committee.

All applications for admission must be submitted to the Admissions Department of the campus to which application is being made. An admissions representative is available to help interested applicants complete the following required documentation:

Completed Application for Admission Form

Application fee (Non-refundable, except in California and Arizona. In the state of Arizona, the application fee is refundable if the application is canceled within three business days of the applicant signing the Enrollment Agreement.)

Personal/professional goal statement with a self-appraisal of qualifications for the profession

Current résumé (or career summary)

Three completed Applicant Recommendation Forms

Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended All applications for admission must be submitted to the Admissions Department of the campus to which application is being made. An admissions representative is available to help interested applicants complete the following required documentation: Completed Application for Admission Form Application fee (Non-refundable) Personal/professional goal statement with a self-appraisal of qualifications for the profession Current résumé (or career summary) Three completed Applicant Recommendation Forms Official transcripts from all post-secondary schools attended.

Committee Decisions

All applicants will receive written notification of the Admissions Committee's decision. Admissions Committee decisions are final and are not subject to appeal. Accepted applicants are required to remit a non-refundable deposit of $500.00 by the date stipulated on the written notification to reserve a place in the entering class. This deposit will be applied toward the tuition of the student's first semester. An applicant, if rejected, can reapply by following the reapplication policy.

Additional Requirements prior to Matriculation Foundation Courses

15 credit hours of undergraduate psychology courses, at least 3 of which must be earned in statistics, must be completed prior to enrolling in the PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program. This coursework serves as a foundation for graduate courses at MSPP at Argosy University, Twin Cities. Any graduate course used to fulfill the foundation course requirements may not also be used to transfer graduate course credits in the MSPP at Argosy University, Twin Cities PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program. The undergraduate foundation courses must be completed before the student formally begins a graduate program in clinical psychology at Argosy University, Twin Cities. It is the student's responsibility to provide an updated transcript to document the fulfillment of the foundation course requirements. These courses are designed to provide a foundation for the required curriculum and offer perspectives and information that complement those of the clinical psychology program. Students who have not completed these courses prior to admission must do so before the first semester of matriculation and receive a grade of "B-" or better.

Program Requirements Overview

The PsyD in Clinical Psychology degree program requires the satisfactory completion of 98 semester credit hours, distributed as follows: core course requirements, 69 credit hours; elective requirements, 12 credit hours; professionalization group requirements, 2 credit hours; practicum and practicum seminar requirements, 12 credit hours; and clinical research project requirements, 3 credit hours. All courses other than electives are considered core courses. Students are required to retake a core course if they receive a grade below"B-." The course must be retaken no later than the end of the next calendar year with an earned grade of "B-" or better.

Financial Aid

Financial assistance (financial aid) awarded through Argosy University may consist of a combination of federal grants, scholarships, state aid programs, loans, and/or part-time work-study opportunities for those who qualify. Different forms of financial aid are explained later in this section. Students complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Argosy University Institutional Application for Financial Aid to apply for financial assistance. After students are accepted and complete the appropriate paperwork, students will receive an award letter from Argosy University, describing their Financial Aid Package.

Financial Assistance

Argosy University participates with federal, state, and private agencies to make various financial aid programs available to students. However, the primary responsibility for financing a college education rests upon the student and family. If a student obtains a loan to pay for an educational program, the student will have the responsibility to repay the full amount of the loan plus interest, less the amount of any refund. If the student has received federal student financial aid funds, the student is entitled to a refund of the moneys not paid from federal student financial aid program funds. If the student has any questions regarding the repayment of the loan, he or she should contact the institution's financial aid office or contact the agency that guaranteed the loan.

Types of Financial Assistance

There are several sources from which students may receive financial assistance. These sources may include the following:

Grants

Grants are financial awards that do not have to be repaid. They are usually based on need.

Federal Work Study Program

Available to graduate and undergraduate students, eligibility for this program is based on financial need. Students are offered jobs (usually on-campus) which pay at least the federal minimum wage. The number of hours to be worked during a semester is determined by the amount awarded by the program. The average work schedule ranges from ten to twenty hours per week.

Scholarships

Scholarships are financial awards which do not have to be repaid. Funds are provided by a variety of government, civic and professional organizations as well as the school itself. Awards are made in recognition of outstanding student achievement. Student achievement can be defined in many waysby academic talent, community service involvement, or demonstrated leadership abilities. Scholarship opportunities at Argosy University are designed to assist students in pursuing their educational goals by recognizing their prior achievements in these areas.

Loans

A loan is financial aid which must be repaid to the lending institution. Eligibility, interest rates, payment deferment periods (if any), and loan amounts vary by the type of loan the student obtains. Loans are available in several forms, as briefly explained below:

Federal (Title IV) Loans Federal Perkins Loan

This is a fixed interest rate, subsidized loan. It is administered by Argosy University, and eligibility for the loan is based on financial need. Funds in this program are extremely limited.

Federal Subsidized Stafford Loan

This is a fixed rate, subsidized loan, administered by lenders. Eligibility for this loan is based on financial need. Argosy University must certify the student's eligibility for the amount borrowed.

Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan

This is a fixed rate loan, administered by lenders, and is not based on need. Argosy University must certify the student's eligibility for the amount borrowed. Payments may be deferred while the student is enrolled; however, interest accrues on the loan during that time.

Federal Direct PLUS Loans for Graduate and Professional Degree Students

This loan is for students in Graduate programs who need additional funds and who meet Federal eligibility requirements. The interest rate is fixed, and interest accrues while the student is in school. There are credit requirements for this loan. It is recommended that students borrow the Federal Grad PLUS Loan from the same lender as their Stafford Loans.

Additional Unsubsidized Loan

This loan is available to full-time students in the Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Psychology program at Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University. The interest rate and repayment terms of this loan are the same as those of the Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. There are borrowing limits on all of the loans described above. Criteria such as dependency status and grade level are used in defining these limits. For further information and details on the grants, scholarships and loans previously described, please see the Argosy University brochure entitled Financing Your Argosy University Education

Other Financial Assistance Resources

In addition to the federal and state programs listed here, Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University participates in other programs designed to provide financial assistance to specific groups of students. Some of these programs include: Veterans Administration (VA) Job Training and Partnership Act (JTPA) Division of Rehabilitation Services (DRS)

Applying for Financial Assistance

Students must be enrolled at least half-time to be eligible for most types of financial aid. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Argosy University Institutional Financial Aid Application are two documents which help to determine the amount of assistance for which a student is eligible. The FAFSA is used to collect personal and financial information which is used to calculate financial need and determine eligibility for financial aid. This analysis takes into account factors such as income, assets, number of family members in the household, and the number of family members enrolled in college. Minnesota School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University Janet Zimprich, Sr. Director of Admissions - 651-846-3329 1515 Central Parkway, Eagan, MN 55121 Fax: 651-994-7956