SPH Online MPH Tuition & Financial Aid

The Online MPH consists of 6 modules for a total cost of $24,000.  The program is completed 100% online for a total of 42 credits. You can find an overview of tuition and credits for each module below.

You are only billed for direct expenses (tuition and fees) charged by the university. However, we encourage you to think about your budget for things like books, course materials, and incidentals and plan accordingly. We recommend budgeting between $350-$400 a semester for books and course materials. Please note that summer budget items are subject to change but tuition will remain the same.

We strongly recommend that all U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens apply for federal student loans before pursuing other loan options.  Student must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits) to qualify for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan. Interest begins accruing at the time of the loan disbursement. Students can elect to pay the interest while in school or have it capitalized into a repayment schedule that starts six months after you leave school. Loan funds are issued at the start of each semester for which a student has requested Federal loans. Please note the following:

• Students are eligible to borrow Unsubsidized loan funds for the cost of tuition, fees, books, and other educational expenses each year
• Eligible students can receive Unsubsidized loans to cover their full tuition and fee expenses
• Students must remain enrolled at least half-time (6 or more credits)
• The interest rate on the Federal Unsubsidized loan is currently 7.05% fixed
• Financial aid, including Federal loans, is not available for the final 2 credit module

1. Obtain a FSA ID. Students will need a FSA ID to complete and electronically sign the FAFSA
2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Boston University’s FAFSA school code is 002130
   1. Complete the 2024-2025 FAFSA for the 2024-2025 academic year (Fall 2024, Spring 2025)
   2. Complete the 2025-2026 FAFSA for the 2025-2026 academic year (Summer 2025, Fall 2025, Spring 2026, Summer 2026)
3. Admitted applicants should include their SSN on their admission application to prevent delay with BU receiving your FAFSA
4. Submit the Master Promissory Note (MPN)* and Entrance Counseling for the Federal Unsubsidized Loan
5. Complete the Online MPH Federal Loan Application

_{*Be sure to complete the first option given, “MPN for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans”. Questions regarding federal loan funding can be sent to sfsolmph@bu.edu.}

Students who may not be eligible for Federal loans can explore credit-based loan options. A co-signor with a strong credit history will increase your chances of being approved for an alternative loan.

Unfortunately, institutional scholarships are not available to students in the Online MPH program; however, scholarships are available from a variety of external sources.

There are numerous scholarship search engines that can help you find scholarships related to your strengths, skills, and interests including but not limited to:

• International Student-Resource website for international students looking for funding
• The College Board
• FastWeb​
• Federal Student Aid​
• ​Fin Aid! Guide to Financial Aid
• Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)​
• Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance

Payment plans are available to Online MPH students for the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters.  During the Fall and Spring semesters, there are two payment plan options.  Each option requires a down payment of 25% of the enrolled plan amount, in addition to an enrollment fee.  The remaining 75% of the plan amount may be paid in one of two ways:

• Students enrolling in Option 1 will make three equal installment payments of 25% of the plan amount, due monthly throughout the semester.
• Students enrolling in Option 2 will make their remaining payment shortly after the semester ends.

During the Summer 1 semester, Option 2 is the only available option.

For enrollment in the plan, an initial payment and a completed online promissory note are due by the semester payment deadlines listed on the BU Student Accounting Website. Please follow the deadlines for those under “Online MBA and MPH Students” payment plans chart.

The payment deadline each semester can be found on the Student Accounting Services website. The payment deadline for the Online MPH program will follow the “Online Programs” deadlines for Fall 1, Spring 1, and Summer 1.