Parent FAQs

To officially save their spot at MU, your student will need to complete their Intent to Enroll form and submit a $250 enrollment deposit, all of which can be completed via their Admissions Portal. The $250 deposit can be paid online via credit card, debit card, or checking account, or a paper check can be mailed to: Mercyhurst University Office of Undergraduate Admissions, 501 East 38th Street, Erie, PA 16546.

To qualify for need-based financial aid from Mercyhurst, your student must include us on their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by using school code 003297. We will then use the information from your FAFSA to determine your student's eligibility for state and institutional aid and create their financial aid package. You can learn more about Mercyhurst’s financial aid opportunities on our Cost and Aid webpage. 

Students can receive financial aid in the form of grants and scholarships, federal and state grants, loans, and student employment. In recent years, 99 percent of freshmen qualified for financial assistance from Mercyhurst, with the average four-year scholarship totaling more than $70,000. Mercyhurst offers merit-based and need-based aid to qualifying students as well. Transfer students are also eligible for a number of awards or scholarships. You can learn more about Mercyhurst’s financial aid opportunities on our Cost and Aid webpage.

Our online eBill system provides your student 24/7 access to their account statements with itemized tuition, fees, and financial aid, as well as the ability to authorize access to parents or other parties to log into the eBill and make payments on their behalf. Your child will be sent login information for their Mercyhurst account, which includes eBill access on the Mercyhurst Hub. After students first log in and set up their account, they will be able to view their current balance for the semester. For more information on the eBill, visit our Billing and Payment Options webpage.

With more than 80 clubs and organizations and 500 students events hosted annually, there will be no shortage of involvement opportunities for your student! Mercyhurst offers a variety of academic, service, recreational, and cultural clubs, as well as many intramural and club athletic programs. Students can attend the Campus Involvement Fair, held the beginning of each semester, to explore all of the clubs and organizations that we have to offer. In addition, Mercyhurst is committed to welcoming new students into our many campus traditions such as Hurst Day, New Student Welcome Week, Mass of the Holy Spirit, and SpringFest.

Your student’s academic counselor will create them a course schedule before they begin their first semester. They will receive a copy of this schedule as part of New Student Orientation, and will have the opportunity to meet with their advisor to review or change their schedule before the start of classes. In future semesters, students meet with their faculty advisor to review their degree progress and plan upcoming courses. 

Students are assigned both an academic counselor and an academic advisor from their area of study to assist them throughout their academic journey at Mercyhurst. They will have hands-on guidance in exploring majors and minors, as well as course planning and scheduling to ensure on-time graduation. Students and alumni also have full access to the Career and Professional Development Center to help them secure internships, network, receive resume help, and find job opportunities.

Your student will be able to choose housing via the Admissions Portal after they confirm their enrollment, with students being able to choose their housing location, layout, and roommates. Housing assignments are typically sent via email in early July to students starting in the fall.

Traditional freshmen have a choice between three residence halls – Warde, Baldwin, and McAuley. Warde Hall, our newest freshmen residence hall, is co-ed with specific wings for males and females. Baldwin Hall is for females only and McAuley Hall is males only. For more detailed information about our freshman residence halls, including layouts, videos, and packing suggestions, visit our Freshman Housing webpage. 

Upperclassman housing includes our newest suite-style residence hall Ryan Hall, Duval apartments, Briggs and Lewis apartments, Wayne Street apartments, and three sets of townhouses (Warde, Lewis, and 41st Street). For more detailed information about our upperclassman housing, including layouts, visit our Campus Housing webpage.

Freshmen are not typically permitted to have a car on campus. Exceptions can be requested in cases of employment or medical issues that require transport. To request an exception, please email reslife@mercyhurst.edu. All students receive free access to Erie's public transportation system, the EMTA, with their Mercyhurst ID card. All upperclassmen are permitted to have cars on campus.

Orientation programming promotes discussion among new and current students and parents/guardians, as well as faculty, staff, and administrators on the expectations and perceptions of college life and the campus community. The most important part of Orientation is a mandatory on-campus Laker Launch Day for students and their families. Laker Launch Days give students the opportunity to receive their class schedule, meet with academic support and representatives from their academic program, and get to know fellow future Lakers, while families attend a variety of engaging workshops. The dates for this year's Laker Launch Days can be found on our Orientation webpage.

First-year students have their own designated day to move in to allow for an easy and efficient first college move-in experience, taking place the Saturday before classes begin, with New Student Welcome programming happening in the following days. To plan travel accordingly, your student will be notified of the specific date in advance, as well as the New Student Welcome schedule.

New Student Welcome, which begins the evening of Move-In Day, is the official start of Laker Life! This extended welcome programming is a transition period designed to help students settle into life at MU, build connections with fellow incoming students, and develop a sense of belonging on campus before the start of classes. The full schedule for New Student Welcome will be distributed in early August.

If your student requires an accommodation, we are more than happy to process their request, and provide them the necessary support required to be successful at Mercyhurst. Academic accommodations can be requested via our Learning Support Services webpage. Housing accommodations can be requested via our Office of Residence Life webbpage.

The type of computer your student should get depends on several factors, including their personal preference and what their major recommends. Certain majors such as Graphic Design, Education, and Art recommend Mac computers, whereas the Intelligence Studies major recommends computers running Windows. Most majors do not have a computer preference. For full recommendations on computer specifications, please visit our New Student Technology webpage.

Our Department of Police and Safety is committed to providing a safe living and learning environment for our campus community, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Services include: 

• Residence hall and apartment lockouts
• Blue Light system
• Campus patrols
• Clery reports
• e2Campus (emergency text alerts)
• Parking
• Police escorts
• Vehicle jump starts
• Vehicle lockouts

Yes! All students are welcome to use the Mercyhurst mailroom to send and receive packages and mail. A letter or care package is an excellent way to share a piece of home with your student while they are away. Please address your package as follows, and your student will be notified by email when it arrives: 

Student Name
Mercyhurst University
501 East 38th Street
Erie, PA 16546

Our on-campus Cohen Student Health Center is staffed by doctors and registered nurses, who provide services such as primary care, blood pressure screening, diet counseling, flu vaccinations, skin care counseling, and mental health counseling. The services of the Health Center are free of charge. If the Health Center is not open, there are several local urgent care clinics available to our students.

Family Weekend is held in conjunction with Homecoming to welcome parents, siblings, and close family to campus. It typically includes special events such as bingo, trivia, and a scavenger hunt, as well as athletic games and special merchandise for families. While there is only one Family Weekend annually, you are always welcome to visit your student at the Hurst and partake in other special events throughout the year!