Financial aid resources may be available
to you for graduate school even if you received
no assistance for undergraduate study. The institutions
to which you may be applying are the first source
of information about what monies may be available
and what forms need to be filed to establish eligibility.
What Form to File and When:
Most schools will require the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For other required
forms and deadlines, students should contact the
graduate school directly. Graduate students are
automatically considered independent and provide
no parental information on the FAFSA; however,
the graduate school may ask for parental financial
information on other required forms.
School-based Aid:
Assistantships--work much
like college work study programs in undergraduate
school. Students are typically assigned assistantships
in areas of the college related to their major.
The assistantship may involve working for a faculty
member, classroom preparation, clerical/research
duties or other repetitive tasks. Teaching assistantships
or other positions working with undergraduates
may also be available. Students receive tuition
remission and a stipend in exchange for their work.
Students apply directly to the institution for
assistantship positions.
Institutions may also have departmental
grants, internships, loan forgiveness programs
and employment available. The best place
to ask is at the institution's financial aid
office and the library at the school.
Other Sources of Aid: Applicants
should also do additional research into funding
sources not hosted by the institution. Private
foundations, associations and other organizations
may have money available to students in a particular
discipline. Ask the school's graduate financial
aid office if they have books, databases or web
sites that you could explore for private funding.
Private Loans: There are many
private loans available to students, but you need
to compare loan programs before applying. Compare
APR, repayment terms, capitalization and deferment
options to determine what program is best for your
situation. Ask the school's financial aid office
to recommend a few of the best loans and go shopping.
In addition to miscellaneous announcements
regarding financial aid resources, the following
materials are also available in Career
Services (Bernardine Hall, Suite 1104):
- The Financial Aid Book - an insider's
guide to private scholarships, grants, fellowships,
internships, competitions and loans
- Private Funding for Graduate School -
a collection of announcements received by Financial
Aid and Career Services: private organizations
offering stipends, grants, fellowships, scholarships
or pay for work. Ask Career Services for the
location of this information.
Deferment of Existing Loans:
If you have previously borrowed under either the
Federal Perkins, Federal Subsidized or Unsubsidized
Stafford Loans you are eligible for a deferment
while you are enrolled in school. Contact your
lender or service for details and deferment forms.
Financial Aid on the Information
Superhighway: Don't forget to look for what
may be available to you on the World Wide Web.
Search these sites for financial aid information
and scholarship searches:
