Below are a few of the issues that may affect you as a graduate student who receives financial aid. Be sure to also check out the financial aid timeline to get timely tips to keep up with your financial aid responsibilities.
If you are interested in receiving a graduate teaching/research assistantship, contact your department head for more information. If you are a recipient of an assistantship, fellowship, or any other outside source of assistance towards your educational expenses, you must report these to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships in writing or by email.
As a financial aid recipient, you have a responsibility to maintain satisfactory academic progress, meeting both quantitative and qualitative requirements. Below are some general requirements to maintain qualitative progress.
If you are a full-time graduate student attending during the fall, winter and spring terms, you must complete 27 credits by the end of the year. This is an average of nine credits per term. If you do not complete the required number of credits each term, you will be sent a warning letter that will notify you of the number of credits you are deficient. If you fail to complete the required number of credits for the year, you will receive a letter notifying you of the termination of your financial aid for subsequent terms/years.
In order to maintain quantitative progress, you must complete the degree that you are seeking within a specific amount of time. The government gives you financial aid eligibility for 150% of the published length of time (usually found in the general catalog) to finish your degree. For example if you are seeking a master's degree, the published length of the program is usually two years. You would be eligible for aid as an graduate student for three years.
You must apply for financial aid every year. Applications must be received before March 1 at the central processor to be considered for priority funding. If you applied for financial aid during the current year, you will receive a Personal Identification Number (PIN) from the Central Processor. You may use your PIN to apply for aid online after Jan. 1 for the following academic year.