Financial Aid For Graduate Students
Students wishing to apply for any type of assistance should complete each of the following steps:
- Admission to the University of West Georgia - Although you must first be admitted in a degree-seeking program to UWG to be offered financial aid, you can begin the financial aid process while completing the admission process. Students must be admitted to UWG and have completed their financial aid file by July 1st for priority consideration. An admission status of non-degree/masters is not eligible for federal funds.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) -The FAFSA must be completed online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. If you do not have a federal PIN you may apply for one online at www.pin.ed.gov. The PIN may be used to electronically sign the FAFSA and any promissory notes needed for student loans. The school code for UWG is 001601.
3. Graduate students admitted with a regular status must be enrolled in 5 credit hours or more to be eligible for all loan programs and Federal Work Study. Students admitted as provisional or post-baccalaureate accepted to the College of Education for certification must take 6 hours to be eligible to receive loans (see the section on Certification Students). Students admitted as post-baccalaureate (non-degree) are NOT eligible for federal aid.
Students may be considered ineligible for financial aid if the following occur:
- Student is default or owes a refund on any Title IV aid program from any source.
- Student is auditing courses at UWG.
- Student does not meet Satisfactory Academic Progress Standards (contact the Financial Aid Office for more information)
- Student must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. Naturalized citizen, or an eligible non-citizen. Documentation of citizenship or residency may be required.
Important Dates to Remember:
- January 1 - FAFSA forms available
- January 1 to March 1 - General Scholarship applications available
- March 1 - Deadline for submitting General Scholarship Application
- April 1 - Priority date to have a complete financial aid file (complete admissions file and acceptance into UWG, FAFSA results and any other requested documents)
- April 1 - Deadline for submitting Service Cancelable Loan Applications
- June 30 - Last day to submit a FAFSA for the current academic year
- June 30 - Deadline to return a signed award letter if you need your financial aid to cover your advance registration for Fall Semester.
All financial aid documents must be in the Financial Aid Office by the following dates to be sure financial aid is ready prior to fee payment deadlines:
- July 1 - Fall Semester
- November 1 - Spring Semester
- April 15 - Summer Semester
** If you have not completed the application process for the following dates, you should be prepared to pay all educational costs, including tuition and fees, and housing and food services. You will receive your financial aid once processing is complete.
Loan Programs
Federal Perkins Loan - awarded to those who demonstrate financial need. No repayment is due and no interest accrues until nine months after you graduate, leave college, or cease to be a half-time student. The interest rate is 5%. Portions of the debt may be cancelled for teaching in certain communities or neighborhoods, or for service in Head Start programs, Peace Corps, law enforcement, special education, math, science, foreign language education, and nursing.
Federal William D. Ford Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan - allows eligible students with financial need to borrow direct from the federal government at a low interest rate. No repayment is due and no interest accrues until six months after you graduate, leave college, or cease to be a half-time student. A processing and handling fee is deducted from the borrowed amount by the Direct Loan program. The current interest rate is 6.8%. A Master Promissory Note (MPN) must be signed and an Entrance Counseling Session completed before a disbursement of student loan funds can be made.
Limits: Students must be enrolled at least half-time as shown below and may borrow each year up to:
- Regular graduate: $12,000, 5 credit hours
- Certification/Provisional graduate: $7,000, 6 credit hours
Provisional/Certification amounts are also based upon the total amount borrowed in all previous undergraduate, certification, or provisional programs.
Federal William D. Ford Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan - allows students to borrow from the unsubsidized loan program regardless of need. The available annual limits for certification or provisional graduates include any funds borrowed previously in an undergraduate, provisional, or certification program and cannot exceed an aggregate loan limit of $23,000. Annual loan limits cannot exceed the cost of education.
Repayment of principal amounts is not required as long as the student remains enrolled at least half-time. However, interest accrues and is billed to the student while you are in school. The interest rate and the processing and handling fees are the same as the Stafford Subsidized Loan. Students must also be enrolled at least half-time to receive disbursements.
Limits:
- Certification/ Provisional graduate: $7,000
- Regular graduate: $12,000
Additional Information: Students are prompted when logged into the secure BanWeb system if an Entrance Counseling session is needed and may be completed through that system. An email is sent to the UWG email account with instructions on how to sign a Master Promissory Note, if needed. A federal PIN is required for completion of the MPN.
More information is available on the loan program on the Financial Aid web page at www.westga.edu/~finaid or www.dlservicer.ed.gov.
Service cancelable LOANS
HOPE Teacher Scholarship Program - Funds are available through the State of Georgia for those students admitted as a regular graduate student in the education program in a critical need field. Initially, funds are allocated as a student loan with the option of repayment through service by teaching in a critical need field for a period of time within the State of Georgia. Information on the approved field of study, cancellation options, and other qualifications may be found online through the state’s web site at www.GaCollege411.org under the Service Cancelable area. Critical need fields are determined by the state and may be subject to change.
Applications are available online from www.GaCollege411.org web site on June 1 of each academic year. Funds are limited and awarded by the state on a first-come basis statewide. Once the student section of the application is completed, applications should be submitted to the UWG College of Education along with any attachments requested on the application.
Awards are determined by the State of Georgia according to the number of enrolled hours each semester as indicated on the application at the rate of $125 per semester hour. A written award letter is mailed to the applicant by the state that must be signed and returned to the state before any funding is made available for payment. Funds awarded may be adjusted if enrolled in less than the number of hours stipulated on the application. Funding may be approved for a summer semester but payment would not be received until after the beginning of the summer term.
Nursing Cancelable Student Loan: available to those pursuing a Master’s degree in Nursing. Applications are available through the Financial Aid web site at www.westga.edu/finaid under online forms from January 1 to April 1 each year for consideration for the following fall. Students may cancel one year’s loan by practicing full time for one calendar year in an approved site within the State of Georgia. Allocations received each year from the State of Georgia are limited. Awards are made on a first-come basis with prior recipients given priority.
Nurse Educator Service Cancelable Loan - allows those pursuing a Master’s Degree in Nursing with Nurse Educator track to borrow funds with the option of repayment through service by teaching full time in an approved site within the State of Georgia for one calendar year for each year’s loan. Additional information and applications are availbe through the State of Georgia’s web site at www.GaCollege411.com or under the Service Cancelable area. Applications must be submitted each year for approval.
Georgia Air or Army National Guard Service Cancelable Student Loan - allows students to borrow funds for an amount up to the matriculation fee each semester. Students should contact their commanding officer for more information and application. Additional information is available through the State of Georgia’s web site at www.GaCollege411.org.
Private Alternative Loans - available to students needing funds above the Stafford subsidized/unsubsidized loan limits. Loans are credit based and in some cases may require a co-borrower for approval.
Students may review a listing of some of the lenders that provide this type of loan through the Financial Aid home page at www.westga.edu/~finaid but are not limited to processing with the listed lenders.
Each lender may stipulate different eligibility requirements or repayment options. The student should review the lender’s web page for information on interest rates, repayment options, deferment options, etc. to decide the best lender for your needs. Applications are electronically submitted by the student on the lender of choice web site.
Short Term Loans - available through the UWG Bursar’s Office to assist currently enrolled students who need temporary financial assistance. Students may borrow up to a maximum of $450 per semester depending on the amount of funds available. Loans must be repaid by the end of the semester received. A minimal interest rate and/or service fee is charged. Additional information on the Short Term Loan and application process may be found at www.bf.westga.edu/bursar/Stl/Information.asp.