Apply and Reapply for Aid: Graduate Students

Most scholarships, fellowships, and research or teaching assistantships are administered through the Dean’s Office or Admissions Office of your school. Application processes for tuition scholarships vary by school.

Admitted graduate students being offered an institutional tuition scholarship will be notified by their school shortly after acceptance. Please reach out to your Admissions Office with questions about institutional tuition scholarships.

Many graduate students use federal loans to pay for the cost of attending their program.

In order to qualify for federal loans, students must:

• Meet basic eligibility criteria, including status as a US citizen or permanent resident
• Complete the FAFSA and send to Tufts (school code 002219)
• Be enrolled at least half-time. Half-time status is determined by school; most students must enroll in 4.5 credits a semester to qualify.
• Have eligibility remaining under the $138,500 lifetime aggregate loan limit
• Respond to any requests from Student Financial Services regarding additional required documentation

International students are not eligible for federal loans, but can explore private loan options. 

Please note: there is no federal grant funding available to graduate students at Tufts. Students who complete the FAFSA will be awarded federal loans.

Student Financial Services hopes to begin processing federal loan award letters in late March for graduate students admitted for the fall semester. Students will be notified of their award via email. Awards are processed on a rolling basis. 

Awards for the 2024-2025 academic year may be delayed due to extended federal processing times resulting from FAFSA modifications required by the FAFSA Simplification Act. Though your award may be delayed, it is quite simple to determine graduate student loan eligibility. Please see our Types of Aid page which explains that most graduate students are eligible for a $20,500 federal Direct unsubsidized loan. There are no federal grants available to graduate students at Tufts. Your award letter will show any institutional scholarship (if applicable) awarded by your school and your federal loan eligibility.

Student Financial Services begins processing federal loan award letters in May for returning graduate students who have completed a FAFSA. Students will be notified of their award via email. Please see our Types of Aid page which explains that most graduate students are eligible for a $20,500 federal Direct unsubsidized loan each academic year. Awards for the 2024-2025 academic year may be delayed due to extended federal processing times resulting from FAFSA modifications required by the FAFSA Simplification Act.

In order to qualify for federal aid, you must be making satisfactory progress (determined by individual department and school) and be registered at least half-time. Please see your school or department's student handbook for information.

It is your responsibility to make sure you register at least half-time each semester you wish to borrow federal loans.

If you withdraw from Tufts, we are federally required to perform a calculation to determine what percentage of federal loan funding you are allowed to keep. Please contact us before withdrawing if you have borrowed federal loans.

Tufts University provides information regarding your enrollment status to the National Student Clearinghouse, which then provides information to lenders through the National Student Loan Data System.