Graduate Aid: Apply for Federal Loans
When will I receive my financial aid offer?
We expect to begin sending financial aid offers:
- New students entering in the fall: In late March.
- Returning students: In May.
- New students entering in the spring: In November
Your offer will outline your federal loan eligibility and any institutional scholarship reported to the Financial Aid Office by your school.
Financial aid offers are processed on a rolling basis after we receive your FAFSA and any required documents. We will email you when your offer is ready, with instructions for reviewing it and accepting your loans.
How do I apply for federal loans?
New and returning graduate students must complete a FAFSA each academic year they wish to be considered for Federal loans.
Before you apply: Federal student loans require U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status and at least half-time enrollment in eligible coursework. Annual and aggregate borrowing limits apply. International students are not eligible for federal student aid but may explore institutional funding and private educational loans.
Follow these steps to apply for federal student loans. For scholarships and assistantships, contact your school’s Admissions Office.
1. Complete your FAFSA
Complete the FAFSA each year you wish to receive federal aid. Add Tufts University’s school code: 002219.
- Fall 2026 or Spring 2027: Submit the 2026–2027 FAFSA.
- Fall 2027 or Spring 2028: Submit the 2027–2028 FAFSA.
- Summer 2027: Submit the 2027–2028 FAFSA.
2. Submit any requested documents
Check your email for requests from the Financial Aid Office and follow the submission instructions. If you have SIS access, also check Financial Aid → Awards and Documents for outstanding requirements.
3. Review your offer and complete loan requirements
We will email you when your financial aid offer is ready, with instructions for viewing it and accepting your loans. Complete any required entrance counseling and Master Promissory Note at StudentAid.gov.
Borrow only what you need. Contact us if you would like to reduce your loan amount.
4. Understand how your aid is paid
Once all requirements are complete and your enrollment eligibility is confirmed, your aid can be applied to your student account. Funds pay university charges first; any remaining eligible credit balance may be refunded to help cover other educational expenses.
Review the disbursement and refund information before planning how to pay for living expenses.
Need help? Contact gradfinaid@tufts.edu for financial aid questions or studentservices@tufts.edu for billing, payment, and refund questions.
Maintaining your eligibility
You must maintain satisfactory academic progress and meet enrollment requirements each semester you receive federal loans. Review your school's student handbook for more information.
Enrollment in continuation status alone does not qualify for federal student aid. Contact the Financial Aid Office if you are unsure whether your planned enrollment meets eligibility requirements.
Before dropping a course, taking a leave, or withdrawing, contact the Financial Aid Office. These changes may affect your eligibility and require the return of some or all of your loan funds.
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General Policies
U.S. Citizenship Requirement
In order to receive federal aid you must be a U.S. citizen, or an eligible noncitizen. Generally, you are an eligible noncitizen if you:
- Are a permanent U.S. resident with a Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
- Are a conditional permanent resident (I-551C)
- Hold an Arrival-Departure Record (I-94) from the Department of Homeland Security showing any one of the following designations: Refugee, Asylum Granted, Parolee (I-94 confirms that you were paroled for a minimum of one year and your status has not expired), Victim of human trafficking, T-Visa holder (T-1, T-2, T-3, etc.), or Cuban-Haitian Entrant.
If the government cannot confirm your citizenship status you will be asked to provide documentation of your eligibility. The Student Aid Report you receive after filing the FAFSA will have a notation if your citizenship status requires you to provide further documentation to the Financial Aid Office.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
You are entitled to see your applications, grade transcripts, notice of awards and terms, and yearly reports. The Tufts copy of your Federal Perkins Loan promissory note is open for inspection at the Student Loan Office in Dowling Hall. Universities are not required to show parents and students notes and records kept solely for aid office use in reaching an aid decision, or to show students parental tax forms unless authorized by parents. Your aid officer may discuss your family finances with you, unless your parent specifically requests not to do so.
Title IV Fraud
Students who have been convicted of, or who have pled guilty (or nolo contendere) to, a crime involving fraud in obtaining Title IV federal financial aid are not eligible for additional aid until they have repaid the fraudulently obtained funds.
Withdrawal and Federal Funds
Federal regulations require that the university have a fair and equitable refund policy for recipients of federal student aid (including Federal PLUS Loans) who withdraw on or after the first day of a class for a period of enrollment for which the student was charged.
If you withdraw or go on leave during the semester, your institutional charges, such as tuition, fees, and room and board, will be reduced according to the Tufts University tuition refund policies as published in the Tufts Bulletin.
Once a student withdraws from the University, the Financial Aid Office will determine the earned and unearned portions of federal Title IV financial aid as of the date the student ceased attendance. For a student who withdraws within the first 60% of the term, a prorated schedule is used to determine the amount of Title IV funds that the student has earned. After the 60% point in the term, the student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds and no refund will be required. The refund will be used to pay the following financial aid funds as follows:
- Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan, Subsidized Federal Direct Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Pell Grant, Federal SEOG, and any other federal aid awards are reduced in this order, up to the total amount of these aid programs. If you received a portion of the award in cash to cover non-institutional expenses, a partial repayment may be required to the pertinent federal program.
- Tufts Loans and Tufts Grants are reduced in this order up to the amount of remaining credit.
- If additional credit remains, it will be refunded to the student or outside sources.
Our office is notified of student withdrawals via email from the Registrar or Student Services. In accordance with federal regulations, the return of federal funds must be completed within 45 days of the date the university determines the student withdrew.
Tufts utilizes a Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculation module, developed using the U.S. Department of Education’s official worksheet, to determine federal financial aid refunds when a student withdraws. Students who are considering withdrawing or taking a leave of absence should consult with their financial aid officer to fully understand their rights and responsibilities. It’s important to note that federal financial aid may not cover all outstanding institutional charges in the event of a withdrawal.
If you received a Federal Perkins or Federal Direct Loan and withdraw for one or more semesters, you must complete exit counseling online. Details will be emailed and mailed to you. If you have a Federal Direct or PLUS loan, you are required to notify your lenders as well as the Office of Financial Aid when you withdraw.