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.
Apply for Federal Loans
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.
Award Notification - Incoming Graduate Students
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.
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 (if applicable).
Award Notification - Returning Graduate Students
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.
Federal Requirements
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.
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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.