FAQs for OSU Graduate Students

Graduate Student Resources Form
- 2008-2009 Form
- 2007-2008 Form
General FAQs

What types of federal financial aid are graduate students eligible to receive?
How do OSU graduate students apply for federal financial aid?
When is the deadline for applying?
Do I need to include my parent's income on the FAFSA?
What if I'm going to be married before school starts but after I fill out the FAFSA?
What is considered full-time for a student in the fall and spring semesters? Half-time?
What about in the summer semester?
I thought the OSU Registrar considers me full-time if I have an assistantship and am taking six hours?
I have not been officially admitted to my graduate program yet. Can I receive federal aid as a "special student?"
I need to take some undergraduate courses as prerequisites before I can be admitted into a graduate program. Can I receive financial aid for those courses?
Are international students eligible for federal financial aid?
Where can international students apply for non-federal financial aid?

Loan FAQs
Tuition Waiver/Scholarship FAQs

General FAQs

What types of federal financial aid are graduate students eligible to receive?

Eligible OSU graduate students can receive Subsidized Direct Loans, Unsubsidized Direct Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Work-Study. Graduate students are not eligible for Pell Grants.

How do OSU graduate students apply for federal financial aid?

By completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate year and listing OSU's school code of 003170.

When is the deadline for applying?

Students are encouraged to apply in January and February prior to the start of the fall semester in which they will be enrolled. Only early applicants will be considered for Federal Perkins Loans and Federal Work-Study.

Do I need to include my parent's income on the FAFSA?

No, if you apply as a graduate student, you only list your income. If you are married, you also list your spouse's income.

What if I'm going to be married before school starts but after I fill out the FAFSA?

Then you only list your income. If you want to include your soon-to-be spouse's income on the FAFSA, you must wait until after you have gotten married to file the FAFSA.

What is considered full-time for a student in the fall and spring semesters? Half-time?

For financial aid purposes, OSU graduate students carrying nine or more hours during the fall and spring semester are considered full-time; graduate students carrying 4-7 hours are considered half-time. Graduate students carrying 3 hours or less in the fall or spring semesters are not eligible to receive Subsidized or Unsubsidized Direct Loans.

What about in the summer semester?

In the summer semester, OSU graduate students carrying four hours in total throughout the different summer sessions are considered full-time; graduate students carrying 2-3 are considered half-time. Graduate students only carrying one hour in the summer cannot receive Subsidized or Unsubsidized Direct Loans.

I thought the OSU Registrar considers me full-time if I have an assistantship and am taking six hours?

Regardless of whether you have an assistantship or not, you must be in at least 9 hours during the fall and spring semesters to be considered full-time for purposes of financial aid.

I have not been officially admitted to my graduate program yet. Can I receive federal aid as a "special student?"

No, we are prevented from giving federal aid to students who are not recognized by the university as working within a degree program. Once your special student status changes and you are officially admitted, we can then determine your eligibility in federal aid programs.

I need to take some undergraduate courses as prerequisites before I can be admitted into a graduate program. Can I receive financial aid for those courses?

You may be able to receive federal aid for prerequisite courses. You must have your academic advisor complete the Verification of Enrollment in Pre-Requisite Coursework form and submit it to our office so we can determine your eligibility. This form can be downloaded at our website, www.okstate.edu/finaid/ and printed off.

Are international students eligible for federal financial aid?

If you are in the U.S. on an F1 or F2 student visa, a J1 or J2 exchange visitor visa, or a G series visa (pertaining to international organizations), you are not eligible for federal financial aid. Some non-U.S. citizens are eligible for federal financial aid. Generally, if you are a U.S. permanent resident with an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-551) or a conditional permanent resident with an I-551C you are eligible to receive federal aid.

Where can international students apply for non-federal financial aid?

International students should research the Internet to find possible sources, both scholarships and loan. The following website offers a thorough listing of sources of both: http://www.edupass.org/finaid/ Also, see FAQs below regarding non-federal loans and scholarship searches.

Loan FAQs

What is the difference between Subsidized Direct Loans and Unsubsidized Direct Loans?

Subsidized Direct Loans are based on financial need and both principal and interest are deferred until the student leaves school or goes less than half-time . Unsubsidized loans accrue interest while the student is in school but the principal is deferred.

What are the loan limits in the Direct Loan program for graduate students?

Graduate students, if otherwise eligible, may receive up to a maximum of $18,500 annually in the Direct Loan Program. Only $8,500 of that amount can be in the form of a Subsidized Direct Loan. No student can receive federal financial beyond their estimated costs of attendance. In other words, if your annual estimated costs (as determined by the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid) are less than $18,500, you would be precluded from receiving the maximum of $18,500.

At my undergraduate institution, I received Stafford Loans and had to go through a private lender. How are Stafford Loans different from Direct Loans?

OSU is one of many schools that participate in the Direct Loan program. Federal regulations that govern the Direct Loan and Stafford Loan programs are identical, with one major difference. Under the Direct Loan program, you do not go through a private lender. Your loan is held by the U.S. Department of Education and your payments are made to them.

I reached the maximum total debt as an undergraduate student. Can I borrow more as a graduate student?

The maximum total debt for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans (both Direct and Stafford ) is $138,500. Only $65,500 of that amount can be in subsidized loans. This debt limit includes any loan amounts in these programs you received as an undergraduate.

Should I consolidate my undergraduate loans? My graduate loans? What are the benefits?

Undergraduate and graduate Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans can be consolidated together. The major benefits of loan consolidation are ease of repayment and a fixed interest rate. If you have any Direct Loans, you may want to visit their loan consolidation website, http://www.loanconsolidation.ed.gov/ or call 1-800-557-7392 (TDD 1-800-557-7395). If you have no Direct Loans, only one lender and want to consolidate, you should check with that lender. If you have two or more lenders, you can consolidate with any lender you wish. As with alternative loans, you are advised to look closely at the benefits and drawbacks of using each lender.

Can I consolidate my Perkins Loans with my Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans?

Yes, you can. However, you will lose the Perkins Discharge and Cancellation provisions. If you feel you may benefit from any of those provisions, you may not want to include your Perkins Loan obligations when you consolidate your Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans.

Would it be best for my spouse and I to consolidate our loans together?

Only you and your spouse can make that decision. However, you should understand that if you consolidate all your loans together, you both become equally liable for the entire debt. You also may lose out on some of the discharge/cancellation provisions in the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loan programs. For example, if a borrower dies or becomes permanently and totally disabled, the loan is cancelled. If loans for both spouses have been consolidated together, the surviving spouse would be responsible for the entire debt.

Tuition Waiver/Scholarship FAQs

How do I apply for scholarships or tuition waivers at OSU?

Graduate students (or potential graduate students) should contact their academic department and/or the Graduate College for information about OSU scholarships and tuition waivers. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid does not award any tuition waivers or scholarships to graduate students.

I received my award letter from you, and my tuition waiver isn't listed on it. Do I need to tell you?

Yes, you need to report any additional resources, including OSU tuition waivers, to our office. The amount of your tuition waiver must be taken into account when determining your eligibility for federal financial aid. If we learn of your tuition waiver after your federal loans have been disbursed to you, you can be charged back some or all of the loan if you are no longer eligible to receive it.

I'm hoping to get a tuition waiver, but my department and/or the Graduate College hasn't confirmed yet that I will. What should I do?

You should tell us the approximate amount, if you know it. Once you receive a refund or direct deposit from the Bursar, which indicates your financial aid has paid and you have excess funds, you should make sure that we have taken your full tuition waiver amount into account before you spend the excess . If we have not, some of that refund or direct deposit may have to be paid back to OSU.

How can I find out about non-OSU scholarships for graduate students?

There are many ways to search for scholarships. The Internet offers many possibilities. Below is a list of some sites that may be of help to you.

http://www.okstate.edu/finaid/scholarships/outside.html OSU Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid Non-OSU Scholarship listing. This is updated frequently and should be checked often.

http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/ General information about scholarships and fellowships for graduate students with links.

http://www.uncf.org/ United Negro College Fund

http://www.learnandserve.org/ Corporation for National & Community Service

http://www.fastweb.com/ib/finaid-22f Free scholarship search

http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/lsa/index.html Federal all-purpose site w/links, information about fee-based scholarship search services

http://www.hsf.net/ Hispanic Scholarship Fund

http://aigc.com/ American Indian Graduate Center

http://www.soroptimist.org/ Soroptimist, a women's organization, offers lodging and travel grants to researchers.

http://www.wiredscholar.com/index.jsp A Sallie Mae website, includes free scholarship search

http://www.aicpa.org/members/div/career/mini/fmds.htm Fellowship for Minority Doctoral Students from the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Finally, the Graduate College maintains an extensive listing of scholarships for graduate students. You can check with them to get a copy.

Should I ever pay for scholarship services?

In most cases, scholarship information can be located for free. Often times, fee-based services are scams. Make sure you understand what you are paying for and read the fine print! If in doubt, don't!