Graduate students are usually re-entering the classroom on much shorter notice than entering undergraduates. We try to accommodate your sudden career and life changes.
10 weeks prior to start of term
File FAFSA with our Title IV Code 003709 in the college release section.
Nine weeks prior
Review your Student Aid Report online for accuracy.
Six weeks prior
Complete loan process for student loans, including online master promissory note unless a prior note exists which can be used (within prior 10 years). Plan for entire academic year at one time, but changes can be made before each term.
Four weeks prior
Confirm with CSA Office (accounts and financial aid) that all forms and processes are complete.
More on Graduate Student Financial Aid
Graduate students who are U.S. citizens or hold permanent resident status are encouraged to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) no later than eight weeks prior to the beginning of their program in order to determine their eligibility.
Students should submit all financial aid paperwork and requests to the Centralized Student Assistance (CSA) Office, indicating their planned level of enrollment for the coming year. When the candidate is accepted and the financial aid paperwork is complete, a financial aid award letter will be sent from the CSA Office to the accepted student.
Federal Loans
Graduate students may have eligibility for student loans under the Federal Family Educational Loan Program. Students must maintain at least half-time enrollment to have eligibility for federal loans. Graduate students who have not borrowed in the past must complete their Stafford loan master promissory note, which can be completed online if using one of our listed lenders. More information on federal loans is available here.
During the application process they will be required to complete entrance counseling for their Stafford loans. If a student has borrowed for undergraduate studies and has a current master promissory note (less than ten years old), he or she should advise the CSA Office of the lender name, code, and guarantor. The CSA Office will make every attempt to keep the student's loans with the same lender if possible.
Graduate students are eligible to receive federal Stafford loans, whether subsidized or unsubsidized, based on the filing of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Dependent on their cost of attendance budget, in rare cases, graduate students may also be eligible for a GradPLUS loan. Graduate students can learn more about their rights and responsibilities in connection with federal loans here.
TEACH Grant
Graduate students in education programs may be eligible for the federal TEACH Grant and may learn more about the rights and responsibilities of being in this program at www.teachgrant.ed.gov.
More information about institutional and federal requirements at Emory & Henry College to participate in the TEACH Grant program is available here.
Academic Progress
Financial aid awards are conditional on students' maintaining satisfactory progress in their graduate program. Satisfactory progress is a qualitative and quantitative requirement. For financial aid purposes, the qualitative requirement parallels the 3.0 minimum GPA necessary to avoid probation in the graduate program. The quantitative requirement is met when a graduate student satisfactorily completes 50 percent of coursework attempted in any given academic year.
A student failing to meet minimum standards will be placed on financial aid probation for a period of one academic year. If the student has not regained satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary period, the student will lose federal financial aid eligibility.
A student may still be eligible to receive private student loans from outside agencies that are not tied to satisfactory academic progress. Please note that regardless of satisfactory progress for financial aid purposes, a student cannot be aided for more than 150 percent of his or her program length of attempted courses regardless of whether or not the student has completed the courses.
For example, for a graduate program of 30 semester hours, a student can receive financial aid for up to 45 semester hours attempted, but no more, including classes from which a student has withdrawn.
The academic progress of students who fail to meet minimum qualitative and quantitative standards will be reviewed each academic year. If satisfactory academic progress has not been achieved, the student will be notified of his or her status for financial aid purposes.
If financial aid is suspended, the graduate student has a right of appeal and a full review of the circumstances resulting in insufficient academic progress upon written request to the Director of Student Financial Planning. A committee will be convened, consisting of the Director, a representative of the Office of Academic Affairs, the Dean of Students, and the student's faculty advisor.
Upon review, a waiver of the aid suspension may be granted if it is deemed by the committee the student can successfully complete the program within an appropriate time. A waiver may not be made to the 150 percent attempted rule.
