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Resources 

StudentAid.gov 

Find detailed information about federal student 

aid and the FAFSA application process. The 

site includes helpful publications and tools for 

managing Direct Loans. 

“My Federal Student Aid” at 

StudentAid.gov/login 

For information about all of your federal student 

loans and federal grants, visit “My Federal 

Student Aid.” Note that this site does not 

include information about any private loans 

you may have received. 

StudentLoans.gov 

Get information about completing the Master 

Promissory Note (MPN), Direct PLUS Loan 

requests, loan entrance counseling, loan exit 

counseling, loan repayment, and more. 

Stay connected: 

/FederalStudentAid 

/FAFSA 

This brochure provides an overview of the federal 

student aid programs available to eligible graduate 

or professional students. 

Some Facts About Federal 

Student Aid 

• Federal Student Aid, an offce of the U.S.

Department of Education (ED), is the largest

provider of student fnancial aid in the nation.

We provide more than $120 billion each year

to help millions of students pay for higher

education.

• Completing the Free Application for Federal

Student Aid (FAFSA®) form is free, and it’s easy

to apply. You can complete the application at

fafsa.gov.

• In almost all cases, graduate or professional

students are considered independent students

for the purposes of completing the FAFSA form.

This means they generally are not required to

provide parent information.

Types of Federal Student Aid 

Graduate or professional students may be eligible 

to receive aid from the following federal student 

aid programs: 

• The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan

(Direct Loan) Program

This is the largest federal student loan program.

Under this program, ED is your lender rather

than a bank or other fnancial institution. There

are two types of Direct Loans that graduate or

professional students enrolled in a program

leading to a degree or certifcate may receive:

• Direct Unsubsidized Loans—Eligible

students may borrow up to $20,500 per

school year. Graduate or professional

students enrolled in certain health

profession programs may receive

additional Direct Unsubsidized Loan

amounts each academic year. Contact your 

school’s fnancial aid offce for details. 

• Direct PLUS Loans—Eligible graduate or

professional students who need to borrow

more than the maximum unsubsidized

loan amounts to meet their education

costs may apply for a PLUS loan. A

credit check will be completed during

the application process.

Get more information about federal student loans 

at StudentAid.gov/loans. 

• Teacher Education Assistance for College

and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant

The TEACH Grant Program provides grants

of up to $4,000 a year to students who are

completing or plan to complete course work

needed to begin a career in teaching. This

program is different from other federal student

grants in that it requires you to take certain

kinds of classes to get the grant, and then to

do a certain kind of job to keep the grant from

being converted to a loan. To learn more about

this program, visit StudentAid.gov/teach.

• Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program

The FWS Program provides part-time jobs for

undergraduate and graduate students with

fnancial need.

This program allows you to earn money to

help pay education expenses, and encourages

community service work and work related

to your course of study. Visit StudentAid.gov

/workstudy for details.

• Federal Pell Grant

A Pell Grant, unlike a loan, does not have to

be repaid. You may be eligible to receive one

if you are enrolled in a postbaccalaureate

teacher certifcation program. Amounts can

change yearly.

/FederalStudentAid 

Note: The information in this document was compiled 

in the summer of 2017. For changes to the federal 

student aid programs since then, visit StudentAid.gov 

or call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243). 

TTY for the deaf or hard of hearing: 1-800-730-8913. 

Callers in locations without access to 1 -800 numbers 

may call 334-523-2691 (this is not a toll-free number). 

Cover Photo: Tom Merton/Getty Images 

Printed: September 2017 

Financial Aid 

for Graduate or 

Professional 

Students 

Have you applied for fnancial aid from 

the U.S. Department of Education? 
 

 

 

Marc Romanelli/Getty Images 

Note: Visit StudentAid.gov/types to learn 

more about the federal student aid programs; 

and contact your school’s fnancial aid 

offce to fnd out which programs the school 

participates in. 

Eligibility Requirements 

To qualify for federal student aid (grants, 

loans, and work-study funds), you must meet 

certain eligibility requirements. Some of our 

general eligibility requirements are that you 

must demonstrate fnancial need (for most 

programs); be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen; 

and be enrolled or accepted for enrollment 

as a regular student in an eligible degree or 

certifcate program. Learn more about the basic 

eligibility requirements for federal student aid 

at StudentAid.gov/eligibility, and contact your 

school’s fnancial aid offce if you have 

any questions. 

Apply for Aid 

To apply for federal student aid, you frst need 

to complete the FAFSA® form at fafsa.gov. Many 

states and colleges use your FAFSA data to 

determine your eligibility for state and school 

aid, and some private fnancial aid providers 

may use your FAFSA information to determine 

whether you qualify for their aid. 

Tip: Before completing your FAFSA® form, 

make sure to create your FSA ID—a 

username and password that is used 

to access sensitive information on U.S. 

Department of Education websites. Your 

FSA ID is used to confrm your identity and 

electronically sign your federal student aid 

documents, including the FAFSA form. To 

create an FSA ID, visit StudentAid.gov/fsaid. 

Other Types of Financial Aid 

• Aid From Other Federal Agencies 

To fnd out about funding from agencies other 

than ED, visit StudentAid.gov/types. 

• State Aid 

Many states offer assistance for graduate or 

professional school. Find state grant agency 

contact information at www.ed.gov/sgt. 

• School Aid 

To fnd out the types of aid your school 

offers, contact the school’s fnancial aid 

offce, and check with faculty members 

in your area of study. 

Sources for Additional Funding 

Check out the following sources: 

• The free scholarship search from the 

U.S. Department of Labor at 

www.careerinfonet.org/scholarshipsearch 

• Foundations; organizations (e.g., religious, 

community, professional, ethnicity-based); 

local businesses; and civic groups 

• Your employer 

• Your state vocational rehabilitation agency, 

if appropriate, (a list of state agencies is at 

www.ed.gov/svr) 

Don’t forget to research the potential tax 

benefts of higher education at irs.gov. 

FatCamera/Getty Images 

Key Points to Consider When 

Taking Out a Student Loan 

• What is the source of the loan? Is it a federal 

loan or a private student loan? 

Student loans can come from the federal 

government or from private sources, such 

as banks or fnancial institutions. Federal 

student loans offer benefts that may not be 

available with private loans. These include 

several repayment plans that keep your monthly 

student loan payment at an amount that 

is intended to be affordable based on your 

income and family size. Learn more about the 

differences between federal and private student 

loans at StudentAid.gov/federal-vs-private. 

• What are the terms and conditions of the loan? 

It’s important to know what you’re signing up 

for. Understand the terms of your loan and keep 

copies of your loan documents. The Master 

Promissory Note (MPN) is the legal document 

you must sign to receive a federal student loan. 

When you sign your promissory note, you 

are agreeing to repay the loan according 

to the terms of the note even if you don’t 

complete your education, can’t get a job after 

you complete the program, or don’t like the 

education you received. 

• How will the amount you borrow in student loans 

affect your future fnances, and how much can 

you afford to repay? 

Your student loan payments should be only 

a small percentage of your salary after you 

graduate, so it’s important not to borrow more 

than you need for your school-related expenses. 

Plan and budget for now and for the future. 

Get information about income-driven repayment 

and other student loan repayment plans at 

StudentAid.gov/plans. Also, check out the 

Financial Awareness Counseling Tool at 

StudentLoans.gov to help with your fnancial 

aid planning and to assist you in managing 

your fnances. 

• Do you know about federal student loan 

forgiveness? 

If you work in certain felds, you may be eligible 

to have some portion of your loans forgiven. 

Learn about our loan forgiveness programs at 

StudentAid.gov/forgiveness. 

Hero Images/Getty Images