Important Financial Aid Issues for Advisors to Consider:
- Student loans are attractive to graduate students because the current interest rate is low (5%) and some fields offer loan forgiveness.
- Admitted graduate students are eligible for up to $20,500 in student loans per year.
- Graduate students must be enrolled in at least five credit hours to receive financial aid.
- Non-degree students may not receive financial aid unless they are enrolled in a graduate certificate or an elementary or secondary education teacher certification program.
- Students who change their status from graduate to post-baccalaureate to save money on tuition will jeopardize their financial aid.
- Students who receive tuition remission after their financial aid is awarded must undergo another financial analysis, and the tuition grants must be deducted from the total award.
- Tuition remission is limited to nine hours unless the graduate director makes a case for exceptional need. Tuition remission only covers the basic educational fees and one-fourth of health insurance. Supplemental fees are not paid. Please inform students of this information when discussing their award.
- Make Teaching Assistant and Graduate Assistant selections early, allowing the Financial Aid staff to include tuition awards in their calculations to give students a more accurate picture of their awards.
- Alert the students you offer assistantships to that the award will affect their previous financial aid award, and encourage them to consult the Financial Aid Office to analyze the impact before accepting the position.
UMSL has numerous ways to assist graduate students with their financial need, including assistantships and fellowships. Refer to this comprehensive list to learn more.
Please refer all students and faculty with further questions to Student Financial Services.
