Once you become a graduate student your financial aid package will be made up of Federal Student Loans. The majority of grants are no longer available to graduate students based on federal laws and regulations. There are a few funds such as Work-Study and Perkins Loans that graduate students may still be eligible for, however it depends on the funding and awarding practice of each college. Here at SUNY cortland we have limited funding in these programs and are unable to offer them to our graduate students.
The majority of graduate students do not require this other type of funding because the annual loan limits are much higher than that of an undergraduate student. Take a few moments and learn about graduate level loans. Be careful not to forget about taking the time to apply for scholarships, fellowships and assistantships that are also available to graduate students.
The federal and state student aid programs have certain basic eligibility requirements that are applicable to students seeking aid under the programs. Students who meet all of the criteria below are considered an “eligible student”, and may receive either need and/or non-need based aid according to their specific family situation.
To be eligible for most financial aid programs at SUNY Cortland, a student must:
- be a
- have a valid Social Security Number,
- have a valid high school diploma, a General Education Development (GED) Certificate, or have completed a high school education in a home school setting as provided under state law,
- be accepted for enrollment as a regular student working toward a degree (or CAS),
- continue to make satisfactory academic progress toward completion of your degree,
- sign a statement certifying that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes (included as part of the FAFSA application),
- not be in default on a federal student loan, owe a repayment of a federal grant, or otherwise be in default on any obligation to the
- not have borrowed in excess of the lifetime limits under the federal student loan programs,
- be registered with the Selective Service (if male over the age of 18), and
- not have been convicted of certain drug offenses.
The citizenship and social security number criteria (above) are also applicable to parents seeking to borrow under the Federal PLUS loan program.
Additionally, most
If you have any questions about the eligibility criteria, or how they apply to your specific situation, please contact your Advisor in the Financial Advisement Office at 607-753-4717 or finaid@cortland.edu.