You are now pursuing a master’s degree… the standards have been raised!
Did you know…
You must be enrolled in at least 6 required graduate credits to be eligible for your Stafford Loans.
- Other funding options for graduate students taking 3-5.5 credits
- SUNY Cortland’s monthly payment plan www.cortland.edu/bussiness/bursar.html
- Certain Alternative Loans please contact your financial aid advisor
If you have been awarded a TAP grant from NYSHESC, then you need to be enrolled in 12 new & required credits for it to be certified to pay
- Please notify Financial Advisement when you accept your award package that you will be enrolled in 12 graduate credits
- TAP on-line application at www.tapweb.org
Minimum GPA to maintain your eligibility for federal aid is 3.0
Completion ratio of attempted vs. earned credits must be at 65%
- Late grades, Incompletes, Withdrawals or Leave of Absence will effect your GPA & completion ratio
Other important facts…
- You cannot be awarded unless you file the FAFSA each year… this includes Stafford Loans
- You must be accepted into a degree granting program to be eligible for your federal/state financial aid
- If you still need to complete pre-requisite undergraduate credits to begin course work in your graduate degree program, then you have a conditional accept that is not fundable through federal & state financial aid.
- You cannot be funded as a graduate student for undergraduate courses unless the course is in print as a graduate requirement in the course catalog
- For example HLH 110 or HLH 199 must be taken to fulfill New York State certification requirements per SUNY Cortland’s graduate catalog
- You want to make sure that any previous student loans borrowed for your undergraduate degree are in deferred status
- You have been awarded based on your minimal eligibility of 6 credits for federal financial aid
- If you are taking more than 6 required graduate credits your Stafford Loans can be increased up to $20,500 based on enrollment and your budget (Please contact your Financial Aid Advisor to discuss increase)
- If you are taking less than 6 required graduate credits, your Stafford Loans will be cancelled, as you are no longer eligible
If a student loses aid eligibility based upon poor academic performance, he/she may regain eligibility by successfully completing courses at SUNY Cortland (without aid) with sufficient grades/credits to re-establish eligibility under the standard. Although these courses must be completed without benefit of financial aid, there are alternative financing options available. We suggest that you contact your Financial Advisement Advisor as not all Alternative Loan providers will fund students not making Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Sometimes a student’s performance in a given semester can be negatively impacted by medical issues, family crisis, or other events/circumstances beyond the student’s control. When that semester’s performance results in a loss of aid eligibility, there is a procedure for student’s to submit a mitigating circumstances appeal. Appeal letters should be addressed to the Director of Financial Advisement and should include a complete description of the circumstances that led to the academic difficulty and a plan for future academic success. Copies of supporting documentation should also be included, including faculty recommendations. A mitigating circumstances appeal may not be used to justify a long-term pattern of poor performance or to override the maximum time frame standard.