Graduate School Information
The Office of Career Services can help with more than just finding a
job! If your career goal involves advanced education, the staff in
the Office of Career Services can assist you in locating a graduate
school that is right for you! One that:
Supports your career goal
Matches your living requirements
Fits your budget
Graduate School Information
The Career Services Office maintains information regarding graduate
school on our computer. The Office also keeps some graduate school
information on file and can assist with extensive computer searches
for other information.
Graduate Exams
Many graduate programs require entrance exams or other specialized
tests to gain admission. The Office of Career Services maintains
information on many of these exams including:
The Graduate Records
Examination
The Graduate
Management Admissions Test
The Medical
College Admission Test
The Law School
Admission Test
Other Graduate School Assistance
The Office of Career Services can assist you with other information
related to graduate school.
The Office maintains some information on financial aid and can guide
you to other resources that can help you find student loans, grants,
and other forms of aid.
Financial Aid Link
There are a variety of financial resources available to graduate
students, including scholarships, grants, fellowships,
assistantships, and loans. These resources can all be classified as
institutional, federal, or private funding.
Institutional Funds are those that school themselves provide
in the form of scholarships, grants, loans, and part-time
employment. They may be available through your school, and you may
have to demonstrate financial need to be eligible to receive them.
Talk with the schools financial aid staff to learn about the
availability of and requirements for institutional funds.
Many graduate students receive teaching or research assistantships
through their academic department, which can help pay for their
education. Typically, an assistantship requires a half-time
commitment (20 hours per week), and may offer benefits including
tuition discounts, academic credit, and practical work experience in
your field of study.
Federal Loans are overseen and offered to students at
eligible schools by the U.S. Departments of Education and the
Department of Health and Human Services. To be eligible for federal
funding, you must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, enrolled
at least half time, pursuing a degree or certificate. Federal
student loans have low interest rates and do not require credit
checks or collateral; however, there are limits on how much you can
borrow, both per academic year and cumulatively.
The most commonly used federal student loan is the Federal Stafford
Loan. This loan comes in two forms, subsidized and unsubsidized. The
government pays the interest on the subsidized Federal Stafford Loan
while you are in school, during the interim period, and during
approved deferment periods. With unsubsidized loans, you are
responsible for paying all interest that accrues. You can choose to
pay the interest while you attend school or allow it to accrue until
you enter repayment, when it will be added to the original amount
you borrowed. To borrow a subsidized Federal Stafford Loan, you must
demonstrate financial need; however, all students, regardless of
need, are eligible for the unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan.
To apply for federal student aid, including Federal Stafford Loans,
you must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA. Both are available
online (or in
paper form at any college or university.) The FAFSA collects
information that is used to determine your expected contribution and
your financial need. Then, contact your financial aid office to find
out their preferred source for federal loans. Some schools
participate in the Federal Direct Loan Program. If this is the case,
the federal government will serve as your lender. Otherwise, school
will direct you to their preferred lenders, a group consisting of
banks lending agencies, and nonprofit student lending organizations
such as Access Group. Your school might also serve as the lender.
Private Student Loans can help bridge the gap between the
cost to attend school and the amount of financial aid you receive
from institutional and federal sources. As you may already realize,
even with other aid sources, you will likely need to borrow more to
pay for graduate school.
Private loans are
available through banks, lending agencies, and nonprofit
organizations. Your eligibility for private loans varies by lender,
school, and loan type, but you will have to pass a credit check for
almost all of them, so take steps now to ensure that your credit
record is clean and positive.
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