Continuing Students GSE Tuition and Financial Aid FAQ

How do students finance a Fordham degree?  

There are two types of financial aid options that graduate students may apply for to help support them in financing their Fordham degree; one is GSE School based aid (institutional aid) and the other is Federal financial aid (i.e. student loans), both will require that a FAFSA be on file for the academic year. Fordham University’s Federal School Code is #002722.

What is Federal Financial aid?

Federal financial aid consists of students loans. There are several different graduate student loan options such as, the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan and Private Education Loans that are available to students to help finance a Fordham degree. Students may apply for these loans via the  Graduate Financial Aid website.

As an international student, can I apply for School-based Aid? 

International students can only apply for Graduate Assistantships, which are based on merit. International students are not eligible for scholarships due to the fact that scholarships are need based and require a filed FAFSA for which international students may not file, given they are not a US citizen. 

As an international student, can I apply for Federal aid (student loans)? 

International students may apply for a private loan, which requires a US co-signer. If you are interested in private loans and want to learn more about the process and the payment options, please visit the  Graduate Financial Aid website. Please also feel free to reach out to the Office of Student Financial Services at 718.817.3800 who handles student loan processes. Students may also want to reach out to the  University's Office of International Services to see if they can provide additional resources. 

What are other sources of funding that students may seek? 

External sources of funding are another resource that students may seek to help finance their degree. However, these are outside scholarships and must be sought by students. Please review this link for external sources of funding.

Can continuing students reapply for GSE School-based Aid? 

Continuing students may reapply for GSE School-based aid for each academic year by the February 1st deadline. Late applications will not be accepted.

What is the GSE School-based aid policy for continuing students? 

Per GSE aid policy, continuing students may apply for both a graduate assistantship and/or a scholarship but will only be considered for financial support from one aid program within an academic year. 

How do continuing students reapply for GSE School-based aid (Graduate Assistantships/Scholarships)? 

Continuing students may re-apply for GSE School-based aid by completing an application via the Fordham portal. 

What are the eligibility requirements for Graduate Assistantships? 

Continuing students must maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) to be considered for a GA-ship in addition to credit requirements.
Students who wish to be considered for a summer GA-ship must be enrolled in a minimum of 6 to 9 credits; and 9 to 12 credits per the fall and spring semesters.

How are Graduate Assistantships packaged for continuing students?

Continuing students are awarded one course in tuition remission per each semester. Summer GA-ships are very limited and are packaged separately, since GA-ships are packaged a year in advance for fall and spring semesters. 

What type of scholarships can GSE continuing students reapply for?

Continuing students may only apply for a merit and need-based scholarship, which requires a filed FAFSA. 

What are the eligibility requirements for a GSE need-based scholarship? 

GSE Scholarships are based on both merit and financial need. To be eligible for GSE School-based scholarships, students must: maintain enrollment in two courses per the summer, fall, and spring semesters; demonstrate financial need by completing a FAFSA; and meet minimum GPA requirements: 3.5 undergraduate GPA and 3.75 graduate GPA. 

How are scholarships packaged for continuing students? 

Scholarships are packaged for one full academic year (summer, fall, spring), which is why continuing students must apply by the February 1st deadline.

Am I eligible for school-based aid if I have applied to a grant funded program? 

Some grant programs may provide financial aid support in the second year of a student’s degree, which will then allow them to receive school based during their first year only. Otherwise, students are not eligible due to the GSE’s no “double dipping,” aid policy. 

What is the GSE School based-aid policy on additional aid? 

For graduate assistantships, additional GA-ships will not be awarded to any student until ALL eligible GA's have been placed within a position, this is to ensure that all GA's have an assignment. For scholarships, additional aid is not provided because scholarship awards are based upon the number of credits that a student enrolls in per each semester. 

When are continuing students notified about their school-based aid decisions? 

The deadline for students to reapply for school-based aid is February 1st. GSE scholarship decisions will be made by mid-March (if a student’s FAFSA is on file) and graduate assistantship decisions will be made by mid-April.