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Grad/Professional Student

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  1. How do I apply for financial aid?
  2. What types of financial aid are available to graduate/professional students?
  3. Are Federal or State grants available to graduate/professional students?
  4. What are the eligibility requirements for the Tuition Grant?
  5. Am I eligible for the Tuition Grant if I am enrolled in a Master’s Thesis, Master’s Paper, or Dissertation course?
  6. I have been awarded financial aid, and the Tuition Grant was included.  Why was that done if I am a part time student (taking less than 9 credit hours)?
  7. Do I need to apply for aid each year?
  8. I’m an international student, am I eligible for financial aid?
  9. Do you offer scholarships to graduate/professional students?
  10. If I receive a non-service award through the Graduate Program or my department, will that impact my federal loans?
  11. When do I have to repay my loans?
  12. Where can I get more information about my financial aid award?
  13. My question is not addressed here, whom can I contact to get an answer?

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1. How do I apply for financial aid?
 

Graduate/professional students apply for financial aid by completing the FAFSA. In rare cases, you may be asked to provide additional information or documentation.

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2. What types of financial aid are available to graduate/professional students?
 

The primary type of financial aid available to graduate/professional students is the Unsubsidized Direct Loan. Also, students might borrow through the Grad PLUS program, if necessary, to fund the cost of education. Certain returning students might also qualify for a Tuition Grant to offset the cost of campus-based tuition increases.  Please see the Types of Aid section of this site for a description of these loan programs.

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3. Are Federal or State grants available to graduate/professional students?
  Unfortunately, graduate/professional students do not qualify for the Federal and State grants that are available to undergraduate students. In some cases, graduate/professional students might qualify for awards through their department or school.

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4. What are the eligibility requirements for the Tuition Grant?
  Graduate or Professional students must demonstrate financial need and be enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credit hours) during a fall or spring semester.  The amount of the award will vary depending on whether a student is enrolled full-time or part-time.

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5. Am I eligible for the Tuition Grant if I am enrolled in a Master’s Thesis, Master’s Paper, or Dissertation course?
  Dissertation and Master’s Thesis or Paper courses include only 3 credit hours of enrollment.  Thus, students enrolled in Dissertation or Master’s Thesis/Paper courses would not be eligible since they are enrolled for less than 9 credit hours.

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6. I have been awarded financial aid, and the Tuition Grant was included.  Why was that done if I am a part-time student (taking less than 9 credit hours)?
  The awarding process typically occurs before students have actually registered.  As a result, the office assumes full time enrollment (at least 9 credit hours) when awarding financial aid prior to the start of the year.  Some awards may require adjustment after the start of the year if awarding assumptions do not match a student’s actual hours registered.  You may receive this grant while enrolled half-time, but it will be reduced to half the amount provided for full-time enrollment.

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7. Do I need to apply for aid each year?
  Yes, you must complete the financial aid application every year at Carolina.

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8. I’m an international student, am I eligible for financial aid?
  Only Permanent Residents or citizens of the United States are eligible for need-based federal and institutional funds. Follow the instructions on the FAFSA website to determine your eligibility status.

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9.  Do you offer scholarships to graduate/professional students?
  Unfortunately, graduate/professional students typically do not qualify for most scholarships offered to undergraduate students. In some cases, graduate/professional students might qualify for awards through their department or school.

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10. If I receive a non-service award through the Graduate Program or my department, will that impact my federal loans?
  Non-service awards are a form of financial aid and must be incorporated into your loan awards. The office will determine whether these will impact your loans once we are made aware of the award by your department or the Graduate School.

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11.  When do I have to repay my loans?
  Federal Perkins and federal Subsidized Direct Loans have a grace period of 9 and 6 months, respectively, from:

  • the date of your graduation, OR
  • the date you drop below half-time enrollment, OR
  • the date you withdraw from school.

Before it is time to start repayment, you should receive a repayment schedule disclosure from your lender that tells you the total amount borrowed, current interest rates, due dates for payments, and total you will pay over the life of the loan if you follow the schedule. You can estimate your monthly repayment amounts using loan repayment calculators on the web. CFNC, FinAid.org, and StudentLoans.gov are among some of the sites offering calculators. Be sure to check with your lender for the various types of payment deferments and loan cancellations available for your particular type of loan.

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12. Where can I get more information about my financial aid award?
  You can review your Information About Your Financial Aid Award document in the Forms section of this website.  Be sure to select the appropriate Aid Year.

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13.  My question is not answered here, whom do I contact for an answer?
  We hope many of your questions are answered either here on our website or at your my.unc.edu ConnectCarolina Student Center. If, however, you cannot find the answer to your question, you may contact us via email, by phone, or in person. Especially during peak times (February through September), you may encounter a bit of a wait to reach us by phone; so, you may find sending us an email to be a better option. We answer email in as timely a manner as possible. We would, however, ask you to first please help us help you by spending a little extra time searching for your answer on the web before contacting us as our staff must both process all aid applications and respond to all questions. Your search efforts are appreciated!

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