Graduate Financial Aid

We're committed to making a UD education accessible to all students who qualify. Explore the variety of financial aid options available and learn about financial aid awards.

The first step to applying for financial aid is to apply and be accepted to a University of Dayton graduate program. The federal government requires that any student seeking the use of Title IV funds must first be admitted to a degree-seeking program.

Once you have been accepted to a graduate program, you should file your FAFSA. Then, we will begin to prepare your aid for the upcoming year.


Types of Financial Aid Available to Graduate Students

University Scholarships, Grants and Assistantships

A limited number of University-sponsored scholarships, grants and assistantships may be available from individual academic departments or programs of study. Contact your program directly for more information.

Federal and State Scholarships and Grants

In addition to institutional opportunities, federal and state agencies may be a resource for additional scholarship and grants.

Graduate students pursuing degrees in education might be eligible for the Federal TEACH Grant.

Federal Direct Loan

For Federal Direct Loan, we will review the results of your FAFSA to determine the amount of direct loan you can borrow based on your grade level and enrollment status.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

For students who have exhausted their direct loan eligibility for the year, or have reached the aggregate borrowing limit for that program, there may be opportunity to borrow additional federal funds via the Graduate PLUS Loan program. We will notify you of your eligibility for this loan on your annual award notification.

External Scholarships

When searching for additional resources to fund your education, don't forget to explore the world of external scholarships. There are millions of dollars given annually to students from scholarship foundations, private businesses, professional clubs and organizations.

As part of your search, you may want to use one of the many free scholarship search services on the Internet. These agencies scan their database of awards and notify you to apply for those which match up against your personal profile.

Beware of those searches that charge you a fee; it may be a scam!

Private Student Loan

Eligibility for most of these programs is based on the creditworthiness of the borrower, and we recommend students apply with a creditworthy cosigner in order to receive the most favorable loan terms. Some private lenders also offer a parent loan option, which allows parents, family members or friends to help students cover education-related expenses so they can focus on their studies without having to worry about financing their education. As with any loan, be sure to review all information carefully and contact the lender directly with any questions related to specific terms and conditions. Before pursuing a private loan, you are encouraged to explore all options available to you by filing the FAFSA. Federal student loans may be more favorable than private education loans.

To assist you in the search for additional financial resources, we provide you with a private loan comparison tool, FAST Choice. FAST Choice provides a historical list of lenders our students have used over the last three academic years. This information is updated on an annual basis. Additionally, FAST Choice can help you understand how to plan for successful repayment of your private loan.

The private loan process has many steps and it is important that you allow up to four weeks from the time of your application until the loan disbursement is sent to UD. This can impact the status of your student account, so be sure to plan ahead. During the application process, the lender will send you three separate disclosure statements, as well as a 'self-certification form'. The Cost of Attendance information you need to complete this form can be found on your award notification letter or via the 'Award Overview' tab of your financial aid information on Porches. Please review the information provided by the lender carefully and contact the lender directly with any questions related to a loan program's specific terms and conditions and how they apply to you.

Please contact a financial aid counselor if you would like help determining the amount needed to cover your expenses.

FAST Choice provides a historical list of lenders used by students and other borrowers at University of Dayton within the last three academic years. The university does not endorse any lender, nor do any of the lenders compensate University of Dayton to be on this list.

Student Employment

Graduate students are eligible to apply for student employment positions as long as they are enrolled at least half-time (minimum three hours per term). Once you are enrolled you can explore available positions and apply for those that interest you.


Graduate Financial Aid Awards

A number of factors go into timing the release of financial aid awards: your admission to a degree-seeking program, having FAFSA results on file and our SAP review (returning students). With that in mind, the Office of Financial Aid generally begins the new school year award cycle in mid-July.

If we receive your FAFSA results after we begin awarding, you can generally expect to receive your financial aid award within 7-10 business days. All students will receive an email notification to guide you through the steps to view and accept your awards online.


Adjustments to Aid

Per federal regulations, financial aid awards may be adjusted throughout the school year as changes occur in your enrollment status, academic standing or in the program eligibility itself. If your aid is adjusted you will be notified via email.

Enrollment Status Change

If you need to drop below the registration hours we based your loan eligibility on during the semester, we encourage you to first speak with a financial aid counselor. At that time we will also review with you the potential impact dropping courses may have on your financial aid for the following year.

Withdrawal

If you withdraw from your courses, either officially or unofficially, we will have to perform a Return to Title IV aid calculation.



Contact Us

If you have questions or need additional information about tuition and financial aid, we're here to help.

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