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Graduate Financial Aid

Student Financial Services, located in Mercy Hall, assists graduate students with identifying sources of financial assistance to help meet the cost of graduate education.  Our regular office hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and special arrangements can be made for appointments outside of the regular hours.

All Graduate students must complete the FAFSA and submit the Graduate Financial Aid Application to our office to be considered for aid.  You may download the Graduate Financial Aid form (pdf) here.

**If you are an Off-Campus Master's Degree student, please visit the Off-Campus Master's Degree Financial Aid page.**  

• Federal Student Loans - Many graduate students at Saint Joseph College take advantage of the Federal Direct Loan program to help meet educational costs. This is a long term federal student loan program that provides a 10 year repayment period.

• Graduate Assistantships -A limited number of graduate assistantships offer students the opportunity to work eight to 16 hours a week in professional offices and academic departments on campus in lieu of tuition for one or two courses per semester. Assistantship applications are submitted in late spring for the following academic year. Students formally admitted to a graduate degree program are encouraged to apply; applications are located in the Graduate Office. Accepting an Assistantship may impact your financial aid eligibility; contact Student Financial Services for more information.

• Tuition reimbursement – Many companies will offer to pay a portion of your tuition for course work in a related field of study.  Consult the Human Resources department where you are employed to see if there are tuition reimbursement policies in place and if you are eligible.

• Academic Scholarships – Limited scholarship opportunities may be available from academic departments at Saint Joseph College.  Inquire with your Department Chair.  

• Yellow Ribbon Program and Veterans Services - Through Saint Joseph College’s participation in the Yellow Ribbon Program, Veterans who received benefits under the new GI Bill are eligible for a tuition discount. Saint Joseph College will also review a Veteran’s service experience in awarding college credit. 
  • The Office of the Registrar administers Veterans programs, including the Yellow Ribbon Program, at Saint Joseph College.  For more information, visit their Veterans Services Website.  

Applying for a Federal Stafford Loan

Saint Joseph College graduate students who have been accepted and matriculated into a graduate degree program or into the Teacher Certification Program may apply for the Federal Direct Loan by completing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), www.fafsa.ed.gov.*

• Include the Saint Joseph College school code of 001409 on your FAFSA.
• You must be enrolled in at least six (6) credit hours in each of the semesters for which you wish to receive financial assistance.
• Acceptance or matriculation into your program and your application for financial aid must be complete and in place by:     -August 15^th  for the fall semester         -December 15^th for the spring semester

* If you have forgotten your FAFSA PIN, please visit the PIN website to request a duplicate PIN.  

Students who become matriculated or are accepted into the Teacher Certification Program after these days will be processed by Student Financial Services as quickly as possible, but without guarantee of completion for the upcoming semester.

 Saint Joseph College students who received their undergraduate degree prior to completing their student teaching will be considered as “Teacher Certification” students as outlined in column B (below) during their semester of student teaching.

Students who have applied to a graduate program but will not be matriculated prior to the mid-point of the semester are not eligible for the Federal Direct Loan.  You may, however, apply for an “Alternative Education Loan.” Please download our sample list of available Alternative Lenders (PDF: 2pp., 145K) or visit our Financing Options page.

Direct Loans

Note: The loan amounts presented above are the annual program maximums.  The actual amount you may borrow will depend on your financial aid need and actual cost of attendance.  You should contact Student Financial Services for additional information on application requirements and procedures.

You will need to have completed the FAFSA in order to receive a Direct Loan. 

Effective July 1, 2009, Saint Joseph College will begin processing all our first time borrowers through the Federal Direct Loan program. 

Follow the instructions for completing the Master Promissory Note (MPN) and Entrance Interview Counseling under the Financing Options section of our website. 

If you have borrowed money before, you may decide to remain with your prior lender. You will need to complete your application and sign a new MPN at the lenders web site.

Additional Funding Sources:

• The TEACH Grant – The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to students who are completing coursework towards certain high-need fields. In order to be eligible for a grant, a student must submit a FAFSA form and sign an Agreement to Serve as a full-time teacher at certain low-income schools and within certain high-need fields for at least four academic years within eight years after completing (or ceasing enrollment in) the course of study for which the candidate received a grant. The U.S. Department of Education will determine your eligibility for this program.  The TEACH Grant converts to an Unsubsidized Direct Loan if the student fails to complete any part of the obligation. The loan, plus interest, must be repaid.  For more information, click here. 
  • If you are interested in applying for the TEACH Grant, please submit the SJC Teach Grant Application.   (PDF: 2pp., 89K)

• The Grad PLUS Loan – Once a graduate student has exhausted the Stafford Loan option, the Grad PLUS Loan may be available if additional funds are needed.  This federal student loan has a higher interest rate than the Stafford Loan and requires the borrower to have an adequate credit history.  Students are eligible to borrow up to the cost of attendance minus any other aid.  For more information, click here.    

• Alternative Loans – Also known as Private Education Loans, Alternative loan products are not backed by the federal government. They usually have variable interest rates based on Prime or LIBOR and rely on a credit review to calculate the initial rate of interest. Typically the student is the borrower and often a co-borrower is required to pass credit or receive a favorable interest rate. Interest accrues from disbursement. These loans may not be included in a federal consolidation. 
• Sample list of  Alternative Education Loans for Your Consideration
  • Chase Select
  • CitiAssist-Citibank
  • Citizens Bank TruFit Student Loan
  • CTFELP-CHESLA
  • Discover
  • Sallie Mae SMART OPTION Loan
  • Wells Fargo

Click here to download a list of potential alternative loan lenders (PDF: 2pp., 132K) .  

Note: All Alternative Education Loans are credit worthy loans and the lender may suggest a co-borrower. Credit checks are valid for 180 days prior to fund disbursements.

• Credit Union Student Loan Program – If you have been unable to get funding through traditional student loan programs, you may be eligible for a loan through a Connecticut Credit Union through a program created by Governor Jodi Rell.  Visit the Credit Union League of CT for participating credit unions. 

Note: Borrow Wisely  

Your graduate debt limit includes loans for undergraduate study.

If you reach your Federal (Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized) aggregate loan limit, you cannot receive any more of that type of loan. If you exceed your limit, aid already disbursed will be billed back. You will have to find alternative ways to finance your education. Therefore it is to your advantage to borrow only what you need for educational expenses, and to keep track of your cumulative debt. The Student Financial Services staff is happy to work with you to find ways to minimize your borrowing.

Lifetime limits – Graduate/Professional $ 138,500 (maximum $65,500 subsidized)

Student Financial Services • 1678 Asylum Avenue  • West Hartford, CT 06117

 Phone: 860.231.5223 or Toll-free 1.866.442.8752  • E-mail: financialaid@sjc.edu

LINKS

FAFSA  

FAFSA PIN 

Direct Lending 

Downloads

FA for Graduate Students (PDF: 2pp,. 311K) - Downloadable information on financial aid for Graduate students. 

2010 - 2011 Graduate Financial Aid Application  - Graduate students must submit this form to the SJC Student Financial Services office once the FAFSA is completed to get a financial aid award.  

The form below is undergoing an update.  Please contact our office at 860.231.5223 or financialaid@sjc.edu to obtain them at this time.  Existing students may log in to MySJC to download the correct form.

2010 - 2010 Graduate Financial Aid Application for Off-Campus Master's Degree students - Off-Campus Master's Degree students should complete this version of the Graduate Financial Aid Application.

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