The Application Process: Federal aid, awarded directly through the Financial Aid Office in accordance with requirements established by federal law, requires applicants to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), utilizing the federal school code for the Graduate Center - 004765. To complete the form online, applicants should go to www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students who apply by the priority deadline for federal aid (April 30th) are considered for Federal Work-Study positions and/or Federal Perkins Loans if they check yes to the question on the FAFSA. Students who wish to apply for Federal Direct Loans must submit, in addition to the FAFSA, a Direct Loan Request Form to the Financial Aid Office. Federal Direct Loans are not packaged and are processed only upon a student's request.
Verification: Students who submit a FAFSA may be required to verify the data that they included on the application. In such cases, students will have to submit the appropriate signed federal tax return, complete with all supporting schedules as well as a Verification Worksheet. Students who are selected for verification will be notified by the Financial Aid Office. This process must be completed before your federal financial aid application can be reviewed.
Federal Work-Study awards are based solely on financial need as defined by federal law. Federal Work-Study awards are packaged each spring for the following academic year. Because Federal Work-Study funds are limited, only students who have their FAFSA on file by the priority deadline (April 30th) are initially considered for awards. Federal Work-Study positions are assigned by the Executive Officer.
Federal Perkins Loan awards are based solely on financial need as defined by federal law. The amount of the award will vary depending on the student's need and the availability of funds to a maximum of $8,000 for the academic year. Federal Perkins Loans are packaged each spring for the following academic year. Because Federal Perkins Loan funds are limited, only students who have their FAFSA on file by the priority deadline (April 30th) are initially considered for awards. The Federal Perkins Loan carries a 5 percent interest rate. No interest accrues while the student is enrolled at least half-time. Repayment begins nine months after the student no longer registers at least half-time, withdraws, or graduates. The program offers deferment privileges and some cancellation benefits for borrowers who enter certain public service careers and the teaching profession. The Graduate Center acts as lender of the Perkins Loan on behalf of the federal government, and the student repays the loan to the Graduate Center upon leaving. A pre-loan interview is required annually prior to loan disbursement. (See Perkins Loan Entrance Letter [pdf]) An exit interview is required when the student no longer registers at least half-time, withdraws, or graduates.
There are three types of Federal Direct Student Loan: the Subsidized Federal Direct Loan, the Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan, and the Federal Grad Plus Loan. The interest rates for 2011–2012 are 6.8% for subsidized and unsubsidized loans and 7.9% for Grad Plus Loans.
Subsidized Federal Direct Loans are based solely on need as defined by federal law. Loan amounts will vary depending on the student's need, to a maximum of $8,500 for the academic year. No interest accrues while the student is enrolled at least half-time (at least 6 credits). Repayment begins six months after the student no longer registers at least half-time, withdraws, or graduates. The program offers deferment privileges. The federal government is the lender, and the student repays the federal government upon leaving school.
Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans are not based on need. Loan amounts vary depending on the cost of the student's attendance, less other financial aid and Subsidized Federal Direct Loan eligibility. The combined maximum for the Subsidized Federal Direct Loan plus the Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan is $20,500 for the academic year. Repayment of interest begins immediately on the Unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan or can be capitalized (i.e., added to the loan principal) at the student's option. Repayment of loan principal begins six months after the student no longer registers at least half-time, withdraws, or graduates.
The Federal Direct Plus Loan is a credit-based loan. Graduate and professional students are eligible to borrow under the PLUS Loan Program up to their cost of attendance, minus financial aid. Students must first apply for a Federal Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Loan before they can be considered for a Grad Plus Loan. To apply for any of the three loans, a Direct Loan Request Form must be completed and returned to the Financial Aid Office. Graduate Plus borrowers must also complete a Grad Plus (Sub/Unsub/Plus) entrance interview at www.studentloans.gov before loan proceeds will be disbursed. There is no grace period on Direct Plus Loans and repayment begins within sixty days of your anticipated final disbursement. You are eligible for an In-School Deferment if you are enrolled at least half-time in school and your loan has been fully disbursed.
A pre-loan interview is required for first-time borrowers of Federal Direct Student Loans. An exit interview is required when the student no longer registers at least half-time, withdraws, or graduates. Students must have the FAFSA on file before they can be considered for this loan. All loan borrowers who drop below half-time (less than 6 credits), take a leave of absence, withdraw, or are about to graduate must complete an exit interview online (www.nslds.ed.gov) or contact the Financial Aid Office to schedule a personal appointment.
Please note that the application process is not as the other federal funding in this section. No FASFA is required.
Established in 1946, the Fulbright Program aims to increase mutual understanding between the peoples of the United States and other countries, through the exchange of persons, knowledge, and skills. Sponsored by the U. S. Department of State, Fulbright, the largest U.S. international exchange program, provides funds for students, scholars, and professionals in all fields of study to undertake international graduate study, advanced research, university teaching, and teaching in elementary and secondary schools.
The U.S. Student Program awards over 1,100 grants to U.S. citizens each year for projects in over 140 countries worldwide. This program offers one academic year of study, research, or teaching assistantship experience. Projects may include university course work, independent library or field research, professional training in the arts, or a combination of these or other projects. The application cycle for Fulbright U.S. Student competition opens on May 1st. The Graduate Center’s deadline for receipt of applications is in early September. Applications, which must be completed online, are available by following the link to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program at http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html. Interested students should contact Rachel Sponzo in the Provost's Office at 212-817-7282 or rsponzo@gc.cuny.edu. For names of current Graduate Center Fulbright recipients, click here.
The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Program (DDRA) funds individual doctoral students to conduct research in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of 6 to 12 months. This program is sponsored by the U. S. Department of Education and is not related to the IIE Fulbright program, which is run by the State Department. The Fulbright-Hays DDRA Program is for students who intend to conduct dissertation research outside of the United States, excluding the countries of Western Europe, and is of particular interest to (but not limited to) students in the social sciences.
The official announcement of the Fulbright-Hays competition is usually made in September on the Department of Education website: http://www.ed.gov/programs/iegpsddrap/applicant.html. As you may have heard, after it had received and reviewed applications, the Department of Education cancelled the competition for the 2011 Fiscal Year (FY) following a reduction of funds as a result of Congressional action. This year, the Department of Education has suggested that educational institutions should proceed with preparing to submit applications.
Please note that because Fulbright-Hays awards are granted to students through their educational institutions, all applications must be vetted by The Graduate Center’s Student Affairs Office prior to being submitted electronically to the Department of Education. To allow for proper review and vetting of applications prior to the anticipated transmittal deadline of early November, The Graduate Center’s internal deadline is tentatively set for Tuesday, October 11, 2011.
If you are interested in beginning the application process, kindly contact institutional application liaison Fiona Lee in Student Affairs at flee@gc.cuny.edu or 212-817-7400. Please do not contact U. S. Department of Education personnel directly.