Graduate and Doctoral Students
Financial assistance
The following is important information pertaining to graduate students who are interested in applying for financial assistance at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU):
- Students must add SCSU code (001406) on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the appropriate academic period.
- Must be officially accepted as a matriculated student into the department and the graduate admissions office.
- Must be registered for a minimum of 4.5 credits to be considered for financial
assistance.
Connecticut State University Grants
SCSU has a limited number of institutional grants for eligible full-time ($2250 per semester for the '12-'13 academic year) and part-time graduate students ($750 per semester for the '12-'13 academic year). To be considered for this grant, an applicant must meet the following criteria:
- Register as a full-time student (9+ credit hours) or part-time student (4.5 - 8.5 credit hours) each semester; fall and spring;
- Demonstrate financial need according to the federal financial aid definition: Cost of attendance (financial aid budget) minus Expected Family Contribution per FAFSA (EFC) equals Need.
- Have a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 (for new graduate students);
- Have a minimum graduate GPA of 3.2 at the end of the semester prior to the award year.
Stipulations: Full-time grant recipients must register and pay for a minimum of 9 credit hours
for the fall semester by the University's bill payment deadline in July. Part-time
grant recipients must register and pay for a minimum of 4.5 credit hours for the fall
semester by the University's bill payment deadline in July. To retain grant eligibility
for the following award year, students must maintain minimum credit hours (9 hours
for full-time and 4.5 for part-time) and a minimum GPA of 3.2.
School of Graduate Studies Graduate Assistantships and Fellowships
The School of Graduate Studies offers competitive, merit-based assistantships and fellowships annually to full-time graduate students (subject to availability of funds). Assistantships require students to work for a faculty member for 20 hours/week while fellowship recipients conduct their own research under the aegis of a faculty member. Applications for these programs are due in mid-March. The awards provide a monthly stipend and the waiver of most student fees. Detailed information about these programs including application instructions and current award amounts can be found on the School of Graduate Studies website www.southernct.edu/grad.
Federal Direct Stafford Loans:
Starting with the 2012-2013 academic year, graduate students will only be able to apply for a direct unsubsdized stafford loan. Graduate students can apply up to $20,500 annually. The aggregate limit for a graduate student is $138,500 (including loans for undergraduate study). No more than $65,500 of this aggregate amount may be in the form of subsidized loans.
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans:
You may apply for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan after you complete the FAFSA and apply for the maximum annual amounts you qualify for in Federal Direct Stafford Loans. You may borrow up to the cost of your education, minus the amount of any financial aid you receive.
Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP):
The purpose of the NFLP is to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty.
The program offers partial loan forgiveness for borrowers that graduate and serve
as full-time nursing faculty for the prescribed period of time.
Students need to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
and meet the following criteria to receive the NFLP loan:
1. Must be a U.S. citizen or national of the U.S., or a lawful permanent resident
of the U.S. and its territories.
2. Must be enrolled as a full-time or part-time doctoral program that offers
an education component to prepare qualified nurse faculty.
3. Must maintain enrollment for a minimum of two consecutive terms/semesters
during an academic year.
4. Must maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP).
5. Must not be in default on any federal loans.
The NFLP loan can help with the cost of tuition, fees, books and laboratory expenses.
The NFLP loan cannot be used for room, board, personal, transportation and living
expenses.
There is a limited amount of NFLP available. The NFLP is a non-need based loan
program. The loan cannot exceed $35,500 per academic year, and not to exceed 5 years
of support.
The grace period for NFLP loan repayment is 9 months and begins immediately after
the individual ceases to pursue a course of study at the school of nursing. The interest
rate of 3 percent begins 3-months after the borrower graduates from the program.
The borrower will be given up to 10 years to repay the loan.
NFLP borrowers who fail to establish employment as a full-time nurse faculty at
a school of nursing must begin repayment of the NFLP loan following the 9-month grace
period at the prevailing market interest rate. The current interest rate is 10.5%.
The borrower must serve as full-time nurse faculty for a consecutive four-year
period at an accredited school of nursing following graduation from the program to
cancel the maximum amount of the loan.
The borrower may cancel:
· 20 percent of the principal and the interest on the amount of unpaid loan
balance upon completion of each of the first, second, and third year of full-time
employment; and
· 25 percent of the principal and the interest on the amount of the unpaid
loan balance upon completion of the fourth year of full-time employment.
Students who are interested in the NFLP loans must complete the following:
1. Sign the award letter accepting the NFLP loan,
2. Attend an entrance counseling session,
a. Complete and sign the NFLP Loan Application,
b. Sign the borrower's rights and responsibilities statement,
c. Sign the NFLP Promissory Note,
d. Sign the NFLP Loan Disclosure
e. Sign the self-certification forms.