Financial Aid and Scholarships

For Domestic Students:

Graduate students generally have some unique situations in regard to financial aid compared to undergraduate students. Graduate students are automatically considered independent for financial aid purposes and do not qualify for federal and state grants. In addition, graduate students are more likely to enroll part-time. These situations can affect the amount and timely delivery of financial aid eligibility. You must apply for financial aid every academic year.

Application Process

You should complete your Federal Income Tax returns as soon as possible after January 1. Having completed tax returns will make the application process much easier.

After you have completed your Federal Income Tax returns, you are ready to apply. There are two easy steps in applying for financial aid at St. Cloud State University:

• Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  SCSU's Federal School Code is: 002377
• Complete the SCSU Application for Financial Aid. This form will be mailed to you when SCSU receives your FAFSA results. You can also download the SCSU Application for Financial Aid (6 pages/41KB).

Hint: Make EXTRA COPIES of your Federal Tax Returns and W2s to send with the SCSU Application for Financial Aid.

PLEASE NOTE: If you experience a substantial change in income due to death, disability, unemployment, or other similar circumstances, submit a letter of explanation of your situation with your St. Cloud State University Financial Aid Application. If you have already submitted your application, send a separate letter of your situation for us to review.

Due to the extensive nature of Financial Aid, please visit our Financial Aid Web site at www.stcloudstate.edu/financialaid or visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship in 106 Administrative Services Building.

Graduate Assistantships

One method of financing graduate study is through a graduate assistantship. Such an award assumes the student is doing significant work for the University. The student receives a stipend, plus remission of approximately up to eight credits of tuition. Regardless of their place of residence, graduate assistants pay in-state tuition and fees. Typical assignments might be teaching introductory classes, working as lab assistants, working as teachers' assistants, doing student advising, intern supervision, or serving as a research assistant. Some students may work in administrative offices of the University.

Assistantships may be financed out of the general University budget, external grants, or, if the student qualifies based on need, from the work study funds. The source of funding may affect the student's loan eligibility so he or she should speak with her/his adviser about the source of funds. In general, a graduate assistant is expected to carry a minimum of eight graduate credits each semester he/she receives a 20-hour-per-week assistantship. Students seeking need-based loans from the University's financial aid office may find the total amount they can borrow reduced by the tuition assistance.

Assistantships may be awarded by the department in which a student is enrolled or by the office or administrative unit where the work will be performed. Assistantships generally are awarded on the basis of previous academic achievement and the faculty's opinion of the student's ability to meet the responsibilities of the assistantship. It is assumed that a graduate assistant will devote 20 hours per week to the position. In some departments, a 10- or 15-hour-per-week assistantship is more appropriate.

Assistantships can be awarded to fully-admitted graduate students only. An assistantship ends when the graduate degree is completed. Although there may be exceptions, typically a student holds an assistantship for no more than two years.

To apply for an assistantship, a student must do the following:

1. Be admitted to the School of Graduate Studies.

2. Complete an application for assistantship provided by the School of Graduate Studies and return it to the department/unit offering the assistantship.

3. Complete any additional applications or supply additional information at the request of the department/unit. Most students send a résumé, cover letter, and application form to each office in which they seek employment.

If I receive a graduate assistantship, will this affect my financial aid?

Any student receiving a graduate assistantship is eligible to receive tuition assistance to cover up to eight graduate credits each term of the assistantship. This tuition assistance will affect financial aid eligibility. The student's need-based loan eligibility is generally decreased by the same amount as the tuition assistance. If the student's loan already has been processed at the time the financial aid office becomes aware of the tuition assistance, the loan amount may need to be reduced. If an assistantship is funded through the work study program, the student's loan eligibility is generally reduced by the full amount of the assistantship plus the amount of tuition assistance the student will receive. Since this would mean a large reduction in loan eligibility, students who are offered a work study assistantship my want to visit with a financial aid counselor before accepting the assistantship.

Things to keep in mind regarding financial aid:

• Graduate students are not eligible for any federal or state grant programs; however, they are eligible to receive funds through loan and work programs.
• You must be formally accepted into a graduate program before financial aid can be processed.
• Graduate students must enroll in eight or more credits per semester in order to be considered a full-time student for financial aid purposes. You must be enrolled at least half-time (six credits) to be eligible for federal or state loan programs.
• There is no deadline to apply for financial aid. You can apply throughout the academic year. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible after your tax returns are completed.
• The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is your first step in applying for financial aid at SCSU. You must reapply for financial aid every academic year.
• In order to have books for the first two weeks of class, you will need to purchase them using your own funds. When financial aid is disbursed, generally two weeks after the semester begins, if the amount of your aid exceeds the amount you owe SCSU, the excess is given to you to use for educational expenses (which may include room, board, transportation, books) or to reimburse you for expenses already incurred.
• The University Business Services Office, located in the Administrative Services Building, Room 123, handles disbursement of all financial aid funds.
• Federal regulations require Stafford loans that are processed for one term to be multiply disbursed. This includes loans that are processed for fall semester only, spring semester only, or summer term. You will receive the first half of your loan at the beginning of the semester (or when you apply, if later). You will receive the second half of your loan at the mid-point of the semester.
• If you borrowed educational loans as an undergraduate, you may be able to defer loan payments while attending graduate school. Contact the lender to request a deferment.
• Financial aid recipients are required to meet standards of satisfactory academic progress. SCSU's satisfactory academic progress policy has three major components that are taken into account in determining a student's standing:
  • A minimum percentage of credits earned based on total SCSU credits attempted.
  • A minimum grade point average (GPA) requirement. GPA is calculated using only SCSU credits.
  • A maximum number of credits attempted. This includes all credits attempted at SCSU and credits accepted from other institutions regardless of whether aid was received. After you have attempted the maximum number of credits, you are no longer eligible to receive aid.
• Further details and the entire policy can be found http://www.stcloudstate.edu/financialaid/sap.asp.
• You have certain rights and responsibilities when applying for and receiving financial aid.
• Keep all copies of correspondence received from the financial aid office. Sometimes questions arise regarding a particular piece of correspondence or financial aid award. It's much easier if you can pull out a document and refer to it.

Scholarships

Some scholarships are available for graduate students. The School of Graduate Studies awards the Graduate Dean's Distinction Scholarship and the Shirley Schrader Scholarship. Some departments may have departmental scholarships available.

Graduate Dean's Distinction Scholarship

Pending the availability of funds, there are approximately three $2,000 scholarships available to new academically gifted graduate students who are U.S. residents or citizens and will begin their program in the fall semester. These scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic achievement and they provide recognition and financial reward to some of SCSU's best graduate students.

To be considered, an applicant must possess an overall baccalaureate GPA of 3.5 or higher. The maximum amount a student can be awarded is $1,000 per semester for a total of $2,000 over the period of two semesters. A recipient must be enrolled in at least nine credits for each semester the scholarship is awarded.

The application date is March 15 each year and awards are distributed the following academic year. The scholarship application is available for download (PDF) here.

Shirley Schrader Graduate Scholarship for Women

This scholarship is open to women age 30 or older who have been admitted to a graduate program. Applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, be enrolled in a minimum of six credits per semester and provide three letters of recommendation. Pending the availability of funds, the maximum award for the year is $1,000 (including summer). The scholarship application is available for download (PDF) here. The deadline for applications is March 15.

Graduate Departmental Scholarships

A few scholarships are awarded at the department level. The following departments offer scholarships to their graduate students:

Art Biology Communication Disorders Education Administration and Leadership

English Information Media Special Education University Organizations Women's Center

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid has created a searchable database for available scholarships. To obtain eligibility requirements for departmental scholarships, please go to www.stcloudstate.edu/financialaid/scholarshipsearch.asp or check with your department.

Women's Center Scholarships

Two additional scholarships available for women are offered through the SCSU Women's Center. If you wish to apply for these scholarships, please contact the Women's Center at 320.308.4958 or visit the Women's Center Web site at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/womenscenter/services/scholarship.asp for details on the application process and application deadlines.

Elaine L. Leach Scholarship for Women in Educational Leadership - Annual

This $1,000 annual scholarship is available to women pursing graduate education in the area of Educational Leadership. The student must plan to establish or continue careers as educational leaders in rural Minnesota school districts; have at least three years successful experience as classroom teachers; have well-developed plans for their academic goals toward leadership in rural Minnesota; and may have special needs for financial resources, such as an unstable personal or family financial base because of illness, disability, etc. Women who qualify for the scholarship are eligible to reapply a second year if they continue to qualify.

Elaine L. Leach Scholarship for Women in Educational Leadership - Endowed

This $750 annual scholarship is available to women pursing graduate education in the area of Educational Leadership. The student must plan to establish or continue careers as educational leaders in rural Minnesota school districts; have at least three years successful experience as classroom teachers; and have well-developed plans for their academic goals toward leadership in rural Minnesota. Teachers, principals, superintendents or others aspiring to leadership positions are given preference. Women who qualify for the scholarship are eligible to reapply a second year if they continue to qualify. Two awards are given each year.

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For International Students:

Financial aid for international students is limited to graduate assistantships and the Cultural Sharing Scholarship. International students are not eligible to receive loans or grants.

Cultural Sharing Scholarship

SCSU offers a unique opportunity for international students through providing qualified international students with the Academic and Cultural Sharing Scholarship. This scholarship entitles the international student to pay resident tuition, which saves over $2,750 a year. Few public universities offer such a financial and cultural bonus to international students who might otherwise not be able to afford a U.S. education.

Who is eligible? Any F-1 or J-1 student visa holder admitted to SCSU is eligible to receive the scholarship by meeting all of the following requirements.

Note: The Cultural Sharing Scholarship opportunity is not available to MBA students since all MBA students, resident, nonresident, and international, pay the same market tuition rate.

What are the requirements?

1. Attending the International Student Orientation program your first semester of enrollment at SCSU.
2. Maintaining a 3.0 GPA as a graduate student.
3. Registering and maintaining at least eight new graduate credits each semester.
4. Completing the "Cultural Sharing Workshop" your first semester of enrollment.
5. Completing 45 hours of qualified service in the areas of student organizations, on-campus cultural sharing, and community outreach each semester of enrollment after your first semester.
6. Timely reporting of your service hours to the Center for International Studies.
7. Following all Immigration and Naturalization Service requirements, the University Code of Conduct, and federal, state, and local laws.

The aim of the approximately $2,750 annual scholarship is for international students to be involved in activities for which they are not paid and that inform U.S. residents about a student's culture.

Is the scholarship available in the summer?
Cultural sharing service is not required for the summer sessions, but a student who maintains his/her eligibility, receives the scholarship for the summer session.

How do you apply?
New F-1 and J-1 students must attend the International Student Orientation and complete the appropriate forms at that time. Once a student has applied and continues to fulfill the requirements of the scholarship, it is automatically awarded for each successive term. If a student fails to fulfill any of the requirements this will result in loss of the scholarship for a semester or more. The student must reapply when they again meet the requirements. This scholarship should not be included on financial certification forms. A student must demonstrate that sufficient funding is available exclusive of the International Academic and Cultural Sharing Scholarship. For information E-mail intstudy@stcloudstate.edu.

Graduate Assistantships

One method of financing graduate study is through a graduate assistantship. Such an award assumes the student is doing significant work for the University. The student receives a stipend, plus remission of approximately up to eight credits of tuition. Regardless of their place of residence, graduate assistants pay in-state tuition and fees. Typical assignments might be teaching introductory classes, working as lab assistants, working as teachers' assistants, doing student advising, intern supervision, or serving as a research assistant. Some students may work in administrative offices of the University.

Assistantships may be financed out of the general University budget, external grants, or, if the student qualifies based on need, from the work study funds. The source of funding may affect the student's loan eligibility so he or she should speak with her/his adviser about the source of funds. In general, a graduate assistant is expected to carry a minimum of eight graduate credits each semester he/she receives a 20-hour-per-week assistantship. Students seeking need-based loans from the University's financial aid office may find the total amount they can borrow reduced by the tuition assistance.

Assistantships may be awarded by the department in which a student is enrolled or by the office or administrative unit where the work will be performed. Assistantships generally are awarded on the basis of previous academic achievement and the faculty's opinion of the student's ability to meet the responsibilities of the assistantship. It is assumed that a graduate assistant will devote 20 hours per week to the position. In some departments, a 10- or 15-hour-per-week assistantship is more appropriate.

Assistantships can be awarded to fully-admitted graduate students only. An assistantship ends when the graduate degree is completed. Although there may be exceptions, typically a student holds an assistantship for no more than two years.

To apply for an assistantship, a student must do the following:

1. Be admitted to the School of Graduate Studies.

2. Complete an application for assistantship provided by the School of Graduate Studies and return it to the department/unit offering the assistantship.

3. Complete any additional applications or supply additional information at the request of the department/unit. Most students send a résumé, cover letter, and application form to each office in which they seek employment.

This concludes the section on Financial Aid and Scholarships. Click on the NEXT button to continue the New Graduate Student Orientation.