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SHOW ME THEA Workshop on Financing

Graduate /Professional School

Sponsored by Career Services Center and the Intercultural Center

Featuring Guest Speaker: Norman Caito, USF Director of Financial Aid Services & Operations

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Types of Funding

• Loans are available from the government and other private sources.• Scholarship awards are based on one or more of several criteria -

merit, financial need, discipline of study, career goals or membership within a minority group.

• Assistantships are usually campus-affiliated work assignments (e.g. graduate teaching instructor, research associate) that provide an individual a stipend and often waive tuition and/or other matriculation fees.

• Fellowships are typically granted to individuals to cover their living expenses while they carry out research or work on a project. Awards may be single or multiple-year. Awards are usually based on an individual's merit as measured by grades, GRE scores, publications, and letters of recommendation.

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How to Apply for Financial Aid

• Apply for PIN on line www.pin.ed.gov

• Complete FAFSA on line www.fafsa.ed.gov

• FAFSA application determines your EFC (Expected Family Contribution) figure.

• Need-based aid eligibility is determined by subtracting EFC from the cost of education.

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Types of Scholarships and Loans

• Department Grants or Scholarships• Private Scholarships• Federal Student Loans • Private Loans

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Private Scholarships

www.finaid.org Student Guide to Financial Aid

www.fastweb.com Scholarship search on the web

www.collegefund.org American Indian College Fund

www.uncf.org United Negro College Fund

www.hsf.net Hispanic Scholarship Fund

www.fastaid.com Scholarship Search Site

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It’s A Numbers Game

• To win more scholarships, apply to every scholarship for which you are eligible

• Even among talented students, winning involves a bit of luck, not just skill.

• It gets easier after your first 6 applications. Essays can be reused and tailored to each new application.

• For more tips on winning a scholarship, visit FinAid, which also has lists for: unusual scholarships, the most prestigious scholarships, full tuition academic scholarships, scholarships for average students, less competitive scholarships, etc.

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Federal Stafford Student Loans

• Subsidized Federal Loan– No interest accrues while in school– $8,500 graduate

• Unsubsidized Federal Loan– Interest accrues while in school– Max $20,500 if no subsidized loan eligibility

and $12,000 if eligible for full subsidized loan.

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Federal Stafford Student Loans

• Existing student loans may be deferred with half-time enrollment

• Repayment begins 6 months after borrower ceases to be enrolled at least half time

• Repayment options from 10 to 25 years, or income-based.

• Forbearance (time out) for up to 36 months.

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Sources of Additional Loan Funding

• Federal Graduate PLUS Loan• Private Loans through outside

banks and lenders

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PLUS Loan

• Credit-based Federal loan for a Graduate student as borrower.

• Used to pick up the difference between financial aid received and cost of attendance

• Maximum loan = the cost of education minus estimated or actual financial aid

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PLUS Loan Requirements

• FAFSA required & submission of Plus Loan Data Sheet

• 1/2 time student enrollment• Must meet the general eligibility

requirements for federal student aid

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Private Loans

• Used by students who need to borrow funds above federal loan program limits

• Credit check required• Credit-worthy co-signer recommended• Usually a half-time enrollment requirement

but some lenders allow less than 1/2 time

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What is an Assistantship?

• Generally assistantships:– Support graduate study through part-time

employment with a specific university-affiliated department or office

– Usually last between one academic quarter, and four years

– Are likely university-awarded, though there are some exceptions.

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Types of Assistantships

• Teaching Assistantships– Help in the provision of education services to

undergraduates– Responsibilities may range from grading

papers through leading discussions or lab sessions to complete independent teaching of a class.

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Types of Assistantships Cont’d

• Research Assistantships– Typically work with a professor on a project of

importance to scholarship• Student Affairs/Administrative/Support

Assistantships– Provide administrative services– Typically located in non-academic units like

Housing or Athletics, but may be found in any office.

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Who Qualifies for Assistantships?

• Generally, students who are working as TAs or RAs are doing so in the academic department in which they are pursuing their graduate course of study.

• Find out the criteria and application process in your department an let them know as early as possible that you are interested in an assistantship.

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Benefits of an Assistantship

• Experiential Learning (work experience)• Training and Professional Development• Compensation

Which varies greatly, but may include one or more of the following:– Free room and board– Tuition remission– A stipend, usually around

$8,000-$15,000/year

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Assistantship Process

• Applications often include a resume, letters of recommendation, a cover letter and/or writing sample or teaching philosophy statement. Additional application materials may be required such as a transcript, test scores, etc.

• In addition, most programs require a series of individual interviews, or single panel interview.

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Assistantship Tips and Listings

• Check with your Graduate Program - Academic program’s website may have major-specific assistantships. Sometimes assistantships are not well publicized, so try inquiring with the program directly

• Search the University Website - One university entity may act as a clearinghouse for all assistantships. Human Resources, the Division of Student Affairs, and the Graduate Admissions websites are good starting points

• Search Everywhere - Centers, Institutes, individual professors with research grant money, departments outside of your area of focus, and non-academic offices are also good places to check.

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Assistantship Examples

• University of Vermont Assistant Residence Director - A part-time employee and full-time graduate staff member, who is directly supervised by a Residence Director (RD). The individual in this position assists the RD in all matters pertaining to the management of a residential complex. The compensation for this ten month position includes full tuition remission, a stipend, a semi-furnished on-campus apartment, and small meal plan.

• Stanford School of Medicine Research Assistant - Appointed as research assistant on a faculty member's grant for up to 50% time per quarter. Appointment carries with it the benefit of a stipend and tuition allowance.

• University of Montana Graduate School of Art Teaching Assistantship - Generally assigned one class each semester in a foundations-level course and/or entry-level studio course, and are required to complete ten hours of service per week to the school. Award provides an annual stipend ($4,500 per semester), and a tuition waiver for nine credits.

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What is a Fellowship?

• Generally fellowships:– Support graduate study in a specific field or

graduate study of a specific student group– are short-term opportunities lasting from a few

months to several years – may be university-awarded, federally funded

or offered by independent organizations

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Types of Graduate Fellowships

• University/Institution Fellowships– Can only be used at the granting institution

• Portable Fellowships/External Fellowships:– Are federally funded or funded by Independent

Organizations– Can be applied to the Graduate/Doctoral

program of student’s choice– Can be awarded based on academic need,

academic record or merit

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Who Qualifies for Fellowships?

• Fellowships have traditionally been awarded to graduate and post-graduate students, but there are an increasing number of fellowships available to recent college graduates in public policy, the arts, education, and other nonprofit fields.

• Most programs look for:– motivation, self-direction and personal integrity – highly developed interpersonal and writing skills – Demonstrated leadership and potential for continued

leadership

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Benefits of a Fellowship

• Experiential Learning (work experience)• Training and Professional Development• Compensation

– This financial compensation varies greatly - stipends can range from $10,000 to up to $25,000 for a 9-12 month program.

– Other incentives are often provided to fellows such as healthcare coverage, student loan repayment assistance, and housing stipends.

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Fellowship Application Process

• Applications often include a resume, transcript, letters of recommendation and writing sample. Additional application materials may be required

• In addition, most programs require an interview, either a series of individual interviews, a single panel interview, or situational group interviews in which candidates work together to devise responses to a problem or question.

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Fellowship Tips & Listings

• Search fellowship sites - CSC’s has a listing and GradSchools.com has listings for Federally Funded Portable Fellowships, Portable Fellowships from Independent Organizations and Institutional Fellowships

• Search job listings - Do a keyword search "fellowship" while reviewing online job listings. Also search for "internships" - some internships are essentially fellowships. Idealist.org is a particularly good website for this type of search.

• Check with your Graduate Program

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Identity Specific Fellowship Examples

• The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management -The consortium offers merit-based MBA fellowships to African American, Hispanic American, and Native American candidates http://www.cgsm.org/about/index.asp

• AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship -The American Association of University Women awards stipends of $5,000 to $12,000 to minority women who are graduate degree candidates completing their final year of study in fields such as business administration and law. http://www.aauw.org