Graduate Students
The Purdue University Division of Financial Aid can assist graduate students in obtaining student loan funding to supplement graduate assistance received through individual academic departments. Research assistantships, teaching assistantships, fellowships and scholarship assistance are only offered through the individual academic departments. Information on how to obtain assistantships and fellowships can also be obtained at this Graduate School link.
Please Note: The Division of Financial Aid does not award graduate assistantships, fellowships, or gift assistance at the graduate level but the Department of Education requires all fee remissions and the stipends that grad fellows receive must be included as a resource that offsets the estimated cost of attendance. As a result, they will appear as a, financial aid resource when checking your financial aid status and will reduce student loan eligibility. If you are successful at obtaining an assistantship or fellowship and the resulting fee remission is not credited to your fee invoice, contact the issuing academic department so they can resolve the matter.
The Federal Stafford Loan Program
The Graduate PLUS Loan Program
To create federal Stafford loan eligibility, students are required to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (the FAFSA) and meet other criteria (be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, not be in default on a federal loan, etc.).
To supplement Federal Stafford and PLUS loan eligibility, graduate students may want to consider the wide, growing array of private or "alternative" educational loan options available to offset graduate school expenses. Just as with the Federal Stafford loan, alternative loan amounts are limited to the estimated cost of attendance less student resources. Students must meet the credit requirements set by the lending institution in order to qualify for private student loans and may be required to use a credit worthy co-borrower. The Division of Financial Aid helps determines eligibility for alternative loan programs by submitting certification of eligibility to apply to the student’s chosen lender. The student should contact their lender for rates, terms and application instructions. A comparison of private student loans products is available on the finaid.org website.
GAANN & Javits Fellowship Programs
Individual academic departments may be able to offer graduate students aid through the Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Fellowship Program and the Jacob Javits Fellowship Program. The academic department selects recipients. To be eligible, students of superior ability must demonstrate financial need as determined by the Division of Financial Aid. These students are required to file the FAFSA, demonstrate financial need, be a US citizen (or eligible non-citizen), meet satisfactory academic progress standards, etc.