Applying for Graduate Federal Aid
The information below provides information about
applying for all the federal aid administered through Student Financial Services
in Dowling Hall on the Medford campus. Details
about these specific federal aid programs can be
found on the left side menu.
If you wish to apply for any of the Federal programs
listed, you must complete the following steps.
Required Forms
These forms and procedures apply to graduate students at Fletcher, Graduate A&S,
Graduate Engineering, Friedman, Post-Bac Premed, GMAP, Gordon Institute, and Certificate Programs.
New Applicants
- FAFSA: Submit the Free Application
for Federal Student Aid -
FAFSA. You will
need a PIN number to apply online. You may apply for a PIN
(or request a new one if you have lost
yours) by logging on to
http://www.pin.ed.gov.
The Tufts FAFSA code is 002219. You
are encouraged to complete your FAFSA as
early as possible in order to allow
provisional credits to be reflected on your
bills, which are mailed the first week in
July. If taxes have not been completed you may use estimated
2008 income
information to complete the FAFSA. Tufts will receive your FAFSA
data electronically.
- VERIFICATION: If you are selected for Verification
by the Federal government (this information can be found on your
paper or electronic Student
Aid Report (SAR) which you receive after submitting your FAFSA)
you must submit to Student Financial
Services a complete, signed copy of your 2008 federal taxes.
You must also submit this form:
Independent Student Verification form. Any aid awarded is tentative, and no loans
can be disbursed, until the Verification process is completed.
- CITIZENSHIP: If you are not a U.S. citizen, but you are a permanent resident, a copy of both
sides of your alien registration card must
be submitted to Student Financial Services,
Dowling Hall, Medford, MA 02155.
After completing the FAFSA, if you receive a
notification from the government on your
paper or electronic Student Aid Report (SAR)
that they were unable to confirm your
citizenship you must submit proof of
citizenship (e.g. copy of U.S. passport,
U.S. birth certificate, copy of
Naturalization) to
Student Financial Services.
- SELECTIVE SERVICE: If you received
a notation from the government on your paper
or electronic Student Aid Report that they
were unable to confirm your registration
with Selective Service, you must confirm
your status. To do this you may go to the
Selective Service website at
http://www.sss.gov/
and follow the directions to “Request a Status Information Letter.”
A copy of that Letter must be submitted to
Student Financial Services. Federal loans cannot be processed until status confirmation is received at Tufts.
Returning Applicants
For Returning applicants the process is the same as stated above for New Applicants. Selective Service and Citizenship
documents need be submitted only once while at
Tufts.
A free paper FAFSA can be
obtained
by calling the Federal Student Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
Take note that the form takes several weeks to
arrive.
Federal Requirements
In order to obtain federal aid, you must be a U.S. citizen or
permanent resident, and you must be making satisfactory progress.
Note that you must also be officially registered on
at least a half time basis in order to receive aid
that has been made available to you.
Tufts University provides information regarding student enrollment status to the
National Student Loan
Data System, which then provides information to lenders. Enrollment status for graduate students is
either full-time, half-time or part-time and is defined as follows:
- Full time: 3 or more course credits, or 2 course credits with a teaching or research
assistantship, or Registration as a full-time continuing student (402/502), working on a
thesis,
dissertation project or internship
- Half time: 2 course credits.
- Part-time: 1 course credit or registration as a part-time continuing student (401/501).
It is the responsibility of each student to make sure they register accordingly each semester.
Federal regulations require that students be
officially enrolled (registered) half-time or full-time in order to
receive, and defer, federal student loans.
Award Notification
Decisions for new student applicants are made for
a full academic year on a rolling basis beginning May 1. Most decisions for returning
applicants are made by late July for the academic year. All Financial Aid Award notices are sent
electronically to your email address on file at
Tufts.
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