I applied to GMU in early October and heard back mid October? Although once I inquired about further info, like class schedule, aid, email set up etc, they were very unorganized and virtually never got back to me. I crossed them off as an option a while ago - so I stopped following up. For UMB I applied early October (10/11) and Heard back mid Nov (11/22ish).
As long as you fill the FASFA form out, you should be eligible for the general federal unsubsidized loan I mentioned. You do not need to sign up for anything specifically, as they determine what they can offer you and how many loans they offer. The one I mention is the the base one they offer to every grad student. If you want to know specific amounts, call your schools FASFA office and they should be able to tell you. Another loan FASFA can offer is called grad plus loan, but that one requires a credit check I believe.
I think every U.S. Citizen qualifies for FASFA and certain eligible non-citizens.