how/ when to apply financial aid/ scholarships?

[frenchs2]

I have no idea how it works or the protocol that goes with it- When are you supposed to apply for financial aid?  And scholarships?  Do you just do it for schools you apply to? Do you wait until you're accepted?  Can you just apply for scholarships?  I don't know anything about this.  Any incite would be very helpful

[Ariet]

With the fafsa a lot of the financial aid deadlines are before the actual acceptance dates, if you are wanting/needing loans, even if it's just for back up funding you will want to add the schools you applied to now. As for scholarships, some programs automatically consider you and some don't, some even have a separate app for TA positions. So I would just research the financial aid section of the school in question and if you have any questions contact either the department or the financial aid office.

 

I have already added most of my schools to the fafsa just because 75% of the priority dates are in February.

Edited February 6, 2014 by Ariet

[seeingeyeduck]

Do you still need to dubmit it if you don't need loans or work-study? Or do they always need it to give any kind of funding?

Ie would it delay your funding offer the longer you wait? My status will change because I'm getting married this month so would it be better to wait til after? Our priority deadline is in march.

Edited February 7, 2014 by iomarch

[Ariet]

Loans and department funding is separate most of the time, loans regulated by fedloan and the other by the school. If you don't need loans then the fafsa is likely not necessary.

 

Your are not required to show financial need for unsub loans which is the only funding available to grad students from the federal government (beside PLUS loans and private funding). CA may have grants, I am not 100% since I am no longer living there. Your martial status should be a moot point since the only reason they ask is for income to determine eligibility which does not apply here. All of this info does not apply to you if you don't fill out a fafsa.

 

I would contact the financial aid department at the schools your considering because they are the only ones that will be able to give you a firm yes or no for your questions. Contacting financial from my understand will not affect application status 99% of the time just because their deadlines are likely before most departments will make admission decisions. 

 

Another good resource is http://studentaid.ed.gov/ though during my research before applied I found that most of the time the best funding is going to be departmental and that varies from school to school though most will have a funding section on the department site stating the type of funding offered to students.

 

Good luck, congratulations of the UC Davis acceptance.

[seeingeyeduck]

Thanks! You have both been very helpful!

[seeingeyeduck]

One last question I had - when schools say they offer full funding is it implied that it's still need based, or do they usually cover tuition even in cases where your spouse makes more money? For example, would whatever offer I get really only be for this year, and when my marital status changes next year, funding would not be offered?

[Ariet]

Depends on the school. I will use Tulane as an example, if you get in to their MFA program your are offered a tuition waiver and a Ta position that carriers a 13k salary yearly. None of that is based on income, in fact from my research, most graduate funding is not need based.

 

So when you are looking at need based funding that would include scholarships and grants, though some scholarships are based on merit. All grad programs have a different set up when it come to funding so I would suggest speaking with the financial aid office at the schools you are applying to. 

 

Hopefully that helps

[seeingeyeduck]

Thanks! It almost sounds like there's no real point to contacting them since they will offer what they offer if it's not need based and they will base it on the FAFSA if it is. In either case it doesn't seem like I can do anything except wait for the offer!