Financial Aid, Loans & Grants

The primary form of funding for many graduate students is often through federal and private educational loan programs. Students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents can complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to be considered for federal loans.

Students must be degree-seeking and enrolled at least half­time to be eligible for federal loans.

International students can pursue private loans. You may need a credit-worthy U.S. citizen as a co-signer for some private loans. Please visit the One Stop website for additional information on private loans and to find the FASTChoice loan-finding tool, which allows you to filter for loans that are open to international students.

Basic FAFSA Instructions

Visit this One Stop link for details about financial aid.

  • Make sure you’re eligible to apply for the FAFSA and receive federal financial aid.
  • Go to the Federal Student Aid website to complete your FAFSA.
  • If you are starting school fall semester, complete the FAFSA in the early spring before your fall enrollment. The FAFSA application becomes available on October 1 and closes on June 30.
  • Add the University of Minnesota federal school code (003969) to have your FAFSA data sent to the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities campus.
  • Financial aid packages will be available for most graduate and professional students in July. Once it is available, you will need to review it and respond to the offer.

Financial aid awarding

  • Loan awarding for the fall/spring period begins in mid-July and continues weekly thereafter.
  • You will be notified via email communication sent to your University email account when it is time to respond to your loan offers.
  • Summer aid is awarded separately (in early May) to all students enrolled at least half­time.
  • Graduate students are offered two types of federal loans: an unsubsidized loan and a Grad Plus loan.
  • Loans are disbursed directly into your student account and applied to any charges owing. Any money left over is returned to the student for living expenses.
  • Fall aid first disburses at the end of August. Spring aid is disbursed in January; summer aid is disbursed in June.
  • Refunds are sent electronically to your bank account if you sign up for direct deposit on MyU.

Total aid, including loans and scholarships, cannot exceed a student’s cost of attendance.

Questions about financial aid?

Visit One Stop or email at onestop@umn.edu or 612-624-1111.

Grants

The Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) is an interactive database containing sponsored funding information. Students may search SPIN for funding opportunities for sources of research support.

Doctoral Research: The Juran Fellowship Program provides financial support for several PhD research projects at the University of Minnesota. Annual awards fund research proposals related to quality management principles.

International Students: International students (non-immigrant visa holders in F-1 and J-1 student status) may apply for funding through the office of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS).

Global Programs and Strategy Alliance: The GPS Alliance administers a number of programs that support international learning and research experiences of graduate and professional students.

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