Financial Aid for Graduate Study

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Neo
Major: International Business
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Financial Aid for Graduate Study
Andy Neo

Who Should Apply?

Students will have a greater chance of obtaining financial assistance if they:
1. Show evidence of a high level of academic achievement.
2. Achieve high-standardized examination scores (GRE, GMAT, TOEFL).
3. Demonstrate financial need by have private funding to cover some of the cost. Financial need is not crucial for all awards.
4. Enroll in a field or have teaching experience in a subject offered at the undergraduate level (to increase opportunities for a teaching assistantship).
5. Specialize in a a field or have a research interest which parallels those of the department and faculty or a private funding source.
Application Procedures
Graduate students should apply for both need based and merit based aid, but the procedures may be different for each type of aid application. In the case of some merit based aid, such as research and teaching assistantships, the graduate students would have to explore these options after arriving on campus, when individual faculty members can evaluate the student's abilities. Other types of merit based aid, such as restricted fellowships, research and travel grants, tuition waivers, etc. require that applications be arranged with the department while on campus.
Since application requirements for financial aid for graduate and postgraduate studies are so varied, students should write directly to the funding source for details as early as possible.
In general, applicants should:
1. Be as specific as possible about their experience and research interests when writing to the department chairman or graduate faculty regarding teaching and research assistantships.
2. Sit for the appropriate standardized examinations such as the TOEFL, GRE, and GMAT well in advance of the application deadline.
3. When appropriate, complete the Graduate and Professional School Financial Aid Service (GAPSFAS) forms to enable universities to determine the extent of financial assistance required.
4. Check special funds for which they may be eligible (i.e., special women's groups, nationality, etc.)
5. Learn about potential funding outside the university for dissertation and research expenses. Use professional networks to locate a personal connection to support their application for these funds.
Many sources of campus-based and government-supported financial aid are reserved for citizens or legal permanent residents of the U.S. Foreign students should inquire about restrictions at the financial aid office or through the foreign student office when they apply for admission.
There are a variety of organizations outside the university, which support foreign graduate students in the U.S. Each organization has its own procedures and restrictions. Students should contact these organizations directly regarding financial aid opportunities. IIE has a number of resources, which give information about these kinds of organizations.

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