Financial Aid

[BamaPsych]

Hello,

so as the application process is closing in, I'm running into an obstacle on some of my applications. Some schools consider you completely for all financial aid simply by submitting your app. to the PhD program (as noted on the application). However, some schools state that submitting your app. to the psych department will get you in the pool for department-issued assistantships etc., but some of these schools also reccomend applying through the financial aid of the university's entire grad department. For some reason this is really confusing me....

Am I supposed to apply for financial aid before I'm even accepted/enrolled there? I thought that arranging financial aid apps. would be the step you take after accepting an offer somehwere.

Can anyone with experience clarify this, or at least clear it up a little? Thanks in advance =)

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[scienceisbeauty]

I'd be interested in this response as well.......

 

[bigdodge53]

Generally speaking, you normally fill out a financial aid packet at a school once you have been accepted into a program. You will have to fill out a FASFA anyway because a department can't always guarantee an assistantship until the summer or later. Not a pleasant thought, but loans may have to be a back-up plan.

 

[Sarahanne]

Hello,

so as the application process is closing in, I'm running into an obstacle on some of my applications. Some schools consider you completely for all financial aid simply by submitting your app. to the PhD program (as noted on the application). However, some schools state that submitting your app. to the psych department will get you in the pool for department-issued assistantships etc., but some of these schools also reccomend applying through the financial aid of the university's entire grad department. For some reason this is really confusing me....

Am I supposed to apply for financial aid before I'm even accepted/enrolled there? I thought that arranging financial aid apps. would be the step you take after accepting an offer somehwere.

Can anyone with experience clarify this, or at least clear it up a little? Thanks in advance =)

That's a good question, and was quite confusing when I was going through the application process myself. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I don't believe you can actually enroll or register your FAFSA until the January of the year you will actually enroll. For example, I am enrolling in school this August but could not actually fill out my FAFSA until January (even though most applications are due ~December).

I think the confusing thing is that there are department-wide assistantships and fellowships and then there are university-wide assistantships and fellowships. Some schools will automatically consider you for both in-department and university wide funding. For other schools, if you want to be considered for the university-wide fellowships and assistantships (and not just departmental funding), then you may need to fill out a separate application from the office of graduate studies, or maybe the college (i.e. college of arts and sciences). Does that make any sense?

 

[KillerDiller]

In my experience, schools where funding outside of the department may be necessary allow you to wait until you are accepted before you apply for this money through the financial aid office. Usually the deadline to apply for aid is around April or May of the calendar year that you start classes. You will have to send the school a copy of your FAFSA, so you can either wait until then to fill one out, or you can fill it out when it becomes available in January and then send it to the school once you've been accepted (just remember to hang onto your PIN number).

There may be some schools that require you to apply for university-wide aid at the same time as you apply for admission, but this isn't something I have encountered personally.

 

[WannaBeDrMe]

I would say to go ahead and fill out your FAFSA right at the 1st of the year. It can't hurt at all... put your applications schools on there and just await further instruction from your programs.

Mine had individual and school wide funding... so I had to do both anyway to be eligible