Financial Aid for Graduate Students

Applying for financial aid is an important, at times confusing, process. These questions and answers will help graduate students fill out the necessary financial aid applications.

Questions

• What forms do I need to fill out for financial aid?
• Question 6 asks me to list SSW funds for which I am applying. How do I know what to list there?
• Question 12 asks me to estimate my gross income from September 2009 through September 2010. I don't have any idea. What should I write down?
• Question 15 asks me to list Total Family Resources, including the amount  of financial aid for which I have applied, along with the amount actually received. I don't yet know how much I've received. What should I indicate?
• When will I hear about financial aid decisions?
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Answers

• What forms do I need to fill out for financial aid?
  • Any graduate student applying for financial aid administered through the School of Social Work must complete the 2009-2010 SSW Student Financial Aid Application Form. Different funds and eligibility criteria are listed on the document titled, “University of Minnesota School of Social Work – Information on Financial Aid for 2009-2010, Funds Administered by the School of Social Work.”
  • M.S.W. students applying for Child Welfare and Title IV-E funds must also complete the Child Welfare application. You should submit that completed application directly to the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare.
  • M.S.W. students applying for the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education (HPPAE) must also complete a HPPAE application.
  • M.S.W. students applying for the STARS for Children's Mental Health Scholarship must also complete a STARS application.
  • Information about applying for financial aid through the University of Minnesota can be found on the One Stop Financial Aid Web page.
  • Students applying for graduate assistantship positions should respond to separate announcements for the graduate assistantship positions with the materials requested in the position announcement. See this University Office of Human Resources Web page for more information about finding graduate assistant positions.
    
• Question 6 asks me to list SSW funds for which I am applying. How do I know what to list there?
  • The various funds are listed here. In response to Question 6, simply list those funds where you meet the eligibility criteria and you wish to be considered.
  • You can state that you are applying for a graduate assistant position, but note that these opportunities have separate application procedures.
    
• Question 12 asks me to estimate my gross income from September 2009 through September 2010. I don't have any idea. What should I write down?
  • Make the best estimate that you can , and enter that figure. We understand that it is just an estimate.
    
• Question 15 asks me to list Total Family Resources, including the amount  of financial aid for which I have applied, along with the amount actually received. I don't yet know how much I've received. What should I indicate?
  • You likely have some of the information requested here, and are unsure about other amounts. Fill in what you can-whether amount applied for or actual amount. If unknown, simply write that in the space provided.
    
• When will I hear about financial aid decisions?  
  • Financial aid decisions are made beginning in April and continue into the start of the academic year, depending on fund availability.
  • Graduate assistant ships have separate application procedures, with varying deadlines and requirements. The School of Social Work notifies all active students about graduate assistantships available in the school as positions become available, and these job announcements are also posted on the SSW website. Some graduate assistantships are available outside of the School, and we encourage students to visit the University’s Graduate Assistant Employment page http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/gae/ frequently between now and September to investigate these openings.