Section 4.
Financial Support (Central Offices)
This section discusses sources of graduate financial aid administered by Stanford University's Financial Aid Office (FAO) and Student Financial Services (SFS). The Schools of Medicine (MDs only), Law, and GSB have their own Financial Aid Offices.
Services provided by the University FAO are for matriculated graduate students; not for Postdoctoral Scholars or non-matriculated students. The information provided here helps to support school and department administrators who work most closely with graduate students and are in the best position to provide coordination and guidance regarding these additional resources.
This section includes information about:
Financial awards from outside Stanford University
Applicable to all Schools
THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTS
Third-Party Contracts (TPC) is available for sponsors that require an invoice to pay on the student's behalf. TPC is intended for government agencies and corporations that support one or more students on an ongoing basis with Stanford University. Billing and accounts receivable maintenance for TPC is handled by the Student Financial Services (SFS) organization. The Financial Aid Office (FAO) coordinates with SFS to maintain records of these student resources in GFS (the aid is entered in GFS as Info-Only lines). TPC Application forms can be found by selecting the Third Party Application form link located at:
http://fingate.stanford.edu/staff/supptstudents/forms.html.
For questions about third-party billing, please send a HelpSU ticket, http://helpsu.stanford.edu. Choose Request Category: "Student Services," Request Type: "Third Party Contracts."
OTHER OUTSIDE AWARDS
Funds sent to Stanford University from an outside source and not requiring an invoice should be sent to the funds management staff of the University Financial Aid Office (FAO) where they will be processed and forwarded to Student Financial Services to be applied to the student's account. These outside funds, received from donors to be applied to the accounts of specific students that the donors themselves have selected, are not gifts or income to the University. As such they should not be put into departmental gift funds or other accounts that incur administrative charges. The FAO will enter the amounts and notes regarding the origin of the funds in GFS for departmental coordination of financial support.
Questions or documentation related to Outside Awards should be directed by email to florie@stanford.edu, or faxed to (650) 725-0540.
Loans
Applicable to the following Schools:
Engineering, Humanities & Sciences, Education,
Earth Sciences, Medicine (Ph.D. program only)
Student loan programs are administered through the University FAO or by the Financial Aid Offices of the Schools of Business, Law, and Medicine (M.D. program). These loan programs generally carry lower rates of interest, in-school (enrolled for a minimum of six units) deferment of interest or principal payments, and long-term repayment provisions after degree completion (or withdrawal).
Each year, students must apply for loan consideration. Application materials are available in late March for the next academic year. Applications and additional information are available at http://financialaid.stanford.edu, (650) 723-3058 or email financialaid@stanford.edu.
Loans may cover direct educational expenses and allowances for the standard budget of the student and her/his dependents. Federal loans to help meet the cost of education are generally not available to cover such expenses as consumer debt, relocation, job-search costs, or auto expenses greater than the established transportation allowance.
The Federal Family Education Loan (Stafford and Grad PLUS) and Perkins Loans are major sources of financial support for graduate students. These programs permit repayment after completion of graduate study if continuous registration is maintained. Repayment of principal begins after degree completion or enrollment of less than six units per quarter. Eligibility is based on the following criteria:
- financial need, as determined by Federal Methodology (FM), defined as the difference between the standard Stanford graduate cost of attendance and the calculated student contribution
- a favorable credit record
- satisfactory academic progress or admission to candidacy, if appropriate
- U.S. citizenship or eligible non-citizen
- enrollment for at least six units
- information on student's FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
- amount of financial support from all sources including RA/TA tuition allowance, stipends and health insurance subsidies
- whether or not student lives on or off campus.
Graduate students may also be considered for the private SNAP loan. Students applying only for the SNAP loan need not file the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), but should meet all other eligibility requirements listed above. Although these programs specify that interest payments begin immediately, they may be deferred and will be capitalized. Repayment of the principal begins six months after graduation or withdrawal.
Although international students are not eligible for federal loans, students with exceptional issues may be referred to the FAO to discuss their options.
Cash Advances
Applicable to all Schools
Graduate students may also apply for an advance on their student account from Student Financial Services. An advance on a student account:
- helps students meet cash-flow problems
- generally ranges from $100 to $500
- may not be used to pay outstanding University bills
- must be repaid during the current term
- is interest-free if repaid on time.
Federal Work Study
Applicable to the following Schools:
Engineering, Humanities & Sciences, Education,
Earth Sciences, Medicine (Ph.D. program only)
The purpose of the Federal Work Study (FWS) program is to provide part-time employment to students who need the income to finance their education. These federal funds, which are allocated to colleges and universities to administer, stipulate that student recipients must meet the Federal eligibility requirements (see Loans, above).
Where funds are available, schools or departments may offer assistantship appointments or hourly employment, partially supported by the FWS funds. FWS requires a matching component from the University; a portion of the salary in the case of an hourly appointment, or tuition allowance (TAL) in the case of an assistantship. The FAO advises inquiring students to check for FWS fund availability from their school or academic department administrators. FWS funding has been decreasing in the past years and is available on a very limited basis.
In late February or March, Stanford receives a preliminary notification of its FWS fund allocation. The FAO determines the amount for undergraduate and graduate students. The schools may establish fund availability to departments to support assistantships.
Note for the Schools of Law, Medicine and Education: Some graduate students may participate in Community Service Federal Work-Study sponsored by their schools. This program allows students to earn needed funds through work with a non-profit or governmental agency. These are not assistantships; they provide hourly wages with matched funds from the School.
Grant-In-Aid Program
Applicable to graduate students in the following Schools:
Engineering, Humanities & Sciences, Education,
Earth Sciences, Medicine
The Financial Aid Office administers Grants-in-Aid funds for graduate students whose financial circumstances have changed significantly since beginning their studies at Stanford. Where students meet the following criteria, staff should encourage an application to the FAO:
- admitted to study for a graduate degree
- experiencing an unexpected financial hardship, associated
primarily with health (medical/dental costs) and/or family emergencies
- cannot reasonably be expected to alleviate the financial difficulty
through fellowship or loan sources
- must have basic support covered from another source.
These grants are not intended to be used as basic support for students whose other sources of aid have ceased, nor can grants be made for routine costs associated with graduate study, such as thesis preparation. Preference in awarding will be given to students who have made satisfactory academic progress, are well advanced in their program, and have established an expected graduation date.
Every effort is made to keep the circumstances of these awards confidential. Only the faculty advisor, who must submit a statement regarding the student's academic status, need know of the request. Department records are not maintained on these applications; department administrators have no responsibility in this process other than to make the availability of the Grant-in-Aid fund known to students. The application is available to students and administrators from the FAO website:
http://www.stanford.edu/dept/finaid/grad/.
Awards are generally made once per quarter.
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