Stanford | Financial Aid Office | Current Undergraduates

A Fifth Year
Coterminal Students
Overseas Studies
Residential Education

A Fifth Year

Stanford University considers undergraduate students eligible for University scholarship consideration through twelve quarters of undergraduate enrollment, including coursework taken at other colleges or universities.

Students who wish to enroll for a fifth year in pursuit of a co-terminal program, a minor, a second major, a second degree, or the B.A.S. degree, will not be eligible for University scholarship consideration, but may apply for loans, job eligibility, and Federal grants.

Students who need to enroll for a fifth year to complete the minimum requirements of the first undergraduate degree due to academic or personal difficulties, may request consideration for University scholarship in addition to loans, job eligibility, and Federal grants.

To apply for scholarship consideration beyond twelve quarters, submit a completed Undergraduate Academic Plan to the Financial Aid Office. In addition to this form, you must also submit all other application materials to the appropriate sources according to standard financial aid application deadlines. Please note that you will generally receive a higher than normal self-help (job and loan) offer in your financial aid package.

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Co-terminal Students

Fifth Year Co-terminal Students

Students enrolling for a fifth year (including enrollment at other colleges and universities) in order to complete a co-terminal degree are not eligible for Stanford University scholarship consideration. Such students may, however, apply for loans and use job earnings to help meet their educational expenses. Students may also seek departmental fellowship or scholarship funding by contacting their department directly.

Fifth year co-terminal students must apply for aid as graduate students and will receive loans at the graduate level, which are higher than the undergraduate level. Loan amounts are limited by the amount of the standard expense budget, less any other available resources. The annual graduate loan limits are:

Subsidized Stafford Loan $8,500
Unsubsidized Stafford Loan $18,500 (less any subsidized eligibility)
Perkins Loan $6,000 (dependent on fund availability)
SNAP Loan $10,000 (dependent on fund availability)

Fourth Year Co-terminal Students

Fourth year co-terminal students enrolling in their twelfth quarter or less, including time enrolled at any other institutions, may be offered University scholarship in addition to loans, job eligibility, and Federal grants if they are still completing their undergraduate degree. To be considered for aid, students must submit all application materials as in previous years.

Students should be aware that once a bachelor's degree has been conferred, they are no longer eligible for undergraduate financial aid, regardless of the time of year their degree is conferred.

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Overseas Studies and Stanford in Washington

Programs Through Stanford

Students already on aid who are accepted into one of Stanford's Overseas Studies programs or the Stanford-In-Washington program do not need to make a written request for financial aid reconsideration. The Financial Aid Office will receive notification of students' participation directly from the program and will automatically adjust students' budgets according to established guidelines, and reevaluate students' need for additional aid.

The Financial Aid Office can usually offer loans to help meet additional costs of attending Stanford's off-campus study programs. Grant funds may also be available to help some students from lower income families who have used self-help offers in current and prior academic years. Students will be automatically considered for these grants and therefore do not need to request special consideration for one. Students will receive a revised financial aid notice reflecting any changes made as a result of participation in these programs.

Consortia (Non-Stanford Programs)

Students attending a program through another school will not receive Stanford University aid for that period of study. However, students may arrange a consortium agreement in order to receive their Federal and state aid to attend a non-Stanford program (Federal Pell Grant, Federal Stafford Loan, Federal PLUS loan, and Cal Grant).

To initiate a consortium agreement between Stanford and a host school, students must submit a Certification of Approval for Off-Campus Enrollment to the Financial Aid Office. Because this process is lengthy, we recommend students submit a completed Certification of Approval to the Financial Aid Office as soon as possible, preferably eight to ten weeks prior to the term(s) of attendance at the non-Stanford program. This form can be obtained from the Financial Aid Office.

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Residential Education

Stipends received for positions held with Residential Education are not included as resources in the calculation of financial aid eligibility. However, the income earned from Residential Education positions must be reported on the aid application for the subsequent academic year.

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