Graduate Students

Thinking about how you’re going to pay for graduate school at UNI? Allow the UNI Financial Aid Office to help. The content provided is an excellent overview of your options as a graduate student.

Cost of Attendance- View a breakdown of tuition and fees as well as other costs associated with attending UNI.

FAFSA- Graduate students will need to complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form every year, as soon as possible after January 1. This application covers the fall, spring, and summer semesters (in that order) at UNI.

Requirements to Receive Financial Aid- Graduate students must be classified as a degree seeking student (accepted into the graduate program) and enrolled at least half-time (5 semester hours in the fall or spring or 4 hours in the summer). Students questioning whether or not they are degree-seeking should first check with their department.

Financial Aid On the Web
Your Financial Aid Award Notification, Online Job Board, Online Scholarship Directory, general information, and requested information needed by the UNI Financial Aid Office to continue processing your aid is posted on MyUNIverse. An email notification is sent (to your UNI email address) when information is needed.

If information is needed by the Financial Aid Office, as a new UNI student to UNI that information is mailed to you as well as being available on MyUNIverse. As a returning UNI student, information is only available on MyUNIverse, unless you contact the Financial Aid Office and request the information be mailed.
*Once courses begin you will be considered a current UNI student, resulting in all correspondence being done electronically.

Types of Financial Aid

Direct Loans

Graduate students are eligible for the following amounts of Stafford Direct Loans* per year: Subsidized-$8,500, Unsubsidized-$12,000. The Unsubsidized loan currently has a fixed interest rate of 6.8%. These amounts cannot exceed the cost of attendance minus other financial aid received.

*The type of loan awarded (Subsidized or Unsubsidized) is based on the results of their FAFSA.

If a student has never borrowed loans at UNI before, they will need to complete Direct Loan promissory notes and entrance counseling.

A Direct Graduate PLUS Loan is available to graduate students in addition to their Direct Subsidized and Unsubsidized loans if their cost of attendance is not met by the Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans. The interest rate is fixed at 7.9%, and an origination fee is withheld from the amount borrowed. Graduate PLUS Loans require a credit check. This would require a separate promissory note and a disbursement agreement. Please contact our office if you are interested in the Graduate PLUS Loan.

Grants

There are limited amounts of grants available to graduate students. This emphasizes the importance of completing the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1.

On-Campus Scholarships

Graduate students generally apply for scholarships through their department and/or the UNI Graduate College. The Financial Aid Office receives graduate scholarship information from the Graduate College and the scholarship is added to their financial aid award.

If a student has questions regarding why their scholarship hasn’t been credited to their university bill they should begin by checking with the Graduate College to see if rosters have been sent. If they have been sent, billing updates occur on Tuesday evenings.

Student Employment

Graduate Assistantships
Graduate assistants work 15-20 hours per week and are paid monthly. Assistantships are employment experiences and are not included on a financial aid award. Students should check with their department to learn more about assistantship opportunities.

Work Study and Non Work-Study
Graduate students seeking on-campus employment opportunities should begin by searching the UNI Online Job Board. Work-study can be awarded to graduate students; however a graduate student can not possess both work study and a graduate assistantship. In addition, departmental employment is available to all graduate students. Students may not work as a departmental student employee in the same department that they have their assistantship.

FAQ’s

Can I still receive financial aid if I have not yet been officially accepted into a degree program?
Occasionally graduate students attend classes on provisional basis prior to being accepted into the degree program. These students are not considered degree seeking for financial aid purposes. Students can be granted a “non-degree override” by the UNI Financial Aid Office. To receive the override the student would need to the department head or advisor write or email Del Jaramillo (del.jaramillo@uni.edu) explaining that the courses being taken will lead to acceptance in the degree program. Students can only receive a “non-degree override” for one semester.

What if I complete my B.A. at the end of the Fall, can I be awarded as a graduate student for Spring?
Yes, when moving from undergraduate to graduate status mid-year (Fall/Spring or Spring/Summer) students should contact the Financial Aid Office to ensure they will be awarded correctly for the upcoming semester.

Special Circumstances

If you have unusual circumstances, such as high medical bills or a loss of income, contact our office for details on how we may be able to assist you. Families will be asked to provide documentation to support those adjustments.

If you have children for whom you pay childcare expenses to a childcare provider, please contact our office.