The University of Nebraska at Kearney provides graduate students with financial assistance in the form of scholarships and loans. Our office assists students with financial aid from federal and state resources, the University and private organizations. Frequently students receiving assistance to pay for college for UNK are funded through a variety of sources. It is the responsibility of the Office of Financial Aid to coordinate the application and awarding process of multiple types of aid for our students.
Graduate students are not eligible for many of the need based federal and state grants undergraduate students can receive. However graduate students can receive Stafford Loans. Stafford Loans are federally guaranteed student loans and have repayment benefits that are extremely favorably to students. Eligibility for Stafford Loans is determined by the Office of Financial Aid upon the completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA can be completed on the internet by going to www.fafsa.ed.gov. In order to complete the FAFSA entirely on-line, applicants will want to request a "PIN" number from the U.S. Department of Education, if they do not already have an existing PIN. This can be done at www.pin.ed.gov. The "PIN" number is an electronic signature with the Department of Education and eliminates the need to sign any part of the FAFSA. The results from your FAFSA will be sent to UNK automatically when you enter our Title IV School Code (002551) on your FAFSA. Students may also opt to complete a paper version of the FAFSA and return it directly to the UNK Office of Financial Aid. Paper versions of the FAFSA are available from our office, high school guidance offices and public libraries. The FAFSA should be completed as soon as possible after January 1 for the following academic year.
In addition to the FAFSA, students may be required to submit a UNK Financial Aid Information Form and copies of federal tax returns. The UNK Financial Aid Information Form is available from our office or at www.unk.edu, click on Financial Aid and "How to Apply". Once these documents are received in the Office of Financial Aid, the student's application is checked for correctness. Occasionally additional documentation is requested to confirm student's eligibility. Once verification is completed, the student will be notified via the financial aid award letter of the types and amounts of financial aid for which he/she is eligible.
For information on applying for merit based scholarships see Scholarships. Graduate students interested in Graduate Assistantships should contact the Graduate Office.
Questions regarding federal or state aid may be directed to:
7 Dec 2006