|
|
APPLYING FOR FINANCIAL AID An application for financial aid will generally come either as part of you application packet or in a separate mailing from a campus financial aid office. You may have to apply separately for fellowships and for loans. Some institutions have their own forms that you submit directly to them, and some forms that go to some central processing agency. Read financial aid materials carefully to make sure you meet deadlines and provide all relevant information. File documents on time. When aid money is limited, institutions tend to use deadlines as a way of limiting the pool of applicants. Make copies of everything that you send in, and you might go so far as to get post office receipts for you mailings if the deadline is a postmark date. Many grant and scholarship applications must be completed in the fall. Planning ahead is key. The major forms of financial support have already been described. You should find out as much as you can from the department to which you are applying about their patterns of funding graduate students. Professional degree programs generally are more oriented toward loans, with the argument being that you will increase your earning power in a relatively short time and be in a good position to pay back the money. For Ph.D. programs, there is a much stronger commitment to fund students through institutional resources. You should apply for all departmental and institutional resources that are available to you.
.:: BACK TO TOP ::.
Accepting Offers of Financial Assistance The outcome of you application process may involve offers of financial support by an institution or perhaps more than one institution. If you have more than one offer, your decision-making could be difficult. There are many factors to weigh. To ensure that applicants have the time to make their decisions, the member institutions of the Council of Graduate Schools agree that there should be clear-cut guidelines to offers of financial assistance. To that end, members of the CGS have signed a resolution regarding the offer and acceptance of financial support for graduate school (see below). Some 400 member schools of CGS have signed this resolution. For an up-to-date listing, please visit the web site at http://www.cgsnet.org/PublicationsPolicyRes/resolutions.htm or call the Council of Graduate Schools at (202) 223-3791.
.:: BACK TO TOP ::.
Council of Graduate Schools Resolution Regarding Graduate Scholars, Fellows, Trainees, and Assistants Acceptance of an offer of financial support (such as a graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the next academic year by a prospective or enrolled graduate student completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to honor. In that context, the conditions affecting such offers and their acceptance must be defined carefully and understood by all parties. Students are under no obligation to respond to offers of financial support prior to April 15; earlier deadlines for acceptance of such offers violate the intent of this Resolution. In those instances in which a student accepts an offer before April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw that acceptance, the student may submit in writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15. However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made. Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on presentation by the student of the written release from any other previously accepted offer. It is further agreed by the institutions and organizations subscribing to this Resolution, that a copy of this Resolution should accompany every scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, and assistantship offer.
.:: BACK TO TOP ::.
As you complete the application process, keep track of the status of your applications, financial aid materials, and recommendations. Successful applicants maintain detailed records of the progress of each application. They regularly compare their progress with the timeline that they have constructed. If you have chosen your programs carefully, if your academic record indicates that you have intellectual potential, if your faculty recommences speak well to your intellectual capability, motivation, and self-discipline to do advanced work, then letters of admission will likely be forthcoming. When you have made your final decision to enroll, you are ready to embark on the path to a new career and greater freedom to make your own choices and pursue your own interests. Good luck!
.:: BACK TO TOP ::.
Caring for Yourself While in Graduate School Graduate school can be filled with very intensive coursework and study. Even if graduate school is their sole preoccupation, graduate students face many pressures; and there are even more demands on time and thought for those graduate students with families and jobs. Classes, research, writing, and expectations of faculty and peers are just a few of the forces that weigh on a graduate student’s shoulders-none of these keeps the pressures of everyday living at bay. So while you are in graduate school, it is essential for you to care for your physical, emotional, and mental well-being, and this will help you manage the stress that you might encounter along the way. Graduate school faculty and administrators would recommend that you keep balance in your life while you are engaged in graduate study. Keep your perspective by managing your time wisely, getting the proper rest and exercise, and eating in a healthy way. All colleges and universities also offer counseling services for students at little to no cost. Be aware of these services, which can give you the necessary-and private-outlet to discuss things if you are feeling overwhelmed. All counseling is confidential.
.:: BACK TO TOP ::. |