Applying for Graduate Financial Aid
University of the Arts offers a variety of financial aid programs to assist you in meeting your educational goals. Aid may be offered in the form of grants, loans, or employment, and is funded through federal, state, institutional, and private organizations.
Who Should Apply
Most graduate students enroll on a full-time basis and are eligible for some type of need-based aid. Additionally, some scholarship opportunities take need-based criteria into account. All students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens and are enrolled in a degree program are encouraged to apply by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
We encourage students to complete the FAFSA by March 15, if possible.
Many students and families have encountered technical challenges while trying to complete the FAFSA this year. If this is the case for you, continue to utilize the FAFSA support resources until your issue is resolved. UArts will ensure that all admitted students who file the FAFSA are eligible for the same institutional funding to support your costs.
Application Process
Application
The only application form we require for students to be evaluated for need-based aid is the FAFSA.
To apply for federal, state, and institutional need-based financial aid, complete the steps below.
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Submit the FAFSA online at studentaid.gov.
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Include the Federal School Code for UArts on the form: 003350.
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Graduate students must utilize the IRS Data Retrieval Tool when completing the FAFSA.
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For spring entry, we recommend you file the FAFSA by Nov. 1.
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Applicants for summer or fall entry can file the FAFSA anytime after Dec. 31.
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For summer or fall entry, we recommend you file the FAFSA by March 15.
Processing
Your FAFSA will be processed by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid. Based on the data you provide, the Department of Education will determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). That information will then be shared with each school you listed on the FAFSA.
Student Financial Services at UArts will use that information to determine how much federal student aid and institutional need-based aid you might receive at UArts. The results of the FAFSA are also shared with your state’s higher education agency, to determine what aid you may be eligible to receive from it.
Your EFC will be deducted from the total cost of attendance at UArts to determine your financial need.
Notification
Admissions decision letters for fall entry begin being issued as early as Nov. 1. They may include notification of any merit-based scholarship you might have been awarded during the review of your application.
Universities expect to receive student FAFSA data in mid-March, and we currently expect to begin sending financial aid offer letters by April 1. Your financial aid offer letter will show your expected cost of attendance, and all eligible financial aid—which may include your merit scholarship, institutional grants, federal grants, and/or federal loans.
Verification
Approximately 30% of students who complete a FAFSA are required to complete a process called verification, for which additional forms and documents are required in order to verify the information supplied on the FAFSA. If you are selected for verification, you will be notified in your award package, and additional forms will be mailed to you.
You can view what items are needed for verification on the Financial Aid page of Student Self Service, under Required Documents.
Confirming Your Award
You can view tasks that must be completed to confirm your financial aid and to reject any unwanted aid, including loans, through Student Self Service. Once on the page, click Financial Aid, which will take you to a page where you can view your checklist and review and adjust your awards.
Billing & Gap Funding
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Fall semester: Bills will be issued in late May. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by July 5.
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Spring semester: Bills will be issued in late October. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by Dec. 5.
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Summer, first five-week term: Bills will be issued in early April. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by May 8.
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Summer, 10-week term, and summer, second five-week term: Bills will be issued in early April. Full payment must be received or an approved financing plan put in place by June 1.
The balance due on your bill is the difference between the total tuition and fee charges for the semester less the total financial aid awarded for that semester. The majority of our students fund that gap through one or more of the following options: payment plans, Federal Direct Plus Loans, and private loans.
Payment Plans
Payment plans allow you to split your cost for the semester into four or five monthly payments. Interest-free payment plans are available through Nelnet with an enrollment fee of $50. Fall payment plans begin in June, and spring payment plans begin in October.
To enroll in a payment plan through Nelnet, log in to its online portal.
View a Billing and Payment FAQ.
View an FAQ about graduate financial aid.
Incoming and returning students: Universities expect to receive student FAFSA data in mid-March, and we currently expect to begin sending financial aid offer letters by April 1. Your financial aid offer letter will show your expected cost of attendance, and all eligible financial aid—which may include your merit scholarship, institutional grants, federal grants, and/or federal loans.
Veterans Benefits
UArts welcomes military veterans who wish to use benefits such as Chapter 33 Post-9/11, Chapter 31, Chapter 35 Dependents’ Education Assistance, the Yellow Ribbon Program, or the Montgomery GI Bill. All eligible military veterans who receive financial support are able to use these benefits to help pay for tuition.
To determine your eligibility for funding through Veterans Affairs (VA), you must request your Certificate of Eligibility at va.gov. If you’re eligible for funding, you must complete a Request for Benefits form each semester in order to receive your benefits. Your benefit amount will vary based on your eligible chapter and percent of maximum award.
Request your Certificate of Eligibility.
Note: Students using VA educational benefits might have tuition and fees that exceed the maximum benefit and will be responsible for paying any remaining balance due.
We strongly recommend that all students complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine eligibility for federal, state, and institutional funding. If you’re eligible for additional funding through the FAFSA, you might receive or be eligible to apply for grant, scholarship or educational loan funds to help finance your cost of education.
UArts’ Veterans Affairs (VA) certifying official for UArts is Lakeisha Sanders. Contact her at lsanders@uarts.edu with any certification questions you may have.
Learn more about VA benefits at UArts.
Have additional questions? Contact us.
1-800-616-ARTS x6170 or 215-717-6170
finaid@uarts.edu