Financial Aid

The Office of Student Financial Aid administers several federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs available to graduate students at UNC Charlotte who complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA helps US Citizens and eligible non-citizens to gain access to gift aid (repayment not required) such as grants, or self-help aid (direct repayment or service required), like loans and Federal Work Study awards. For assistance with the FAFSA, or your financial aid search, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid in Reese 122, or visit their website at www.finaid.uncc.edu.

Applying for Federal & State Aid

The FAFSA can be completed from the Office of Student Financial Aid website, or directly at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The federal school code for UNC Charlotte is 002975.

Deadlines

The Office of Student Financial Aid must receive your completed FAFSA by March 1, for grant assistance consideration for the following academic year. For loan assistance, there is no deadline, provided that the FAFSA is received by the Financial Aid Office to allow sufficient processing time prior to the end of the academic year (usually three to four weeks).

Grant Assistance

The Tuition Assistance Grant administered by the Financial Aid Office is available to graduate students. It provides up to $1,250 in grant assistance to students demonstrating financial need regardless of state residency. Eligible students are awarded these grants until funds are exhausted. For more information, please visit the Office of Student Financial Aid.

Loan Assistance

Graduate students may borrow up to $20,500 annually from the Federal Direct Stafford Loan Program. Beginning with the 2012-13 academic year, only Unsubsidized Stafford loans are available to graduate students. "Unsubsidized" means that interest will begin to accrue on the loan once it is disbursed to the student's account. Students have the option of either paying the interest while enrolled in school at least half-time (3+ hours for graduate students) or having the interest added to the loan principal. Loan repayment begins nine months after the student graduates or ceases to be enrolled at least half-time.

In addition to Stafford Loans, graduate students may borrow funds through the federal Graduate PLUS loan program. Each student's maximum loan amount (combining all loan sources) is limited to the student's total Cost of Attendance minus any other aid received. More detailed information on the Cost of Attendance can be found on the Office of Student Financial Aid website.

Private Loans

Loans are also available for domestic and international students through private lenders. Please visit the Financial Aid website to view UNC Charlotte's Preferred Lender List selection.

Scholarships

Scholarships are a form of gift aid that is awarded based on a student's level of financial need, or in other cases by the merit of the student's scholarly pursuits. The Office of Student Financial Aid has compiled a searchable database of scholarships available at UNC Charlotte, which can be accessed at here.