Financial Support For Graduate Students
Important Questions Every Student Should Ask
- What are the basic types of financial support?
- Can you give me some helful hints to help me increase my chances of receiving financial support?
- How do I apply for federal financial aid?
- When should I apply for financial support?
Fellowships, Assistantships, Scholarships, Grants and Federal Financial Aid.
Apply early and apply for financial support if you believe you need it. Don't assume that you won't qualify.
You can apply for Ferderal Financial Aid by completing the FASFA (Free Application for Student Financial Aid) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. You may also wish to visit the UA Office of Student Financial Aid at http://www.financialaid.ua.edu/.
For departmental financial support your admissions application is used to make awards for graduate teaching assistantships and research assistantships as well as selecting students to nomicate for felloship programs administered by the Graduate School. Your application should be completed as early as possible. This usually means three to four months prior to the start of the the semester. This could be even earlier for some departments. Make sure that you are aware of your department's deadlines or priority dates. If you are still not clear about your department's deadlines and priority dates, you should contact the graduate school at the following number: (205) 348-5921. Please note: some departments may have various application forms for some scholarships, so check with your department to make sure that you follow proper procedures.
For federal financial aid you should apply as early as January 2 each year -- apply at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.