How to Get Financial Aid to Attend Graduate School in New York State

Paying for graduate school can be exceptionally difficult, particularly if you are applying as an independent and will not be able to work while you are in school. Also, while many colleges and universities have recently changed their undergraduate financial aid policies to limit or eliminate loans, this decision does not really affect graduate students. The following are some tips for securing financial aid for graduate programs in New York state.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Tax information
• Internet access
• FAFSA and TAP applications (online)

1. Apply to schools at which you will be at the top of the applicant pool. Schools that have merit-based financial aid use it to reward the strongest applicants. By applying to schools where you will stand out (provided they offer merit-based money), you increase your chances of getting scholarships (this is particularly important if you or your parents make enough money to disqualify you from receiving need-based aid). Make sure to find out if schools offer such aid before applying, and check whether your undergraduate record puts you in the running for it.
2. Read the general financial aid information provided by all schools to which you are applying. When must you submit the FAFSA? Will you automatically be considered for aid, or do you need to submit an application? The sooner you can gather this information, the smoother the process will be.
3. Fill out and submit your FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid). If you wish to receive a need-based aid, you will almost definitely have to submit a FAFSA. Do this as soon as possible, keeping in mind it requires information generated when you compile your taxes.
4. Get information about state-wide funding through the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation. Of particular note is the state-wide Tuition Assistance Program (TAP), which may provide funding to you.
5. Consider special deals for education degrees. If you are seeking a graduate degree in education, you may have some other options. First of all, there is a special box to check on the FAFSA about this--checking it qualifies you for certain other aid options. Also, if you participate in Teach for America or the New York Teaching Fellows program, you will receive a free or subsidized Master's degree, which means you won't need financial aid to begin with.

Tips & Warnings

• No matter what degree you wish to pursue, participating in an Americorps program in any city gets you an education stipend, which you can use for graduate degree programs. The Peace Corps offers some educational incentives as well, depending on your specific program.

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