Graduate Students
Loans
(Click here for more information)Student loan programs offer long-term, low-interest educational loans which require repayment. Students should carefully consider the amount of debt they incur and recognize their future financial obligations. Like any other debt, a student loan is a serious financial obligation.
Federal Perkins Loan
The Federal Perkins Loan program gives priority to students with exceptional need. The current interest rate is five percent. These funds are awarded on a first-come basis to qualified applicants who have a completed financial aid file.
Federal Direct Stafford Loans
The Federal Direct Stafford Loan program enables students to borrow money directly from the federal government. Subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans for graduate/professional students will have a fixed interest rate of 6.8% for loans with a first disbursement on or after July 1, 2006. For more information on Federal Direct Stafford Loan interest rates, click here. Graduate and professional students may borrow up to $8,500 per year from the Federal Direct Subsidized Stafford Loan program and $12,000 per year from the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program. The total amount that graduate or professional students can borrow in subsidized Stafford is $65,500. The total combined (subsidized and unsubsidized) that graduate or professional students can borrow is $138,500. These maximum amounts include Federal Stafford Loans and Federally Insured Student Loans borrowed at the undergraduate level.
Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan
The Federal Direct Grad PLUS Loan allows graduate and professional students to borrow up to their full cost of attendance, less other financial aid received. Repayment begins on the date of the final disbursement of the loan, and the first payment is due within 60 days after the date the loan is fully disbursed. While you are enrolled in school on at least a half-time basis, you are eligible for an in-school deferment that allows you to postpone payments until you graduate or drop below half-time status. In most cases, an in-school deferment will automatically be granted based on enrollment data reported to the U.S. Department of Education. The first payment on a Grad PLUS Loan will be due within 45 days after the deferment end date. Note: Students who receive an in-school deferment will be notified of the deferment and of their option to cancel the deferment and begin making loan payments. The current interest rate is fixed at 7.9%. For more information on Federal Direct Stafford Loan interest rates, click here.
University Tuition Assistance Grants (UTAG)
University Tuition Assistance Grants are awarded to full-time graduate and law students based on financial need and academic criteria as defined by the Board of Regents. These grants do not require repayment.
Federal Work-Study
The Federal Work-Study Program (FWSP) provides part-time jobs during the academic year and full- or part-time jobs during the summer for students who have financial need and who must earn a part of their educational expenses. Jobs may be on- or off-campus with a public or private nonprofit agency including jobs in community service areas. Salary for FWSP students will be no less than the current minimum wage and will also be associated with the type of work performed and skills required. The FWSP award is a set earning limit that cannot be exceeded. Students employed full-time on the summer FWSP are expected to save between 50 and 100 percent of their earnings to be used as a resource for the next academic year. The Career Services Office helps students find part-time employment including, but not limited to, FWSP jobs. These funds are awarded on a first-come basis to qualified financial aid applicants.
Fellowships
Graduate students newly admitted to UNL degree programs are eligible for several fellowships. All of these fellowships are awarded by or through the academic departments, with no separate fellowship application forms for new students to complete. Because departments begin reviewing applications by January 15, it is important that your Application for Admission be completed as early as possible.
Assistantships
Over 1,700 assistantship appointments are made by departments during the academic year. Most assistantships include tuition remission during the semester of appointment and may include tuition remission for the summer. The assistantships are competitively awarded and typically require 13 to 20 hours of service per week. Graduate assistantships for summer may also be available.
Inquiries about teaching and research assistantships should be directed to the graduate chair of the department. To hold a graduate assistantship a student must be admitted to a department or area with a specific graduate degree objective and must be enrolled during the entire duration of appointment.
