Graduate students can file FAFSA, but the process and aid available differ from undergraduate FAFSA

Yes, graduate students can file the Free process for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). However, the rules about who qualifies for aid, how much you can borrow, and what types of aid you receive are different from undergraduate FAFSA. Graduate students are not considered dependent students, so your parents' financial information does not go on the form. You also cannot receive federal Pell Grants as a graduate student, but you can borrow federal loans and may receive other aid depending on your program and school.

The FAFSA itself is the same form for both undergraduate and graduate students. You fill it out on fafsa.gov, and your school uses your answers to determine what aid you may receive. The key difference is that graduate students answer different questions about their own finances only, and the aid packages they receive are structured differently.

Key Takeaways

  • Graduate students file the same FAFSA form as undergraduates, but only report their own income and assets, not their parents'.
  • Graduate students cannot receive Pell Grants but can borrow federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct PLUS Loans for graduate study.
  • Your school determines your cost of attendance for graduate study, which affects how much federal loan money you can borrow.
  • Some graduate programs, such as health professions and teacher preparation, may have additional aid programs beyond standard FAFSA loans.

What information graduate students report on FAFSA

When you file FAFSA as a graduate student, you report only your own financial information. You do not include your parents' income, assets, or tax information, even if they help pay for school. This is because the federal government treats graduate students as independent for FAFSA purposes, regardless of whether your parents claim you as a dependent on their taxes.

You will need your Social Security number, driver's license or state ID, and your own tax information from the prior year. If you filed taxes, you can link your IRS tax return directly to FAFSA through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool, which pre-fills much of the financial section. If you did not file taxes, you enter your income information manually.

Graduate students also report whether they are a U.S. citizen or may be able to access noncitizen. Citizenship status affects which federal loans you can borrow. U.S. citizens and may be able to access noncitizens can borrow Direct Unsubsidized Loans and Direct PLUS Loans. Undocumented students cannot borrow federal loans but may be able to borrow private loans or receive institutional aid from their school.

Federal loans available to graduate students

Graduate students can borrow Direct Unsubsidized Loans, which are federal loans that accrue interest while you are in school. The annual borrowing limit for graduate students is $20,500 per year, though your school may set a lower limit based on your cost of attendance and other aid you receive. You do not need to demonstrate financial need to borrow an Unsubsidized Loan.

Graduate students can also borrow Direct PLUS Loans for Graduate or Professional Students, which allow you to borrow up to your full cost of attendance minus other aid you receive. PLUS Loans require a credit check, and you cannot have an adverse credit history. Interest rates and fees on PLUS Loans are higher than Unsubsidized Loans.

Graduate students cannot borrow Direct Subsidized Loans, which are only for undergraduate students. Subsidized Loans have the federal government pay the interest while you are in school; graduate students do not have access to this benefit.

Graduate programs with additional aid beyond FAFSA loans

Some graduate fields have federal aid programs that work alongside FAFSA. Health professions students, including those in medicine, dentistry, nursing, and physician assistant programs, may be able to borrow Health Professions Student Loans (HPSL) or Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS) through their schools. These loans have different terms and interest rates than standard federal loans.

Graduate students in teacher preparation programs may be able to borrow through the Teacher Education information for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program, which provides grants (not loans) of up to $4,000 per year. TEACH Grants require you to teach in a high-need school or subject area for a set period after graduation, or the grant converts to a loan.

Your school's financial aid office can tell you whether your specific graduate program qualifies for these additional programs. These are not automatic; you must ask about them when you contact your school about your aid package.

How graduate school cost of attendance affects loan amounts

Your school calculates a cost of attendance for your graduate program, which includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and board, transportation, and personal expenses. This number determines the maximum amount of federal loans you can borrow. If your cost of attendance is $60,000 per year and you receive $10,000 in other aid, you can borrow up to $50,000 in federal loans (assuming you meet the annual and aggregate limits).

Different graduate programs at the same school may have different costs of attendance. A full-time master's program might have a lower cost than a doctoral program, or a program with a thesis requirement might have a higher cost than one without. Your school's financial aid office provides your specific cost of attendance when you receive your aid package.

The cost of attendance is an estimate, not a bill. If you actually spend less, you borrow less. If you borrow more than you spend, you must repay the excess.

Graduate students with undergraduate loans still owe them

If you borrowed federal loans as an undergraduate, those loans do not disappear when you start graduate school. You can defer repayment while you are enrolled at least half-time in graduate school by requesting an in-school deferment, but interest continues to accrue on Unsubsidized Loans and PLUS Loans. Subsidized Loans do not accrue interest during deferment.

When you leave graduate school or drop below half-time enrollment, your undergraduate loans enter repayment. You can choose a repayment plan based on your total loan balance and income. Some income-driven repayment plans may be more affordable if you have a large undergraduate loan balance and a lower graduate school income.

Your graduate school loans and undergraduate loans are separate. You can manage them on different repayment schedules if you choose, though many borrowers consolidate them into a Direct Consolidation Loan to simplify repayment.

International graduate students and FAFSA

International students cannot file FAFSA because federal student aid is limited to U.S. citizens and may be able to access noncitizens. may be able to access noncitizens include permanent residents, refugees, asylees, and some other visa holders. International students on F-1, J-1, or other temporary visas are not may be able to access for federal loans or grants.

International graduate students can borrow private loans from banks and other lenders, though private loans typically require a U.S. co-signer and have higher interest rates than federal loans. Some schools offer institutional aid to international graduate students, which you can ask about when you contact the financial aid office.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to file FAFSA to get graduate school loans?

Yes. Even if you think you will not receive grants or other aid, you must file FAFSA to borrow federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans or PLUS Loans. Your school cannot process federal loans without a completed FAFSA on file. File on fafsa.gov using your school's federal school code.

Can I use graduate school loans to pay for living expenses?

Yes, as long as the expenses are part of your school's cost of attendance. Room, board, transportation, and personal expenses are included in the cost of attendance calculation, so you can borrow to cover them. You cannot borrow for expenses your school does not include in the cost of attendance.

What happens if I don't use all the money I borrowed?

If you borrow more than you spend, your school returns the excess to the loan servicer, and you owe repayment on the full amount you borrowed. Borrow only what you need. You can always borrow more in a later semester if your circumstances change.

Can graduate students get Pell Grants?

No. Pell Grants are only for undergraduate students. Graduate students can receive other types of aid, such as institutional grants from their school or federal loans, but not Pell Grants.

Do I need to file FAFSA every year of graduate school?

Yes. You must file FAFSA each academic year you are enrolled in graduate school. Your financial situation may change, and your school uses the current FAFSA to determine your aid package each year. File by your school's important date to receive aid on time.