Financial Aid FAQs

There is a two-tiered student loan program available for graduate students. There are a number of factors involved in determining student eligibility and processing the loan applications, which you’ll need to understand. Review the student loan information on the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website.

Tier 1 is the unsubsidized loan. The gross amount of this loan is $20,500 for an academic year (fall and spring). This is enough to fund tuition which covers two academic years.

Tier 2 is the GradPlus loan, which may take you to the full cost of attendance. Students must pass a credit check to obtain this loan.

The unsubsidized loan may not cover the entire cost of tuition, therefore you may choose to pay the remainder of your tuition and fees out of pocket, or you may apply for a GradPlus loan.

Upon registering for courses, all payments are due according to the payment schedule. If financial aid does not cover all of your costs, you will be responsible for making the additional payments on time in order to continue registering for your courses.

Eligibility for these loans is determined by the student’s “Cost of Attendance,” a number that is calculated by the SDSU Financial Aid Office and is based not only on the actual program tuition but also on other considerations such as room & board, transportation, books & supplies and misc. personal expenses.

The “Cost of Attendance” for SDSU graduate students is posted on the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website. Once you are registered for the Master’s Program and have submitted your Special Enrollment Agreement (SEA), the Cost of Attendance figure will be increased to reflect the actual fees for this program.

After a student has enrolled and is engaged in semester course work, he/she may file a Request for Budget Increase seeking to adjust the previous Cost of Attendance limit if there are additional documentable expenses in support of the student’s education. The expenses must be fully paid before the request is submitted. This is decided on a case-by-case basis by the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Only one request per semester is allowed.

Student loan applications can typically be processed and approved within a matter of several weeks once all appropriate paperwork has been submitted.

FAFSA applications will be accepted starting October 1, and you may apply before you have completed your application for the program. We recommend that students intending to apply for financial aid submit their completed FAFSA application before March 1, 2016 If all requested documentation has been provided, you will receive notification of your financial aid status in May.

For all financial aid details please visit the SDSU FAFSA page.

AidLink is your portal to all financial aid information, communication and documents. You can log on to AidLink with your WebPortal ID and password.

The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships can help with any financial aid questions you may have. For more information on how financial aid works and what resources you have available to you, please visit the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships website.

You may also speak to a counselor by phone or in person Monday-Friday 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M.

Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships
(619) 594-6323
Student Services West, Room SSW-3605

Yes the GI bill is applicable. Unfortunately the CalVet waiver can not be used for this program.

Students cannot access financial aid in a greater amount than the designated Cost of Attendance for the program. This includes all loans, grants and scholarships combined. Students receiving scholarship or grant awards—after the initial awarding of unsubsidized and GradPlus loans—will have an award adjustment processed. The Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships will notify students via email to logon to AidLink to view the adjusted award. Specific questions regarding an adjustment may be directed to this office at (619) 594-6323, Monday through Friday, 10 A.M. to 3 P.M.

All scholarships must be reported to the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, and the recipient should consult a tax preparer to determine if the award is taxable under IRS rules.

Unfortunately, state grants are not applicable to tuition for the HTM Master’s program.