Am I eligible for Federal Financial Aid?

You are eligible to apply for Federal Financial Aid if you meet the following criteria:

• Are a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen (see FAFSA for details).
• Are accepted or matriculated into a graduate degree or certificate program.
• Are not in default of any Federal loans.
• If you are male, have registered for Selective Service. (If you have questions about your Selective Service status, information can be obtained at www.sss.gov.)

Who should apply?

Anyone who is interested in financing their graduate school education and who meets the above criteria.

How is the Cost of Attendance budget determined?

Your Cost of Attendance is calculated based on fixed expenses (tuition and fees) and estimated expenses (room, utilities, books, travel, and personal expenses).

Tuition for 2012–2013 for Master's or Doctoral Degree, per Credit

Living Expenses for 2012–2013 Academic Year (9 Months)

How is Federal Financial Aid eligibility determined?

In order to determine your eligibility for Federal Direct Loans, Perkins loans, and Work-Study, we use your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) as calculated by the information you submitted to the FAFSA to determine your financial need. Financial need is the difference between your EFC and the Cost of Attendance (which includes living expenses) for an academic loan year.

For example:

Students Borrowing Summer, Fall, and Spring Loans

All students have an academic year for awarding loans. If you are enrolled in the Summer and plan on taking out Federal Direct Loans, then your academic year will begin in the Summer and continue through the Fall. Spring will be a separate period. If you are applying for an alternative loan or Graduate PLUS Loan, make sure your loan period is for Summer and Fall. Spring will be a separate loan period.

Dependent Care Expenses

Applicants with dependents will be granted an additional budget allowance of $1,800 per dependent under the age of sixteen.

If you would like a paper copy of this webpage, please contact the Office of Student Services' Communications team at sscom@bc.edu or the Office of Student Services.