Eligibility, Applying for Financial Aid & Helpful Websites
Eligibility
The only aid available to graduate students at Fairfield University is federal financial aid. To be eligible for any of the federal student aid programs, students must:
- Meet various federal regulatory requirements
- Be matriculated into a degree-granting program
- Be enrolled at least half-time (six credits)
- Be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as defined by Fairfield University
How to Apply
In order to apply for any of the federal student aid programs, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students must sign the FAFSA with a personal identification number (PIN) as assigned by the Department of Education. To submit the FAFSA to Fairfield University, use the federal school code: 001385. The FAFSA should be submitted at least four weeks prior to the beginning of the semester the student is applying for financial aid.
Federal Verification
Verification is the process when a school is required to compare the information from the FAFSA to the information from a student's tax and income information filed from the previous year. If a student's application is selected for verification by the Department of Education, he/she is notified through the Student Aid Report (SAR) and by Fairfield University. A SAR is the summary of a student's FAFSA results. Students selected for verification will need to submit copies of his/her federal tax transcript, a Federal Verification Worksheet, and other documents as requested by the Office of Financial Aid.
Helpful Websites
Student Aid on the Web
This website provides free information from the Department of Education on preparing for and funding a college education.
Internal Revenue Service
This website provides information regarding tax forms and tax-filing requirements.
Connecticut Department of Higher Education
This website provides detailed information on state grants, scholarships and other financial aid resources.
FastWeb
This website provides scholarship applications and advice for students.
FinAid!
This website is a very comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice and tools to help finance a higher education.
Income-Based Repayment Calculator
This calculator can help you determine if you - or your spouse if you are married - might qualify for Income-Based Repayment (IBR) for federal Stafford loans.
Student Loans: Avoiding Deceptive Offers (downloadable brochure)
Cosigning a Loan (downloadable brochure)
Building a Better Credit Report (downloadable brochure)