Graduate Financial Aid
We strive to help you find the financing options and resources that serve you best—including loan programs, gift aid, and payment plans, that can make your education more affordable. We’re excited to support you as you take the next step in furthering your education with us.
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Find the right graduate financial aid resources for where you are in your journey.
Cost of attendance
The cost of attendance (COA) is an estimate of the education-related expenses a student may incur. It is also used to determine your maximum financial aid eligibility for an academic year. The COA includes direct expenses (tuition and fees) and an estimate of a student's indirect expenses (housing, food, transportation, and other miscellaneous expenses).
For tuition and cost of attendance information for graduate programs, please refer to the specific graduate schools’ pages:
Graduate student gift aid
- Institutional funding and assistantships provide financial opportunities to graduate students which are directly funded by the University. For information regarding which opportunities are available, contact your graduate school directly.
- The Veterans Initiative provides funds to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate active duty service on or after September 11, 2001, or individuals discharged with a service-connected disability after 30 days.
Explore your student loan options
- Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans require no credit check. Students enrolled at least half-time with a valid FAFSA may borrow up to $20,500 per year.
- Graduate PLUS Loans are credit based and allow eligible students to borrow up to their full Cost of Attendance. A valid FAFSA and at least half-time enrollment are required. Note: Beginning July 1, 2026, Graduate PLUS Loans will be eliminated for new borrowers. Students who borrowed a federal loan for their current program before that date may continue borrowing under existing terms for up to three years or until program completion, whichever comes first.
- Private education loans are available from various financial institutions. These are not guaranteed by the federal government, so we suggest exploring your federal loan options first, as they may have more favorable terms and conditions.
FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the federal financial aid form students complete to apply for all federal student financial aid. The FAFSA takes 4–6 days to process.
| Graduate Student Timeline | Date |
|---|---|
|
Students applying for fall financial aid should have their FAFSA, |
June |
|
Disbursement of fall financial aid/loans begins; classes start. |
August |
|
Fall add/drop period ends; processing of fall financial aid refunds begin. |
September |
| Students applying for spring financial aid should have their FAFSA, Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note, and Entrance Counseling submitted. | October |
| Disbursement of spring financial aid/loans begins; classes start; spring add/drop period ends and financial aid refunds begin mid-late January. |
January |
| Students applying for summer financial aid should have their FAFSA, Federal Direct Loan Master Promissory Note, and Entrance Counseling completed. | March |
| Disbursement of summer financial aid/loans begins; summer add/drop period ends and financial aid refunds begin; this marks the end of the academic year. | May |
Payment Plans
Fordham encourages you to use the interest-free monthly payment plan first and then the federal loan programs before considering private loans to cover the cost of college.
