You may qualify for federal or private loans to help defer the cost of your education. We provide information about loans below. To learn more about loan options and eligibility, contact Linna Ferreira in the Office of Student Financial Services by email or call 781-736-3700.
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To qualify for federal loans, you must be:
- Enrolled in a master's program.
- Registered for one course in each session per term and actively working toward completing your degree requirements.
You may qualify for a variety of federal loan programs, including the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, if you meet the above enrollment criteria. The Unsubsidized Stafford loan is not based on need or personal credit history. However, the Graduate PLUS loan is awarded based on personal credit history.
If you wish to apply for financial aid, you must first:
- Complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online and notify Brandeis Online in writing of your form submission date.
- When completing the FAFSA form, list Brandeis University (federal code 002133) as a recipient of the data.
- Complete a GPS Stafford Loan Application.
- Log in to Workday.
- From your homescreen, click the Financial Aid Dashboard application.
- Select and complete the GPS Stafford Loan Application.
If you want to apply for a Graduate PLUS loan in addition to the Stafford loan, follow the instructions on the Office of Student Financial Services website.
Brandeis Online does not offer financial assistance in the form of Federal Work-Study, teaching assistantships or other grants.
If you are enrolled in only one class per term or take classes as a non-degree student, you may still be eligible for private loans. Private loans are always credit based. To see which loan programs you may qualify for and to compare options, we recommend visiting ELMSelect. We strongly suggest also doing your own research on private loans.
Additional Satisfactory Academic Progress Requirement
Federal regulations require students receiving federal assistance to demonstrate satisfactory academic progress in accordance with standards set by the university. Brandeis Online is responsible for monitoring academic progress within its graduate programs.
This means students must successfully complete two courses (with a B- or higher) during a term in which they receive federal loans. If they fail to do so, they will be allowed to receive federal loans for the next session but will be placed on probation. If they fail to successfully complete two courses during the probationary period, they will lose eligibility for federal loans from that point forward.
Students may submit an appeal if there are extenuating circumstances that prevented them from successfully completing coursework for two subsequent terms.
