Northeastern University is committed to helping students make their higher education goals a reality. Our team provides the resources, support, and expert guidance needed to navigate the financial aid application process, stay on top of key dates and deadlines, and understand the factors that influence aid eligibility.
Financial Aid Eligibility
Students in the graduate colleges must meet all criteria to be eligible for federal financial aid including:
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Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Be matriculated in a degree-granting program
- Have received a high school diploma or GED
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Not be in default from previous student loans
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Maintain satisfactory academic progress
Additionally, to be eligible for federal financial aid you must be enrolled in at least 4 credits per term, unless you are on a co-op, clinical rotation, residency, or are enrolled in a full-time or part-time stand-alone course.
Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs are not eligible for federal financial aid.
While international students are not eligible for federal aid, other financing options are available. Please visit the Student Financial Services website to learn more about the resources available to international students.
Types of Aid for Graduate Students
Graduate Assistantships and Scholarships
Graduate assistantships and awards are offered directly by the individual graduate schools or academic departments. Students seeking such assistance should contact their graduate school for eligibility criteria.
To review a description of available scholarships, visit the Student Financial Services website.
Loan Programs
There are a number of different loan programs available to help graduate students finance their education. These programs include the following:
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Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
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Health Professions Student Loans and Nursing Student Loans
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Physician Assistant Loan
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Supplemental Student Loans
For more information, please visit the Student Financial Services website .
How to Apply
To apply for financial aid, first-year and transfer students must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Returning students must submit the FAFSA each academic year.
Students are encouraged to submit their financial aid application materials by the priority filing deadline date to ensure that they are considered for all available financial aid programs for which they qualify. To view the priority filing deadline dates and learn more about the financial aid application process, visit the Student Financial Services website.
The timeline for receiving an award after applying for aid can vary, and students may need to respond to additional document requests. For more information on awarding timelines, see the Student Financial Services website.
Typical Graduate Financial Aid Award
Eligible students who file the FAFSA will be automatically considered for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, provided that all eligibility requirements have been met. The maximum amount that a student may borrow per academic year in the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program is $20,500.
For more information about the Federal Direct Loan Program, visit the Student Financial Services website.
Satisfactory Academic Progress
Qualitative
Student grade-point averages are reviewed annually at the end of spring semester. Satisfactory academic progress requires a cumulative quality point average of 3.000 or better. The qualitative standard will be reviewed annually. Students that fail to meet this standard will not be eligible for federal aid until the cumulative 3.000 QPA is achieved.
Quantitative
Students must also meet certain quantitative requirements. Completed credits are reviewed as a percentage of attempted credits after each academic year. Students must earn at least 50% of their cumulative attempted credits to maintain SAP.
Additionally, graduate students must complete their program within the maximum allowable time frame and will not be eligible to receive financial aid once they have attempted more than 200% of the normal credits required for their degree or certificate program. Day students should refer to their college or program for the number of credits required for their degree.
Appeals
Students who have lost their eligibility for financial aid due to failure to meet qualitative or quantitative SAP standards have the right to appeal for an additional probationary term of financial aid.
For additional information regarding SAP and the appeals process, visit the Student Financial Services website.
Change in Enrollment Status
Students must notify Student Financial Services about any change in planned period of enrollment, whether due to withdrawal from a class, a leave of absence, a change in co-op or academic division, or withdrawal from the university. Students should be aware that any change in enrollment status may result in a change in federal or institutional aid eligibility. It is the student’s responsibility to notify Student Financial Services about any change in enrollment status and to ensure understanding of the ramifications of such changes. It is highly recommended that whenever possible, students discuss the impact of such changes with their financial aid counselor before making them.
For more information on how students are billed for classes taken during co-op or less than full-time enrollment, please see Graduate Billing and Tuition Adjustments.
Outside Sources of Aid
Students must notify Student Financial Services of any external aid received, such as scholarships from outside organizations. This will prompt a review, and financial aid may be recalculated based on federal, state, and institutional requirements. For further information on reporting outside aid, please visit the Student Financial Services website.
Return of Title IV Aid
Northeastern is required by federal statute to recalculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who withdraw, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing 60% of a term. Recalculation is based on the percentage of earned aid using the Federal Return of Title IV funds formula. Federal regulations require students to obtain at least an A, B, C, D, S, or F in at least one course for the term; students who receive all unsuccessful grades for a term (NE, W, I, U) will be considered unofficially withdrawn from the term. For unofficial withdrawals, the withdrawal date used for aid recalculation is the midpoint of the term.
For information on how tuition may be adjusted for withdrawals, please see Graduate Billing and Tuition Adjustments.
Verification
If a student is selected for verification, Student Financial Services may be required to collect additional financial documents, including tax returns and other financial documents, to verify the information provided on the FAFSA. In some cases, verification may result in changes to financial aid. For incoming students, verification must be completed before aid can disburse. For returning students, verification must be completed before aid can be awarded and disbursed.
For more information on this process, visit the Student Financial Services website.
Appeals
In some instances, graduate students may have educational expenses that exceed the standard budget for their program and may choose to utilize additional loans. Allowable expenses that may serve as the basis for a budget increase appeal may include living expenses that exceed the standard budget, dependent care, disability-related expenses, and others. For more information, students can review the Student Financial Services website.
VA Education Benefits
In accordance with Title 38 USC 3679 (e), covered individuals utilizing Chapter 31 or Chapter 33 education benefits at Northeastern University will not have any penalty imposed on their account nor will they be required to take out additional funding due to pending or late payments from the Department of Veterans Affairs as long as the Dolce Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Servicemembers has a current Certificate of Eligibility or VRE Authorization on file AND a Request for VA Benefit Certification is submitted through the Student Hub portal.
COEs must be submitted before the start of the student’s first term but do not need to be resubmitted unless entitlement information changes. Students are also required to complete the Request for VA Benefit Certification form through the Student Hub portal before the start of each term they wish to use VA benefits. Students may have a hold placed on the account if there is an outstanding balance after payment from the VA is received by Northeastern.