Eligibility

A graduate student must be admitted to a master’s degree program or be earning teaching certification in order to be eligible for financial assistance. Generally, special, non-degree, certificate or GAP students are not eligible for financial aid.

Expenses at The University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Costs of college attendance include tuition and fees; books and supplies; room; board; utilities; transportation; and personal expenses. These also are the costs used in determining budgets for financial aid evaluations and are frequently based on estimates. Inquiries about actual billing costs should be directed to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Accounts Office. Questions about other budget items should be addressed to the Financial Aid Office.

Financial aid for graduate students at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is awarded primarily on the basis of financial need. Need is defined as the difference between anticipated educational costs and the contribution expected from the student, or student and spouse. Expected student contributions are computed according to Federal Need Analysis Methodology.

By completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the student provides the Financial Aid Office (www.uwosh.edu/fin_aid) with information necessary to determine financial need. The University attempts to meet that need from available funds.

How To Apply for Financial Aid

Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA - www.fafsa.ed.gov) to be considered for the Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) Grants, Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loan, or Federal Direct Loans (subsidized or unsubsidized) and Native American Grants. The FAFSA should be completed and submitted to the federal processor as early as possible after January 1, for consideration for the upcoming academic year.

Financial Aid is awarded when the student has a completed financial aid application on file and eligibility criteria are met. Priority is given to those applicants who meet the University’s established priority date. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Notification

Applicants receive an email sent to his or her UW Oshkosh email account from the Financial Aid Office when processing is completed and aid is awarded.  Awards are made starting approximately April 15, before the academic year for which the student has requested financial aid. Only the following types of aid are included on the award letter: Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Direct Loans and Federal Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. Other forms of financial assistance, although included in the calculation of an aid package, will have separate notification processes.

The Aid Package

Financial aid applicants will be considered for all financial aid programs available to graduate students and administered by the Financial Aid Office. It is not necessary to apply separately for each kind of aid desired, except as noted below. Financial aid offered to a student may be in the form of grants or scholarships, long-term loans (which can be repaid after the student leaves college) and part-time employment.

Scholarships

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Financial Aid Office maintains information about scholarships available to the UW Oshkosh students. Some of these awards are available to graduate students.

Scholarships are not awarded as part of a financial aid "package," but such awards, if received, are considered a student resource and may affect the amount of additional aid the student may receive.

Employment

Graduate Assistantship Employment

The Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin System provides resources for a number of academic graduate assistantships.  Graduate assistantships are for the 17-week semester or academic year and are either full time (20 hours/week), three quarter time (15 hours/ week), or half time (10 hours/week). Non-resident graduate assistants who are hired for 13.5 or more hours per week are eligible for out-of-state fee remissions. Graduate assistants are limited to a maximum course load of 12 credits per semester.

Qualifications for a graduate assistantship:

1. New student who has been admitted in full standing to a graduate degree program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh;

2. Continuing student who is in full-standing;

3. Student who is enrolled for at least six (6) graduate degree credits each semester, or otherwise qualifies as a full-time student.

Application forms are available from the Office of Graduate Studies.

Federal Work Study Employment

Work study is awarded to eligible financial aid applicants on the basis of financial need. Employment usually is available to any student who accepts a work study award. Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits per semester for graduate students).

Student Assistant Employment

Most academic and administrative departments at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh employ student assistants. No financial need analysis is required. Interested students should contact individual departments or check listings at the Financial Aid Office.

Grants

Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP)

The Advanced Opportunity Program is a University of Wisconsin System program of financial support for graduate students of color and non-minority disadvantaged graduate students. Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents and must qualify for full-standing admission into a graduate degree program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Awards are designated for members of the traditionally under-represented minorities (i.e., Black, Native American, Hispanic and statutorily designated Southeast Asian refugees) and disadvantaged non-minority applicants. Financial need, academic achievement and progress are considered in granting awards. Submission of the FAFSA is the application and is required.

Indian Grant

Tribal funds are available for Native American students using the Indian Scholarship Application and the FAFSA, both available at the Financial Aid Office. Recipients must generally be at least one-fourth American Indian as certified by the appropriate tribal agency. Awards are generally need-based.

Native American students who are Wisconsin residents also may apply for the Wisconsin Native American Student Grant using the Indian Scholarship Application. Eligibility is need-based.

Another source of information about graduate fellowships for American Indian and Alaskan Native students is:

American Indian Graduate Center

4520 Montgomery Blvd NE, Suite 1-B

Albuquerque, NM 87109-1291

Minnesota Wisconsin Reciprocity Program

This arrangement permits an eligible Minnesota resident to attend the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and pay the established reciprocity fees. Interested Minnesota residents should request information by writing to Higher Education Coordinating Commission, 400 Capitol Square Building, 500 Cedar Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55101.

International Student Nonresident Partial Tuition Waiver

A limited number of these awards, up to the amount of non resident tuition, are available to international students who demonstrate financial need. This waiver may cover all or a portion of the difference between non-resident and resident tuition. The student is still responsible for all other associated educational and living expenses as described above in “Expenses at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.” Inquiries from applicants and new students should be directed to the Director of Graduate Services. Continuing students should contact the international student adviser in the Office of International Education.

Loans

Federal Perkins Loan

Loans are provided on the basis of student's financial need and availability of loan funds. Repayment and accrual of 5 percent annual interest begins nine months after the borrower ceases to be at least a half-time student, with a repayment period of up to 10 years. Borrower must be a U. S. citizen or permanent resident. Recipients must enroll on at least a half-time basis (4.5 credits per semester for graduate students).

Federal Direct Loan (Subsidized and Unsubsidized)

Students must apply for financial aid and must be enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits per semester for graduate students). Graduate students may borrow up to the difference between the cost of education and any other financial assistance received for the term. Program maximums for this loan are $8,500 subsidized and $12,000 unsubsidized per year. Interest rate currently is variable and repayment begins six months after borrower drops below half-time enrollment.

Short-Term Loan

A limited amount of short-term ("Emergency") no interest loan money is available to University of Wisconsin Oshkosh students. The maximum loan is $50 to be repaid in one month or less. Continued use of the short-term Loan Fund by a student depends upon prompt repayment of loans.

Other Sources of Financial

Assistance

Veterans Financial Assistance

Many veterans of military service are eligible for benefits to attend college. Additional assistance is provided to disabled veterans. Children of deceased and disabled veterans also may be eligible for benefits. Inquiries should be directed to the regional office of the Veterans Administration or the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh veterans’ adviser, Dempsey Hall 144E, (920) 424-1804, va@uwosh.edu.

Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP)

Through the MSEP, public institutions agree to charge students no more than 150 percent of the in-state resident tuition rate for specific programs. You must enroll as a non-resident student at a participating MSEP campus to receive the discount.

Return to Wisconsin Program

The Return to Wisconsin Tuition Reduction Program will offer a 25 percent waiver of assessed, non-resident tuition to sons, daughters and grandchildren of UW Oshkosh graduates. A graduate is defined as any person who has been awarded a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

Further Information

It should be noted that because of the number and complexity of financial aid programs only basic descriptions of some of the various sources of aid are provided here. No attempt is made to provide a comprehensive listing of all the considerations in assessing financial need and determining eligibility for funds.

Furthermore, all guidelines for administering financial aid programs are subject to change at any time as the result of legislative or regulatory action by the federal and state agencies responsible for the direction of the programs.

The awarding of financial aid depends upon both the student's eligibility and the availability of funds. If funds are exhausted, eligibility is meaningless. As funds often are insufficient to meet a student’s full financial need, the importance of multiple and early applications cannot be overemphasized. For further information, contact the Financial Aid Office, 104 Dempsey Hall, (920) 424-3377.