Financial Aid
Below are the links for the FAFSA and GradPLUS forms, as well as the 2014-2015 budget created by the Financial Aid office. More information on financial aid will be provided during orientation.
- 2015-2016 FAFSA: If you will be applying for the Stafford Loan or you wish to be considered for need based Institutional Scholarships, you need to complete a FAFSA, including your parent information. The FAFSA can be completed online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/.
- GradPLUS Loan: This is a loan that is guaranteed by the federal government and is based off of your credit worthiness. Most students use this loan to help pay for cost of living expenses. Students wishing to obtain a GradPLUS loan need to complete a 2015-16 Graduate Enrollment Data Sheet which can be found here.
- Sample Budget: Here is a budget for the 2014-2015 year. The financial aid package cannot exceed the amount listed for "Total Resident" or "Total Non-Resident." Link to Budget
All of this information will be re-iterated during orientation week and will be covered in great detail.
Second Look Presentation on Financial Aid:
Second Look Presentation: Financial Aid | |
File Size: | 387 kb |
File Type: |
AAMC resources
Financial Information, Resources, Services, and Tools (FIRST) provides a wealth of information to manage finances, understand loan repayment options, learn about types of loans available, and much more. Find out more about this program here.
AAMC Budget Worksheet:
AAMC Budget Worksheet:
Budget Worksheet | |
File Size: | 85 kb |
File Type: |
FAQ
Q1. I've filled out all of the items listed under the "Need to Submit/Resubmit" section of TUPortal but it still tells me I have to fulfill these requirements. I filled out the information last week, how do I know if it got transmitted successfully?
A. The information is not transmitted in real time. After you enter in the information, it is in the cloud until it can be batched, which then transfers all the relevant information out to the relevant people. This means there is a lag time, which could be over a week, before the status of your "Need to Submit/Resubmit" button gets updated. If you did fill out all of that information, keep a copy of all of your confirmations for your records and then check back in a week or so to see if it went through.
Q2. I know I'm going to need to borrow money, but I am hoping to get a scholarship or know I'm getting a scholarship and I am waiting for my scholarship award to get posted in order to sign my master promissory note and do my entrance counseling. How long should I wait?
A. If you know for a fact that you need federal loans to pay for school, you shouldn't wait to sign your master promissory note or to do your entrance counseling. These items take time to get processed outside of the school and you want to give them plenty of time to get through them so you can receive the money in time. In addition to it taking time for outside organizations to get the information processed, even after they send a confirmation to Temple that you completed all the forms, it might be a week until that information is batched (see Q1). Only people utilizing outside funding to pay for school should wait so they can be sure they are not borrowing too much but for everyone else, try to complete the promissory note and do the entrance counseling as soon as possible.
Q3. Speaking of scholarship awards, I got an email that I'm getting one but still don't see it on TUportal?
A. TUportal needs to be batched in order to update all of this information. Also, awards are still being finalized so some people have not received them yet. If you receive an email saying you are getting a scholarship, print it and keep it for your records. You will get that scholarship money, but again, it takes time for these systems to update.
Q4. I'm not sure if I want to sign up for direct deposit, is it something I should sign up for?
A. The financial aid office recommends everyone who plans on receiving money from either a loan or a scholarship should use direct deposit. Paper checks can take up to 15 days after the disbursement period to get to you. Please note that even though PNC Bank hosts the direct deposit site, you DO NOT need to be a PNC Bank member to use this service. If you have any questions regarding this information, contact the Temple Bursar office here. A page with more information specifically on direct deposit can be found here.
Q5. I know I need to use a Grad Plus Loan, but I don't know how much to borrow. I'm not even sure how much I can borrow. Where can I find that out?
A. The Grad Plus Loan form, which is called the Graduate Student Enrollment Verification Sheet (Data Sheet), is the only one of these requirements that it is ok to wait to fill out. During orientation week there will be ample opportunity to speak with someone from the financial aid office to determine what works best for you. If you know exactly what you need, fill out the form before you arrive, but if your unsure or nervous about borrowing too little or too much, wait until orientation.
A. The information is not transmitted in real time. After you enter in the information, it is in the cloud until it can be batched, which then transfers all the relevant information out to the relevant people. This means there is a lag time, which could be over a week, before the status of your "Need to Submit/Resubmit" button gets updated. If you did fill out all of that information, keep a copy of all of your confirmations for your records and then check back in a week or so to see if it went through.
Q2. I know I'm going to need to borrow money, but I am hoping to get a scholarship or know I'm getting a scholarship and I am waiting for my scholarship award to get posted in order to sign my master promissory note and do my entrance counseling. How long should I wait?
A. If you know for a fact that you need federal loans to pay for school, you shouldn't wait to sign your master promissory note or to do your entrance counseling. These items take time to get processed outside of the school and you want to give them plenty of time to get through them so you can receive the money in time. In addition to it taking time for outside organizations to get the information processed, even after they send a confirmation to Temple that you completed all the forms, it might be a week until that information is batched (see Q1). Only people utilizing outside funding to pay for school should wait so they can be sure they are not borrowing too much but for everyone else, try to complete the promissory note and do the entrance counseling as soon as possible.
Q3. Speaking of scholarship awards, I got an email that I'm getting one but still don't see it on TUportal?
A. TUportal needs to be batched in order to update all of this information. Also, awards are still being finalized so some people have not received them yet. If you receive an email saying you are getting a scholarship, print it and keep it for your records. You will get that scholarship money, but again, it takes time for these systems to update.
Q4. I'm not sure if I want to sign up for direct deposit, is it something I should sign up for?
A. The financial aid office recommends everyone who plans on receiving money from either a loan or a scholarship should use direct deposit. Paper checks can take up to 15 days after the disbursement period to get to you. Please note that even though PNC Bank hosts the direct deposit site, you DO NOT need to be a PNC Bank member to use this service. If you have any questions regarding this information, contact the Temple Bursar office here. A page with more information specifically on direct deposit can be found here.
Q5. I know I need to use a Grad Plus Loan, but I don't know how much to borrow. I'm not even sure how much I can borrow. Where can I find that out?
A. The Grad Plus Loan form, which is called the Graduate Student Enrollment Verification Sheet (Data Sheet), is the only one of these requirements that it is ok to wait to fill out. During orientation week there will be ample opportunity to speak with someone from the financial aid office to determine what works best for you. If you know exactly what you need, fill out the form before you arrive, but if your unsure or nervous about borrowing too little or too much, wait until orientation.