Financial Aid

The University of New Haven offers a comprehensive program of financial assistance, scholarships, and student loans to qualified students, including assistantships, scholarships, and student loans. Application procedures for financial assistance are detailed below and are also available at the university website (www.newhaven.edu).

Students who wish to apply for financial aid who are U.S. Citizens or eligible non-citizens must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Financial Aid Office attempts to consider all aspects of a student's financial circumstances and attempts to meet the need for aid through a package of assistance, generally consisting of federal unsubsidized loans and, when applicable, merit-based awards i.e., assistantships and fellowships. Federal financial aid programs are available to matriculated students who are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens who are enrolled on at least a half-time basis. Merit-based programs are available to matriculated full-time students.

Non-Need-Based Programs (U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens only)

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loans - Eligible students may borrow up to $20,500 per academic year.  Interest accrues while the student is in school and during periods of deferment. The federal government does not pay the interest. The student can make monthly or quarterly payments to the lender, or the student and the lender may agree that the student will not make interest payments and instead add the interest to the principal of the loan (capitalization).

Merit-Based Programs (open to matriculated students)

The University of New Haven offers its highest achieving incoming graduate students the opportunity to participate in the Provost Assistantship Program. Students offered a Provost Assistantship position in this highly competitive program will work 15 - 20 hours per week for an academic department within the university.  In return, students will receive an experiential learning and work opportunity, a 75% tuition discount, and an hourly wage. Students will be selected as potential Provost Assistantship candidates when their application is reviewed by faculty for admission. Provost Assistantship candidates will be notified that they are being considered for the program and will be invited to participate in the interview process.  

Students must be accepted to an on-campus graduate program as a full-time student (9 credits or more per semester) in order to be eligible for the Provost Assistantship Program. Students must also demonstrate excellent academic and/or professional performance (GPA requirements will vary by program). A resume should be included in the admissions application. Upon being selected for a position, prospective students will be asked to submit a deposit to indicate their commitment.

The University also offers Dean scholarships to eligible incoming graduate students. Full-time domestic and international master's students are selected for a Dean Scholarship after a careful review of a new candidate's application material based on academic merit. The program provides up to 50% tuition assistance during their enrollment at the University of New Haven.

Alternative Financing Options

As a convenience to our students, we are pleased to offer the option of making tuition payments on a monthly basis.  Our installment plan option is an interest-free alternative to lumpsum payments that are due at billing time. This option allows you to spread out your payment for the semester over a period of months and can limit the amount of loan money you may need to borrow to meet the cost of education.  Further information regarding the monthly installment plan can be found on the Bursar's Office webpage at www.newhaven.edu/bursar.  

Application Procedure

Applications for graduate financial aid are accepted on a rolling basis throughout the academic year. However, to ensure that aid is awarded in a timely manner and is available at the beginning of each term, students should adhere to the following priority application deadlines. Students applying for need-based and non-need-based assistance must submit the documents listed below by March 1 for the fall term/academic year; November 15 for the Spring term.

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)-This form is required to apply for financial aid from federal student financial aid programs. The University of New Haven school code is 001397. Students can complete the FAFSA at:   https://studentaid.gov.  Financial Aid applications must be completed three weeks prior to the last day of the term or academic year for which you are seeking aid to ensure enough time is available for processing and disbursing of funds. Completing your application too late may result in the inability to process any financial aid for the academic term or year.
• Verification- A student may be selected for a process called verification by submitting the FAFSA. Selected students are required to submit a signed and completed verification worksheet (provided by the University) and a copy of their IRS tax transcript or signed copy of their federal tax return (and those of their spouses, if applicable). Students are asked to provide the verification information as soon as possible.  Delays in the receipt of the verification documentation almost always delays the processing and disbursing of your financial aid.  As a result, late fees and holds may be placed on your account so it's important that you pay close attention to the information you receive from our office.
• Additional Information- Other forms and documents may be requested by the Financial Aid Offices as the aid application is reviewed.

Financial Aid Refund Policy

Students who withdraw from courses prior to the end of the fifth week of the term may be entitled to a full or partial refund of tuition charges. Refunds of charges and financial aid are based on the institutional refund policy, as described in the academic policies section of the University catalog, and on the Return of Title IV Funds calculation, as required by Section 484B of the Higher Education Act. Federal regulations require that any unearned Title IV aid be returned to the program(s) that provided the funds.

Students enrolled in graduate online programs may be entitled to a full or partial refund of tuition charges based on the following withdrawal policy: 100% refund before 11:59 p.m. on the beginning date of the course.  50% refund before 11:59 p.m. two days after the beginning date of the course. 0% refund after 11:59 p.m. two days after the beginning date of the course.

Return of Title IV Funds

A withdrawal requires that the University calculate the amount of unearned aid a student has received. The University must:

• Determine the student's official withdrawal date as documented in the Registrar's Office. The withdrawal date is used to determine the percentage of the payment period completed and, therefore, the amount of aid a student earned. Students who have completed more than 60 percent of the term are not subject to the federal calculation.
• Determine the amount of aid earned by the student. The University calculates earned aid by multiplying the total aid disbursed or which could have been disbursed (excluding Federal Work Study) by the percent of the payment period the student completed.
• Make a post-withdrawal disbursement if less aid has been disbursed than a student has earned.  The University notifies the student in writing within 30 days of the withdrawal date if a post-withdrawal disbursement is available. The student must respond within 14 days of notification in order to receive the funds. The student may accept all or part of the post-withdrawal disbursement. If more aid was disbursed than earned, then the University, the student, or both must return all unearned aid in a specific order:

Students are responsible for repaying all unearned aid a school is not required to return, as well as any balance created on their University bursar account by the application of the Title IV return of funds formula. The University notifies the student in writing within 30 days of determining an overpayment. Students must repay as follows:

• Loans - repayment according to terms of the loan
• Grants - repayment is 50 percent of unearned grant.

Students who owe Title IV grant repayments have 45 days to:

• Repay in full.
• Make arrangements to repay the University.
• Make arrangements to repay the U.S. Department of Education.

Students who fail to take positive action to repay their grants are reported to the Department of Education and the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) immediately after the 45-day period has elapsed. Additional information and examples of refund calculations are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Academic Requirements for the Retention of Financial Aid Eligibility

In accordance with federal regulations, all financial aid recipients are required to make satisfactory academic progress (SAP) towards their degree and be in good academic standing in order to remain eligible to receive financial aid. In other words, successfully earn 67% of the credits you attempt, called "pace", and a certain cumulative GPA each year. At the end of the spring term, we will review your academic transcript to make sure that you have achieved the required pace/cumulative GPA and are not on academic probation. If you do not make satisfactory academic progress, then you will not be eligible to receive federal financial aid for the next school year until you are in good standing. All financial aid including federal student loans, federal PLUS loans, grants, scholarships, and work study are subject to meeting the minimum SAP standards set by the university.

As a reminder, "Successful completion" is defined as the receipt of a passing grade (A to D-). Grades of F (Failure), W (Withdrawal), U (Unsatisfactory), DNA (Did Not Attend), or INC (Incomplete) are not considered successful completion.  The only exception is if a student receives an INC in their Thesis, Research Project, Practicum, or Internship. The university allows 3 months for completion of those courses after the end of a term. In some extenuating circumstances, the student may be allowed up to one year to complete the INC. In addition, all graduate students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative quality point ratio (QPR) in order to be in good academic standing. Click here for additional information.

A student's academic progress is checked at the end of the spring term. The Financial Aid Office will mail a letter and send an email to each student who fails to maintain the minimum academic progress standards detailing their deficiencies and the steps for reinstating financial aid eligibility. Students who have lost their financial aid eligibility and who are able to make good SAP after the next immediate semester, have the opportunity to appeal for reinstatement.

The student must write a detailed letter explaining the extenuating circumstances (death, divorce, illness, etc.) that hindered them from making satisfactory progress. The letter must come complete with documentation of the extenuating circumstances (death certificates, doctor's note, etc.), and explain what has changed that will allow the student to make satisfactory academic progress at the next evaluation period.

A financial aid appeals committee made up of various members of the University community, including academic and administrative personnel, will meet to review the appeal letters. Decisions to reinstate eligibility or deny the appeal are made in a fair and equitable manner based on the information the student provided in the letter, the supporting documentation, and a review of the academic record. If the financial aid appeals committee approves the appeal then the student will be awarded their financial aid package for one term following the appeal and would be considered on "Financial Aid probation". After completion of that term, the student must meet the Satisfactory Academic Progress requirements to be eligible for aid for future terms. If the appeals committee upholds the loss of financial aid then the student will need to make payment arrangements with the Bursar's Office.

The maximum timeframe a student has to complete the requirements for their master's degree or graduate certificate is within five years of the date of completion of the first course following formal application to the program.

Internships

Internships enable students to integrate the experiential learning of the workplace with the theoretical work of the classroom. The Career Development Center maintains an online database of available internships, as well as on-campus recruiting events and on-campus interviews to help connect students with available internships.  Additionally, the Career Development Center provides résumé and interviewing assistance in preparation for internship participation. Internship employers include large corporations, small businesses, government agencies, and nonprofit organizations. Some degree programs require internships as part of the degree requirement, known as an Academic Internship. In disciplines where Internships are not required, it is still highly recommended that students undertake at least one internship experience before graduating. This is called an "Experience Only"  internship. Certain requirements must be met for eligibility for academic, credit-bearing internships. Whether academic or experience only internship assignments may be 1) full-time or part-time, 2) undertaken during the school year or the summer, and 3) of varying duration. Students interested in registering for an academic internship must contact the faculty advisor in their program of study to learn the process and requirements and also connect with the Career Development Center to begin searching for Internship opportunities. Students interested in experience only internships should contact Career Development Center for assistance in getting started.