Common Questions

 Submit a FAFSA online using JHU school code E00473. Each academic year begins in the fall. If you are beginning classes in the summer, you must submit the FAFSA in both your starting school year and the upcoming school year. You must complete the financial aid application process annually.

Please be sure to submit the appropriate academic year’s FAFSA to school code E00473. Each academic year begins in the fall. If you are beginning classes in the summer, you will need to submit the FAFSA in both your starting school year and the upcoming school year. Enrolled students can check their financial aid status online.

You should complete your aid application as soon as your enrollment plans are known. To ensure that funds are available when classes start, we encourage students to submit their applications at least one month before classes start. Submit a FAFSA online using school code E00473.

There are no hard and fast deadlines, but we encourage students to allow a minimum of one month from submitting their aid application until their loan is disbursed to their account. Applications selected for verification by the federal government may be subject to extended processing time. In the meantime, you are responsible for paying any tuition charges not covered by other sources. If your charges have been paid, you can receive a refund when the loan is credited to your account.

Yes, but you first must complete the FAFSA so that we can determine your eligibility for lower-interest Federal Direct Unsubsidized student loans. If you have additional needs after that, you may apply for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loan. You must be enrolled in at least 4.5 credits each term you would like to receive a Federal Direct student loan.

Note: Students are strongly encouraged to complete this process and qualify for lower interest rate federal loans before applying for private loans.

The Registrar’s Office administers veterans’ benefits. You should allow approximately thirty days for any VA benefits to be processed.

Many students enrolled in a full-time program receive tuition support and monthly stipends directly from their academic department. Your department will determine the amount of that funding. All graduate students (full and part-time) may also apply to the Office of Student Financial Services for federal loans from the Direct Student Loan programs and Federal Work-Study. Supplemental loans are also available from private lenders.

Note: Provisional admit students who have yet to be entirely accepted into their program may be limited to borrowing less than $20,500. Provisional students do not qualify for Graduate PLUS loans.

Note: If you are enrolled in less than 4.5 credits in any term, you are not eligible for Federal Direct Student Loans for that term. Consider borrowing through a private/alternative loan program.

Federal funds are awarded based on financial need. When you file the FAFSA, the federal formula considers your available income and assets and calculates an expected contribution. Income from two years prior is used as the basis for the analysis. Current year income may be used for students who will experience a significant income reduction due to attending a part-time program.

Once our office receives your FAFSA and other required documents, we will determine your aid eligibility within approximately two weeks.

You should complete a financial aid application if you need student loan funds for living expenses or to buy books. The Office of Student Financial Services will determine your eligibility for federal loans. Allow one month for loans to be processed and credited to your account. Your loan proceeds will first be applied to any remaining tuition charges on your bill. If you have a credit balance after tuition is covered, you can request a refund and use the money for your other expenses. Refunds can be requested from the Student Accounts Office.

Provisionally admitted students have limited federal loan eligibility. Please review our Types of Aid page for more information. Conditional students are not eligible for federal financial aid but may choose to pursue private educational loan options. If your admissions status updates to fully admitted, we may be able to reconsider your aid eligibility at that time.

Students must be enrolled at least half-time to receive federal loans during the summer. Half-time enrollment for undergraduates is six credits, and half-time for graduate students is 4.5 credits. If you enroll less than half-time over the summer, you should consider other payment methods, such as a private student loan or using your existing funds.

We encourage all students to apply so that we can determine your true eligibility for aid. However, if you are not eligible on a need basis, a variety of options are available. They include:

• Private  Scholarships
• Unsubsidized Federal Loans
• PLUS Loans
• Part-time Campus Employment
• Private Loans

Students can increase, decrease, and/or redistribute existing loan awards using the Loan Action Form, available online via SIS.

Requests are subject to each student’s cost of attendance, demonstrated financial need, and existing aid awards. Our office will notify you via email when your request is processed. You may request a loan adjustment multiple times during the academic year, although we typically cannot adjust loans from past academic years. Contact your financial aid adviser for more information.

Once you become eligible to be fully admitted, contact your academic program to request a change in your status. Once your status has been updated, be sure to contact your financial aid adviser to review your eligibility for aid.

Your graduate department administrator is responsible for applying the tuition credit to your student account. Check with your department to see why the credit has yet to be applied.

Verification is a routine process required by the U.S. Department of Education to check the accuracy of specific information entered on the FAFSA and to resolve any errors. Students selected will need to provide additional documentation to the Office of Student Financial Services before we can finalize and disburse financial aid. You must complete and submit one or more verification worksheets as noted on your To Do List in SIS if selected for verification. Verification Worksheets can be downloaded from our Forms Page. They can also be downloaded from your To Do List on the Financial Aid tab in SIS Self-Service. Once all documents have been received, our office will review the data and compare it to the information on your FAFSA. Our office will make corrections (if necessary) and transmit them to the federal processor. You will have an updated Student Aid Report (SAR) if corrections are required. We will notify you by email or letter if the corrections impact your federal aid award. Verification may take several weeks, so we ask that all students supply the requested materials as soon as possible. Your federal aid may be canceled if your documents have not been turned in by August 1.

If a student withdraws, is dismissed, or begins a leave of absence before completing more than 60% of the semester, eligibility for federal aid must be recalculated in compliance with the Return of Title IV Funds Policy. The University’s charges for tuition will be calculated according to the Refund Policy, available online.

Students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits for undergraduates, 4.5 credits for graduate students) to receive federal loans. A change to your enrollment status may result in the adjustment and/or cancellation of your aid, depending upon the timing of the change and your remaining enrollment plan in the semester. Some private banking institutions may be willing to lend to a student enrolled less than half-time. Review our Types of Aid page for more information.

Most Hopkins students work an average of 8 to 10 hours per week at a variety of jobs, including clerical, laboratory, library, and athletic. The pay rate for Federal Work-Study positions is $15/hr or higher. You can visit the University Experiential Learning’s job platform, SMILE, to find available work.

For financial aid questions, contact SEAM.

For the AE Fall 2023 term, 8/21/2023 is the earliest that fall funds can be disbursed. If the funds are awarded after 8/21/2023, the date that the funds are awarded is the earliest that the fall funds can be disbursed. 

For the AE Spring 2024 term, 1/15/2024 is the earliest that spring funds can be disbursed. If the funds are awarded after 1/15/2024, the date that the funds are awarded is the earliest that the spring funds can be disbursed.