Graduate Students
Financial Aid Application Process
Eligibility
To be eligible for federal student aid a student must be a citizen or eligible non-citizen of the United States with a valid social security number. In general, students must be degree-seeking and enrolled on at least a half-time basis. Additionally, students may not owe a refund on a federal student grant, nor be in default on a federal student loan.
Financial Aid Application
Applying for financial aid is an annual process. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) serves as the official application for all sources of federal aid for graduate/professional students. The University of Notre Dame's FAFSA code is 001840. The Federal Student Aid ID is a username and password created to give you access to Federal Student Aid's online systems including the FAFSA.
- Students enrolling in programs beginning summer 2024 should complete the 2024/2025 FAFSA
- A student should not wait for an admission decision before completing the financial aid application process
- Independent students are not required to provide parental information
- Please do not send a Verification Worksheet, tax return, etc. unless the information is requested
- Students will typically receive the annual borrowing limit for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program, $20,500 (however, the amount of the loan may not exceed the program's cost of attendance)
Contributors and Consent to IRS Federal Tax Information (FTI)
Beginning in the 2024-2025 academic year, students and parents are now considered “contributors” to the FAFSA and will need an FSA ID to apply for federal student aid.
Who are contributors?
A contributor—a new term introduced on the 2024-25 FAFSA—refers to anyone required to provide information on a student's FAFSA (such as a parent/stepparent or spouse). A student's or parent's answers on the FAFSA will determine which contributors (if any) will be required to provide information. Contributors will receive an email informing them that they've been identified as such and will need to log in using their own FSA ID to provide the required information on the student's FAFSA. Being a contributor does not mean they are financially responsible for the student's education costs. Still, it does mean the contributor must provide information on the FAFSA, or the application will be incomplete, and the student will not be eligible for federal student aid.
Consent to IRS FTI
Previously, users could enter their tax information manually or use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool. Beginning with 2024-25, all persons on the FAFSA must consent for the Department of Education to receive tax information or confirmation of non-filing status directly from the IRS. In a minimal number of cases, students and families will have to enter their tax data manually, but for most, that data will be automatically transferred into the application. This change makes it easier to complete the FAFSA and reduces the number of questions to be answered.
Financial Aid Offer
For students who apply for financial assistance, the Office of Financial Aid will provide a Financial Aid Offer outlining their eligibility for financial assistance. Official notification of academic fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships is sent by the student’s academic department and will be included on the Financial Aid Offer, if provided. Students are asked to notify the Office of Financial Aid of the receipt of any other financial assistance beyond that outlined in the Financial Aid Offer. For admitted students completing their FAFSA by February 28th, notifications are emailed in late March or early April.
Please note, due to the delay in receiving Institutional Student Information Records (ISIRs) from the Department of Education, we expect to begin sending 2024/2025 Financial Aid Offers to graduate and professional students in early May.
International Students
Financial aid opportunities for international students are limited. In general, international students should be prepared to finance, either privately or through a sponsor, the cost of their Notre Dame education.
The Office of Financial Aid only facilitates loans for graduate students at Notre Dame, all scholarship and fellowship assistance is offered and administered by your admitting college or school.
Students may wish to investigate the Additional Sources of Financial Aid at the bottom of the undergraduate International Students page. Please note, this is the only section on the page that may apply to graduate students.