Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

 All inquiries concerning the cost and payment of tuition and fees should be referred to the Student Accounts Office or the web page www.oswego.edu/administration/student_accounts/. The office is located at 408 Culkin Hall, office hours are 8:00am – 4:30pm. The telephone number to the office is (312)315-2225 and the e-mail is stuaccts@oswego.edu.

All graduate students attending Oswego must pay tuition and the College fee. Housing charges are dependent upon the student’s choice of living accommodations. The cost of books and supplies, recreation, travel and other variable or discretionary expenses have not been tabulated; however, such expenses must be considered by students in planning a budget.

Health insurance is mandatory for all students enrolled at the College. The College does not insure students against medical expenses that may result from accidents in which they are involved while pursing their activities. Students must assure themselves of medical coverage, either from insurance through a parent or through the Student Accident And Insurance Policy offered at low cost by the College. Students involved in State University’s international exchange, research, and study (including students and scholars studying abroad or entering the United States for study or research) must purchase health insurance. Health insurance coverage for International Program participants will help to assure that these individuals have sufficient financial resources to cover all expenses, including medical expenses, during the course of their program participation.

Note: Neither the State of New York, through its agents, nor the State University of New York through its agents and employees, is responsible in any manner whatsoever for the payment of claim for health-related services provided to individuals covered under this insurance policy. The State of New York and State University of New York are not responsible for obligations incurred by individuals who are not covered by this insurance policy. All individuals participating in State University’s health insurance program are responsible for reviewing all descriptions of the scope and level of coverage offered by this policy. Such participants will be solely responsible for obtaining additional coverage not provided under this program if such is deemed necessary by the participant.
 

 The requirements for establishing New York State Residency can be complex. The Guide to Resident Tuition Policy and an application can both be found on the Office of Student Accounts web site www.oswego.edu/administration/student_accounts/. If you have further questions please contact the Student Accounts office at (312)315-2225.

Refund of Tuition Policy

Full-Time Students & Part-Time Students: Financial liability will be based on these guidelines

1. The College Calendar states the official first day of classes for semester and quarter courses.
2. The date written on the DROP or Withdrawal Form is considered the final date of class attendance.
3. The day you drop a class by the web system is considered the final date of class attendance for tuition liability purposes.
4. Fees are not refundable as of the 1st day of classes.
5. According to State University Administrative Policies, students who are given permission to cancel their registration shall be liable for payment of tuition in accordance with the following schedule. The first week of classes shall be deemed to have ended when seven calendar days including the first day has elapsed.
   

   Period of Time	Percent of Liability	Period of Time	Percent of Liability
   1st week	0%	4th week	70%
   2nd week	30%	5th week	100%
   3rd week	50%

6. Full details on the refund policy are available on the Student Accounts web page at www.oswego.edu/administration/student_accounts.edu.
7. Room and Board Refunds shall be done on a pro-rated bases by actual usage (e.g. weeks in housing, weeks of meals taken). Any balance remaining will be your responsibility.

Assistantships

A limited number of graduate assistantships are available in some of the departments of the College which have a graduate program. In each instance, the graduate assistant is assigned responsibilities that contribute directly to the individual’s professional career. The student wishing a graduate  assistantship should submit an application directly to the appropriate department office. To qualify as graduate assistants, students must be full-time and formally admitted to a graduate program (MS or CAS). Tuition scholarships are available for graduate assistants. A graduate assistant who receives tuition assistance is required, however, to pay all other fees regularly assessed full-time graduate students. Printable PDF Assistantship List.

Graduate assistantships are available in the following areas. Graduate students may contact the departments involved for additional information.

There are partial tuition scholarship assistant positions available to graduate students in some other departments such as Experienced-Based Education (315-312-2151), Health Promotion and Wellness (315-312-2406), Honors Program (315-312-2190), and Project Smart (315-312-4024). Graduate students may contact the Graduate Studies Office at 315-312-3152 for current information about other possible positions.

Scholarships

Graduate students may contact the Graduate Office (315-312-3152) or the Alumni/Parent Relations Office (315-312-2258) for information on these scholarships. Applications are available after December 1st of each year. You must be matriculated in a program and have one semester of graduate coursework completed to be eligible.

William S. Barnes Scholarship
Thomas and Shirley Gooding Scholarship
William S. Nikas Scholarship
Donald Snygg Scholarship

Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program

The Graduate Diversity Fellowship Program supports full-time graduate study for students who will contribute to the academic diversity at SUNY Oswego. Master’s level students are eligible for an award of up to $12,000 for full-time study. Pending budgetary funding, this is expected to be continued. More information can be found at www.oswego.edu/Documents/graduate/pdf/Assistantships.pdf. If you have further questions, please contact the Graduate Office at 315-312-3152.

Scholarship Assistant Program for Graduate Opportunity Program Students

Additional tuition waiver funds also have been allocated for support of students who participated in an EOP program as undergraduates. For information, please contact the Graduate Studies Office at 315-312-3152.

There are possibilities for part-time work on campus and in the community. Interested students should contact departmental offices. The Environmental Research Center provides employment each year to a number of students. Information regarding student employment opportunities can be obtained from the Director. The Office of Community Services and the Financial Aid Office are also helpful in finding part-time work.  For more information on student jobs on campus, go to www.oswego.edu/financial and select Employment.

Financial Aid Information for Graduate Students

Graduate students need to be enrolled in a masters or CAS program to be eligible for most financial aid programs; however, students pursuing New York State teacher certification or taking prerequisites needed to be admitted into a degree program may only receive limited Stafford loans before matriculating. Full-time study for financial aid purposes is defined as twelve credits per semester, or nine credits plus an assistantship. Depending upon the assistantship, all or part of its financial value may be considered a resource in determining eligibility for other financial aid programs. Graduate students may receive financial aid from Oswego only for those courses registered for and taken at Oswego.

Students must be in good academic standing and making satisfactory progress toward the degree in order to receive federal and state financial aid. Students must take at least 6 credit hours to be eligible for student loans.

Applying for Financial Aid

Applicants for Financial Aid at Oswego need to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), listing Oswego, federal code number 002848, as a school approved to receive the information. Students should apply on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Students must apply each school year.

All applicants will be considered for a Federal Stafford Loan. Students who have filed the FAFSA by March 1 (November 15 for spring admissions) will also receive priority for Federal Work Study and Perkins Loans. The Financial Aid Office will send award letters to accepted and continuing students beginning on or before April 1. 

Students should keep copies of the completed FAFSA and all tax forms used in completing it in case corrections are needed or verification is required.

Below is information on some programs available for students. Students are encouraged to go to WWW.OSWEGO.EDU/FINANCIAL to review additional information on these and other programs. Significant information has been compiled that will make the educational experience more affordable. In addition, there is information to help students manage finances while in school and in the future.

Federal Programs

Graduate students are eligible to be considered for the Federal TEACH Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Stafford Loans by filing the FAFSA. Proceeds of awards are distributed by semester.

Federal TEACH Grant

The Federal TEACH Grant Program provides up to $4,000 annually to undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and graduate students who agree to serve for at least 4 years as highly-qualified teachers in public or not-for-profit elementary or secondary schools who serve students from low-income families.  They must teach in a high-need field such as bi-lingual education, English language acquisition, foreign language, mathematics, reading specialist, science,special education or other fields designated as high-need  Go to www.oswego.edu/financial and select TEACH for additional information.

Federal Perkins Loan

Amount—This is a campus-based program; awards vary according to need and availability of funds.  Funds are limited.

Disbursement—Promissory note must be signed. Proceeds distributed by semester. Loan may be used as a deferment if paperwork is complete.

Repayment—Current interest rate is 5%. Repayment begins following the grace period initiated by termination of at least half-time study. Grace period is nine months with up to ten years to repay. There are loan forgiveness possibilities for some types of employment. See the Student Account’s Office or the Financial Aid Office for details.

Federal Work-Study

Amount—This is a campus-based program; awards vary according to need and the funds available. Funds are limited.  All FWS jobs are paid at no less than minimum wage.

Disbursement—Biweekly paycheck for hours worked. May not be used as a deferment.

Federal Stafford Loan

Amount—Matriculated graduate students may borrow a maximum of $20,500 Federal Stafford loan per academic year. No more than $8,500 of this amount per year may be in subsidized Stafford loan. The total cumulative Federal Stafford loan a student can borrow for undergraduate and graduate education is $138,500.

Matriculated graduate students needing additional loan funds may want to consider a Federal Graduate PLUS loan. The limit for the Graduate PLUS is the cost of attendance less any other aid or resources the student is receiving to attend graduate school.  The Graduate PLUS requires a credit check for approval.  The interest rate is fixed at 8.5%

Non-matriculated graduate students that are enrolled in the teacher certification program OR are taking courses required to be admitted into a graduate program, may borrow up to $12,500 in Federal Stafford Loan.  No more than $5,500 can be in the subsidized Stafford loan.

Interest Rate—The Federal Stafford Loans are currently at a  fixed rate of 5.6% for Subsidized Stafford Loans and 6.8% for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans.  Loans borrowed before July, 2006 have a variable interest rate with a cap of 8.25%.

Disbursement—Loans are typically disbursed in two installments, at the beginning and midpoint of the loan period. Loans for one semester are disbursed in one disbursement.  The lender deducts an origination and insurance fee.

Repayment—When a student ceases to be enrolled at least half-time, a grace period begins.  For subsidized loans, payment of principal and interest begins at the expiration of the grace period. For unsubsidized loans, interest must be paid or capitalized beginning while the student is in school; payment of the principal begins at the expiration of the grace period.

Loan Forgiveness—Students pursuing employment in certain careers, especially teachers in high-need fields willing to teach in low income schools, may be eligible for loan forgiveness.  We encourage students to find additional information about loan forgiveness on our website, www.oswego.edu/financial.

Veterans Administration (VA) Educational Benefits Educational Assistance (GI Bill)

Application Procedures—Application forms, information, and assistance in applying for benefits are available in the Financial Aid Office.

Selection of Recipients and Allocation of Awards—A veteran must have at least 181 days continuous active duty service, any part of which occurred after January 31, 1955, and before January 1, 1977. Discharge or release must have been under conditions other than dishonorable.

Also eligible is the individual who contracted with the armed forces and was enlisted in a reserve unit prior to January 1, 1977, and who as a result served on active duty for at least 181 days, any part of which began within 12 months after January 1, 1977.

Veterans with less than 181 days service may be eligible if they were released because of a service-connected disability.

An eligible veteran with 18 continuous months or more of active duty is entitled to receive 45 months of full-time educational benefits or the equivalent in part-time benefits. Persons with less than 18 continuous months of active duty are entitled to 1 1/2 months of full-time benefits (or the part-time equivalent) for each month of active duty served.

Vocational Rehabilitation

This program is for disabled Veterans of World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Post-Korean Conflict, the Vietnam Era and Certain Peacetime Veterans.

Survivors and Dependents Education

This program is for children, spouses, and survivors of veterans whose death or permanent total disabilities were service-connected and for spouses and children of service persons missing in action or prisoners of war.

Post-Vietnam Era Veterans Educational Assistance

Application Procedures—Same as Educational Assistance under the GI Bill directly above.

Students receiving assistance from any Title IV program (National Direct Student Loan and/or Guaranteed Student/Plus loans) must meet the following standards of satisfactory academic progress to be eligible to receive payment from these programs:

1. Full-time graduate students are considered to be those students registered for twelve (12) credit hours per semester. Students enrolling for nine (9) hours and an participating in and assistantship are also considered full-time. For financial aid purposes, masters degree students must complete their degree requirements in a maximum of fourteen (14) semesters of study. Full-time graduate students must earn a passing grade in at least six (6) credit hours each semester. To be eligible for financial aid, part-time students must be enrolled for at least six (6) credit hours per semester. Part-time students must earn a passing grade in at least three (3) credit hours for each semester of study. All students must maintain an academic average of B in all graduate course work to maintain status as a degree candidate. Should a student’s enrollment status change, the appropriate combination of accrued hours needed will apply.
2. Students who do not meet these Title IV good standing and academic progress requirements and are allowed by the Graduate Dean to enroll for another marking period, will be considered to have established a mitigating circumstance acceptable to the academic dean and thus received a waiver of academic  standing for Federal Title IV Financial Aid purposes.  The student will be eligible for federal aid in accordance with the criteria set forth by the Graduate Dean.  The Dean’s office monitors student compliance with specified waiver criteria and determines academic progress and status.

Student Withdrawal

Students who withdraw will be liable for tuition and fees based on the State Refund Policy. The amount of financial aid a student will be eligible for will be determined by dividing the number of days in the semester prior to the date of withdrawal by the total number of days in the semester. That percentage will be used to determine the amount of Earned Aid a student is entitled to receive. The student is responsible for any balance not covered by Earned Aid. If the calculated percentage is greater than 60% you will receive 100% of your aid that was approved and authorized. More details can be found at the following web page

www.oswego.edu/administration/student_accounts.edu