Financing Graduate Studies

Financial assistance for graduate study consists of scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, student loans, and work-study. Assistance can come from the university, private sources, and/or the federal government. The Division of Graduate Studies Financial Support Office provides information and assistance to graduate and professional students. Students can also access the Web site for more information at www.asu.edu/graduate/financial.

Research and teaching assistants are considered to be residents for tuition purposes. In addition to their stipend, they receive a reduction in resident tuition and, if they are employed 20 hours a week, health insurance. See Assistantships and Associateships.

ASU offers several university-sponsored awards and fellowships for which both the Division of Graduate Studies and the academic units conduct nominations and selections. To be considered for any of these award programs, students must apply directly to their academic department.

A small number of full and partial tuition fellowships are available on a competitive basis. Applicants should contact their academic units for more information.

Information on merit and need-based fellowships and awards, both externally funded and internal to ASU, may be found at www.asu.edu/graduate/financial.

To be considered for federal aid, applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or the Renewal FAFSA each year. The FAFSA is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Graduate students may be eligible for Federal Perkins Loans and/or William D. Ford Direct Student Loans. For more information, access the Web site at www.asu.edu/fa, or call the Student Financial Assistance Office at 480/965-3355.

The Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 provides assistance (Lifetime Learning Tax Credit) to graduate and professional students in meeting college expenses. For more information, access the U.S. Department of Education Web site at www.ed.gov.

Scholarships, grants, fellowships, and stipends are taxable income to the recipient, except for the portion of these funds used for tuition and other university fees, or books, supplies, and equipment required for the courses being taken. Special tax regulations also apply to nonresident alien students and may require withholding of taxes at the time of aid disbursements to these individuals. Information on the taxability of fellowships can be obtained from the following Internal Revenue Service (IRS) publications and forms: Publication 4—Student’s Guide to Federal Income Tax; Publication 519—U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens; Publication 520—Scholarships and Fellowships; Form 1040EZ and Instructions—Income Tax Return for Single and Joint Filers With No Dependents; and Form 1040NR and Instructions—U.S. Nonresident Alien Income Tax Return.

These publications and forms can be obtained from the IRS at its toll-free number, 1-800-829-FORM (3676), and can also be accessed online at www.irs.gov.

Limited assistance is available to international students who hold an F1 (student visa) or J1 (student exchange visa). This assistance consists of private fellowships, alternative loans from banks and private lenders, on-campus hourly employment, and any assistance from the student’s home country. Students should contact their academic department about teaching or research assistantships. More information on fellowships available to international students may be found on the Web at www.asu.edu/graduate/financial.

Students can access personal information regarding financial aid by using ASU Interactive at www.asu.edu/interactive or the SunDial phone system at 480/350-1500. Students can check on (1) documents still needed to complete the financial aid file—which can be printed from the Student Financial Assistance Web site at www.asu.edu/fa—and (2) award information.