Luis

Hello:

I was recently admitted into a graduate program as a provisional student. The financial aid office states that I do NOT qualify for graduate level financial aid because of the provisional status even though I will be taking graduate level courses in the graduate program that I was admitted to. I already have a BA. Is the financial aid officer correct about this? She stated that I would only be eligible for what they call fifth year status financial aid, basically a continuation of undergraduate level financial aid.

From what I read in a PDF file on the Federal Student Aid Website, I should be eligible. Is there a way around this such as contacting the Federal Direct Student Loan program or am I screwed until my status is changed by the program?

I don’t want to have to seek out private loans, at least not in a large amount, I will if the financial aid office is correct, the program that I was admitted to stated that my status should not cause any problems with financial aid.

PLEASE respond if you have experience in this matter, thanks!

http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/en...

Hello All,

Does anyone know or have experience on student loans for GRADUATE STUDENTS right now? Are lenders and the Federal government being super picky with regards to giving them out? Are they being anal with regards to credit scores and past student loans?

I am hoping to get into a grad program within the year, if not next year. If accepted money would be my only road block.

I would like to make student loan payments on www.dl.ed.gov website but I have a fear that in doing so, the Feds will then gain my bank account number or bank debit card number etc. and try to take more than the required payment if I were to fall behind on payments. Am I better off just sending money orders to repay my student loans in order to make sure that money I need doesn’t disappear from my bank account???

And No, I'm not making a zillion a year with my BA. I will need to attend grad school.

I have a couple of GRADUATE SCHOOL applications that want the names of professors that I have contacted or discussed my graduate interests with. If I haven’t heard back from a professor or they have stated that they are on sabbatical or that they themselves are not taking on any new students, should I still list them? The directions are not clear about this and I wasn’t been given a clear answer by the grad programs.

Please ONLY RESPOND if you have GRADUATE SCHOOL experience.

I have been told that you need to contact professors in graduate programs that you are interested in as well as include them in your Statement of Purpose such as “Professor Smith’s research in whatever is really interesting.” Two of the applications that I have or am filling out actually want the names of professors that I have contacted.

If the professors that you have tried to contact do any of the following : (A) they do not respond back, (B) they respond back but tell you they are on sabbatical, or (C) they tell you that they themselves are not taking on any new students, have your chances of getting into that particular grad program gone down significantly?

Please ONLY RESPOND if you have graduate school experience!

Thanks!!

I’m applying to graduate school. One of the University of California school’s has an online application which wants to know my debt along with how much I make and how much my parents make.

Are they only asking this for potential financial aid help or could this hurt my chances of getting into the school such as oh this person has too many prior student loans or their parent’s don’t make enough to help him out and pay for tuition etc?

Please only answer this question if you have graduate school experience.

Thanks,