Federal Financial Aid Regulations
Federal financial aid administration adheres to standards and regulations ensuring that recipients progress academically toward a degree or program while receiving aid. According to federal regulations, students failing to pass federal minimum required number of credits or maintain the necessary grade point average will be placed on federal aid warning for one semester only. Student Financial Support Federal Aid Team reviews student’s eligibility every semester. Those not meeting the required standards during the warning period will face suspension from further aid. Students are encouraged to appeal their federal aid suspension to restore their federal aid eligibility.
In addition to maintaining academic progress, recipients must fulfill all federal eligibility requirements, not owe repayment on any previously received grants, and not be in default on federal student loans. Federal Aid Counselors at Student Financial Support are available to assist students facing special or unusual circumstances.
Student Financial Support gathers federal Consumer Information for Utah State University, providing comprehensive details on eligibility, regulations, and other pertinent information.
1 - Undergraduate Federal Aid
Undergraduate federal aid recipients must maintain a minimum overall GPA of 2.0 and successfully pass at least 67% of all their attempted courses. They are also required to complete their program within the maximum timeframe specified for their course of study. Full-time enrollment for undergraduate students consists of 12 credits or more.
Starting in fall 2024, Federal Pell Grants will be prorated based on a 12-credit scale to adjust for enrollment changes. As an example, a student enrolled in 7 credits will receive 58.3% of their semester Pell grant award, rounded to the nearest $5.
Federal loan recipients are required to maintain a minimum enrollment of 6 credits in each semester they receive a loan.
Parents of dependent students can apply for Parent PLUS loans with studentaid.gov. Students may also apply for private educational loans through other financial institutions. USU also provides Emergency Loans for qualifying students. More information can be found through Student Financial Support.
2 - Graduate Federal Aid
Graduate federal aid recipients are required to maintain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and successfully pass at least 50% of the courses on their transcript. They are also expected to complete their degree within the specified maximum timeframe for their program of study. The federal definition of full-time enrollment for graduate students at USU is 9 credits.
Federal loan recipients are required to have a minimum enrollment of 5 credits in each semester they receive a loan. However, students may receive federal loans at 3 credits, subject to approval from their graduate program coordinator, under specific circumstances. These include having completed all coursework (except for thesis or dissertation credits) on an approved Program of Study, being in their final defense semester, or being in the last semester of a non-thesis program on an approved Program of Study.
According to federal regulations, graduate students may apply for Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans through FAFSA, and additional Federal Graduate PLUS loans through studentaid.gov. USU also makes Emergency Loans available for graduate students. Graduate students may also apply for private education loans through other financial institutions. More information can be found through Student Financial Support.
3 – Federal Work-Study
Federal Work-Study is accessible to both undergraduate and graduate students. To confirm eligibility, students are required to submit their FAFSA annually and fulfill any pending verification tasks. Student Financial Support oversees the administration of Federal Work-Study funds and collaborates with the Career Design Center to recruit and hire students. Our Federal Work-Study team also work closely with departments on coaching supervisors and students on all Federal Work-Study questions.
Students can request their Federal Work-Study eligibility through our website. They can also find information on searching and applying for on-campus jobs eligible for Federal Work-Study through Aggie Handshake across various departments.
Supervisors in each department undergo training on job procedures and federal policies related to Federal Work-Study. These departments maintain close collaboration with Student Financial Support to monitor the allocation of Federal Work-Study funds for individual students.
Institutional and Other Financial Aid Regulations
Applications for assistantships, fellowships, and other financial aid should be made through departmental offices. Utah State University is party to a resolution of the Council of Graduate Schools that establishes April 15 as the deadline for acceptance of offers of financial assistance. If a student accepts an offer before April 15 and then wishes to withdraw, a resignation of the appointment may be submitted in writing at any time prior to April 15. However, after April 15, a student is not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written release from the institution to which a commitment has been made.
Students who are awarded waivers, fellowships, and/or scholarships must be full-time students enrolled in approved graduate-level coursework and meet the requirements for the duration of the given semester.
1 - Graduate Tuition Awards
Graduate students may be eligible to receive graduate tuition awards for the resident and/or nonresident portion of tuition. Most of these awards are coordinated through the admitting college, department, and program. Domestic students are required to obtain Utah residency before the start of their third semester in order to minimize the cost of nonresident tuition. Additional information regarding Utah residency requirements can be found here.
The Alumni Legacy Waiver: The nonresident portion of tuition for the first two semesters will be waived for a student with at least one parent (biological, step, or legal guardian) who earned an associate degree or higher from Utah State University and is enrolled as a first-time graduate student at Utah State University. Time spent in Utah on the scholarship can be counted toward establishing Utah residency for tuition purposes as long as the student remains in good standing. Students who receive the waiver are expected to obtain Utah residency after their second semester in a graduate program. Please visit Tuition and Financial Aid for more information.
Research Nonresident Tuition Waiver: The nonresident portion of tuition will be waived for any graduate student in a Ph.D. program or an MS, Plan A program and supported by a 0.5 FTE assistantship beginning the first day of classes and ending the last day of finals for the given semester. This is a valid waiver of nonresident tuition, with no limit on the number of waivers awarded per semester. Domestic students can only receive this waiver for two semesters (excluding summer), after which they must gain Utah residency. International students may receive this waiver for as many semesters as they remain eligible.
Nonresident Tuition Waiver for Excellence: This waiver for nonresident tuition is available to students in any graduate degree program. The nonresident portion of tuition will be waived for two semesters for any incoming graduate student with an admission GPA above the college average and who meets the definition of excellence outlined by each college. College averages for admission GPA will be computed each October based on students enrolled for the fall semester; those averages will determine waiver eligibility the following academic year.
Supplemental Language Tuition Waiver: A petition to the School of Graduate Studies for funds to cover foreign language required coursework in some disciplines. Upon approval, the School of Graduate Studies will allocate dollars from the limited fund to support the cost of tuition for foreign language coursework that is not supported by tuition pool dollars allocated to colleges and departments. The language coursework must be included in an approved Program of Study, and the student seeking tuition assistance must submit the waiver each semester.
Western Regional Graduate Programs (WRGP): Students in good standing and a resident of participating states may enroll in graduate programs approved as Western Regional Graduate Programs (WRGP) by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) without paying nonresident tuition. Utah State University’s WRGP degrees are on the School of Graduate Studies website. Please visit Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education for more information. Time spent on the WRGP waiver does not count toward obtaining Utah state residency.
2 - Graduate Assistantships
Teaching, research, and graduate instructor assistantships are available in many departments. Assistantships may be awarded up to but cannot exceed 20 hours per week (.5FTE). In the interest of timely degree completion, the University generally employs graduate students for no more than 20 hours per week. Employment for more than 20 hours per week in one or more positions must be approved by the student’s advisor, degree-program department head, and Vice Provost of Graduate Studies. Please visit Work 20+ Hours for more information.
Graduate assistants must be full-time, matriculated students during the fall and spring semesters. Students admitted during summer may work but must be accepted by the department. Full-time status for students employed as graduate assistants is based on the full-time equivalent or FTE. A .125 to 0.374 FTE requires a student to enroll for at least 9 graduate-level credits; a 0.375 to 0.50 FTE requires a student to enroll for at least 6 graduate-level credits. See also Student Classifications.
Students on a 0.5 FTE graduate assistantship are considered university employees and are required to have health insurance. Utah State University offers subsidized health insurance to students on a 0.5 FTE through Student Health Services, with the applicable departments covering 80% of the premium. Students with comparable health insurance through another source may opt out of the university health insurance. Eligible students must enroll or request to waive the subsidized graduate insurance for both fall and spring semesters. For more information, please see the Student Health Services website or contact ship@usu.edu.
Graduate assistants must maintain an institutional grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. Once a Program of Study has been approved, the department head may request that the institution’s GPA be based only on courses listed on the Program of Study. The School of Graduate Studies checks GPAs at the end of each semester. If the student has not yet started the graduate program, the overall GPA for terms that include the last 60 semester, or 90 quarter, credits will be used to determine eligibility as a graduate assistant.
Graduate assistants may register for a maximum of 12 credits per semester unless the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies approves a petition to take additional credits.
Teaching Assistantships/Graduate Instructors:
Graduate students may be teaching assistants or graduate instructors. Teaching loads vary up to a maximum of 20 hours per week, and salaries vary with department and teaching load.
Each student awarded a teaching assistantship or graduate instructorship must complete either the USU Assistantship training (USU 7920) or the approved department equivalent. In addition, international students are required to complete IELI 7920. The workshops cover USU policy, FERPA, Sexual Harassment Prevention training, and help students gain the techniques and skills to be effective instructors in the University environment.
International students may be considered for teaching assistantships if they demonstrate adequate proficiency in English communication, as determined by Utah State University’s Intensive English Language Institute and have participated in the required workshops (USU 7920 and IELI 7920), which aid international students in understanding university culture and in improving communication.
To be eligible for the Research Non-Resident Tuition waiver, the student must be in an MS, Plan A, or Ph.D. program. The assistantship must be 0.5 FTE, begin the first day of classes, and end on the last day of finals.
Research Assistantships: Research assistantships are typically funded on research grants and are awarded by faculty. To be eligible for the Research Non-Resident Tuition waiver, the student must be in an MS, Plan A, or Ph.D. program. The assistantship must be 0.5 FTE, begin the first day of classes, and end on the last day of finals.
3. Fellowships and Scholarships
Fellowship and scholarship awardees must be matriculated, full-time students enrolled in approved graduate-level coursework. Some fellowships and scholarships may make students eligible for subsidized health insurance. Applications for fellowships and scholarships are submitted to and awarded by the individual departments.
4. Federal Work-Study for College Assistantships
Departments can use Federal Work-Study to assist graduate students applying for assistantships. Graduate students may apply for Federal Work-Study funds by completing the online FAFSA application annually. For more information or assistance with the application, contact Student Financial Support.
5. Probationary Status, Eligibility for Assistantship
A student appointed as a university teaching or research assistantship or fellowship and changed to probationary status, will be terminated from their position. The department may submit a petition to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies appealing the student’s status and request to continue the assistantship or fellowship.
6. Other Financial Assistance
Students not employed as assistantships or fellowships may receive financial assistance by working for departments or other campus units. Graduate students are generally not employed by the university for more than 20 hours per week. Employment beyond 20 hours per week must be approved by the student’s advisor, degree program department head, and the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies.
Some students may be eligible for GI Bill®* Benefits and should contact the Veterans Resource Office.
*GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). More information about education benefits offered by VA is available at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
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