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Home » 2022-2024 Graduate Bulletin » Policies » Financial Aid

Financial Aid

ELIGIBILITY

A graduate student must be admitted to a degree program or be earning teaching certification in order to be eligible for financial assistance. Generally, special, non-degree, certificate, or Graduate Achievement Program (GAP) students are not eligible for financial aid. All financial aid recipients are expected to be familiar with the rules and regulations that apply to specific financial aid awards. This information can be found on the Financial Aid Office’s website: https://uwosh.edu/financialaid/. Please contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Expenses At The University Of Wisconsin Oshkosh

Costs of college attendance include tuition and fees; books and supplies; room; board; utilities; transportation; and personal expenses. These are the costs used in determining budgets for financial aid evaluations and are frequently based on estimates. Inquiries about actual billing costs should be directed to the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Student Accounts Office. Questions about other budget items should be addressed to the Financial Aid Office.

Financial aid for graduate students at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh is awarded primarily on the basis of financial need. Need is defined as the difference between anticipated educational costs and the contribution expected from the student, or student and spouse. Expected student contributions are computed according to the Federal Need Analysis Methodology.

By completing and submitting the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the student provides the Financial Aid Office (https://uwosh.edu/financialaid/) with information necessary to determine financial need. The University attempts to meet that need from available funds.

How To Apply For Financial Aid

Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) – studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa, to be considered for the Graduate Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP) grants, Federal Work-Study, Federal Direct Loans (unsubsidized) and Native American grants. The FAFSA should be completed and submitted to the federal processor as early as possible for consideration for the upcoming academic year.

Financial Aid is awarded when the student has a completed FAFSA on file and eligibility criteria are met. Priority is given to those applicants who meet the University’s established priority date. Contact the Financial Aid Office for more information.

Receiving Aid and Notification

Applicants receive an email sent to his or her UW Oshkosh email account from the Financial Aid Office when processing is completed and details of their aid package. Awards are made months before the academic year for which the student has requested financial aid. Only the following types of aid are awarded by the Financial Aid Office: Federal Work-Study and Federal Direct Loan. Other forms of financial assistance that a student receives may be included in the award notification but are not awarded by the Financial Aid Office.

The Aid Package

Financial aid applicants will be considered for all financial aid programs available to graduate students and administered by the Financial Aid Office. It is not necessary to apply separately for each kind of aid desired, except as noted below. Financial aid offered to a student may be in the form of grants or scholarships, long-term loans (which can be repaid after the student leaves college), and part-time employment.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS

Scholarships are gifts of money that do not need to be repaid, provided the enrollment period is completed. Scholarship donors determine the individual criteria of the award(s), which may include financial need, merits, and talents.

Grants are funds provided by federal, state, or private sources that do not need to be repaid, provided that the enrollment period is completed. Grants are awarded based on a financial need and usually require filing the FAFSA in order to be considered.

In addition to scholarship and grant information found on the Financial Aid and Graduate Studies Offices websites, the UW Oshkosh Foundation manages a scholarship database called AcademicWorks (https://uwosh.academicworks.com/). UW Oshkosh offers nearly hundreds of scholarships available to both graduate and undergraduate students. These scholarships may be applied for annually. The scholarships are funded through contributions from alumni, faculty, and staff, friends, parents, campus organizations, and corporations. Within the AcademicWorks scholarship system, you:

  • fill out one simple and secure general scholarship application in a few minutes
  • are automatically considered for many of the scholarships available at UW Oshkosh
  • maybe eligible for additional scholarships by answering a few supplemental questions
  • can search available scholarships to view qualifications and other related information

Non-Wisconsin residents should contact their states’ higher education agencies for any possible state-specific aid. Higher education agencies listing by the state can be found online through the Department of Education.

The UW Oshkosh Financial Aid Office and the Graduate Studies Office provide scholarship and grant information as a courtesy. Outside of maintaining their websites, the Financial Aid or Graduate Studies Offices do not promote, validate, or maintain the websites listed. URL addresses and website contents frequently change and were accessible when last checked. A website listing does not necessarily imply the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh, the Financial Aid, or Graduate Studies Offices agree with the material contained on or linked to the websites.

EMPLOYMENT

Graduate Assistantship Employment

The Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin System provides resources for a number of academic graduate assistantships. Graduate assistantships are for the 17-week semester or 34-week academic year and are either full-time (20 hours/week), three-quarter time (15 hours/week), or half-time (10 hours/week). Non-resident graduate assistants who are hired for 13.5 or more hours per week are eligible for out-of-state fee remissions. Graduate assistants are limited to a maximum course load of 12 credits per semester.

Qualifications for a graduate assistantship:

  1. New student admitted in full standing to a graduate degree program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh;
  2. Continuing student in full standing;
  3. Student enrolled for at least six (6) graduate degree credits each semester or otherwise qualifies as a full-time student.

Information, instructions and an on-line application can be found through the Office of Graduate Studies website at https://uwosh.edu/gradstudies/about-us/tuition-financial-assistance/graduate-assistantships/

Federal Work‑Study Employment

Work-study may be awarded to eligible financial aid applicants on the basis of financial need. Employment usually is available to any student who accepts a work-study award. Recipients must be enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits per semester for graduate students).

Student Assistant Employment

Most academic and administrative departments at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh employ student assistants. No financial need analysis is required. Interested students should contact individual departments or check listings through the UW Oshkosh Human Resources Department website.

AWARD PROGRAMS

Advanced Opportunity Program (AOP)

The Advanced Opportunity Program is a University of Wisconsin System program of financial support for students of color and non-minority disadvantaged students. Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents and must qualify for full-standing admission into a graduate degree program at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. Awards are designated for members of the traditionally under-represented minorities (i.e., Black, Native American, Hispanic, and statutorily designated Southeast Asian refugees) and disadvantaged non-minority applicants. Submission of the FAFSA is all that’s required to be considered. Financial need and academic achievement are the bases for granting awards. For more details see the information posted on the Graduate Studies website (https://uwosh.edu/gradstudies/about-us/tuition-financial-assistance/grants/advanced-opportunity-program/).

Grants for Native Students

Tribal funds are available for Native American students using the Indian Scholarship Application and the FAFSA, both available at the Financial Aid Office. Generally, recipients must be at least one-fourth Native American as certified by the appropriate tribal agency. Awards are generally need-based.

Native American students who are Wisconsin residents also may apply for the Wisconsin Native American Student Grant using the Indian Scholarship Application. Eligibility is need-based.  More information can be found at: https://uwosh.edu/financialaid/types-of-aid/grants/.

Another source of information on graduate fellowships for Native American and Alaskan Native students is:

American Indian Graduate Center (https://www.aigcs.org/)
3701 San Mateo NE #2000
Albuquerque, NM 87110

Minnesota‑Wisconsin Reciprocity Program

This arrangement permits an eligible Minnesota resident to attend the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and pay the established reciprocity fees. Find information on the web at http://www.ohe.state.mn.us/mPg.cfm?pageID=97. Interested Minnesota residents should request information by writing to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education Reciprocity Program, 1450 Energy Park Drive, Suite 350, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108-5227.

International Student Nonresident Partial Tuition Waiver

A limited number of these awards, up to the amount of non‑resident tuition, are available to graduate international students who demonstrate financial need. This waiver may cover all or a portion of the difference between non-resident and resident tuition. A full waiver of all tuition is not available. The international student is still responsible for resident tuition/fees and all other associated expenses as described above in “Expenses at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.” Inquiries from applicants and new and continuing students should be directed to the Director of Graduate Services.

LOANS

Federal Direct Stafford Loan

Students must apply for financial aid and must be enrolled at least half-time (4.5 credits per semester for graduate students). Graduate students may borrow up to the difference between the cost of education and any other financial assistance received for the term. The program maximum for this loan is $20,500 unsubsidized per year, based on the cost of attendance. The interest rate is fixed annually and repayment begins six months after the borrower drops below half-time enrollment or graduates. Contact the Financial Aid Office for the current interest rate or check their website at https://uwosh.edu/financialaid/types-of-aid/loans/

Tetzlaff Loan

The Tetzlaff Loan is a short-term loan with a maximum amount of $500. The loan has a $5 application fee and must be repaid within the same semester it is disbursed. The due date is determined by the University. Students whose applications are approved by the Financial Aid Office will be notified via e-mail when their check will be ready for pick up. Disbursed loans are placed as a charge on the student’s account, which accrues a 1% interest per month on ALL unpaid balances, including this loan. The students must be currently enrolled to be eligible. Applications are available at the Financial Aid Office.

OTHER SOURCES OF FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

Veterans Financial Assistance

Veterans, active duty, guard members, reservists, and dependents and spouses of veterans may be eligible to receive benefits from the Federal Veterans Administration and/or the Wisconsin Department of Veteran Affairs. A list of these benefits can be found below. For more detailed information, please contact the Veterans Resource Center.

Visit the VRC website for a comprehensive inventory of the benefits they help administer. (https://uwosh.edu/veterans/benefits/)

Students may contact the Veterans Resource Center for assistance submitting an application for federal and/or state benefits or to discuss matters related to their benefits.

Contact: Veterans Resource Center at UW Oshkosh, Dempsey Hall 130
Phone: (920) 424-1804
Email: veterans@uwosh.edu
Visit us online at https://uwosh.edu/veterans/

Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP)

Through the MSEP (https://msep.mhec.org/), public institutions agree to charge students no more than 150 percent of the in-state resident tuition rate for specific programs. You must enroll as a non-resident student at a participating MSEP campus to receive the discount.

Return to Wisconsin

The Return to Wisconsin Tuition Reduction Program will offer a 25% waiver of assessed, non-resident tuition to sons, daughters, and grandchildren of UW Oshkosh graduates. A graduate is defined as any person who has been awarded a baccalaureate degree, associate degree, or graduate degree from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

FURTHER INFORMATION

It should be noted that because of the number and complexity of financial aid programs only basic descriptions of some of the various sources of aid are provided here. No attempt is made to provide a comprehensive listing of all the considerations in assessing financial needs and determining eligibility for funds.

Furthermore, all guidelines for administering financial aid programs are subject to change at any time as the result of legislative or regulatory action by the federal and state agencies responsible for the direction of the programs.

The awarding of financial aid depends upon both the student’s eligibility and the availability of funds. If funds are exhausted, eligibility is meaningless. As funds often are insufficient to meet a student’s full financial need, the importance of multiple and early applications cannot be overemphasized. For further information, contact the Financial Aid Office, 104 Dempsey Hall, (920) 424-3377.