Syracuse University

Financial Aid - How to Apply

Graduate Students

Financial Aid for main campus graduate students is primarily in the form of federal loans. Our office does not award Scholarships, Assistantships, or Fellowships: visit the Graduate School site for more information.

Graduate students enrolled only in certificate of advanced study programs apply for the Federal Direct Loan program as an undergraduate student. To apply, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAAFSA) and the Syracuse University Graduate Financial Aid Application, available on the MySlice Financial Aid To Do list. For entering students, this becomes available after you are officially admitted to your certificate program.

For students entering Syracuse University during the summer, your fall/spring financial aid will not be available until mid-July. You may use our Loan Eligibility Worksheet to estimate your financial aid for the academic year.

Applying for Federal Financial Aid

Step 1: (For summer aid only)
Complete a 2012-13 FAFSA by May 1st if your program begins in the summer, or if you plan to continue your enrollment for summer. After filing the FAFSA, complete the SU Financial Aid Summer Graduate Application available in mid-March found on your MySlice To Do List.

Step 2: (For academic year aid)
File the 2013-14 FAFSA by July 1st for fall/spring aid. (Students who filed the 2012-13 FAFSA for summer enrollment and will continue through to the fall semester will need to also file the 2013-14 FAFSA for the academic year).

Step 3:
Complete the Syracuse University Graduate Financial Aid Application on your MySlice To Do List.

For entering students, this becomes available after you are officially admitted to your graduate program.

Step 4:
Once we receive both your completed FAFSA and Syracuse University Graduate Financial Aid Application, we will update your MySlice Financial Aid with the amount(s) of your federal loan eligibility. Your MySlice Financial Aid is your official notice of aid administered by our office. It will not include any academic awards that you may be receiving. Your MySlice Financial Aid will be updated as follows:

  • Students attending summer session will be updated beginning in Mid-March.
  • Students admitted for the fall semester will be updated beginning Mid-April 2013.
  • Currently enrolled students will be updated beginning Mid-June 2013.

Remember: You cannot apply for federal aid after the year or term you are attending has ended.



Dates and Deadlines

  • To be certain you receive the maximum amount of financial aid, it is important to meet our deadlines.
  • Use our timeline to help keep you on track.

FAFSA Code

When filing the FAFSA you will need the following code:

FAFSA code: 002882


Summer Financial Aid

Read more information about financial aid for the summer.

Law College Students

The cost of attendance for students whose aid is administered through Syracuse University Law College  can be found at the Syracuse University College of Law Financial Aid Office.


Independent Study Degree Programs (ISDP)

Students interested in ISDP (also called Distance Education) and all non-matriculated graduate students should contact the University College of Syracuse University Financial Aid Office.