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Santa Clara University
Financial Aid

Graduate Aid Programs

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Santa Clara University Aid

The Financial Aid Office does not determine graduate school scholarships, fellowships or grants. You should contact your graduate school for information about how to apply for your graduate school's scholarships, fellowships and grants.

Federal Aid

The Financial Aid Office offers federal grants, student employment and federal loans to graduate students.

Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant

The Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant) program provides a federal grant to post-baccalaureate and graduate students who agree to serve for at least four years as full-time teachers in high-need fields in public or not-for-profit private elementary or secondary schools that serve students from low-income families.

NOTE: If you fail to complete this service obligation, all amounts of TEACH Grants that you received will be converted to an unsubsidized Federal Direct Loan. You must then repay this loan to the U.S. Department of Education. You will be charged interest from the date the grant was disbursed and will need to pay back interest as well as accruing interest for the rest of your repayment period.

Federal Work-Study

Federal Work-Study allows graduate students to earn money to help cover non-billable educational expenses by working at Santa Clara University or at authorized nonprofit organizations. For more information, view our Federal Work-Study Employment Information Guide.

  • Need-based
  • FAFSA required
Golden State Teacher Grant

Students who are planning to earn a credential in a high-need field and who commit to teach at a priority school, as deemed by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC), may qualify to receive a Golden State Teacher Grant (GSTG) of up to $20,000.

For more information about the program, including how to apply, visit the California Student Aid Commission (CSAC).

Federal Direct Loan

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan program provides low-interest loans for graduate students to help pay for their educational expenses.

  • Non need-based
  • FAFSA required
  • Must be enrolled at least half-time
  • 6.54% interest rate for 2022-2023
  • 7.05% interest rate for 2023-2024
  • 1.057% origination fee for loans with a first disbursement date on or after October 1, 2020 and before October 1, 2023
  • Unsubsidized
  • 6-month grace period before repayment
  • Must complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN)

Graduate Federal Direct Loan Limits

  • $20,500 annual borrowing limit
  • $138,500 maximum aggregate borrowing limit

IMPORTANT: When considering borrowing a federal student loan, you should also understand repayment options.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan

The William D. Ford Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan provides an additional borrowing option for graduate students.

  • Non need-based
  • FAFSA required as well as a credit check
  • Must be enrolled at least half-time
  • 7.54% interest rate for 2022-2023
  • 8.05% interest rate for 2023-2024
  • 4.228% origination fee for loans with a first disbursement date on or after October 1, 2020 and before October 1, 2023
  • Unsubsidized
  • Must complete Entrance Counseling and a Master Promissory Note (MPN)

After you completed the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and received a Financial Aid award from the Financial Aid Office, you may apply for a Federal Direct PLUS Loan at StudentAid.gov.

NOTE: If you are denied a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan due to credit issues, you have the following options:

  • You may be approved with an endorser (co-signer)
  • You may appeal the credit decision directly with the Direct Loan Department at StudentAid.gov or by calling 1-800-557-7394.

IMPORTANT: When considering borrowing a federal student loan, you should also understand repayment options.

Private Aid

Private Scholarships

In addition to Santa Clara University, there are plenty of scholarships sponsored by corporations, civic organizations, religious organizations and other groups.

NOTE: If you have been awarded a scholarship from an outside organization, please provide the donor with our contact information. All correspondences and scholarship checks should be sent to the Financial Aid Office.

Private Educational Loans

Private Educational Loans allow graduate students who have exhausted or who are ineligible for federal aid an alternate means of borrowing to help pay for their educational expenses.

Private loan providers have their own application and repayment terms, you should review all terms and disclosures before applying for one of these credit-based loan alternatives.

As you are considering financial aid programs, you may want to learn how to apply for financial aid, how we determine financial aid, the costs and other consumer information.