USI Graduate Student
Financial Assistance
Graduate student financial assistance includes loans,
assistantships, and student employment under the Federal Work Study program. For current costs, see USI tuition and fees.
Application for Financial Assistance
To have financial assistance processed in a timely manner and to be considered
for all types of assistance, students file the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) prior to March 10 preceding the academic year for
which aid is being requested. The academic year begins in fall and ends in
spring. Summer requires a separate Direct Loan request form if
students are borrowing.
All required documentation must be submitted to the Student Financial Assistance
Office by May 1. Applications and files completed after the deadlines will be processed after all on-time applications.
Forms are available in the USI Student
Financial Assistance Office. Write to address below or call 812/464-1767
for more information. On-line forms
are also available.
Enrollment Status/Credit Level
To be considered a full-time graduate student for the purpose of receiving
most financial aid requires that the student be enrolled in graduate courses
totaling at least eight semester hours during each semester. A load of
four semester hours of graduate course work during a semester is the minimum
amount for consideration as a half-time graduate student. Summer is
considered a semester with the same enrollment requirements as fall and
spring.
Financial Responsibility
Students who do not receive financial aid or have not completed all of the
necessary requirements to receive financial aid must pay their fees by the
bill due date. Failure to do so may result in a hold being placed on registration
for future terms.
Most types of aid will appear as a credit against fees on the bill sent prior to the start
of classes. Some aid types, such as Work Study, require special procedures and
will not appear on the bill. Estimated aid that appears on the bill may be
deducted from the total fees. Students should contact the Student Financial Assistance
Office if they have questions about these procedures.
Satisfactory Academic
Progress
Students who receive federal or state student financial aid are required to
make satisfactory progress toward completion of their degree program. Progress is measured by the number of credits successfully completed each
semester and by the student’s cumulative grade point average. Copies of the
current graduate academic progress policy are available in the
Student Financial Assistance Office at
Graduate Satisfactory Academic Progress.
Institutional Refund Policy for Financial Aid Recipients
Students who withdraw from the University or change enrollment status during
the fee refund period will be required to restore refunded fees to the
financial aid account from which the money originated. The full amount of fee
refunds will be used to repay student aid accounts until all student aid is
reimbursed.
Students
who withdraw from or cease attendance at the University prior to the tenth
week in fall or spring may be required to repay a portion of any financial aid
which exceeded actual fees and books. Summer session refunds are calculated on
the length of individual class schedules. The current refund policy for
financial aid recipients is available in the Student Financial Assistance
Office.
Note: Assistance may be reduced or
withdrawn for less than full-time enrollment. Only credits that
are required for successful completion of the student's degree program may be
counted in the determination of enrollment status. Students who receive
aid for courses not required for graduation will be required to repay all or a
portion of such aid.
Federal Assistance
University Assistance
"Policies That May Affect Financial Aid"