STUDENT FINANCIAL AID The mission of the Office of Student Financial Aid is to help make it financially possible for all admitted applicants to attend George Mason University. The office provides financial aid services to assist prospective and current students and their families. Many Mason students receive some kind of financial aid, such as grants, scholarships, work-study employment, or loans.
Types of Financial Aid FEDERAL GRANTS (Do not need to be repaid.) Federal Pell Grant: These need-based grants for low-income undergraduate students provide access to postsecondary education. Grant amounts are dependent on the student’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) results, cost of attendance, and enrollment status. Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG): This grant is for undergraduate students with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant recipients with a zero expected family contribution (EFC) will be given priority consideration for FSEOG funds.
STATE GRANTS (Do not need to be repaid.) Mason Out-of-State Grant: The purpose of the grant is to provide assistance to financially needy undergraduate out-of-state residents. Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP): The purpose of the grant is to provide an incentive to attend college to financially needy students who graduated from a Virginia high school. Virginia Commonwealth Award: This grant provides assistance to financially needy undergraduate Virginia residents.
SCHOLARSHIPS (Do not need to be repaid.) There are many different resources for students to use when searching for scholarship opportunities. Mason’s Office of Student Financial Aid posts a list of scholarships offered to students by George Mason University (referred to as “internal” scholarships) and a list of outside or external scholarships offered by a variety of external sources (agencies, companies, private donors, etc.) for undergraduate and graduate students as the scholarships become available.
FEDERAL WORK-STUDY (FWS) George Mason University offers Federal Work-Study for eligible students to help pay for college expenses. This program allows students to work in a variety of part-time positions while building their resumes, time management skills, and job abilities.
LOANS Various types of loans are available to assist in financing a student’s education. After a student completes and submits a FAFSA, based on the student’s eligibility, the Office of Student Financial Aid can offer Direct Subsidized and/or Unsubsidized Stafford Loans and Direct PLUS Loans.
Finances Should Not Be a Barrier to Investing in Your Future. During the 2015 academic year, those students receiving some form of financial assistance (grants, work-study, and/or loans), totaled more than $270 million dollars campuswide. An array of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs helped students at all economic levels pay for their college education.
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