GTU Financial Aid Brochure

Financial Aid

“ T he Graduate Theological Union is committed to working with each and every one of our students to help them realize their aspirations for study. Even beyond direct funding from the GTU, we work hand in hand with students to identify and pursue additional resources, such as employment, fellowships, and outside scholarships and grants. Our partnership with students empowers their academic, professional, and personal pursuits — at the GTU and beyond. ” — Denise Morita,

Senior Director for Financial Aid and Enrollment

gtu.edu

Financial Aid Investing in Your Future Graduate education is an investment in time, effort, and resources. Like you, we believe it is a worthwhile investment and are committed to helping you achieve your educational goals and career aspirations. At every stage of your academic career with the GTU, our dedicated staff will partner with you to help demystify financial aid, and identify the resources available to achieve your educational goals within your means.

While complying with institutional policies, federal regulations, and donor restrictions, we work to extend a fair and equitable approach to the financial aid process.

Types of Aid A student’s financial aid package is a collection of different types of aid from multiple sources intended to provide support in filling the gap between a student’s available funding and educational costs associated with their degree program. Most GTU students fund their education through a variety of sources, consisting of some combination of the following: Gift Aid includes grants and scholarships. Grants are typically determined by financial need, whereas scholarships are typically based on merit or a combination of merit and need.

Self-help is financial aid in the form of loans or student employment and requires some form of repayment, or something in exchange, such as volunteer or work hours.

• Federal Work-Study (FWS) provides part-time employment on or off campus to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay for educational expenses.

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loans are provided by the U.S. Department of Education and are available to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens. When repayment begins, your loan servicer can help you find a repayment plan that meets your needs.

External Scholarships are administered by foundations, nonprofits, religious groups or other outside organizations and agencies. The GTU Scholarship Database, at scholarships.gtu.edu, lists a wide range of private grants, scholarships, fellowships, and other funding opportunities specific to the degree programs the GTU offers.

Applying for Financial Aid Domestic students seeking to apply for financial aid are asked to complete the GTU’s financial aid application (gtu.edu/financial-aid/how to) and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (fafsa.gov). The Financial Aid Application and the FAFSA are used in tandem to determine eligibility for institutional aid, federal loans, and federal work-study. Because the GTU uses FAFSA information to determine eligibility for institutional aid, all domestic students seeking GTU aid must complete the FAFSA, even if they do not wish to accept federal aid.

International students seeking to apply for financial aid must fill out the GTU’s financial aid application (gtu.edu/financial-aid/how to) and submit copies of foreign and domestic bank statements from the most current three-month period.

LEARN MORE GTU Admissions Office admissions@gtu.edu gtu.edu/admissions 510-649-2400

GTU Financial Aid Office finaid@gtu.edu gtu.edu/admissions/financial-aid 510-649-2469