The University of St. Thomas

Financial Aid Basics

What is Financial Aid?

Financial aid is any resource that is available to assist you with paying for your cost of attendance. Financial aid includes resources awarded by St. Thomas, a private scholarship organization, a governmental agency or your employer (tuition reimbursement). Financial aid also includes student loans provided by the federal government, state government or private lenders. Earnings from work (including graduate assistantships) are not generally considered financial aid, unless the source of funds is a need-based program.

The Basic Application Process

  • Obtain a personal identification number (PIN) from the U.S. Department of Education at www.pin.ed.gov.

  • Complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, listing St. Thomas, school code 002345, as a institution to receive your information.

  • Be admitted as a degree-seeking or certificate-seeking student in an eligible graduate program.

  • Respond promptly to all requests for additional information from the Graduate Financial Aid Office.

St. Thomas determines your financial aid eligibility and sends you a Notification of Award once all requested information has been received and processed. This notification will list the types of aid programs and the amounts for which you qualify.