FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Yes! Our Distinguished Scholars Award is a merit-based scholarship that is awarded based on the application for admission; no additional application or FAFSA is required. Domestic and international applicants to all SPS master’s degree programs will be considered. More information can be found here.

Unfortunately, we do not offer need-based scholarships for graduate students.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is needed for U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and eligible non-citizens to be reviewed for federal financial aid eligibility. The FAFSA can be completed on studentaid.gov.

I applied for financial aid. Where is my award?

NYU students who apply for financial aid in accordance with our priority deadlines are evaluated for financial aid and notified about the specific types and amounts of aid offered.An email with the appropriate link will be sent to you once your financial aid award package is available. Information about how to secure your aid will be provided in your financial aid award package and on your NYU Albert To-Do List. All communication regarding your financial aid will be available to you on NYU Albert.

Use our to Tuition Lookup Tool

We understand that coming to NYU SPS is an investment. Scholarship search engines such as Fast Web and Scholarships.com have also been used by many of our students to find scholarships based on their demographics and program. Additionally, we would highly encourage you to utilize the scholarship search tool at iGrad. You will log-in using your NYU credentials (no need to create a new account). Then search for scholarships and you will find the scholarship search tool.

There are a few differences between Unsubsidized loans and Grad Plus loans. Unsubsidized Loans have a lower interest rate, but the amount is capped at 20,500 for the academic year (Fall/Spring). Graduate Plus Loans have a higher interest rate, but you can be awarded up your Cost of Attendance. Please note that you must apply and have a credit-check run for your Graduate Plus loan. For more information on Federal Loans, please visit Federal Student Aid.

Once you accept your loans on NYU Albert, sign your MPN, and complete Entrance Counseling, credit is then posted to your account. The credit is provisional and does not change to real credit until 10 days before the start of the loan period.

You have the right to cancel all or part of any disbursement of a federal Direct Loan without being charged interest and other loan fees as long as the cancellation is processed within 120 days of the original disbursement date. The disbursement date is the date the funds were applied to your NYU Bursar bill during any given semester. To request a cancellation, they must make the request through the NYU Bursar’s Office by completing a Request to Return Loan Funds Form and submitting it to the Bursar as instructed on the form.

Applicants for federal student aid may be required to provide appropriate tax records if they are selected by the U.S. Department of Education for income and asset verification. You will be notified if this is necessary. The verification process may result in an adjustment to your financial aid award; verification can occur at any time throughout the year. If you do not provide tax documents when requested, your financial aid may be revoked.

We understand that investing in an NYUSPS education often requires a great financial commitment from our students and their families. NYU SPS has offered the best package that we can in the initial financial aid offer based on our resources. Unfortunately, there is not an additional appeal process.

Most of our faculty are active practitioners in the field and are not focused as much on research. As a result, graduate assistantships are not available. We also encourage our students to explore internship opportunities and provide assistance with obtaining internships through both the academic department and the Wasserman Center for Career Development. Once you are enrolled in coursework, you will have access to the NYU Handshake platform to find employment and internship opportunities. 

Please email our team at sps.financialaid@nyu.edu for support including your areas of concern and your availability for a phone call or Zoom appointment.