Whether advancing your professional career or seeking intellectual fulfillment, a graduate degree is a demanding commitment of time, effort, and money. You're likely facing a gap between the cost of your education and your available funds. That's where student loans come in and why students look to Nellie Mae to help pay for graduate school.Understand your grad school financing options Nellie Mae helps you be brilliant with student loans for graduate school that include Federal Stafford and GradPLUS Loans, and the private Signature Student Loan.
Borrowing wisely Debt Management EDvisor is a free money management tool with cash-saving ideas to help students graduate in great financial shape!
Download Sallie Mae's Credit Management Guide (PDF, 613KB) to learn effective credit management skills for graduating students and recent graduates.
Number-crunching made easier! Use Nellie Mae calculators to help you make informed decisions about paying for grad school, planning and budgeting, estimating borrowing costs, and evaluating repayment options.
Scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships While most schools offer graduate-level scholarships based on merit or need, the hunt for "free money" takes determination, energy, and the persistence to run the application gauntlet. Check with your department for fellowships or teaching assistantships, as well as your school's financial aid office.
You might be eligible for a private or national fellowship, such as the Fulbright, Mellon, National Research Foundation, or National Science Foundation. Apply directly with each organization.
Often, the most lucrative sources for scholarships and grants are your own community, family, and personal networks. Free online services like www.CollegeAnswer.com let you create parameters to narrow and facilitate your unique scholarship search.