Understanding Your Aid

Financial aid is awarded by term (e.g., Fall, Spring, Summer). You will receive a Financial Aid Notification by email each time an update is made to your financial aid.

The Understanding your Student Financial Account Webinar date has passed. You may listen to the recorded webinar here to learn more information about understanding your student account, where to locate information on your portal, what financial resources are available at CGU,etc.

Understanding Your Aid

Federal Direct Loans

*If you do not require any or part of your offered loan/s, email our office so that we can revise your award as necessary (finaid@cgu.edu).

If you have never borrowed a Federal Direct Loans at Claremont Graduate University, you are required to complete a master promissory note (MPN) and complete entrance counseling.

Step 1: Direct Loans Master Promissory Note
Step 2: Entrance Counseling* – Direct Loans

Basic Federal Direct Loan information

Fellowships, Stipends, & Assistantships

Claremont Graduate University invests more than $16 million in fellowships annually. Department fellowships, stipends, and assistantships are awarded to selected students on the recommendation of individual academic departments based on merit and need. Over 85% of CGU’s students received fellowships last year.

Understanding Fellowships:

• The amount of your merit fellowship is recommended by your department generally at the point of admission.
• Fellowships are based on enrollment in 12-15 units per semester as listed on your letter of Admission. Should you register for less than the required units, your award will be adjusted accordingly. You can determine the adjusted amount by using the Fellowship Calculator. Please check with your department to confirm any enrollment requirements.
• Fellowships are awarded in the form of tuition reduction. Once you are registered, your student account will be credited for the amount of your specific fellowship and you will be billed for the difference, if applicable.
• Fellowships are credited to the student account at the end of the add/drop period of each semester.
• Fellowships may be automatically renewed provided you meet Satisfactory Academic Progress. Check with your department for any other requirements.
• Fellowships cover tuition cost and terminate once you complete all required coursework.
• Fellowships do not cover Continuous Registration or Doctoral Study, CGU Student or Technology, or any other fees.
• Fellowships will be adjusted accordingly if a student is receiving third-party tuition sponsorship. Fellowship will be withdrawn if the student is receiving 100% tuition sponsorship.

Fellowship Application Process: Your application for admission also serves as your application for fellowship. If you are admitted you will receive notification of your fellowship award and applicable requirements.

TEACH Grant

If you are interested in a Federal TEACH Grant you must complete TEACH Grant counseling and an Agreement to Serve each academic year, then you must notify the Financial Aid office when completed. Complete the TEACH Grant steps here.

The TEACH Grant program is a program of study that is designed to prepare you to teach as a highly qualified teacher in a high-need field, which leads to a master’s degree and teaching credential. Claremont Graduate University participates in the TEACH Grant Program; contact the Teacher Education Department directly to verify your eligibility.

General Teach Grant Information PDF

Award Letter

Each academic year you will receive an official award letter from our office. Your awards will be broken down by term (Fall, Spring, and Summer). The awards codes can vary and may include the following:

Federal Direct Loans (Completion)

If you have been awarded Federal Direct Loans, complete the process here.

Fellowships, RA, and TA (Department Awards)

These types of assistance are awarded to selected students by the individual academic programs.

Federal Work Study

The Federal Work Study program (FWS) at Claremont Graduate University provides part-time employment for eligible students.

TEACH Grant

The TEACH Grant program provides grants to students who plan to teach in high need field and low income area.

Tuition Payment (Student Accounts)

Tuition payment is handled by the Office of Student Accounts.

If you have questions about any of the codes showing up on your award letter, email us at finaid@cgu.edu.

Withdrawals

When a student withdraws from CGU, the school and/or the student may be required to return some or all federal funds awarded for that semester. If the student withdraws on or before completing 60% of the semester, the federal government requires a return of Title IV federal aid that was received. Federal funds include Federal Perkins, TEACH Grant, Unsubsidized and Grad PLUS Loans. The formula used in this federal “R2T4” calculation divides the aid received into earned and unearned aid.

The federal refund policy does not directly correspond with the CGU withdrawal policy. Students should consult with the Financial Aid Office before initiating the withdrawal process to determine any potential money owed by the student to the CGU.

CGU Return to Title IV Policy

In accordance with Federal Regulation 34 CFR 668.22, CGU is required to determine the earned and unearned portions of Title IV aid based on the date the student ceased attendance up to the 60% point in the payment period. After the 60% point in the payment period, a student has earned 100% of the Title IV funds and no Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) calculation is required. However, we must still determine whether the student is eligible for a post-withdrawal disbursement (PWD).

Although CGU has its own refund policy and schedule, the Financial Aid Office will determine the amount of Title IV aid the student has earned under the R2T4 calculation based on the date a student officially withdraws. Official withdrawal may occur several ways: via MyCGU portal (student drops to zero units) or by notifying the Registrar’s Office or the Financial Aid Office of their intent to withdraw.

Leave of Absence

Students who require a period of time away from their graduate studies may request a Leave of Absence (LOA). To be eligible for a Leave of Absence to count as a temporary interruption instead of a withdrawal, a student must meet all conditions listed in 34 CFR 668.22(d). A student who is granted a LOA and meets all the criteria in this section is not considered to have withdrawn, and no R2T4 is required.

A student who fails to return from a LOA by the next semester is considered withdrawn and the withdrawal date reverts to the date the student began their LOA. A student begins earning Title IV funds on the first day of attendance, even if the student withdraws before the semester’s add/drop deadline, CGU must perform an R2T4 calculation using the number of days the student attended class.

A Leave of Absence (LOA) for R2T4 purposes is a temporary interruption in a student’s program of study. LOA refers to the specific time period during a program when a student is not in attendance. An LOA is not required if a student is not in attendance only for an institutionally scheduled break. However, a scheduled break may occur during an LOA.

An LOA must meet certain conditions to be counted as a temporary interruption in a student’s education instead of being counted as a withdrawal requiring CGU to perform an R2T4 calculation. If an LOA does not meet the conditions for an approved LOA (see below), the student is considered to have ceased attendance and to have withdrawn from CGU, and CGU is required to perform an R2T4 calculation.

For an LOA to qualify as R2T4-approved:

• • CGU must have a formal written policy regarding leaves of absence requiring that all requests for leaves of absence be submitted in writing and include the reason for the student’s request.
  • The student must request, and CGU must approve, the LOA in accord with CGU’s policy.
  • There must be a reasonable expectation that the student will return from the LOA. This condition is specified to make clear that CGU may not grant a student an LOA merely to delay the return of unearned Title IV funds.
  • CGU may not assess the student any additional institutional charges, the student’s need may not increase, and, therefore, the student is not eligible for any additional Title IV aid.
  • The LOA, together with any additional leaves of absence, must not exceed a total of 180 days in any 12-month period.
    If the student has a Title IV loan, CGU must explain to them, prior to granting the LOA, the effects that his failure to return from an LOA may have on the loan repayment terms, including the expiration of the grace period.