Financial Aid for Graduate Students

Federal Loans

Graduate students may have eligibility for student loans. Students must maintain at least half-time enrollment to have eligibility for federal loans. Half-time enrollment for graduate students is considerd 4.5 credit hours and full-time enrollment for graduate students is considerd 9 credit hours at Emory & Henry College. Graduate students who have not borrowed in the past must complete their Stafford loan Master Promissory Note (MPN) and entrance counseling, which can be completed online at www.studentloans.gov. More information on federal loans is available at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans.

TEACH Grant

Graduate students in education programs may be eligible for the federal TEACH Grant and may learn more about the rights and responsibilities of being in this program.

More information about institutional and federal requirements at Emory & Henry College to participate in the TEACH Grant program is available at studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/grants-scholarships/teach.

Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant (VTAG)

2021–2022 Graduate Virginia Tuition Assistance Grant = $1,700

2021-2022 VTAG Application

Emory & Henry College administers the VTAG program for domiciled residents of the Commonwealth of Virginia who attend Emory & Henry College. This program is available to students attending certain private colleges in Virginia such as Emory & Henry.

The VTAG is awarded solely on the basis of Virginia residency and applies only toward full-time tuition. Students normally must be Virginia residents for a minimum of one year to qualify. Students should apply by July 31 for funding. The VTAG application may be downloaded or requested from the Financial Aid Office. 

Award amounts are estimated and subject to change during the academic year by the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia based on annual budget levels and the number of eligible students statewide during that academic year. Any budget shortfalls that arise at the state level will be passed to the student. Students should continue to apply between July 31 and December 1, but funding is not guaranteed by SCHEV.

Students are limited to six semesters of the VTAG award as a graduate student. Eligible graduate programs are limited to those in a health-related professional program, designated by the 51 series of programs.

Including:

• OT
• PA
• DPT

Academic Progress

Financial aid awards are conditional on students’ maintaining satisfactory progress in their graduate program. Satisfactory progress is a qualitative and quantitative requirement. For financial aid purposes, the qualitative requirement parallels the 3.0 minimum GPA necessary to avoid probation in the graduate program. The quantitative requirement is met when a graduate student satisfactorily completes 50 percent of coursework attempted in any given academic year.

A student may still be eligible to receive private student loans from outside agencies that are not tied to satisfactory academic progress. Please note that regardless of satisfactory progress for financial aid purposes, a student cannot be aided for more than 150 percent of his or her program length of attempted courses regardless of whether or not the student has completed the courses.

For example, for a graduate program of 30 semester hours, a student can receive financial aid for up to 45 semester hours attempted, but no more, including classes from which a student has withdrawn.

The academic progress of students who fail to meet minimum qualitative and quantitative standards will be reviewed each academic year. If satisfactory academic progress has not been achieved, the student will be notified of his or her status for financial aid purposes.

If financial aid is suspended, the graduate student has a right to appeal. An appeal form will need to be completed and an academic plan will need to be made with your advisor. Both items will need to be returned to the Director of Financial Aid. Upon review, financial aid may be granted if the student can successfully complete the program within an appropriate time. An appeal may not be made to the 150 percent attempted rule. If the appeal is approved, the student will be placed on financial aid probation for a period of one academic year. If the student has not regained satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary period, the student will lose federal financial aid eligibility.

Graduate Student Financial Aid Timeline

Graduate students may click here to see a timeline for financial aid.