Financial Aid

Financial assistance is available to graduate students through the federal student loan program. If a student is interested in federal assistance, they must file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. For loan assistance during the summer, students must also complete an online application through the University's Office of Student Financial Aid Services.

The Department of Occupational Therapy currently offers two fellowships for students accepted into the program. They are:

Katharine Belzer Fellowship
- Approximately seven students from each Occupational Therapy class at Indiana University receive $2,000 to $3,000 from the Belzer Fellowship. Preference for the Belzer award will be given to students in the class who have sustained a spinal cord injury or an amputation, or who have persevered in the face of hardship.
Dr. Carol D. Nathan Fellowship
- There is one $500 award given for the Dr. Carol D. Nathan Fellowship. Applications are announced to the OT class in their first fall semester in the program. Those applying must be students in good standing in the program and demonstrate financial need. Recipients are selected based on anonymously scored applications.

Sources of Financial Aid

Loans

Loans are the primary source of financial aid for graduate education. Students should borrow first through the federal Stafford Loan program, which is a federally administered student loan. Interest rates for federally insured student loans are 6.8% at this time. You may borrow up to $8,500 on a subsidized loan, which does not accrue any interest until 6 months after you leave school.

Unsubsidized loans up to $12,000 annually do accrue interest at the time of disbursement; you may elect to pay the interest while you are in school or allow it to accrue. Lenders have a variety of repayment plans for federal loans, including standard, income sensitive and extended repayment.

Part-Time Employment

Some students may elect to work part-time during their studies. Generally students are encouraged to restrict their work as the academic program will be rigorous. Students may indicate their interest in the federal work-study program via the FAFSA. If you would like to learn more about this option, please refer to the IUPUI Office of Student Employment’s website: http://www.career.iupui.edu/studemployment/workstudy.asp

Additional Loan Funding

For students who need to borrow more than the $20,500 provided annually through the Stafford Loan program, there are additional loan options to consider. Information about these options can be found by going to the IUPUI central office web site at www.iupui.edu/~finaid and clicking on “Student Loan Program Information” or by visiting the financial aid office in the IUPUI Campus Center.
Students should be cautioned that private student loans are variable and typically carry higher interest rates when compared to the various federal loan options available.

Hometown, Community Based Resources

Students are also encouraged to explore the resources available in their local community to fund their education. For example, if a student knows that he/she will return to a certain community, he or she should contact the hospitals, health care agencies and rehabilitation centers that operate in that community. Often these facilities will provide funding for education in return for an agreement with the student to work there for a period of time.

Obtaining a PIN

If you are not already a federal financial aid applicant, you should obtain a PIN number from the federal processor at www.pin.ed.gov. To be most effective in this process, you should have an e-mail address. If not, you will receive a response via U. S. mail that provides you with the PIN. The PIN number is used for multiple purposes such as filing your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), renewing your FAFSA, making corrections to a previously submitted FAFSA and reviewing your federal loan history at the National Student Loan database: www.nslds.ed.gov.

Filing the FAFSA

For students entering in the summer of 2008, you will need to complete the FAFSA for both the current and upcoming academic year. For example, since the academic program begins in the summer, students starting in 2008 will need to complete both the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 versions of the FAFSA. During the summer, IUPUI also requires a short summer application, which can be completed electronically by going to their web site at: Office of Student Financial Aid Services.
If you already filed a 2007-2008 FAFSA for another campus of Indiana University or another university, you will need to make a correction to that data online at www.fafsa.ed.gov by adding the IUPUI federal school code (001813) under “school choices”.
Important communications regarding your FAFSA will be sent to the e-mail address you provide and via U. S. postal service if you request. Effective January 1, 2008 the 2008-2009 FAFSA can be filed online. The IUPUI priority deadline for receipt of the 08-09 FAFSA data is March 10, 2008. You may submit the FAFSA using estimated tax information if necessary to meet this priority deadline.

E-mail Address

University bills and the majority of financial aid communications will be sent to your University e-mail address. You are responsible for any and all communications sent to your University email address by administrative offices at IUPUI.
If you forward your University e-mails to a private email account, exercise care that essential communications from IUPUI, the federal government and/or a loan processor, don't go into your "spam" account.

Joining AOTA and your State Association

Some forms of funding are provided through the national association and through your state associations. Visit www.aota.org to learn more about funding through the American Occupational Therapy Foundation and programs supported by your state association.

Common Tips

Keep all financial aid related information together. Keep copies of your tax returns handy.
Be sure you know what the due dates are.
Be sure you keep your PIN in a safe place.
Be sure to file the correct forms using the correct documentation.
Pay attention to your e-mail and address. Important information and requests will come to these addresses.
If something doesn't look right, check the status of your account by going to www.OneStart.iu.edu. Many helpful links to e-mail addresses are provided there.