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Loans
A financial aid package based on demonstrated
financial need may include a long-term, low-interest federal, state, or
institutional loan. Repayment of these loans begins after a student
graduates, withdraws from school, or drops to less than half-time.
Federal Perkins Loan. Formerly
called National Direct Student Loan, this loan is available to students
with financial need. FAFSA required. Contact the Financial Aid Services
office for details.
Health Profession Student Loan/Primary Care Loan. This
federal loan is awarded to students in the School of Medicine who
demonstrate exceptional financial need and commit to serve in a health
profession. Parental income information and FAFSA are required. Contact
the Financial Aid Services office for details.
Nursing Student Loan. This federal loan is
awarded only to students in the School of Nursing who demonstrate
financial need. FAFSA required.
Federal Family Educational Loans. These loans,
formerly referred to as Guaranteed Student Loans, include the Federal
Stafford Loan (subsidized and unsubsidized) and the Federal Parents Loan
for Undergraduate Students and are available through banks and other
lending institutions. Interest accrued may be subsidized by the federal
government, depending on the degree of financial need. FAFSA required.
Contact the Financial Aid Services office for details.
State Higher Education Loan. This loan is
available to bona fide residents of the state of Hawai‘i who
demonstrate financial need. FAFSA required.
Short-Term, Emergency Loans. These
institutional loans are designed to meet temporary or emergency
financial needs of registered students. Contact the Financial Aid
Services office, the Graduate Student Organization, or specific
departments.
Other Loans. Students are encouraged to contact
the reference librarian at the nearest library for other publications
listing private loans for students. For additional information on these
and other loan programs, check with the Financial Aid Services office,
UH Foundation, or specific departments.
Work-Study
The Federal Work-Study Program enables students to
meet part of their financial need through part-time employment. The
program is funded by the federal government with matching funds from the
University. Employment may be on or off campus with nonprofit
organizations.
Generally, students are provided the work-study
program as a part of their financial aid package. The Student Employment
and Cooperative Education Office coordinates the work-study program. Job
opportunities are available in many fields and require skills ranging
from entry-level to highly technical. Community service jobs are also
available. For further information, see the “Student Life” section
of this Catalog.
Graduate Assistantships
The University offers assistantships to graduates of
accredited institutions of higher learning who have satisfactory
scholastic records, an adequate undergraduate background in the major
field, and evidence of a high level of English proficiency. Graduate
assistants, chosen on a competitive basis, serve as part-time teaching
or research assistants. All graduate assistants must be registered for
and must complete at least 6 credit hours of degree-related course work
each semester while holding the assistantship. Moreover, they must
maintain at least a 3.0 GPA to continue in the position. The maximum
course load typically is 9 credit hours.
Master’s candidates are generally limited to two
years of service as a graduate assistant; doctoral candidates are
generally limited to four years of service. The period of service for
each year for teaching assistants is typically from two weeks prior to
the beginning of instruction through spring commencement; research
assistants normally serve for 11 months. Graduate assistants are awarded
tuition waivers, but they are not exempt from the general fees, special
course fees listed in the Catalog, and the Graduate Student
Organization fee. Applications should be sent to the chair of the
appropriate department before February 1. Each application must
be accompanied by three letters of recommendation from former professors
or employers.
All applicants for graduate assistantships must be
admitted as potential degree candidates to qualify for appointments.
Applicants for assistantships are therefore advised to apply for
admission to the Graduate Division prior to the time consideration for
the assistantship is requested.
Information on assistantships and application forms
may be requested from the chair of the appropriate graduate field of
study.
Applicants are advised that the University has joined
the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States in approving the
following resolution:
Acceptance of an offer of financial aid (such as a
graduate scholarship, fellowship, traineeship, or assistantship) for the
next academic year by an actual or prospective graduate student
completes an agreement that both student and graduate school expect to
honor. In those instances in which the student accepts the offer before
April 15 and subsequently desires to withdraw, the student may submit in
writing a resignation of the appointment at any time through April 15.
However, an acceptance given or left in force after April 15 commits the
student not to accept another offer without first obtaining a written
release from the institution to which a commitment has been made.
Similarly, an offer by an institution after April 15 is conditional on
presentation by the student of the written release from any previously
accepted offer.
Graduate Fellowships
The Graduate Division has available general
information on fellowship competitions open to American graduate
students and administered by outside foundations or agencies. For
application purposes, it is important to distinguish between (1) those
awards made directly by the sponsoring agency to individual students and
administered by an institution and (2) those awards made by the
sponsoring agency to an institution to be awarded, in turn, to students
for study at the specific institution.
Awards in the first category are generally made by
national organizations and allow students to choose their institution of
affiliation. Applications are submitted by students to the sponsor,
usually in early fall preceding the year graduate study is to begin. The
National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowships program is an example.
Awards in the second category, which vary in source
from federal to local, include a large number of programs. At the
University of Hawai‘i, nominations for these awards are generally made
by the fields of study that are eligible. In some cases (e.g., Fulbright
awards), the student may apply through the Graduate Division. Students
are urged to exercise their initiative to explore the various
possibilities. Initial inquiries should be directed to the chair of the
field of study.
Information on fellowships is available in Spalding
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