While most forms of financial support for graduate students are granted by the academic departments, graduate students who are US citizens or permanent residents may apply through Student Financial Services (SFS) for federal and private student loans and/or student employment under the Federal Work-Study Program. International graduate students may only apply for private student loans.
Graduate students may not receive total funding from all sources in excess of the student expenses budget for their academic program. Funding sources include research assistantships, teaching assistantships, fellowships, scholarships, and student loans.
Graduate students approved for nonresident doctoral thesis research status may borrow. Special students (individuals accepted to take graduate-level classes without pursuing a degree program), may borrow for tuition expenses only.
Student loan recipients must undergo loan entrance counseling before their loans are disbursed to their student account. Loan counseling is available at the Student Financial Services office and on WebSIS (login required).
Student loan recipients are also required to attend a loan exit interview in the Student Financial Services office prior to withdrawal or graduation from MIT.
Specific information on eligibility for loan funds is available on the SFS website.
Special conditions
A student who is granted a medical leave of absence for longer than six months may be required to begin repaying any loans; please see “Special conditions for students on medical leave” for more information.
Graduate students with prior student loans from any higher education institution, including MIT, who receive notification that their loan is in repayment or past due, should immediately contact their lender. Verification of their enrollment status at MIT may be obtained from SFS to arrange for deferment of payment(s).
