Assistantships & Financial Aid

Assistantships

If you have a graduate assistantship, you must complete an I-9 form and a W-4 form with the student employment office before you can begin working. In order to complete these forms you will need to provide proof of citizenship. Please review the list of acceptable documentation needed to complete the I-9 form. A representative from the student employment office, located on the ground floor of Peggy R. Williams Center (room G-073), will help you complete these forms.

Financial Aid

Federal Direct Loans
If you wish to be considered for a loan, you must first submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to the federal processor and request that a copy of the analysis is forwarded to Ithaca College. Our school code for the FAFSA is 002739.

Prior to processing your loan, the College's Student Financial Services office (SFS) must receive your completed graduate student aid information sheet. This information is also used to determine the amount of loan eligibility. In addition, once you receive our financial aid package you will need to accept the offer of a Direct Loan using your HomerConnect access. You can learn more about HomerConnect through this link.

All Federal Direct Loans will continue to be disbursed in two equal amounts – one for the fall semester and one for the spring semester. Financial planning for payment of your fall and spring semester bills should be based on the expectation that one-half of the total approved loan can be used for each semester. Federal Direct Loan funds are sent electronically to Ithaca College.

You will use your HomerConnect access to view your account, including financial aid information and grades. It is your responsibility to see if your funds have been applied to your account. If you request a refund for an overpayment, please allow 5 working days to process your request. You must be registered for classes before a refund can be issued to you.

Federal Graduate Direct Plus Loans
As with other federal loans, a student must have a completed FAFSA on file with the Office of Student Financial Services. You must also be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, as well as be matriculated and attending at least half-time. You will need to complete a graduate loan information sheet and a graduate PLUS loan request form. For more information, visit the financial aid website.

Alternative Loans
Several major banks offer educational loan programs at conventional or reduced interest rates. Please consult with your bank to see if such a plan is available. You should always consider the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan program. Additional information on alternative loans and the Graduate PLUS Loan can be found on the financial aid website.

Tuition Assistance Program (TAP)
Students must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). As long as Ithaca College is listed on your FAFSA, the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (NYSHESC) will send you a preprinted Express Tap Application (ETA) to complete. Students who have received award certificates from NYSHESC by the payment deadline, and who meet the eligibility criteria, can deduct the confirmed amount of their awards from their semester payments. 

In order to be eligible for TAP, a graduate student must complete 9 credits by the end of the first semester, 18 credits by the end of the second semester, and 24 credits by the end of the third semester. The total amount of the graduate scholarship and TAP cannot exceed the cost of tuition (including performance study), as TAP is for tuition charges only.

Auditing
With permission of the professor and graduate chair, you may audit a course. The fee to audit is 10 percent of the current undergraduate tuition rate, per credit hour. No credit is earned when you audit, but the course will appear on your transcript as "AU". The Audit option is not available during the winter or summer sessions.

Health Insurance
All students are required to have health insurance. Additional coverage and family plans are also available. Contact the Health Center for more information, phone 607-274-3319. Additional information and enrollment forms are also available online.

Students are automatically enrolled in the student health insurance plan. If you do not desire coverage you must submit a waiver in order to have the charge removed from your account. You may submit the waiver through HomerConnect. At the main menu, select “Student Financial Aid and Residential Life” and then choose “Health Services”. When submitting a waiver you will be required to enter information regarding your current insurance.

Meal Plans (per semester)
Meals plans are available to graduate students, as follows:

*Bonus Bucks may be utilized for dining at any establishment on campus or to purchase food at one of our convenience stores. As they are part of your meal plan, food purchases are tax exempt. Visit www.ithacadiningservices.com for more information.

Malpractice Insurance Fee for Speech-Language Pathology
Students going on a clinical placement will be responsible for a malpractice insurance fee. The fee will be charged once per academic year.

Semester Payments
Deductions may consist of one or more of the following:

• Graduate Scholarship (please consult your award package). If you have a graduate assistantship, you must provide proof of citizenship for your home country on your first day of employment. There are no exceptions to this law, and you cannot begin work until your citizenship status is confirmed.
• Ithaca College or Employer Tuition Remission. Please obtain the necessary approval in advance.
• Federal Direct Loans and Federal Direct Graduate PLUS loans must be approved by the Office of Student Financial Services in advance.
• TAP may only be applied to tuition charges.

If, after all of your deductions, you have a balance due, payment can be made by any of the following methods:

• Credit card or electronic payments. American Express, Discover or MasterCard are accepted (with a 2.75% service fee). There is no service charge if your electronic payment is from a checking or savings account. You can do either through HomerConnect.
• Cash or check. If paying by check, make it payable to Ithaca College, and include your ID number and semester written on the face of the check.
• Promissory note. Forms are available in the Office of Student Financial Services. This method enables you to pay ¼ of your balance at registration, and the remaining amount in three equal installments over the following three months.
• Payroll deduction. If your graduate assistantship position has exempt status, you may use payroll deduction from your graduate assistantship salary. You may sign up for this option at the Payroll Office. If you are unsure of your exempt/non-exempt status, please contact your graduate chair.

If you are due a refund, you have several options:

• Leave the credit in your account or request a refund check. Refunds are processed through the Office of Student Financial Services. Please allow up to 5 business days to process the refund. 
• If a credit balance is anticipated (loan approval pending and/or graduate assistantship), you may request an advance for up to $2000, depending on the amount available. Applications and additional information on aid advances are available from the Office of Student Financial Services, or online. The earliest you may submit a request for an aid advance is 10 days prior to the first day of class. All required documents for any aid you might be receiving must be submitted and reviewed by Student Financial Services prior to approving an advance. Please remember that you must be registered for classes before your request for an advance can be approved.

Because Federal Direct Loans require time for processing, and because Ithaca College graduate salaries (appointments for service) are paid on regular payroll dates and not in advance, you should plan ahead to ensure you have enough money to live on for up to two or three weeks, and to pay your tuition when you arrive on campus.