Graduate fellowships are awarded by the Student Financial Services office in conjunction with the student’s academic department. Fellowships may be based on financial need as determined by completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), merit or a combination of both (based on departmental preferences). Typically, fellowships are awarded in equal disbursements for fall and spring semesters and paid directly to a student’s tuition account.

Graduate assistantships are awarded through each graduate program and are assigned by the graduate program director. Assistantships are awarded during the admissions process, but specific positions may not be assigned until the beginning of each semester. International students or any student who does not have a social security number cannot be assigned an assistantship during the first semester.

Interest begins to accrue at time of disbursement. Repayment begins 6 months after student graduates or ceases attending school at least half-time. For additional information, including rates, please go to this page on the US Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid site.

ALL borrowers need to complete a Master Promissory Note with the Direct Loan Program. First-time borrowers at RISD will need to complete a loan entrance counseling session, even those who have borrowed at a previous institution.

Borrowers should go to www.studentloans.gov to complete both steps.

The Perkins Loan program has ended. Previous Perkins Loans borrowers with questions should please contact our office.

Private student loans are consumer loans that should only be considered after first exhausting your federal loan eligibility. Typically, federal loans provide students with more beneficial terms and conditions. Some of these federal loan benefits may include a lower annual percentage rate, fewer and lower fees, and more favorable repayment options. A number of private educational loans are available to students who need extra funding to assist in managing the expected family contribution. You must apply for private educational loans directly with the lender/agency. Borrowers must be creditworthy to participate in these programs. Students who are not creditworthy by program guidelines may still be eligible to participate IF they can find a creditworthy person to co-sign their loan application. Families are free to choose any lender which best serves their needs.

You should visit each potential lender's website to fully evaluate the benefits that they offer before making a final choice of a lender for your loans. For more information on private education loans please go to www.elmselect.com.

GradPLUS loans are intended for graduate students in need of additional resources in order to finance their education. Approval of GradPLUS loans is based in part on the determination that the applicant does not have any adverse credit. Visit the US Department of Education's Federal Student Aid site for rates and additional information.

Federal and RISD Work Study programs allow students to earn an income to offset educational expenses. Over 1,300 RISD students, more than half the student body, participate in the Work Study Program, which consists of both Federal Work Study (FWS) and student employment.

While priority is given to FWS financial aid recipients for on-campus jobs, RISD also allows other students to work, if there are jobs left unfilled by FWS recipients. Work study offers five levels of hourly pay rates and students are paid bi-weekly.

Work study is separate from assistantships awarded by your academic department. All assistantships originate from each graduate program and are assigned by the graduate program director.

Both on- and off-campus jobs are posted on the RISD Student Employment website. Off-campus job listings include community service opportunities at nonprofit agencies in the Providence metro area; jobs in the local community (babysitter, waiter/waitress, retail sales, lawn/garden, etc.) and professional opportunities such as freelance art and design jobs.

To prove eligibility to work, students must provide RISD with documentary evidence of identity (driver’s license, RISD ID or government photo ID) and US citizenship (US passport, social security card or birth certificate with a seal). Copies are not acceptable. You may request a duplicate of your social security card from the Social Security Administration Office. If you plan to work while at RISD, please bring the appropriate documentation with you.

External/outside scholarships are an excellent way to help reduce your need to work and/or borrow student loans while at RISD. Keep in mind that federal regulations stipulate that an outside scholarship cannot be used to reduce your family's expected contribution. When you receive an outside scholarship, our office is required to reevaluate your financial aid package and account for the additional resource.

Outside scholarships can be used to reduce the following:

• Student Loans
• Federal Work Study

Listed below are several links to search engines where you can investigate and apply for various outside scholarship opportunities:

• College Board Online
• FastWeb Scholarship Source
• FinAid
• GoCollege
• Sallie Mae
• International Education Financial Aid (international students only)

Download outside scholarship listings