Financial Aid Office

Financial Aid Forms for Graduate Students
Off Campus Cohorts

The steps below outline the financial aid application process and provide all necessary forms for Master's, C.A.G.S, and Ph.D. students participating in our off campus cohort programs, including the Israel Extension Campus. If you will be taking classes online, in Cambridge or participating in a low residency program, Learning Communities, Collaborative Schools, or Citizen Schools, please click here for information specific to your program. Don't hesitate to contact the Office of Financial Aid if you have questions or would like assistance with any part of the process!

Step 1: FAFSA and Institutional Application

Step 2: Verification and Other Required Documents

Step 3: Award Letter, Award Acceptance

Step 4: Disbursement of Funds (Getting the Money)

Step 1: FAFSA and Institutional Application

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is an application you submit to the U.S. Department of Education. It is used to determine your eligibility for all types of federal aid, and authorizes Lesley University to disburse funds to you. Lesley also uses the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for institutional need-based grants. For the fastest service, we recommend that you apply online. Please include Lesley University's school code (002160) so that our office can receive it electronically. Don't forget, this form must be filled out each year to renew your financial aid eligibility!

Massachusetts Cohort Students: You must submit the FAFSA form and an Off Campus Application for Financial Aid. Cohorts occurring in the state of Massachusetts tend to have several specializations which result in varied enrollment patterns. The additional form will allow us to make sure your financial aid package accurately reflects your enrollment.

Cohort Students in All Other States: Please complete only the FAFSA, unless we have sent you a letter asking for other documents.

Program Finishers: If the cohort you had previously attended has ended, we need your enrollment plans in order to assemble a financial aid package for you.  If you are joining another cohort and plan to continue with its cohort schedule all the way through, simply have your Program Advisor send a Program Change Form to the Registrar’s Office.  Otherwise, you must submit both the FAFSA form and an Off Campus Application for Financial Aid.

  • 2012-2013
    • 2012-2013 FAFSA.
    • 2012-2013 Off-Campus Application for Financial Aid [pdf]- For Program Finishers and Massachusetts Cohorts ONLY.
  • 2011-2012

  • When do I apply?

    New students: We recommend applying for aid at the same time as applying for admission. Although we cannot consider you for aid until you are accepted into a program, applying simultaneously will ensure that your materials are ready for processing once you are admitted into Lesley University.

    We must also wait until your cohort has an approved schedule before determining your eligibility for financial aid, since your eligibility depends on the number of registered credits each semester. However, applying as early as possible will allow us to review your application ahead of time so the awarding process can be expedited once a schedule is approved.

    Returning students: We recommend applying for financial aid at least 4 weeks prior to the due date of your first bill of the academic year, to provide sufficient processing time for your financial aid to be deducted from your bill. Bills are due the 15th of the month prior to the start of classes.

    Step 2: Verification and Other Required Documents

    After receiving your FAFSA, we will contact you by mail and by email if additional documents are necessary to complete your application. If you have been officially accepted to your academic program, you can also view a list of your required documents on the Lesley Online Information System (LOIS), under the "My Documents" link on the Students menu.

    Many students are required to complete a process called verification, which involves submitting your tax return transcript and other information used in completing the FAFSA to our office. If you are selected for verification, there is no cause for concern! About 30% of students are selected for this process on a random basis by the Department of Education.

    Please submit the verification documents listed below only if we request them. Submitting documents that we do not require could needlessly lengthen the application process.

    Other Forms

    The forms below may be requested when more detail or clarification is needed for your Financial Aid Application. Please do not submit any of these forms unless you have received a letter or email from our office specifically requesting them. Submitting documents that we do not require could needlessly lengthen the application process.

  • Non year specific forms

Step 3: Award Letter, Award Acceptance

Once we have reviewed your FAFSA and all other documents requested by our office, we will send you a Financial Aid Award Letter. For more information on the types of aid that may be included on this award letter, and the terms and conditions of your award, please follow the links below:

Any loans that you have been offered will require additional steps before they can be credited to your student account.

Please take note of the expected enrollment per semester listed on your Financial Aid Award Letter. The amounts offered on your Award Letter are based on your cohort schedule. If you plan to take any courses outside of your cohort, or not to take courses included in your cohort, you must notify our office immediately, because your financial aid eligibility may be jeopardized.

Step 4: Disbursement of Funds (Getting the Money)

Financial aid for a given semester is credited to your student account ("disbursed") the Monday after you begin your first three-credit course for each semester. The Financial Aid Office confirms your enrollment before disbursing your aid.

Your financial aid is used first to pay your tuition, fees, and any other direct charges that you owe the university for the given semester. Any remaining funds will be mailed to you in the form of a refund check by the Student Accounts Office approximately 11 days after the disbursement date. Please take these dates into account if you are planning to use financial aid towards living expenses.

If you are awarded financial aid after your disbursement date has passed, your funds will be disbursed as soon as possible once all requirements have been completed by you.
updated 01/30/12 | 02:25 PM