Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online using Barry University’s Title IV Federal School Code – 001466. The FAFSA is available on the government’s secure internet site at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa.
Graduate Financial Aid Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
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There is no official deadline to apply for federal loans for graduate students; however, in order to allow sufficient time for processing, student should apply at least 6 weeks in advance of the term for which they are requesting aid.
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the universal form that students complete to be considered for financial aid at every college and university in the United States. It collects financial and other information about you and determines your degree of financial need, as well as verifies other pertinent information needed to determine financial aid eligibility.
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To be eligible for federal financial aid, a student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, enrolled in a degree-seeking program at least ½ time at an accredited college or university. PhD, Doctorate of Social Work and Doctorate of Education students are considered ½-time with 1 credit (or 2 credits) of Continuous Matriculation (as well as Continuous Registration and Continuous Enrollment) and can receive federal loans.
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There are scholarships, tuition discounts, graduate assistantships and student loans available for graduate and professional students. Federal student loans are processed through the Financial Aid Office. Scholarships, discounts and assistantships are awarded by individual schools and departments. Further information can be found in the Graduate Catalog, or by contacting the academic school or program of interest.
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Federal loans are available to students enrolled at least half-time. Half-time enrollment consists of 3 or more credits per term for most graduate and doctoral programs. Refer to your program of study for further information.
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Most financial aid awards cannot be transferred from one institution to another. If you are planning to transfer to Barry University from another educational institution, you must make sure that Barry University receives your FAFSA results. You can accomplish this by adding Barry University’s Title IV Federal School Code (001466) to your FAFSA form.
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Federal Direct Stafford Loans are low-interest, federally-guaranteed loans available to students. There are two types of Direct Loan: Subsidized and Unsubsidized. Graduate students only qualify for federal Unsubsidized loans. Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loans are not need-based. The maximum award is $20,500 annually. Repayment begins six months after graduation or when the student drops to less than half-time enrollment. The lifetime aggregate limit for Federal Direct Loans is $100,000.
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After we receive your FAFSA results and you are accepted into a degree program, we will mail you an estimated financial aid award letter that will list the loans for which you qualified, along with the amount and semester for which you are awarded. Students who require additional aid should apply for either a Federal Direct PLUS or Alternative Loan. Students who wish to decrease their award amount should notify the Office of Financial Aid in writing.
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Students should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) every year after October 1 if they wish to continue receiving federal loans.
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If your financial aid file is complete, and you are enrolled at least half time, loans will disburse to your student account during the first week of school to pay tuition/fees. If you have an amount left over after tuition/fees are paid, you will receive a refund from the Cashier/Business Office.
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A legacy borrower is a current Barry University student who received a Federal Direct Loan (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, or Graduate PLUS) that was first disbursed before July 1, 2026.
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Yes. Legacy borrowers may lose eligibility to continue borrowing through the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program under certain circumstances.
Continuous Enrollment Requirement
Legacy borrowers must maintain continuous enrollment in their eligible graduate or professional program.
A legacy borrower will lose eligibility if they:- Do not enroll in a required fall or spring semester.
- Begin a fall or spring semester but withdraw before completing the term.
Summer Enrollment:
If summer enrollment is not required as part of the student's academic program, a student may skip the summer term without losing legacy borrower status.
Three-Year Eligibility Limit
Legacy borrowers may continue to receive Graduate PLUS Loans for up to three academic years after July 1, 2026, or through the remainder of their program's published length, whichever period is shorter.
Changing Academic Programs
Legacy borrowers will lose eligibility for Graduate PLUS Loans if they transfer to or begin a different graduate or professional program after July 1, 2026.
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Effective July 1, 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act eliminates the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program for new borrowers. However, the law includes a legacy borrower provision that allows certain current borrowers to continue receiving Graduate PLUS Loans.
If you qualify as a legacy borrower, you may continue borrowing through the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan program for up to three academic years after July 1, 2026, or until you complete your current graduate or professional program within its published length, whichever is shorter. You must also meet the continuous enrollment and other eligibility requirements.
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No. Although you previously borrowed Federal Direct Loans as an undergraduate student, you would be starting a new graduate program after July 1, 2026. Under the new law, students who begin a new graduate or professional program on or after July 1, 2026, are not eligible to receive Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans and do not qualify as legacy borrowers for that new program.
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Beginning July 1, 2026, new graduate and professional students are no longer eligible to receive Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans.
However, eligible graduate students may still borrow through the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program, subject to annual and aggregate federal loan limits. Additional information about federal loan options is available on the Barry University Graduate Financial Aid website.
If you need funding beyond your federal loan eligibility, you may also consider private (alternative) education loans offered by private lenders. Barry University encourages students to exhaust all available federal, state, institutional, and scholarship aid before borrowing private loans, as private loans are credit-based and may have different interest rates, repayment terms, and borrower protections.
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Legacy borrowers must maintain continuous enrollment in their eligible graduate or professional program to remain eligible for Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loans.
A legacy borrower will lose eligibility if they:
- Take a fall or spring semester off.
- Enroll in a fall or spring semester but withdraw before completing the term.
Summer Enrollment:
If summer enrollment is not required as part of your academic program, you may skip the summer term without losing your legacy borrower status. Summer enrollment is excluded from the continuous enrollment requirement.
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For purposes of the legacy borrower provision, a "year" refers to an academic year, not a calendar year.
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Graduate, professional and doctoral programs have varying program lengths. For example, if you are in a program with a 2-year published program length, this means the program is designed to be completed in no more than 2 years on a full-time basis. To calculate your remaining eligibility, Schools must use this as the maximum time allowed to receive Grad PLUS Loans under this status.
Example 1- The student is enrolled in a graduate program with a published program length of two years.
- The student completes Year 1 during the 2025–2026 academic year and is scheduled to return for Year 2 in 2026–2027.
- According to the published program length, the student's enrollment is:
- 2025–2026: Year 1
- 2026–2027: Year 2 (final year)
- The student received $30,000 in Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan funds during the 2025–2026 academic year.
- Published program length (2 years) − 1 academic year completed = 1 academic year remaining.
Example 2
- The student is enrolled in a graduate program with a published program length of two years.
- The student completes Year 2 during the 2025–2026 academic year but does not complete all degree requirements and must return for an additional year.
- According to the published program length, the student's enrollment is:
- 2024–2025: Year 1
- 2025–2026: Year 2 (published final year)
- 2026–2027: Additional year needed to complete the program
- The student received $60,000 in Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan funds by the end of the 2025–2026 academic year.
- Published program length (2 years) − 2 academic years completed = 0 academic years remaining.