Breadcrumb
Graduate Student Financial Aid
The first step to receiving financial aid from Cal Poly Humboldt is filling out a Financial Aid Application for every year you are interested in receiving financial assistance.
Aid is limited for those already holding a bachelor's degree. In addition to unsubsidized loans, master's students may be eligible for:
- State University Grant if their application is submitted by the priority filing deadline.
- Federal Work Study may also be an option and is generally awarded to full-time students. Check with faculty within your department for job availability or visit Humboldt Handshake for a list of all campus jobs.
Humboldt Scholarships may also be available, visit our page for more information. Undeclared graduates are generally ineligible.
Important Information
Second Bachelor's: Students pursuing another degree are only eligible for loans at undergraduate levels.
Certificate Programs: A Financial Aid Counselor must determine if the post-baccalaureate certificate program meets eligibility criteria for student aid.
Enrollment: Full-time enrollment for a graduate student enrolled in a master's program is nine (9) units, half-time enrollment is five (5) units. For those pursuing a second BA/BS is twelve (12) units, and half-time is six (6) units.
Unit Cap: Students are limited in the number of units they can attempt while remaining eligible for federal financial aid.Federal regulations allow students to receive financial aid for up to 150% of the units required for their declared degree or eligible certificate program. For example, if your program requires 30 units to graduate, you may receive aid for up to 45 attempted units.
SAP: Satisfactory Academic Progress is applicable to graduate students, visit our page for more information on our SAP policy. Note: Only the maximum number of thesis/project units allowed towards completion requirements for your master's degree will be counted towards satisfactory academic progress.
Graduate Federal Direct Loan Information
Depending on the amount of financial eligibility and the amount of other aid received, a student may annually borrow up to $20,500 of unsubsidized loan or the cost of attendance (whichever is lower) per year of graduate study. If eligibility exceeds the $20,500 available in unsubsidized Direct Loan, additional master's level funding may be available through the graduate Direct PLUS loan program.
Cumulative graduate loan maximum for master's degree students is $138,500 (excluding graduate PLUS Loans). This includes any Stafford/Direct Loans received as an undergraduate. The total annual and aggregate limits include any Unsubsidized Stafford/Direct Loans; Graduate PLUS Loans are not included in this annual/aggregate limit. If aggregate loan limits are exceeded, you are not eligible for any Federal Title IV assistance until the situation is resolved.
Unsubsidized loans available to students enrolled in graduate or professional programs. These loans are available regardless of financial need and the amount of eligibility depends on the total cost of education. A credit check is required. Some Humboldt master's students will meet their cost of attendance by borrowing through the Unsubsidized Direct Loan with better interest rates and repayment terms; if these loans are insufficient to cover your cost of attendance, please review the Direct PLUS Loan program.
HAF/WRCF Universal Application
HAF/WRCF Universal Application offers many scholarship opportunities for graduate students. The Donald Morris Hegy Memorial Fund supports graduate students studying Engineering and Science at Cal Poly Humboldt. The Joseph Sidney Woolford Fund also supports any students who are entering or continuing graduate school at Cal Poly Humboldt.
Apply: Here