Financial Aid for Graduate Studies
We understand that your education is a significant investment.
We are committed to helping you navigate the financial aid process, providing guidance and information you need—including types of aid, how to apply for aid, debt management counseling, and more.
Our staff will work with you to review your individual needs. We’ll help you explore financial aid options—such as grants and loans—in order to maximize your funding sources and minimize your debt.
Graduate Grants
Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia offers several types of graduate grants that are awarded on a competitive basis upon acceptance to a master’s or certificate program. Graduate grants do not need to be repaid and are allocated to recipients based on enrollment by semester. Grants are equally dispersed by credit hour across all semesters and not awarded as a one time lump sum.
To be considered for our graduate grants:
- Submit a complete application for admission
- Grants are awarded based on a combination of an applicant's program, individual grant award terms, academic/professional history, and/or financial need for the following programs:
- Eligible master's degree programs: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Medical Sciences Accelerated and School Counseling.
- Eligible post-baccalaureate programs include: Post-Baccalaureate Pre-Medical Accelerated, Pre-Medical Bridge and Pre-Allied Health.
The Director's Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis at the time of admission. This grant is allocated per class by semester and available to eligible applicants, depending on the length of program, as follows:
- Master's Degrees - Up to $3,000*
- Post-Bacc Certificates - Up to $1,800
*Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete. Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
The Dean’s Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis at the time of admission. This grant is allocated per class by semester and available to eligible applicants based on the length of the program, as follows:
- Master's Degrees: Up to $6,000*
- Post-Bacc Certificates - Up to $3,600
*Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete. Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
The Scottie Graduate Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis to Agnes Scott alumni or current students at the time of admission. This grant is allocated per class by semester and available to eligible applicants based on the length of the program, as follows:
- Master's Degrees: Up to $3,000*
- Post-Bacc Certificates - Up to $1,800
*Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete. Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
The Community Partner Grant is an award offered on a competitive basis at the time of admission. This grant is allocated per class by semester and available to eligible applicants based on the length of the program, as follows:
- Master's Degrees: Up to $6,000*
- Post-Bacc Certificates - Up to $3,600
*Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete. Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
The President's Scholars Grant is our most competitive award offered to a select number of students at the time of admission. This grant is allocated per class by semester and available to eligible applicants based on the length of the program, as follows:
- Master's Degrees: Up to $24,000*
- Post-Bacc Certificates - Up to $14,400
*Maximum award based on degree programs that require 60 credit hours to complete. Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
Program Specific Grants
The Health Professions Grant is offered to select graduate and post-bacc students seeking to start or advance their career in the healthcare field. This grant is awarded to students applying for the Medical Sciences Accelerated Masters of Science program on a competitive basis at the time of admission. This grant is allocated by credit hour and per semester, based on enrollment.
Applicable Master's Degree Programs
Medical Sciences Accelerated and Medical Sciences Online Accelerated
Total Grant Award
- Up to $6,800
Applicable Graduate Certificate Programs
Post-Bacc Pre-Allied Health, Post-Bacc Pre-Medical Accelerated, Post-Bacc Pre-Medical Bridge
Total Grant Award
- Up to $7,200, depending on length of program
Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
The Innovator’s Grant is offered to select graduate students in specific programs on a competitive basis at the time of admission. This grant is allocated per class by semester and available to eligible applicants as follows:
Applicable Master's Degree Program
Strategic Communication
Total Grant Award
Up to $7,200
Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
The Integrity Grant is awarded on a competitive basis to select students offered admission into the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program. Students awarded the Integrity Grant will receive a total grant of $12,000.
Grants are allocated by credit hour per semester. Awards are based on a full-time status. Students must complete curriculum requirements to receive the full grant amount.
External Scholarships
Just like grants, scholarships are funding awards that do not have to be repaid. You may be eligible for a scholarship hosted by an organization or company outside of Agnes Scott.
- External scholarships will have their own requirements, application materials to submit, and deadline dates. Make sure to pay attention to deadlines so you don’t miss out on applying.
- You can apply to external scholarships throughout your program, so if you miss the deadline for your first semester, see when they are taking their next round of applications and submit early.
Types of scholarships:
- Community organization or group
- Government agency
- Religious institution
- Employer – yours or maybe an employer of a family member
- Private company or professional association
- Online search engines, like Fast Web or CareerOneStop
- Important note: You should never have to pay to apply to a scholarship or to access a scholarship search engine.
Loan Options
Types of Federal Loan Aid Available
Graduate students at Agnes Scott may be eligible for federal student loans. As part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted in July 2025, changes made to federal student loan programs will impact students who begin their post-baccalaureate or graduate program after July 1, 2026.
- There are no changes to federal student loans for students who begin their studies and apply for federal aid for the 2025-26 academic year.
There are no changes to federal student loan programs for students who begin their studies during the summer 2026 semester and apply for federal aid through the FAFSA by June 30, 2026. Below is the process to apply:
- Students who are starting their program in summer 2026 should complete the 2025-26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Students who want to continue receiving aid in the fall 2026 and/or spring 2027 semesters will also need to complete the 2026-2027 FAFSA.
- List your student grade level under the demographic section of the FAFSA "Master’s, Doctorate, or Graduate Certificate program (MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, etc.)”
- The Agnes Scott College FAFSA school code is 001542.
- Your completed FAFSA will indicate which federal student loans you may be eligible to receive and the amount.
Federal Student Loan Options:
As a graduate student who enrolls and begins their post-bacc or graduate studies before July 1, 2026, you will be considered for federal financial aid programs as noted below. Please note that all post-bacc and graduate students are considered as independent students. Federal student loans that might be available to graduate students who complete the FAFSA include Direct Unsubsidized Loans and GradPlus Loans.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans
For the Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the student assumes all responsibility for the interest and interest begins accruing immediately following disbursement. You have to be enrolled at least part-time (4.5 credit hours) to be eligible for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
Repayment begins:
- 6 months after student graduates
- 6 months after student drops below part-time enrollment
- 6 months after student is no longer enrolled
- No penalty for prepayment
Current interest rates for these loans can be found at www.studentaid.gov.
Direct Unsubsidized Loan Limits
If you started or completed a graduate degree previously and used federal student loans, those amounts will be considered when you file a new FAFSA form for your degree at Agnes Scott College. The limits for graduate and professional school students are as follows:
- Annual amount of combined unsubsidized loans is $20,500
- Aggregate limit of all Federal Stafford loans (including subsidized loans received for undergraduate study) cannot exceed $138,500
GradPLUS Loan:
A federal graduate PLUS loan may be available to post-bacc and master’s students who need funding for remaining educational costs. The application is available at the Graduate PLUS Loan site. The application is completed based on the program start semester and is only available for students who begin their studies as a post-bacc or graduate student at Agnes Scott College before July 1, 2026.
The maximum amount that can be borrowed for a PLUS loan is the cost of attendance (determined by Agnes Scott) minus any other financial assistance you receive in post-bac grants and/or federal education loans.
This is a credit-based loan that can cover up to the cost of attendance minus any aid you have already received. Students must be enrolled at least part-time (4.5 credit hours).
Repayment begins 60 days after the loan is fully disbursed.
Current interest rates for these loans can be found at www.studentaid.gov.
Federal student loan programs available to students who begin their master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, School Counseling, or Physician Assistant program after July 1, 2026 are provided below.
Process to apply:
- Students who are starting their program in fall 2026 should complete the 2026-27 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- List your student grade level under the demographic section of the FAFSA "Master’s, Doctorate, or Graduate Certificate program (MA, MBA, MD, JD, PhD, EdD, etc.)”
- The Agnes Scott College FAFSA school code is 001542.
- Your completed FAFSA will indicate which federal student loans you may be eligible to receive and the amount.
Federal Student Loan Options (Starting after July 1, 2026):
As a graduate student, you will be considered an independent student. Federal student loans that might be available to graduate students who complete the FAFSA include Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans
For the Direct Unsubsidized Loan, the student assumes all responsibility for the interest and interest begins accruing immediately following disbursement. You have to be enrolled at least part-time (4.5 credit hours) to be eligible for the Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
Repayment begins:
- 6 months after student graduates
- 6 months after student drops below part-time enrollment
- 6 months after student is no longer enrolled
- No penalty for prepayment
Current interest rates for these loans can be found at www.studentaid.gov
Direct Unsubsidized Loan Limits
If you started or completed a graduate degree previously and used federal student loans, those amounts will be considered when you file a new FAFSA form for your degree at Agnes Scott College. The limits for graduate school students are as follows:
- Annual amount of combined unsubsidized loans is $20,500
- The aggregate limit of all federal loans for graduate students cannot exceed $100,000
- The lifetime borrowing limit for all federal student loans is $138,000 (including undergraduate and graduate borrowing)
Private Loans
A private, credit-based alternative loan may be available to graduate students who need funding for remaining educational costs. There are various lenders for student borrowers that require no payments while the student remains in school. Private loans have various options for repayment and may offer forbearance and deferral options. In addition, interest rates for private loans are based on credit and are set by the lender.
To view and compare alternative loans available to Agnes Scott students, please go to ElmSelect. On ElmSelect, you can search and compare real, personalized private student loan offers from over 15+ lenders through a simple, three-minute application. ElmSelect allows you to easily compare loans and is free. Using ElmSelect does not impact your credit score when searching for loan options; your credit score will not be impacted until you choose a loan and begin the application process.
Withdrawls after First Day
A total withdrawal from all courses in any given semester could require an adjustment to awarded institutional, federal, state, and/or outside financial aid funding. The adjustment of the financial aid funding will depend on the last day of attendance for any given semester and the withdrawal policy for each type of funding. If you receive financial aid, please contact the Office of Financial Aid prior to completing the withdrawal process to gain an understanding of potential impacts on your financial aid funding.