International Graduate Financial Aid & Financing Options

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Financing Options 

International Payments 

Flywire provides our international students with an easy and secure method to send international payments. 

You can

  • Pay from almost any country and any bank. 
  • Choose from a variety of payment options, including bank transfer, credit cards, and online banking methods. 
  • Track payments from start to finish.
  • Access dedicated, multilingual customer support.

Payment Plan 

The University offers you the opportunity to enroll in a payment plan on a semester basis. Payment plans enable you to make monthly installments instead of paying all at once.

Private Loan 

A private education loan or alternative loan is a nonfederal loan issued by a lender such as a bank or a credit union for the sole purposes of financing postsecondary educational expenses. There are lenders that offer private loans to international students.

International Lenders: may or may not require a cosigner 

US Lenders: require a US citizen to cosign the loan and a self-certification form issued by the US federal government. Visit https://www.federalreserve.gov/supervisionreg/regzcg.htm for more information. 

St. John’s University does not have a preferred lender list. You are encouraged to research lenders to determine which lender offers you the best option.

Private Loan Terms to Consider When Choosing a Lender

  • Is the loan interest rate fixed or variable? 
  • What type of fees are charged by the lender?
  • Repayment Options
    • Are there prepayment penalties?
    • Does the lender offer long-term and/or short-term repayment options?
    • Are there deferment or forbearance options?
  •  How are loan funds disbursed? Do funds go directly to the borrower or St. John’s?
  • Loan Forgiveness Options: Is the loan eligible to be forgiven in case of death or disability?

How Much Should I Borrow? 

Borrow only what you need. Traditionally most lenders permit you to borrow up to your cost of attendance, less all other financial aid received (e.g., scholarships and grants).

Cost of Attendance (COA)

 Your COA for the period of enrollment covered by the loan generally includes tuition/fees, housing and meals, health insurance (if applicable), books/supplies, and transportation and personal expenses. The COA can be found at www.stjohns.edu/COA.

Please visit www.stjohns.edu/privateloans for more information.

Financial Aid Opportunities 

Merit Aid 

The University offers a generous amount of financial assistance to new graduates through scholarships, grants, and discounts. Eligibility for consideration is based on your academic ability, School/College, and program of study. Consideration for the merit and alumni scholarships is based on the submission of the application for graduate admission; eligible recipients are notified at the time of admission. 

Visit the University’s Graduate Scholarships page to learn more about available University-funded scholarships, as well as specific School/College and program scholarships. More scholarship information can be found at www.stjohns.edu/graduatescholarships. 

Graduate/Teaching/Research Assistantships and Fellowships

A limited number of Assistantships and Fellowships are available within academic and administrative departments at St. John’s University. Recipients of assistantships work to assist University faculty or departments. Fellowship recipients earn funds for research. 

New graduate applicants who have applied for admission and are interested in applying for an Assistantship or Fellowship should complete an online application through their student portal at https://grad.stjohns.edu/apply. (Important: You must indicate “Yes” to the question, “Are you interested in a Graduate Assistant position?” on the graduate admission application.) 

External Scholarships and Grants

 Several external organizations offer opportunities to apply for scholarships and grants outside the University. This information is shared with our office and then provided to students. 

Please visit www.stjohns.edu/externalscholarships for a listing of external scholarship opportunities.

EducationUSA Advising Centers 

EducationUSA Advising Centers assist you in accessing US higher education opportunities. They are staffed by EducationUSA advisers, many of whom have firsthand experience studying in the United States. Visit https://educationusa.state.gov/find-advising-center for more information. 

Fulbright Foreign Student Program

The Fulbright Foreign Student program enables graduate students from abroad to study and conduct research in the United States; eligibility and selection vary by country. Please visit https://foreign.fulbrightonline.org/about/foreign-student-program for more information. 

For more information, please contact the Office of Graduate Admission at [email protected] or 718-990-1345.