Graduate Financial Aid

Graduate students who file a FAFSA annually are eligible for an unsubsidized federal direct loan for $20,500. Some academic programs may have additional scholarship and grant funds available.

To apply for financial aid, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FDU’s FAFSA School Code is 002607.

Please Note

Federal Student Loan changes for 2026–2027

Big changes are coming to federal student loans starting July 1, 2026, because of new legislation. If you are a new graduate student who plans to use federal loans in 2026–27 or later, here’s what you need to know.

For New Graduate Students

Grad PLUS Loans are going away

• Starting July 1, 2026, new students will no longer be able to borrow Graduate PLUS Loans.
• This means you may not be able to use federal loans to cover your full Cost of Attendance (COA)

New limits on Unsubsidized Loans

Loans now have different limits depending on your program level:

Graduate students (Master’s, PhD, etc.)

• Annual limit: $20,500 (same as now)
• Lifetime limit: $100,000 (includes undergrad loans)

Professional students (Pharmacy)

• Annual limit: $50,000
• Lifetime limit: $200,000 (includes undergrad loans)

Legacy Provision (grandfathering)

Continuing graduate students can keep borrowing under the current rules (including Grad PLUS) for up to 3 more years if BOTH are true:

• You are in the same degree program in 2026–27 that you were in before July 1, 2026.
• You borrowed any federal student loan (Subsidized, Unsubsidized, or Grad PLUS) for that program before July 1, 2026.
• If you switch programs after that date, you lose grandfathered status.

Contact the Graduate Financial Aid Office

Schedule an In-Person, Phone, or Zoom Appointment:

Monday to Friday: 9 AM to 5 PM

The Office is closed on Fridays during the summer.

Offices

Florham Campus

285 Madison Ave M-MS0-02
Madison, NJ 07940
Telephone: 973-443-8700
Fax: (973) 443-8534
Email: finaid@fdu.edu

Metropolitan Campus

1000 River Road T-KB1-04
Teaneck, NJ 07666
Telephone: 201-692-2363
Fax: (201) 692-2364
Email: finaid@fdu.edu

Financial Aid Staff

University

• Renee Volak, University Director, reneev@fdu.edu
• Theresa Coll, Director of Operations, coll@fdu.edu
• Marion McCollum, University Associate Director, marion_mccollum@fdu.edu
• Harry Tongue, University Associate Director, tongue@fdu.edu

Florham Campus

• Kelly Ceccacci, Director k.ceccacci@fdu.edu
• Theron Cromer, Assistant Director t.cromer@fdu.edu
• Viviana Onari, Assistant Director v.onari@fdu.edu
• Lauren Decuir, Financial Aid Coordinator l.decuir@fdu.edu

Metropolitan Campus

• Carmen Ferrari, Director, cmf@fdu.edu
• Arlene Marte, Associate Director, arlene_marte@fdu.edu
• Dawn Falcone, Assistant Director, d.falcone@fdu.edu
• Catherine Lorenzo, Assistant Director, clorenzo@fdu.edu
• Karoll Madera, Assistant Director/Scholarships, k.madera@fdu.edu
• Madeleyn Rodriguez, Assistant Director, martim@fdu.edu
• Nora Polak, Financial Aid Coordinator, polak@fdu.edu
• Diane DiGeronimo, Financial Aid Loan Coordinator, dianed@fdu.edu

Problem Resolution

If you are experiencing difficulty resolving a financial aid issue, you may contact us at: finaid@fdu.edu. Use the text “Requesting Resolution” and your student ID number in the subject line.

If you have been unable to solve a problem with your federal student loan, you can ask the Federal Student Aid Ombudsman Group for help at: https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/disputes/prepare/contact-ombudsman

OR

U.S. Department of Education
FSA Ombudsman Group
830 First Street, N.E., Mail Stop 5144
Washington, DC 20202-5144
1-877-2575