Finding the resources to finance graduate school can be a challenge. Bentley offers several types of financial assistance, including scholarships, grants, assistantships, and loans. Some awards are need-based, while others recognize academic achievement or merit. The staff members in Graduate Admission and Financial Assistance can answer questions and offer guidance on the programs most appropriate for a student’s financial situation.
Financial Assistance
The purpose of financial assistance is to help eligible students pay for their educational expenses. There are two forms of financial assistance available to graduate students. First, the Bentley McCallum Graduate School offers a number of assistantships and scholarships based primarily on achievement or merit; consideration is also given to geographic location and contributions to the entering class. Second, Student Financial Services administers need-based financial aid programs and also offers non-need-based loans, using a combination of federal and institutional formulas to determine eligibility.
Neither need-based grant assistance nor federal loans are available to international students. However, private educational loans may be available to those with a co-applicant who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
Contact Student Financial Services for more information.
Merit-Based Aid
The Bentley McCallum Graduate School of Business awards merit-based aid to academically outstanding full-time and part-time students at the time of admission to a degree program. Merit-based aid includes scholarships and assistantships. Scholarships are awarded in varying amounts and posted to a student's account as tuition remission. A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded to full-time degree applicants who demonstrate the capacity for excellence in research.
How to Apply
To be considered for any type of merit-based aid, a candidate must select that option on their application for admission. The Admission Committee will review all materials submitted with the candidate’s admission application. The majority of merit-based awards are made for the fall semester. Students are required to maintain a specified level of enrollment and a 2.7 GPA to retain eligibility for any merit aid. Students awarded merit-based aid who fall below a 2.7 GPA will be notified by Student Financial Services.
Graduate Assistantships
In addition to their awarded scholarship, graduate assistants earn pay for approximately fifteen hours per week of work performed with a faculty member or administrator in a variety of research, educational, and administrative activities during the fall and spring semester. Assistantships are competitively awarded based on merit.
Diversity Scholarships
Bentley focuses on the academic success and support of Asian-American, Latinx, African-American, Native American, and multiracial students. In keeping with the university’s goal to foster diversity on campus and eliminate financial barriers to graduate education, the Bentley Graduate School of Business maintains partnerships with several organizations that offer merit-based scholarships for their members. Contact Graduate Admission for more information on current partnerships and guidelines.
Graduate Work Opportunities
Graduate students are eligible to apply for paid work positions in various departments on campus. Students can work up to 20 hours a week in on-campus jobs. For more information, visit the Student Employment website.
Institutional Need-Based Aid and Federal Loan Programs
Bentley offers limited need-based grant funding to students who demonstrate eligibility according to an institutional need-analysis methodology. To be eligible for Bentley need-based grants, students must meet priority filing deadlines, be registered on a full-time basis (minimum of nine credits per semester), and meet all the criteria for federal aid.
Students may also apply for federal student loan funding to help finance their educational expenses. To qualify for federal loans, students must:
- Be registered for a minimum of 4.5 credit hours per semester;
- Be U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens;
- Maintain satisfactory academic progress; and
- Complete all required financial aid application materials.
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan Program
The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan program provides up to $20,500 each academic year. A loan origination fee will be deducted from the loan prior to disbursement.
Interest accrues (accumulates) on an unsubsidized loan from the time of disbursement. Borrowers can pay the interest while in school and during grace periods and deferment or forbearance periods, or can allow it to accrue and be capitalized (that is, added to the principal amount of the loan). If a student elects not to pay the interest as it accrues, the total repayment amount will increase because interest will be charged on a higher principal amount. Full repayment begins six months after graduation or after the borrower drops below half-time enrollment (fewer than 4.5 credit hours per semester). Depending on the total amount borrowed, students may have up to 10 years to repay loan funds. Additional information may be found on the Federal Student Aid website.
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan Program
The Federal Direct PLUS Loan is available to qualifying graduate students who have completed the FAFSA for the appropriate academic year and have accepted the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, but still need additional funding. Students are eligible to borrow for educational expenses up to the cost of attendance minus all other financial aid received. An origination fee will be deducted from the loan before disbursement. The U.S. Department of Education will evaluate the borrower’s credit history to determine eligibility. Students must also maintain at least half-time enrollment status (minimum of 4.5 credits) in each enrolled semester and meet other basic eligibility requirements.
All federal loan applicants borrowing for the first time are required to electronically sign a master promissory note and complete a loan counseling exercise to learn about their rights and responsibilities as a borrower. No loan will be disbursed until these requirements are completed.
Applying for Aid
All aid applicants must submit the 2025-2026 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Bentley school code for the FAFSA is 002124.
All aid applicants must also complete the Bentley Graduate Aid Application.
Students enrolled full time (9 or more credits in a term) are eligible to apply for Bentley grant funds. Additional documents may be required for consideration of institutional aid, including signed copies of their 2023 federal tax returns, with all schedules and W-2s, and the 2025-2026 CSS Profile Form, including parent data.
Application of Financial Assistance to Student Account
Financial assistance is generally awarded for the full academic year; aid is disbursed by semester. At the start of each semester, one-half of the aid is credited to the student’s account. Institutional grants and scholarships are generally credited at the start of each term. Loans cannot be disbursed until promissory notes are completed and loan counseling requirements are met. For more information, please visit Student Financial Services.
Federal Policy for Return of Federal Funds
A federal regulation specifies how colleges and universities must determine the amount of federal financial aid a student earns if he/she withdraws or is withdrawn from the college or university, which differs from the university's refund policy and applies only to students receiving federal student aid. The law mandates that Bentley use a specific formula to calculate the percentage of federal student aid "earned" at the point of withdrawal. The amount of assistance that a student has earned is determined by the percentage of the semester completed. For example, if the student has completed 30 percent of the semester, the student earns 30 percent of the federal aid they were originally scheduled to receive. Once a student has completed more than 60 percent of the semester, they are considered to have earned all of their federal assistance.
If a student received excess funds that must be returned, Bentley University must return a portion of the excess equal to the lesser of the qualifying institutional charges for the term multiplied by the unearned percentage of the funds, or the entire amount of the excess funds.
If the university is not required to return all of the excess funds, the student must return the remaining amount. Any loan funds that they must return, the student repays in accordance with the terms of the promissory note. That is, the student makes scheduled payments to the holder of the loan over a period of time.
If a student is responsible for returning grant funds, they do not have to return the full amount. The law provides that they are not required to return 50 percent of the grant assistance received that it is the student’s responsibility to repay. Any amount that does have to be returned is a grant overpayment and the student must make arrangements with the Department of Education to return the funds and will be ineligible for future federal student aid until completed. If Bentley must return part of their financial aid and the removal of those funds from their account creates a balance due, the student will be billed for this balance.
The full Return of Funds Policy for Federal Aid Recipients can be found in the Graduate Financial Aid Guide.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
To be eligible to receive Bentley institutional need-based grant and/or federal aid, including Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Graduate PLUS loans, financial aid applicants must meet standards of academic progress established in accordance with federal regulations. Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) is determined by both a qualitative and quantitative appraisal. Qualitatively, students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.7. Quantitatively, students must successfully complete (finishing with a passing grade) at least 67 percent of all attempted courses. The full graduate SAP policy can be found in the Graduate Financial Aid Guide.
Students who fail to meet these SAP standards at the end of a term will be issued a Financial Aid Warning. Students given a warning will remain eligible for assistance for the next semester of attendance but must achieve the minimum 2.70 cumulative grade point average requirement and 67 percent completion rate at the conclusion of that term. After a term on Financial Aid Warning, students who fail to meet the SAP standards described above will lose eligibility for institutional need-based and federal aid. Students will be notified in writing by Student Financial Services if they have lost aid eligibility.
Students with significant and documented extenuating circumstances may appeal to regain aid eligibility through the Office of Graduate Academic Advising and Engagement. Appeals must be made in writing and are required to include an explanation as to why the student failed to make SAP and what has changed that will allow the student to successfully make SAP at the next evaluation. Appeals are approved or denied at the discretion of the Director of Graduate Academic Advising and Engagement. Students whose appeals are approved are placed on SAP Probation and are thereby granted one additional semester of aid.
In general, students will be granted only one semester of SAP Probation during their academic career. Students are expected to meet the standards of academic progress upon completion of the semester for which they were granted probation.
Alternative Student Loan Programs
Bentley will process and certify an alternative student loan with any chosen lender. You are responsible for determining the amount you wish to borrow. Bentley will certify your loan for the cost of attendance, less financial aid, unless you specify an amount lower than this number. Our office has created a list of lenders you may wish to consider based on their service and longevity. You may use any lender you would like, and are not obligated to choose one from this list.
Individual lenders will have specific criteria with regard to enrollment and satisfactory progress so we encourage you to thoroughly research your options. International students may apply for alternative loans, although many may require a co-applicant who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
If you would like further information on loan applications, please contact Student Financial Services.