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Paying for a Cabrini Graduate Degree

PLEASE NOTE: Cabrini University will cease operations in June 2024 and is no longer accepting students.

Cabrini University is committed to making both our undergraduate and graduate degrees as affordable as possible. See our Graduate Tuition and Fees section below for a breakout of costs by program.

Students pursuing their graduate degree can apply for federal aid, explore available grants and discounts, or search for a graduate assistantship. Please see our sections below for more information.

Students must take a minimum of six (6) credits each semester (spring, fall) and a total of six (6) credits in the summer to receive most financial aid. 

After completing the FAFSA, all graduate students wishing to receive Federal Aid must also complete a required Supplemental Financial Aid Application.

If you have questions regarding Financial aid for Graduate students, please email financialaid@cabrini.edu

Graduate Tuition and Fees

Cabrini University’s graduate tuition is set every year by the institution’s Board of Trustees and is calculated on a per-credit basis. Click here for tuition and fees for the 2023-2024 Academic Year

There are a few options for paying tuition, which include federal aidGraduate Assistantships, and special grants and discounts.

You may also want to explore our interest-free payment plan.

Graduate Assistant Positions at Cabrini

For students already enrolled at Cabrini University, we offer limited tuition assistance through graduate assistant positions. Graduate assistants fill valuable roles across campus and are managed by the Human Resources Department

For a full listing of positions, please visit our Employment Opportunities page and click on “Student Positions.”

Graduate Grants and Discounts

Cabrini University offers various discounts and grants with partner institutions and organizations. These offers provide aid options beyond federal loans, as detailed in our section on Graduate Federal Financial Aid.

Philadelphia Employee Discount

Cabrini University is proud to announce its partnership with the City of Philadelphia Returning to Learning program, which offers City employees, spouses, and immediate dependents a 25% tuition discount on part-time programs and a 10% tuition discount (in addition to available financial aid) on full-time programs.

The discount applies to students pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree, but it excludes Cabrini’s new doctoral programs.

City of Philadelphia employees, spouses, or immediate dependents are eligible for:

  • 25% tuition discount per three-credit course if participating in a part-time program. A student that qualifies for more than one institutional discount per semester will be entitled to receive only one discount.
  • 10% tuition discount, if participating in a full-time program. Students might be eligible for additional merit-based scholarships.
  • Application fee waivers for both undergraduate and graduate programs

TEACH-Grant

The Federal Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH) grant is a non-need–based grant program that provides up to $4,000 (contingent on federal budgets) per year to students who are enrolled full time in the Master of Education.

  • Students who are enrolled part-time may be eligible for up to $2,000 per year.
  • Students must be accepted into the Master of Education program at Cabrini University to be eligible.
  • Students must agree to teach in a high-need field, at a low-income elementary or secondary school as a highly qualified teacher for at least four years, within eight years of completing the program for which the TEACH Grant is awarded.
  • The student must sign a service agreement to this effect and complete all required counseling prior to receiving the TEACH grant.

If the student subsequently fails to meet the requirements of the service agreement, the TEACH grant will be treated as a Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the student must repay funds with interest accrued from the date of disbursement.

To be eligible for this Federal Grant opportunity, a student must:

  1. be fully accepted into the Master of Education degree program at Cabrini University
  2. have at least a 3.25 cumulative grade point average and/or maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.25 while attending Cabrini
  3. file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
  4. complete the initial and subsequent counseling prior to signing the Agreement to Serve
  5. sign the Agreement to Serve for each year of TEACH-Grant eligibility 

To learn more about the benefits of the TEACH Grant, please contact the Office of Financial Aid at 610.902.8422.

Catholic School Teacher Discount

Cabrini University offers a 20% discount for full-time teachers in any of Pennsylvania’s Catholic schools. This discount is only available to students pursuing a Master of Education and/or teacher certifications.

To be eligible for the discount, students must submit proof of their status as an active teacher by submitting the Religious Discount Form. *(This discount does not apply to Doctoral programs).

 

Graduate-Level Scholarships and Grants

Students at the graduate level have unique needs and unique opportunities.

The Financial Aid Office can connect graduate students with available graduate-level scholarships and grants, as well as additional resources that can be searched for available opportunities.

Graduate Federal Financial Aid

Federal loans are available to students pursuing any of Cabrini University’s graduate degrees.

These loans are also available for select, standalone teacher certifications but not all.

Teachers can also explore our TEACH Grant program, listed in our section on Graduate Grants and Discounts

Standalone teacher certifications covered by federal loans:

  • PreK–Grade 4
  • Secondary Education

Federal loans are not available for students pursuing standalone certification (not part of a larger Master of Education program) in the following:

  • ESL
  • Special Education
  • Reading Specialist
  • Principal/Admin I

If you are enrolling in any master’s program, you are eligible for $20,500 annually in federal aid. Many times, this covers the annual cost of a Cabrini graduate program. Our staff can also work with you to develop a payment plan.

Please note that there is a fixed interest rate on all loans and an origination fee deducted from the total loan amount borrowed each term. For current interest rates & fee amounts, students can visit https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/types/loans/interest-rates

Of those who are eligible for federal aid, nearly all can qualify for loans except those with a previous loan default or those already borrowing the maximum.

How to Apply for Federal Financial Aid

  1. Create an FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov/npas/index.htm 
  2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov
    Use Cabrini University's code: 003241
  3. Complete a supplemental form to tell us how many credits are you planning to take each term, and how much you wish to borrow in federal student loan funds

Help with the financial aid process is available at the Federal Help Line at 800.433.3243 or the Cabrini Financial Aid Office at 610.902.8188.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I apply for federal loans as a graduate student?

Below is a simple step-by-step on applying for federal financial aid.

  1. Create an FSA ID (if you don’t already have one) at fsaid.ed.gov

  2. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at fafsa.ed.gov.
    The average time for the application is 30 minutes. 

    Use Cabrini University’s code: 003241

  3. Cabrini will receive your FAFSA automatically and then email you with information about brief supplemental forms. 

  4. Return the supplemental form to Cabrini as soon as possible.

Help with the financial aid process is available at the Federal Help Line at 1.800.433.3243 or the Cavalier Express Center at 610.902.8188.

I'm only pursuing a Pennsylvania teacher certification. Do I qualify for federal financial aid?

It depends on the certification. Federal loans are not available for students pursuing certification in special education, reading specialist, or principal/admin I without the Master of Education.

Is there a minimum credit requirement for receiving federal loans?

Yes. Students must take a minimum of six (6) credits each semester (spring, fall) and a total of six (6) credits in the summer to qualify for federal financial aid.

Is there any non-federal financial assistance available to graduate students?

Yes. Cabrini offers graduate assistantships to help with the cost of graduate school, and we partner with various organizations to offer discounted tuition.