The Office of Student Financial Aid provides a variety of services to help students finance their education; including, financial aid advising, exploring funding resources, and financial assistance. Student financial aid awards may consist of grants, scholarships, work-study, and loans. Awards are based primarily on financial need, although there are some alternative financial aid sources available for those who may not qualify for need-based financial assistance.
The Office has a comprehensive listing of various scholarship opportunities for students to research on the Office of Student Financial Aid's website. Students are encouraged to review the scholarship information often due to the listings being updated continuously and apply early in order to meet deadlines.
The Office is open 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Financial Aid Counselors are available daily by phone, e-mail or personal appointment. Students can also receive financial aid services through the Mason Student Services Center (MSSC).
Each year, to apply for financial aid, both new and currently enrolled students must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). George Mason University's Federal Title IV school code for the FAFSA is 003749. Priority consideration of limited State and Institutional grant funds is given to undergraduate students whose financial aid applications and all required verification documents are on file with the Office of Student Financial Aid by:
March 1 (for new freshmen and returning students). To meet this priority filing date, students should file the FAFSA as soon as possible, after the application is made available (e.g. October 2025 for the 26-27 academic year). The FAFSA is filed online.
March 15 (Transfer students entering fall)
September 1 (Verification document submission deadline)
November 1 (Transfer students entering spring)
Financial aid for summer is generally limited to students who have remaining Federal Loan eligibility for the year, or who are eligible for Federal Pell Grant. Summer is considered a "trailer" term at the university. Contact the Office of Student Financial Aid for specifics regarding eligibility and availability of aid.
Financial Aid Programs
The University administers the following federal, state, and other aid programs:
Federal Programs
These include the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), Federal Subsidized Direct Loans, Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loans, Federal PLUS Loans for parents of dependent students and Federal Grad PLUS Loans for returning Graduate students. For more information, go to the Office of Student Financial Aid home page.
State Financial Aid Programs for Undergraduate Virginia Residents
Eligibility for all state programs is determined based on the student's FAFSA and financial need. State grant funds are limited, so adherence to the March 1 priority filing date is critical.
Virginia Commonwealth Award
The Virginia Commonwealth Award is a state-funded grant that provides assistance to undergraduate Virginia residents. A minimum enrollment of six credit hours is required each semester in order to receive the VA Commonwealth Award. Students need at least a 2.0 GPA. Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to receive a Virginia Commonwealth Award. Students may only receive one State Grant at a time, with the exception of the Virginia Two-Year College Transfer Grant.
Funds are limited and will be awarded until the fund is depleted. Therefore, renewal of state grant funds is not guaranteed. Students should complete their FAFSA and submit any required documents well before the published deadline in order to maximize likelihood of receiving the grant.
Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP)
This program is a component of the Virginia Commonwealth Award Program that is open to students who have demonstrated academic achievement in high school and have graduated from a Virginia high school.
To be eligible for the VGAP award at George Mason, a student must:
- Be classified as a first-time freshman or have participated in VGAP during the prior academic year
- Be admitted for enrollment in an undergraduate degree program at George Mason
- Be enrolled as full-time student every semester in an approved degree or certificate program
- Be a domiciliary resident of Virginia
- Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen
- Demonstrate significant financial need as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
- Graduate from a Virginia high school or complete a program of home school instruction in accordance with § 22.1-254.1 (students who obtain a GED are not eligible)
- Have at least a 2.5 cumulative grade point average on a 4.0 scale or its equivalent at the time of admission or according to final high school academic transcript
- If a home school completer: achieve a SAT verbal and math combined score of at least 980 or ACT Composite score of at least 19
- Be classified as a dependent student for federal financial aid purposes (Note: Beginning fall 2018, entering independent freshmen will also be considered for VGAP)
- Awards may be renewed provided that the student meet the eligibility requirements stated above AND
- Maintain continuous full-time enrollment
- Progress to the next grade level each year
- Be in compliance with federal Selective Service registration requirements; and
- Undergraduate students must submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by March 1 (or March 15 for transfer students) and all other required documents by March 1.
Renewal
Awards may be renewed for up to three additional years provided that the student:
- Maintains continuous full-time enrollment;
- Maintains domiciliary residency in Virginia;
- Demonstrates continued financial need;
- Maintains a college grade point average of at least 2.0 on a 4.0 scale, or its equivalent;
- Maintains the satisfactory academic progress standards of the institution for federal student aid programs; and
- Has advanced class levels upon completion of each year of award received (VGAP is restricted to no more than one year - 12 months - per class level - FR, SO, JR, SR).
Students may only receive one State Grant at a time, with the exception of the Virginia Two-Year College Transfer Grant. Students who have completed a bachelor’s degree are not eligible to receive a VGAP Award.
Funds are limited and will be awarded until the fund is depleted. Therefore, renewal of state grant funds is not guaranteed. Students should complete their FAFSA and submit any required documents well before the published deadline in order to maximize likelihood of receiving the grant.
Graduate Student Assistance
Assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships exclusive of the federal financial aid programs identified earlier are administered by the individual graduate programs. Students interested in pursuing graduate assistantships, fellowships, or scholarships should contact their graduate program directly.
All financial aid recipients are responsible for becoming familiar and complying with applicable federal and state regulations, and university policies.
All students receiving financial aid must be enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program; maintain satisfactory academic progress (SAP) as defined by the Office of Student Financial Aid in accordance with federal guidelines (see below); be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen as defined by the U.S. Department of Education and all male students must be registered with Selective Service.
Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Standards
Federal legislation governing the administration of federal programs requires colleges and universities to define and enforce standards of academic progress for students receiving or applying for financial aid. To comply with this legislation, the Office of Student Financial Aid has established a formal satisfactory academic progress policy. For detailed information, go to the Office of Student Financial Aid home page or contact the Office of Student Financial Aid directly.
Return of Title IV Funds
The Office of Student Financial Aid is required by federal law to re-calculate federal financial aid eligibility for students who completely withdraw from all classes, drop out, are dismissed, or take a leave of absence prior to completing a payment period or term. According to the regulations, the amount of Federal Title IV awarded to a student must be re-calculated in these situations and any portion of the financial aid received that is considered to be "unearned" must be returned to the Title IV Program(s) from which it was received. Any student considering dropping or withdrawing from all courses, should contact their assigned Financial Aid Counselor immediately regarding possible adjustments to their financial aid.
Emergency Loan Programs
George Mason University has established an emergency loan account funded by the Gerson Trust.
This emergency loan is designed for enrolled students that encounter unexpected emergencies and is not meant to pay for tuition and fees. This is a short-term, interest free loan and students may borrow up to $1000. Repayment is due in 90 days. Applications may be obtained from the Office of Student Financial Aid.
Certificate Programs that Qualify for Financial Aid (Gainful Employment)
The qualifying undergraduate certificate programs include:
- Accounting Undergraduate Certificate
- Food and Beverage Management Undergraduate Certificate
- Health Practice Management Undergraduate Certificate
The qualifying graduate certificate programs include:
- Accounting Analytics Graduate Certificate
- Add on Endorsement in Special Education- General Curriculum Graduate Certificate
- Advanced Biomedical Sciences Graduate Certificate
- Applied Behavior Analysis Graduate Certificate
- Art Education Licensure Graduate Certificate
- Artist Graduate Certificate
- Assistive Technology Graduate Certificate
- Autism Spectrum Disorders Graduate Certificate
- Biodefense Graduate Certificate
- Blindness and Visual Impairments PK-12 Licensure Graduate Certificate
- Business Analytics Graduate Certificate
- Business Fundamentals Graduate Certificate
- Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Certificate
- College Teaching Graduate Certificate
- Computing Foundations Graduate Certificate
- Conflict Analysis and Resolution Graduate Certificate
- Contemporary Dispute Resolution Graduate Certificate
- Counseling Graduate Certificate
- Critical Studies in Education Graduate Certificate
- Data Analytics Graduate Certificate
- Data Science Graduate Certificate
- Early Childhood Education PK-3 Graduate Certificate
- Early Childhood Special Education Graduate Certificate
- Education Assessment, Evaluation, and Data Literacy Graduate Certificate
- Education Leadership Graduate Certificate
- Education Policy Graduate Certificate
- Emergency Management and Homeland Security Graduate Certificate
- Environmental and Sustainability Management Graduate Certificate
- Federal Statistical Systems Graduate Certificate
- Foreign Language Licensure Graduate Certificate
- Forensics Graduate Certificate
- Geospatial Intelligence Graduate Certificate
- Gifted Education Graduate Certificate
- Global Economic Policy Graduate Certificate
- Graphic Design Graduate Certificate
- Health Informatics and Data Analytics Graduate Certificate
- Healthcare Quality Graduate Certificate
- Higher Education Administration Graduate Certificate
- Human Capital and Human Resource Management Graduate Certificate
- Information Security Management Graduate Certificate
- International Baccalaureate (IB) in Teaching and Learning Graduate Certificate
- International School Leadership Practice Graduate Certificate
- Learning Technologies: E-Learning Graduate Certificate
- Linguistics: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Graduate Certificate
- Literacy and Reading Instruction Graduate Certificate
- Literature and Composition Graduate Certificate
- Mass Atrocity and Genocide Prevention Graduate Certificate
- Music Education Licensure PK-12 Graduate Certificate
- Nonprofit Management Graduate Certificate
- Nutrition Graduate Certificate
- Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Graduate Certificate
- Public Health Graduate Certificate
- Publishing Practice Graduate Certificate
- Research Methods Graduate Certificate
- Responsible for Artificial Intelligence Graduate Certificate
- School Psychology Graduate Certificate
- Science Communication Graduate Certificate
- Science Policy Graduate Certificate
- Secondary Education Licensure
- Spanish Heritage Language Education
- Specialized Reading Instruction for Student with Special Learning Disabilities Graduate Certificate
- Sport Coaching Graduate Certificate
- Sports Management Graduate Certificate
- Tactical Athlete Strength, Conditioning, and Injury Prevention Graduate Certificate
- Teaching English as a Second Language Graduate Certificate
- Teaching Theatre PK-12 Graduate Certificate