Federal Direct PLUS Loan – The PLUS loan is a low-interest loan for parents or guardians of dependent students. Eligibility is not based on demonstrated financial need. If you reply incorrectly, you will not be allowed to log in and will need to send an email with your full name and student ID to registrar@rice.edu for verification. Please send an email from your Rice email address with your full name and student ID to verify and request a PIN reset on registrar@rice.edu. If you`ve already successfully logged in but can`t log in now, enter your username and click the “Forgot your PIN?” button. The security question created earlier is displayed. Enter the answer. If you answer correctly, you will be prompted to reset your PIN. To help students and parents finance their education, the Financial Aid Office participates in the following programs: Rice offers a deferred payment plan so families can fund students` education costs. This plan divides the fees for each semester into four installments. Details are available to eligible students each semester at the time of billing.
Students arrange a payment deferral through the cash register. Rice`s financial aid programs provide support to meet the demonstrated need for university attendance for all admitted students. Through grants, foundations, low-interest loans, on-campus employment opportunities, or a combination of these programs, Rice strives to help students and families cover their educational expenses. The financial assistance program is funded from many sources. Rice uses contributions from alumni and friends to establish and maintain scholarships and loan funds. Federal and state grants, labor programs, and loans also provide funding. Scholarships are mainly based on financial need and a calculated expected family contribution (CFE), although there are also attractive credit opportunities for students and families who do not need them. Information on the grant is also available online on the Financial Aid Office website. The university determines the need for high school students by completing the FAFSA and PROFILE. Additional documents can be requested from the Financial Assistance Office and uploaded via ESTHER.
Satisfactory academic progress includes three areas required by federal regulation. A student must complete their degree within a specified time frame that does not exceed 150% of the published duration of the program, demonstrate progress toward graduation by successfully completing 67% of all courses attempted, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 1.67 consistent with meeting degree requirements. This rule applies to any applicant, whether or not it is a former beneficiary. Various scholarships and need-based grants are awarded to support students with identified needs. Grants based on institutional needs (e.g. rice investment grant, rice subsidy, etc.) may be partially or fully exchanged for endowed or designated fellowships. Grants are awarded during the academic year in two equal disbursements (fall and spring semesters) and will be paid into the student`s account once all requirements are met. Scheduled payments will be credited one week prior to the start of each semester or after the completion of grant requirements, whichever is later. Missing applications can be checked from the Grant tab in Esther. For more information on withdrawals, visit the Financial Aid Office website.
The necessary help is available to international students and is decided on a case-by-case basis. If the student has indicated on the application that needs-based assistance is required, the student must submit a request for needs-based assistance to the Financial Aid Office, and the Financial Aid Office will determine if there is a demonstrated need. Eligible students must reapply each year by submitting a CSS profile. International students who do not receive needs-based assistance in the first year will not be able to apply for Rice`s needs-based assistance in subsequent years. Texas residents may be eligible for a Texas Equalization Grant (TEG). Renewal requirements for the TEG include a 75% completion rate, a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and completion of at least 24 credit hours per academic year. If a student encounters difficulties that have prevented him or her from meeting some or all of these standards, an application for a TEG for the difficulties may be submitted. For more information, please contact the Financial Aid Office.
Students who receive federal funding through their assistance programs and who do not complete the academic semester may return a portion of these funds. Contact the Financial Aid Office for information on “Return of Title IV Funds” policies and procedures. Your username in ESTHER is your student number. Please note that in ESTHER, your student ID (S12345678) is case sensitive and the letters S are followed by eight numeric characters. A summary list of student information is available from the Financial Aid Office. Students can apply for Rice-sponsored and federal, state/private aid during the first eight semesters. For transferred students, the number of semesters depends proportionally on the number of hours transferred. If a student is enrolled for more than eight semesters, the student may apply for federal/state/private aid for two additional semesters. (Architecture students can apply for Rice-sponsored support for two semesters after their internship to complete the BArch.) If a student attends part-time for a semester or retires during a semester, the semester will count towards the number of semester scholarships available. Starting in the 2022 summer semester, Rice students who receive needs-based support during the academic year will be eligible for financial aid for Rice Summer School work. Summer aid is limited to two summer semesters, while a student at Rice receives a maximum of nine credit hours per semester.
