Grants and Loans for Pharm.D. Professional Students

There is one potential federal loan program available to graduate and professional students. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if they wish to receive any federal loan and grant monies.

Students may apply for financial aid at any time while enrolled in college; however, we encourage students to complete the FAFSA by the priority deadline. The 2024-25 priority deadline is April 15, 2024. Please refer to the UH FAFSA Changes webpage for more information on the 2024-25 FAFSA.

Direct Unsubsidized Loan

The purpose of the Direct Loan Program is to provide low interest education loans that enable a student to pay the cost of attendance at a public or private, non-profit college of university. Direct unsubsidized loans are available at 6.54% interest for 2022-2023.

• Maximum loan amount per academic year, including summer, is $37,167.
• There is a 6-month grace period from the time the student graduates, withdraws from the University, or drops below half-time enrollment before they must begin to repay the loan.
• Aggregate loan limits for Pharm.D. students total $224,000.
• There is a 1.068% origination fee for the Direct unsubsidized loan.

Texas Public Education Grant (TPEG)

A grant is a need-based award that does not need to be repaid. Grants are almost exclusively awarded on financial need. The following grants are awarded on a first come first serve basis. Maximum grant amounts vary by year and require that students enroll in at least nine hours.

• Graduate Institutional Grants is an institutional grant awarded to Texas residents who demonstrate need and merit and meet the priority deadline of January 15. The award range will vary depending on allocation of funds on an annual basis.
• Texas Public Education Grants (TPEG) is a program administered by the state of Texas to provide assistance to students with financial need, seeking either a first bachelor's, graduate or professional degree. It is available for Texas residents and nonresidents who meet the priority deadline of January 15.

** Per federal regulations, Pell Grants are not available for professional students.

Alternative Loans

Private/Alternative loans are available to students who have a cost of education that is not met by the usual financial aid sources. Because the application for private/alternative loans includes a credit check and debt-to-income factors, a creditworthy co-signer may be required.

Each individual lender determines the fees for their private loans. Interest is variable and usually changes quarterly. Each lender will offer a slightly different program, so prospective borrowers are encouraged to conduct thorough research into choosing a lender. You may contact the financial aid advisor for more information on private loan lenders.

Payment Deferment Plans

Emergency Deferment: This plan defers the payment of all the current semester’s tuition and mandatory fees (non-housing students). For more information, visit the UH Cost & Financial Aid site. 

Short Term Deferment:This plan defers the payment of all the current semester’s tuition and fees (housing students only). For more information, visit the UH Cost & Financial Aid site.

Installment deferment: This plan requires ¼ (one-quarter) of the fee bill to be paid by the semester’s payment due date followed by 3 additional scheduled payments. For more information, visit the UH Cost & Financial Aid Site. 

Book Loans: This plan, found on the optional fee page, provides students with a short term book loan to assist in buying books. For more information, visit the UH Cost & Financial Aid site.

Loans for other emergency expenses are available to students only through the University's Dean of Students Office.