Eligibility for federal financial aid is limited to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens. International students are not eligible for federal student aid, but may review private education loan options and other funding resources.

If you begin the Introduction to Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine course on June 15, 2026, and your federal loans are disbursed to your Rowan student billing account before July 1, 2026, you may be considered a legacy student for federal loan purposes.

This means you may be eligible for the current federal graduate/professional loan structure, which may include the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan and the Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, if you meet all federal eligibility requirements.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is offered by the federal government and does not require a credit check. Students must complete the FAFSA to be reviewed for this loan. Interest begins accruing when the loan is disbursed to the university. Learn more.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan fixed interest rate is 8.07%. The maximum amount a student may borrow will depend on federal loan limits, the SSVM cost of attendance, enrollment, prior borrowing, and other aid received.

Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan
If your Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, scholarships, personal resources, or other aid do not cover your full cost of attendance, you may apply for a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan at studentaid.gov.

The Graduate PLUS Loan is a federal student loan available to graduate and professional students to help cover educational expenses not met by other financial aid. Eligibility is based on a credit check, although the credit requirements are generally less strict than private education loans.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, the Graduate PLUS Loan fixed interest rate is 9.07%.

Private Education Loan
A private education loan is money borrowed from a bank, credit union, or private lender to help pay for educational expenses when federal financial aid is not enough. Unlike federal student loans, private loans are based on credit history, so some students may need a cosigner to qualify or receive a lower interest rate. Terms, repayment options, interest rates, borrower protections, and cosigner requirements vary by lender. Students should compare options via ELM Select carefully before borrowing.

Important Reminder
Federal loans must be repaid with interest. Before borrowing, students should review their financial aid offer, billing statement, and SSVM Budget Worksheet. Borrow only what you need.

Recommended next steps for June 15 students:

• Complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov
• Review your Rowan University financial aid award offer 
• If borrowing federal loans, complete Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note 
• Apply for the Graduate PLUS Loan or a Private Education Loan if additional funding is needed
• Complete the SSVM Budget Worksheet
• Review your billing statement once available
• Enroll in e-Refunds through Rowan Self-Service Banner
• Monitor your Rowan email and Banner Self-Service for outstanding requirements

💡 Tip: Start building and maintaining good credit now so you have access to the best private education loan options if you need them. If you may need a private education loan, we recommend beginning your research early and applying once your financial aid offer and estimated costs are available.

Eligibility for federal financial aid is limited to U.S. citizens and eligible non-citizens. 

Students who begin the DVM program on August 31, 2026 will be considered new borrowers under the federal loan rules beginning July 1, 2026.

Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan
Students may borrow up to $50,000 for the academic year by completing the FAFSA, if eligible. The Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan is offered by the federal government and does not require a credit check.

For the 2026–2027 academic year, the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan fixed interest rate is 8.07%.

Your actual loan eligibility may depend on your cost of attendance, enrollment, prior federal loan borrowing, and any other financial aid you receive. Learn more.

Graduate PLUS Loan
Students beginning on August 31, 2026 are considered new borrowers under the federal loan rules beginning July 1, 2026. As a result, the Federal Graduate PLUS Loan is not available to students beginning the DVM program on August 31, 2026.

If your Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, scholarships, personal resources, or other aid do not cover all of your costs, you may apply for a private education loan through a bank, credit union, or other private lender.

Private Education Loan
A private education loan is money borrowed from a bank, credit union, or private lender to help pay for educational expenses when federal financial aid is not enough. Unlike federal student loans, private loans are based on credit history, so some students may need a cosigner to qualify or receive a lower interest rate.

Terms, repayment options, interest rates, borrower protections, and cosigner requirements vary by lender. Students should compare options carefully before borrowing. Students should compare options via ELM Select carefully before borrowing.

💡 Tip: Start building and maintaining good credit now so you have access to the best private education loan options if you need them. We recommend researching private education loan options early and applying once your financial aid offer and estimated costs are available.

Recommended next steps for August 31 students:

• Complete the FAFSA at studentaid.gov
• Review your Rowan financial aid offer
• If borrowing federal loans, complete Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Note 
• Complete the SSVM Budget Worksheet
• Review your billing statement once available
• Enroll in e-refund through Rowan Self-Service Banner
• Research private education loan options, if additional funding is needed
• Monitor your Rowan email and Banner Self-Service for outstanding requirements

Important Reminder
Loans must be repaid with interest. Before borrowing, students should review their financial aid offer, billing statement, and SSVM Budget Worksheet. Borrow only what you need.

Yes. Prior federal student loan borrowing may affect how much federal aid you can borrow for veterinary school.

Federal student loans have aggregate loan limits, which means there is a maximum amount you may borrow over your lifetime. These limits include federal loans you borrowed for undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs.

If you begin the DVM program through the Introduction to Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine course on June 15, 2026 and receive a federal loan disbursement before July 1, 2026, you may be reviewed under the legacy federal loan rules.

Under the legacy provisions, eligible professional students may continue to access the current federal graduate/professional loan structure for a limited period. This may include:

• Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, subject to the applicable aggregate loan limit

• Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan, if additional funding is needed up to the cost of attendance

Legacy eligibility may continue for up to three additional academic years or until the student’s expected program completion date, whichever comes first, as long as the student continues to meet federal eligibility requirements and remains continuously enrolled.

Students who begin on or after July 1, 2026 are generally reviewed under the new federal loan rules. Under those rules, professional students may borrow up to $50,000 per academic year, with a $200,000 aggregate federal loan limit across graduate and professional programs. The total lifetime federal loan limit, including undergraduate borrowing, is $257,500.

Beginning with the 2029–2030 academic year, the legacy exception is expected to expire for students who began under the June 2026 legacy pathway. At that point, students may be subject to the new federal borrowing limits. If federal loan eligibility is not enough to cover the full cost of attendance, students may need to consider scholarships, personal resources, payment plans, or private education loans.

💡 Tip: Review your federal loan history at studentaid.gov before borrowing for veterinary school. This will help you understand how much you have already borrowed and how much federal loan eligibility may remain. If you reach your maximum federal aggregate loan limit before completing the DVM program, private education loans may be the only additional credit-based borrowing option available.

Incoming DVM students who meet federal eligibility requirements may be offered a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford Loan after completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

For 2026–2027, new borrowers will be subject to new federal loan limits. If federal aid does not cover your full cost of attendance, you may need to explore private education loans, external scholarships, or other payment options.

DVM students are graduate/professional students and are generally considered independent for federal aid. Parent information is usually not required on the FAFSA, even if you are claimed on a parent’s tax return. Students are considered independent because they are enrolled in a graduate/professional program, not simply because they earned a bachelor’s degree. For more information, review Federal Student Aid’s dependency status resource: StudentAid.gov/dependency.

You may consider private education loans, external scholarships, personal savings, family support, deferred payment plans, or other resources.

Private education loans are credit-based and may require a cosigner.

Do not rush into applying for private loans!

Review all resources first: the Financial Aid Webinar, your Financial Aid Offer Letter, and the Budget Worksheet.

Once semester bills are released by The Bursar's Office, apply only for the amount needed for the full academic year. Your annual loan amount will be split between the Fall and Spring semesters. Notify the Financial Aid Office of any loan disbursement adjustments needed.

Loan disbursement dates will be posted under “Announcements & Dates to Remember” once the Cost of Attendance is published. All student loans are sent from the lender directly to Rowan University and applied to your Bursar bill first.

If your financial aid is more than your charges, the remaining funds will be issued as a refund.

A negative balance on your billing statement means a refund is pending. Sign up for E-refunds to receive refunds faster.

Refunds may vary by semester because some charges are only billed in the Fall.

For example, health insurance is only billed in the Fall semester. Your tuition deposit is also applied to the Fall bill as a payment. Use the budget worksheet to plan your expenses accordingly. 

Yes. All students are required to have health insurance to attend. Rowan University automatically enrolls eligible students into the school-sponsored Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) each Fall semester. Learn more. 

If you already have qualifying coverage, you must complete the health insurance waiver process to remove the university health insurance charge.

Yes. Students may apply for external scholarships. Rowan University Foundation scholarships may also become available after matriculation.

Scholarships may reduce loan eligibility if your total aid exceeds your cost of attendance.

Students who are classified as out-of-state but believe they meet New Jersey residency requirements may request a residency review.

To apply, complete the SSVM Domicile Verification Form and submit the required supporting documentation.

For questions about residency classification at Shreiber School of Veterinary Medicine, contact the Registrar’s Office at obrienmi@rowan.edu. 

Students using military or veterans education benefits should contact Rowan University’s Military Services Office as early as possible. Military Services assists veterans, active-duty service members, reservists, National Guard members, and eligible dependents with education benefits and required certification steps.

New students should complete the Military Services onboarding for the benefit they plan to use and provide any required documentation, such as a Certificate of Eligibility from the Department of Veterans Affairs, if applicable. 

Military Services Office Contact Information
Location: Savitz Hall, Room 237
Email: militaryserviceoffice@rowan.edu
Phone: 856-256-4233

If you add, drop, withdraw from, or stop attending a course, contact Military Services right away. Enrollment changes may affect your benefits and could create a balance owed to the VA or Rowan.