MSDS Tuition, Scholarship and Financial Aid

• Institutional merit-based scholarship (residential programs only)
  • A separate application for merit-based scholarship consideration is not needed, and the admission committee automatically considers all admitted candidates (domestic and international) to the residential MSDS and MS in Bioinformatics programs for merit scholarship awards. Scholarships typically range around $10,000.  Full funding is not offered; if you are looking for a fully funded program, please apply to the PhD program.
• Private or outside scholarship
  • We encourage students to research and pursue scholarship opportunities to assist with funding their education. Learn more about national scholarship search services and information on private scholarship processing.

*Loan information on this page is for the 2025-26 academic year. As of July 1, 2026, federal loan terms and eligibility will change for new borrowers or students beginning new degree programs. Once the Department of Education has set the new policies and regulations, this page will be updated.*

The Federal Unsubsidized Direct Loan is offered to assist you with postsecondary educational expenses and is made directly to the student who is responsible for repayment. Interest accrues and must be paid by the borrower or is capitalized during periods of in-school enrollment, grace, and/or deferment. The interest rate for this loan will be fixed at 7.94% for the 25-26 academic year.

You must meet federal eligibility criteria to qualify for the Unsubsidized Loan. Financial eligibility is determined by a federally legislated analysis of family financial information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You must file the FAFSA and use Boston University’s School Code (002130) to apply for the Unsubsidized Direct Loan.

• Who is eligible to apply?
  • You are eligible to participate in the Federal Unsubsidized Direct Program if you:
    • are a US citizen or permanent resident
    • are enrolled in a degree program
    • register for at least six credits which are accepted towards the degree program
    • demonstrate financial eligibility as determined by federal regulations
    • do not have an outstanding balance from a prior period of enrollment at Boston University
    • make satisfactory academic progress

• How much can I borrow?
  • The maximum annual loan limit for graduate and professional students is $20,500. Your actual eligibility may be less and is determined by how many credits you are enrolled for and other sources of financial aid. The maximum cumulative Federal Stafford Loan borrowing amount is $138,500, including any amount borrowed for undergraduate study.

• How do I apply for the Unsubsidized Loan?

1. Complete the FAFSA using your (the student's, and where applicable spouse's) information. Include BU's school code 002130. You may be required to submit additional documentation to support your FAFSA submission (step 5).
2. Update your SSN in MyBU Student so that your FAFSA will load into our system. Without an SSN on file, your FAFSA will not be uploaded and we will not be aware you completed it! After logging in to MyBU Student, go to My Profile > Select General Information from the drop down menu > enter your SSN in the relevant field.
3. Complete Direct Loan Entrance Counseling. This is required if you are a first-time borrower; federal loan funds will not be disbursed until this requirement is completed.
4. Complete a Master Promissory Note (MPN) for each type of federal loan you will be borrowing. This is required if you are a first-time borrower or if you have not borrowed a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan within the last five years.
5. Complete any additional steps as indicated. You will be notified following receipt of your FAFSA if any other steps will be necessary, including if additional documentation is needed to resolve any FAFSA issues.
6. Accept your loan on the MyBU Student Portal. You will receive an email notification (to your BU email address) when your loan aid is posted, allowing you to accept all or a specific amount of the loan on the MyBU Student Portal in the Financials > View Financial Aid section.

• When will the loan funds be available and how will I receive them?
  • Loans can be disbursed in up to two installments. The amount that will be disbursed will be less the origination fee that the federal government subtracts from the loan to pay for guaranteeing and processing the loan.
  • Any credit balance in your account that remains once your University bill has been settled is available to you through a refund that can be direct deposited to your bank account. The earliest that the University can release refunds is on the first day of classes for the semester/term. To set up your account information ahead of any refunds:
    • Log into the MyBU Student Portal
    • Go to Financials > Student Account Balance Due
    • Select the link for Nelnet Payment & Payment Plans
    • You will now be in the Nelnet portal, where you can access the "Manage Refunds" section
    • Go to the Student Choice Refund portal, where you can set up your banking information
  • You must also request your refund be issued by Student Accounting Services. The Refund Request Form can be found here.

• Where can I find loan repayment information for federal loans?
  • Find the complete listing of loan servicers and their contact information. You can also find your loan servicer’s contact information on the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS).

If you are a U.S. citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident, we advise first considering borrowing a Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan, as the interest rates for credit-based loans tend to be higher. If you need to borrow additional funding to help cover educational costs, we advise choosing one of the two credit-based loan options: either a Federal Graduate PLUS Loan or a private education loan (from the lender of your choice), to help simplify repayment in the future.

*Loan information on this page is for the 2025-26 academic year. As of July 1, 2026, federal loan terms and eligibility will change for new borrowers or students beginning new degree programs. Once the Department of Education has set the new policies and regulations, this page will be updated.*

The Federal Graduate PLUS Loan is applied for by the student borrower initially on their own, without a co-signer. The credit check, conducted by the U. S. Department of Education, reviews a student for any "adverse credit history"; a specific credit score or lengthy credit history are not required. Students who are unable to meet the credit criteria may be able to borrow this loan with a creditworthy co-signer. Like the Unsub Loan, interest accrues and must be paid by the borrower or is capitalized during periods of in-school enrollment, grace, and/or deferment. The interest rate for this loan will be fixed at 8.94% for the 25-26 academic year.

• Who is eligible to apply?
  • You are eligible to participate in the Federal Graduate PLUS Program if you:
    • are a US citizen or permanent resident
    • are enrolled in a degree program
    • register for at least six credits which are accepted towards the degree program
    • demonstrate financial eligibility as determined by federal regulations
    • do not have an outstanding balance from a prior period of enrollment at Boston University
    • make satisfactory academic progress

• How much can I borrow?
  • The maximum annual loan limit for graduate and professional students is determined by your total cost of attendance budget as determined by BU, less any other aid including scholarships and other loan borrowing. Please be aware!: if you complete the Grad PLUS application and indicate that you want to borrow the "maximum amount available" you will be packaged with a Grad PLUS Loan up to your total cost of attendance budget, after all other aid. If you do not intend to borrow this much, please revise your application to a specific loan amount (factoring in the origination fee to make sure your net disbursement will be correct).

• How do I apply for the Grad PLUS Loan?

1. Make sure you complete steps 1-5 for the Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan as listed above - these same steps will help establish your eligibility for a Grad PLUS Loan. You will not need to complete a second entrance but you will need an MPN that is specific to the Grad PLUS Loan.
2. Complete a Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan application. A credit check will be conducted when you complete this and you'll be immediately notified by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) to confirm your credit approval/denial. When prompted in the application, select: Award Year = 2025-26, School = Boston University, Loan Period = BU All Other 08/2025-06/2026. If you are denied this loan, ED will contact you with the steps to either appeal the decision or obtain an endorser for the loan.
3. Your loan will be processed and applied to your BU account by the central financial aid office (accepting the aid on MyBU is not a necessary step for this loan). If you have any questions about the status of this loan, please contact Nicole Bonito.

• When will the loan funds be available and how will I receive them?
  • Loans can be disbursed in up to two installments. The amount that will be disbursed will be less the origination fee that the federal government subtracts from the loan to pay for guaranteeing and processing the loan.
  • Any credit balance in your account that remains once your University bill has been settled is available to you through a refund that can be direct deposited to your bank account. The earliest that the University can release refunds is on the first day of classes for the semester/term. To set up your account information ahead of any refunds:
    • Log into the MyBU Student Portal
    • Go to Financials > Student Account Balance Due
    • Select the link for Nelnet Payment & Payment Plans
    • You will now be in the Nelnet portal, where you can access the "Manage Refunds" section
    • Go to the Student Choice Refund portal, where you can set up your banking information
  • You must also request your refund be issued by Student Accounting Services. The Refund Request Form can be found here.

• Where can I find loan repayment information for federal loans?
  • Find the complete listing of loan servicers and their contact information. You can also find your loan servicer’s contact information on the National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS).

We encourage you to research and apply for other private loans that suit your lending and educational needs. You are welcome to borrow from any lender of your choice, without penalty. Private loan options will vary from lender to lender in regard to eligibility requirements, interest rates, terms and repayment options. BU suggests using Credible.com to compare credit-based loan information and terms and determine the best fit for your particular circumstances. Credible is a free online loan selection tool that allows you to filter your search to sort on key factors most important to you. With your approval, Credible will pull a soft credit inquiry, which will not affect your credit score but will enable you to compare interest rates you qualify for at multiple lenders.

Many U.S. lenders offer credit-based educational loans to international students if they apply with a credit-worthy U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or eligible non-citizen co-borrower. If you are an international student seeking to borrow without a co-borrower, there will be fewer lenders to choose from, though options are available. We urge you to compare and research credit-based loan information and terms carefully to determine the best fit for your particular circumstance.

You may be eligible for tuition reimbursement through your employer; contact your HR representative for details and terms. If you need to provide a tuition invoice as part of the reimbursement process, you'll be able to access this after you've registered through Student Accounting Services.

Some graduate students use personal savings to help finance their degree and want a flexible way to pay their tuition over a period of time. You can find information on payment deadlines, payment options and payment plans through Student Accounting Services. Please note, international students are eligible to enroll in a payment plan but must have a U.S. bank account at the time of plan enrollment.