Understanding Your Aid Offer 

During the academic year, financial aid is disbursed to your student account as a fall payment and a spring payment; disbursements are credited the week prior to the start of each term. We encourage you to log on to your ESTHER account using your user name and pin supplied by the Office of the Registrar. This will be our main communication channel to inform you of your financial aid status, financial aid offer, charges and payments for tuition, course schedule, grades and much more. Below are various types of aid that may appear in your financial aid award. This will enable you to have a better understanding of your Financial Aid Offer.

Rice Merit Aid: These scholarship funds are awarded to academically outstanding students. When applying for admissions to Rice, you are automatically considered for these awards by the Admissions Office. For more information, please visit Merit Scholarships.

Rice Tuition Grant: These funds are given to students who have remaining financial need-based eligibility after the awards mentioned below have been awarded. Rice ensures that a student's unmeet financial need is entirely covered through various financial aid types. To be eligible you must apply for financial aid. For more information, please visit http://financialaid.rice.edu.

Outside Scholarships: It's crucial for Rice to know what outside scholarships that you expect to receive. These scholarships are first used to replace self-help aid, such as loans and work study. Subsequently, these may replace a portion of any need-based institutional funds provided by Rice. Should the Office of Financial Aid become aware of outside scholarships not reported by a student, we will lower the student's institutional funds by the same amount. For more information, please visit Outside Awards. *To report any outside resources, please visit ESTHER under the following tabs Financial Aid/Award Status/Award for Aid Year/Resources & Additional Information.*

Federal or State Grants: The Pell Grant and the Texas Equalization Grant are grants not scholarships, that are provided by the federal government based on your demonstrated financial need analysis. To be eligible you must apply for financial aid. For more information, please visit Federal and State Grants.

Federal Work Study: Rice awards a maximum of $2500 in Federal Work Study or Rice Work to students who choose to work while attending school. It is the student’s responsibility to find employment on campus. To be eligible you must apply for financial aid. For more information, please visit Student Employment.

Direct Subsidized/Unsubsidized Loans: All students are eligible for Direct Loans regardless of need. Rice covers the rest of your financial need through institutional funds so that you graduate with less debt. If you were not awarded a direct loan and are interested in receiving one, please visit Federal Direct Loans.

Perkins Loans: This loan is awarded to students with high financial need. Funding is limited and loans are available on a first come, first served basis. To be eligible you must apply for financial aid. Log on to http://www.ecsi.net/prom24 to sign your Master Promissory Note (MPN). 

Rice University offers other loan options to assist you and your family with your educational expenses. Not all of these loans are based on financial need and can be used to replace a portion or all of your expected family contribution (EFC). If you are interested in applying for loans, please visit Federal Direct Loans and Private Loans.  If you are a Texas Resident, then you may want to review the options under Texas State Loans.