STEP Students

Stanford Teacher Education Program (STEP) students may apply for aid bridging the two academic years: Summer Quarter which is part of the 2024–2025 academic year, and Autumn/Winter/Spring Quarters 2025–2026. Applicants will be considered for federal, institutional and/or private loans through the University’s Financial Aid Office (FAO).

In addition to the standard federal loans for which most graduate students qualify, STEP students may qualify for either the Dorothy Durfee Avery Forgivable Loan or GSE Forgivable Loan. This may be combined with a federal TEACH Grant, Cal Grant and/or Golden State Teacher Grant based on eligibility.

The combination of all resources available, including federal and private loans, Cal Grants, TEACH Grants, Golden State Teacher Grants, STEP Fellowship funds and outside fellowship funds, may not exceed the individual student cost of attendance for the program.

Costs

Use this Budget Sheetas a tool to create your personal budget and make your decision about how much to borrow. The information below is provided to illustrate a typical STEP student’s costs and resources. The cost of attendance figures are based on the parameters for a STEP student entering the program in Summer 2025.

STEP Cost of Attendance
 
2024-2025
2025-2026
Budget Items On-Campus Summer A/W/S Quarters
Living Expenses (rent/food/personal) 10,195 35,625
Transportation* 1,950 6,090
Books and Supplies 180 555
Cardinal Care Health Insurance** 1,905 8,232
Campus Health Services Fee 261 813
Testing Fees 0 396
Tuition 9,268*** 48,720
Total Costs $23,759 $100,431

*The transportation allowance for STEP students is higher than for other graduate students in recognition of the travel expenses related to student teaching.

**Cardinal Care is an annual plan (coverage extends through the summer regardless of your enrollment status). The annual cost is captured in Autumn, Winter and Spring charges. See the Vaden website for details.

***Summer tuition is based on 7 units of enrollment. International students are required to enroll in 8 units during the summer quarter, which increases the cost of summer tuition. Tuition rates can be found on the Student Financial Services website.

 

Sample Financial Aid Package for STEP
 
2024-2025
2025-2026
Type of Fund Summer A/W/S Quarters
STEP Fellowship* 500 1,500
Avery or GSE Forgivable Loan - 40,000
Federal TEACH Grant/Loan 943 3,772
Federal Direct Unsubsidized Loan 20,500 20,500
Federal Direct Graduate PLUS Loan 1,816 34,659
Total Financial Support $23,759 $100,431
*Fellowship offers are made by the Stanford Graduate School of Education (GSE) at the time of admission.
This example is for illustration purposes only.
Updated on March 27, 2025 12:50 PM