Graduate School Scholarship And Grant Resources

While many scholarships tend to be geared toward undergraduates, there are still plenty of scholarships and grants for graduate school. Scholarships and grants are great funding options since they do not need to be paid back, ultimately lowering how much you’ll need to pay out of pocket.

The best part is that it doesn’t just stop at graduate school scholarships and grants. You might be able to pay for grad school with the help of military benefits, work-study, assistantships, fellowships, tuition assistance or student loans.

Pell Grants are a common way to pay for school and are a key reason for filling out the FAFSA, but they are only for undergraduates. Nevertheless, graduate students should fill out the FAFSA to find out what other aid may be available.

8 Types of graduate school financial aid

1. Scholarships

Scholarships come in nearly all shapes and sizes. They’re offered through a wide range of institutions and cover students from all walks of life. Some of the types of graduate school scholarships you might find include the following:

• Area of study: One of the most common types of scholarships is those supporting people who are pursuing a certain career field. These scholarships may only be available through specific institutions. For example, if you are a design student, you may find the design department in the school you are applying to may offer a design or department-wide scholarship.  
• Ethnicity: Certain scholarships are meant to help minorities achieve their dreams. For instance, the CBC Spouses Visual Arts Scholarship helps Black students who want to pursue the visual arts. 
• School scholarships: You may be able to apply for scholarships directly through school. For instance, the Charles Haworth Awards for Student Veterans is through the College of Social Sciences and Public Policy at Florida State University. You might even find that your department of study offers them. Many are also offered through alumni organizations and school foundations. 
• Life circumstance scholarships: Some scholarships are needs-based, such as only being available for low-income students. Others are geared toward those with disabilities. You may even find some if you were in foster care. For instance, the Winifred R. Reynolds Educational Scholarship is for graduate students in Colorado who demonstrate financial need and are getting a master’s or Ph.D. in early childhood education. 
• Governmental scholarships: You might be able to find scholarships at the state or federal level for grad school. For instance, Choose Ohio First is a state scholarship aimed at increasing STEM teachers in the state and covers graduate school.  
• Non-profit scholarships: Many scholarships also come from non-profit organizations to help with their mission. One example is the Tampa Pride Foundation’s scholarship for LGBTQIA+ students.  
• Employer scholarships: Check with your employer to see if they offer any scholarships. For instance, if you work for a hospital, it may offer scholarships for medical students.  
• Military scholarships: If you’ve served in the military, you can find a host of scholarships for veterans. Some may even apply to the children of veterans or active-duty military personnel.

2. Grants

You can also get grants for graduate school. They may come from the federal or state government. You might also find them from a wide variety of organizations and institutions, such as nonprofits. 

One of the most famous federal grants for graduate school is the TEACH Grant. It awards up to $4,000 a year for graduate students who intend to teach in a high-needs field for four years full-time, serving low-income students. The Fulbright Grant through the U.S. Department of State is a long-running program that helps graduate students research and teach English abroad.

3. Military benefits

Paying for graduate school with a military background doesn’t stop at scholarships for veterans. The GI Bill and other programs can help pay for educational expenses. One active program includes the Post-9/11 Bill, which helps with school expenses if you’ve served on active duty any time after Sept. 10, 2001. Active-duty and selective reserve military members may qualify for help through the Montgomery GI Bill. If the school is a Yellow Ribbon school, military personnel might qualify for additional tuition assistance.

4. Work-study and other opportunities

Federal work-study can also extend to grad students, and state programs may also be available. Like undergraduate work-study, students work part-time in jobs as closely related to their studies as possible. Students make at least the federal minimum wage and earn up to the max of their work-study award. It can be a good way to make some extra money while boosting a resume. You qualify for these positions by filling out the FAFSA.

You can also work your own part-time job. On-campus jobs can also be a convenient option, where the school is the employer. Students might write for the school newspaper or work in the library. They may even be qualified to become resident directors, which pay significantly more than resident assistants. In some cases, the pay may even subsidize tuition, cover housing and provide a stipend. Local businesses may also hire students, maybe even in your field of study.

5. Teaching or research assistantships

Assistantships allow students to help professors in exchange for stipends or tuition waivers. It’s one of the most common ways in which graduate students get paid. As the name implies, students help teach or assist with research. These are highly competitive programs and go to top-performing students during their undergraduate education. To apply, you would need to do so through your department of study.

6. Fellowships

Fellowships typically allow students to conduct research for a sponsoring institution, such as an association, the government or the school itself. Some fellowships may even focus on creating a new community-based organization. The programs might last a few weeks to a few years. They’re typically even more competitive than assistantships. You can check through your school, an organization you admire or scholarship search engines, such as databases like ProFellow to find opportunities. 

7. Tuition reimbursement and assistance

Tuition reimbursement and assistance typically come from your employer. You might receive the funds directly through reimbursement, but after you complete the course. Tuition assistance goes to the school directly. You may have to work for that company for a set period of time after you complete the education or risk paying back the funds. 

Employers may also offer student loan repayment. Bonuses and recurring payments help employees pay down student loans, but companies may use other methods like trading in unused vacation time for student loan assistance. 

Talk to your HR department to learn more about what options are available to you. You can also check out a company’s benefits page or packet before working there to find out if the company offers these perks. 

8. Graduate student loans

Private student loan lenders offer loans to graduate students. Many lenders have loans that are specifically designed for certain programs, such as medical degree student loans and law degree student loans. 

You also have government options. You may be able to find certain loans for specific programs at the state level. One example is the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Nursing Education Assistance Loan Program. The program applies to master’s degrees in nursing. 

Federally, the Direct PLUS loan is available to graduate and professional students who are enrolled at least half-time at a qualifying school. It features a fixed interest rate, and you can borrow up to the cost of attendance. 

While subsidized loans are available to undergraduate students who demonstrate a financial need, graduate students can access direct unsubsidized loans. On an unsubsidized loan, you pay the interest. Unsubsidized loans cap at $20,500 annually and an aggregate limit of $138,500 for graduate and professional students.

Graduate school scholarships

You have a vast array of options when it comes to scholarships for graduate school. Here are five that show what sort of options are out there:

• Kia America – HACU STEAM Scholarship
  

  Offered by the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU), students can earn up to $15,000. It’s open to students at an HACU member college. Students obtaining graduate degrees in STEM fields or business administration can apply.

• Dr. Harold Kerzner Scholarship
  

  Graduate or doctoral students can win up to $7,500 for degrees in project management or a related field. There is an essay required and it’s offered through the Project Management Institute.

• Orangewood Foundation Advanced Studies Scholarship
  

  Students who were formerly in foster care and from Orange County can apply for this scholarship for advanced studies. It’s good for $10,000 and students can use it as supplemental funding while in school. Applicants can be considered for support until their 35th birthday.

• Harold Bettinger Scholarship
  

  Meant for students that are sophomore through graduate level, this opportunity is for $5,000. Students must have a major or minor in business or marketing with the goal of applying their education to the horticulture field.

• TEDS Faithful Future Scholarship
  

  This scholarship is good for $9,000. It’s through the Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and is open to students pursuing a master’s degree in theological studies, mental health counseling or bioethics.

Graduate school scholarships for women

Many scholarships aim to help women achieve postgraduate studies:

• Laura Fuoss Memorial Grant
  

  Good for $1,000, this scholarship is for women who are getting an education beyond the bachelor’s degree level. Applicants can access it annually through the Morton Branch of the American Association of University Women.

• Laurels Fund Scholarship
  

  This scholarship is for $3,000. It’s available to women pursuing advanced accounting degrees and is through the Educational Foundation for Women in Accounting.

• WIIT Student Scholarships
  

  Women who are studying at the graduate level and have an interest in international trade can apply for this scholarship for $3,000. It requires an essay about international trade and is through the Association of Women in International Trade.

Graduate school scholarships for minorities

Racial and other minorities can also access scholarships to aid in graduate studies:

• Jacques Avent Scholarship
  

  This scholarship is available to African-American students in Arizona. It’s sponsored by the National Forum for Black Public Administrators – Central Arizona Chapter. The award amount varies. It covers students getting a graduate degree in public administration, public policy, public affairs, political science or urban and metropolitan studies.

• CINTAS Foundation Fellowship in Visual Arts
  

  Students who are of Cuban descent and studying painting, sculpture, installation art, media arts and experimental film can apply for this scholarship. It’s for $25,000.

• Denes I. Bardos Award
  

  Graduate students who are first- or second-generation immigrants can apply for this scholarship. The amount is $1,000.

Where to find scholarships for graduate school

Scholarships often seem to target high school and undergraduate students, but hundreds of companies and organizations hand out graduate school scholarships, sometimes called fellowships.

While you can search for scholarships directly with local organizations, scholarship search engines compile hundreds of scholarships in one place. If you’re searching for a graduate school scholarship, these websites can help:

• BigFuture: This College Board search tool lets you search for graduate school scholarships and other financial aid. You can narrow your search based on factors like your future career field, the organizations you belong to and the type of award you’re pursuing.
• Fastweb: A leader in scholarship searches, Fastweb features scholarships and grants for graduate students. After registering, you can search based on your year, major and interests.
• GoGrad: Once you register with GoGrad, you can search for graduate school scholarships based on factors like your school, gender and military affiliation.
• Sallie Mae’s Graduate School Scholarships: Once you register for free, you’ll have access to $1 billion in graduate school scholarships. 
• Scholarships.com: Even though most scholarships available on Scholarships.com are for undergraduates, there are many options for grad students. After you create your free profile, you can put what level of schooling you’ve completed or search for grad school scholarships.
• Unigo: Browse by your intended major, like law, business or medicine. You can also search for scholarships based on merit or need, or look into fellowship programs.

Bottom line

You can apply for graduate school scholarships and grants if you want to limit how much money you borrow for school. Get and stay organized with a spreadsheet to track all the free money you’ve applied for and received, and be sure to keep researching and applying as a graduate student. You may be able to secure additional scholarships later on and not just before starting your graduate degree.

This scrupulous tracking will allow you to follow the money to make sure that you have enough to cover school. If you don’t, you’ll know exactly how much you need to fill in with other forms of aid, like student loans. If you take out a loan, make sure to consider all strategies for repaying your graduate loan.