Scholarship for Graduate Students

Scholarships to help graduate students pay and reduce the cost of obtaining a graduate degree do exist but are not as common as undergraduate scholarship.  Scholarships for graduate students work the same way as scholarship for undergraduate.   The biggest difference is that your financial status is no longer a factor in determining your eligibility for graduate scholarships.   However, competition for graduate scholarships might be greater than undergraduate scholarships.

You will find that scholarship and grants for graduate school are most likely originated from companies, organization, colleges and universities.

The Availability of Scholarships

The cost to attend graduate school can be very high and finding money to help pay for graduate school can be challenging.  However, money does exist in different forms to help you pay for your study.

Unlike the availability of scholarships for undergraduate studies, scholarships for graduate study are not usually found through the usually channels.  Do not be discouraged by the amount of time and effort required to find them because the rewords of finding and obtaining a graduate scholarship can be great.   It can help you reduce the cost of your total tuition for your graduate studies and thereby lesson your financial burden in obtaining your graduate degree.

Search and Apply Early

Applying for graduate scholarship can be competitive and it is to the students’ advantage to research and apply early.  It might take you some time before you can obtain some leads that you might qualify for.  If you are diligent enough, you might actually be able to find lesser known scholarship and sometimes competition is much less for these kinds of scholarship and thus you have a better chance of obtaining these scholarships.

Remember to research and apply early.  Doing so increase your chance of obtaining a scholarship and decrease the amount of money you have to pay for your graduate studies.  Below are sources providing scholarship opportunities for graduate students.

Area of Study

Scholarships for graduate school are usually geared toward specific area of study.  For example, scholarship for graduate study in nursing is specifically for nursing students only but scholarships for other area of studies are available as well. (Insert here – specific scholarship for specific area of major and list example)   So you might want to begin your research with the area of study you are interested in pursuing.

You’re Employer tuition program

Employers are the fastest growing sources for free money for school.  Many workers are eligible for tuition benefits from Employers.  By offering the employee free money for school, the employer can get tax benefit by writing it off as a business expense.  Employees who take advantage of their company’s tuition program  can not only get free money to go to graduate school but also can become a top worker with salary increase and also have a better chance of getting a promotion after the completion of their graduate schooling.

Colleges and Universities

Colleges and universities often offer some form of aid to students pursuing their graduate studies.  Some colleges offer tuition discounts to their alumni who continues to graduate studies and additional certification and training.  While other colleges and university might give alumni tuition discount if they are unable to find a job within six month of graduation.

If you have excellent undergraduate academic achievements, then you might be eligible for tuition discount from your graduate school.  However, the availability of money might be limited from school to school, so you might to inquire early in your graduate school selection.

Call the financial office to find out if the college you are planning to attend offer tuition discount.

Teacher Assistant and Research Assistant

Teacher Assistant and Research Assistant are paid positions and can help reduce your tuitions and at times it might even cover all of your tuitions.

Teacher assistant (TA) is one of the most popular way used to help pay for graduate school.  There might be a good number of teacher assistant positions that are open in your graduate school.  You might have taken a class during your undergraduate studies where a teacher assistant lecture and graded your paper.   Lecturing entry level class and grading paper are just two of the many duties that teacher assistant are responsible for.   TA does a lot of basic for professors.

Research Assistant is similar to Teacher Assistant.  Their duties are usually in the library and laboratory conducting research and experiments.

Research Fellowship

Research fellowship are funding given by the government, private companies, interesting groups, and colleges and universities.  These fellowship funds can be used for research on a particular area of subject and it can also be used toward your tuitions, books and living expense.  Fellows who obtain research fellowship are expected to become expert and contributor in the area of their research and study.  Competition for research fellowship can be intense but once obtain, your graduate studies can be completely paid for.

Below are some research fellowships:

Winterthur Research Fellowships, one to three month short term fellowships for academic, museum, and independent scholars, including graduate students. Fellows receive a stipend of $1500 per month.

Microsoft Research Fellowships – provides financial support for students and early-career faculty, allowing them to focus on their research. Fellowships build lasting relationships between Microsoft Research and academic institutions.

The Gilder Lehrman Institute awards short-term research fellowships -  Given to scholars working in American history at every level from doctoral candidates to senior faculty, including independent scholars. Ten fellowships are awarded each year.

The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise.  These two-year fellowships are awarded yearly to 118 researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field.

The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity.  The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master’s and doctoral degrees in the U.S. and abroad.  The NSF welcomes applications from all qualified students and strongly encourages under-represented populations, including women, under-represented racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, to apply for this fellowship.

Scholarships and Financial Aid for Transfer Students

Scholarships are available to students who already process an associate degree from a community college or have existing college course credits and wish to transfer to a college or university.  There are many different types of transfer scholarship programs available.  Some are sponsored by private foundations and companies, state and federal governments, and others are founded by colleges and universities.  Eligibilities for scholarships are based on the requirements set forth by different scholarships.

Colleges and Universities

The first place to look for transfer scholarship programs is within your college in which you are transferring to.  Almost all colleges and universities offered some type of scholarship and financial aid for transfer students.  Most of the time, scholarships are offered to students without the need to fill out a separate application.  These scholarships are usually based on the student’s academic merit.

Many scholarships are available base upon the student’s academic achievements.  Students need to keep in mind that some of these scholarships are offered through the individual departments within the school.  For example, the business department might offer scholarship for business majors like accounting or marketing.  Therefore, students should check with the financial aid department and the individual departments as well to see what type of scholarships are availability.  It is always helpful to do some research online first.  You could do so by visiting the school website because many schools publish scholarships offered to students in their website.

State and Federal Governments

There are many state and federal scholarship programs that are designed to meet the needs of community college and transfer students.   In order to obtain any form of aid from the state and federal government, you must file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The state of New Jersey offers a scholarship program called NJ Stars that cover the full cost of tuition and other fees for high achieving high school students who reside in New Jersey to attend New Jersey community college. New Jersey community college NJ Stars students who earn their associate’s degrees with a 3.25 grade point average or better are eligible for NJ Stars II to attend any New Jersey public four-year college or university.  The NJ Stars II provides:

• $6,000 per year scholarship for students earning their associate degree with a 3.25 to 3.49 grade point average.
• $7,000 per year scholarship for students earning their associate degree with a 3.5 or better grade point average

New Jersey is not the only state that offers scholarship programs for community college and transfer students.  States like Alabama and Florida have millions of dollars earmarked to assist students in the form of financial aid and scholarship.

Do not forget that as a college student, you are eligible for federal grants such as Pell grants and student loans as well.  Make sure you file for Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) before the deadline.

Private Foundations and Companies

Private foundations and companies are great sources of scholarship for transfer students.

Companies sponsored scholarships are used by companies to foster a good employee relationship, boost employee recruitment and retention.  Some these scholarships might be available to you if you meet one or more of the following requirements:

• You have relatives working for the company
• You work for the company that offers the scholarship
  • Chick-fil-A and McDonald offers such scholarship
• Have 3.0 or above GPA
• Have preformed community services.

The above are just some of the requirements that need to be fulfilled in order to be eligible for scholarships provided by companies. Make sure you check with the companies in which you are interested in obtaining the scholarship.

Most company sponsored scholarships are managed and administered by private foundations.  Some of these private foundations include National Council for Innovation Scholarship/Fellowship and Scholarship America.  Researching on private foundations could provide you with a list of different scholarships offered by different companies.

Below are two notable scholarships offered to students transferring to a four-year college or university:

• Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship
  • provides up to $30,000 per year to each of approximately 50 deserving students selected annually
  • Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship
    • provide scholarship to college students who intent to pursue careers to become  scientists, mathematicians, and engineers

You should always begin your research for scholarships either in the Internet, your public library, your high school guidance counselor, and the college financial aid office of the college you are planning to attend.  Doing so gives you an idea of what is available to you.

Scholarships and financial aid for International Students

Scholarships and financial aid are available for international students wishing to pursue their college studies at another country.  Many international students find it difficult to obtain financial support to help them with their college financial needs because there are few scholarship programs geared toward this group of students.  This does not mean that there are no help available to international students.

Your Own Country

The first step in obtaining financial aid or scholarship for international students is to begin their search in their own country.  Some countries offer scholarship or financial aid to students wishing to go aboard to study.

For students who already attend a college or university in their own country, they could search for financial help from the college or university in which they are attending.  The school might have financial agreement with another country’s university in which you wish to attend.

The School You Wish to Attend

Most universities offer some form of financial aid to international students.  This financial aid might be in the form of scholarships, loans and work studies.  In order to get these financial aids, you must talk with the financial aid office of the school you wish to attend.  There are knowledgeable and are willing to help guide you through the financial aid process.

The Internet: Scholarship for International Students Search

Another place to search for scholarship is through the internet.  The internet is full of helpful information that can guide you in your search but you must be careful of scam.

You can base your search for scholarship online on your nationality because there are scholarships and financial aid for international students offered by organizations base on your nationality.

Another key word to use is Scholarship for International Students.  This will give you a massive list of scholarships, grants, loan options, and other financial aids.

Loans For International Students

Usually students find it helpful to apply and obtain loans to help pay for the college tuition because just obtaining scholarships is not enough to cover for all of the college tuition.   Most universities do offer loans.  However, you need to think carefully because loans can add up to a large amount of debt in which it might take you many years to repay back.

Below is a list of programs that offer scholarships to international students.

• Medicus Student Exchange (Switzerland)
• Asian Cultural Council for Liberal Arts and Humanities
• Overseas Research Fellowship for Medicine and Health Sciences
• PPGA Family Member Scholarship for Horticulture
• Pestcon Graduate Study Fellowship for Chemistry