Graduate Aid at Stanford
Planning for Your Educational Expenses
Sources of funding for graduate education range from government agencies, employers and foundations to academic departments and schools. Financial assistance can be divided into three broad categories:
- Fellowships, Scholarships or Grants — These funds are awarded on a merit basis to assist a student in the pursuit of a graduate degree; they do not need to be repaid upon completion of enrollment. Funding is typically awarded by academic departments, programs, schools, or external organizations. The Financial Aid Office does not award fellowships, scholarships or grants.
- Student Employment — Graduate students may be eligible for “assistantships” which are a type of student employment that include compensation in the form of both salary and tuition allowance for performance of research or teaching services to the University as part of a student’s academic and professional training and development. There are several types of assistantships, including Research Assistantships and several levels of Teaching Assistantships (Course Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Teaching Affiliates, and Mentor Teaching Assistantships). Assistantship appointments are made by academic departments, programs, or schools. Graduate students may also be eligible for hourly employment from the University within certain limits.
- Student Loans — Students may apply for loans to support their education related expenses while enrolled. Funds are advanced to the student by a government or private lender, to be repaid (or possibly forgiven) after graduation. Your Financial Aid Office can help determine which is the best loan for your situation.
Students are encouraged to investigate all possible funding options in order to maximize fellowships, scholarships, and grants, and minimize loan obligations.
First Stop: Your Academic Department
Students seeking financial support should start with their degree program to obtain information about fellowships, scholarships, and other forms of grant assistance. Degree programs may also be able to provide information about research and teaching assistantships, as well as external funding sources that may be specific to their discipline.
Stanford provides continuous 12-month funding for all enrolled doctoral students in PhD and DMA programs, in good academic standing, for up to the first five years of the degree. Financial support is provided through a combination of external fellowships, Stanford fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. The combination of funding is tailored to each student and dependent on the program of study.
In some cases, master’s students also may receive fellowships and assistantships. More often, however, master’s students must seek funding from sources outside of the University or through student loans.
To find contact information for your prospective academic department, you can use this directory of academic department websites.
Next Stop: Your Financial Aid Office
Students who do not qualify for support through their degree program to fully cover education related expenses may wish to consider borrowing from one or more education loan programs. The process for applying for loans depends on your School. Some schools have separate financial aid offices. Students should ensure that they connect with and apply through the correct Financial Aid Office.
| School | Where to Apply for Student Loans |
|---|---|
Graduate School of Business |
|
Graduate School of Education, School of Engineering, School of Humanities and Sciences, School of Medicine (PhD and Masters Programs), Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability |
|
Law |
|
Stanford Medicine, MD program |
While Studying at Stanford
Students should carefully review the Student Budget to understand typical student expenses and develop a personal budget plan. When unexpected expenses arise, Stanford support programs may be available to assist.
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