Graduate School Guide
Meeting the Costs of Grad School
Unless you have lots of money set aside or parents willing to carry your
expenses, you will need financial aid. Graduate schools can cost anywhere from
$5,000-$40,000 per year or more. The best advice is to apply for aid at every
school. Check out the availability of fellowships, traineeships, assistantships,
etc. The best sources of information are the financial aid offices at the
schools to which you are applying.
Fellowships may be based on financial need and/or academic merit and are
granted by universities, private foundations and government agencies. Some
universities will waive tuition for fellowship holders. Often there is a 9-12
month stipend, sometimes tax-free. Some of these are for one year and some are
renewable. See the CRC fellowship section in the resource library.
Traineeships are awards from outside agencies usually administered by
graduate programs. The traineeship may or may not involve experience outside of
academic work. Assistantships (typically teaching, lab and research assistants)
are granted on the basis of need and qualifications.
Other places to look are your undergraduate office of financial aid, your
undergraduate department, etc. Also look for state scholarships, to your
parents' companies for possible awards, and awards available to minorities,
women, children of veterans and children whose parents are deceased. Check with
community organizations such as Elks and Rotary.
Many students take on a job while in graduate school, but only as a last
resort. Work, even part-time, is difficult and exhausting with the kind of study
schedule you are sure to have. Departments prefer your work be limited to the
lab or research type. You may find your institution is willing to work very hard
to help you find work directly related to your study if you must work at all.
Return to the Graduate School Guide table
of contents
|
