As Jessie J sings… “It’s all about the money, money, money!”

Graduate school is expensive. Without funding, students can accumulate large amounts of debt. From tuition to housing to supplies, the costs add up quickly. But there is hope!. And we are here to help guide you through the murky waters of the graduate school Financial Aid system, so that you can get that money, money, money. In this article, we will direct you to resources, give you tips on Graduate Assistantships and find out how to get the most out of your conversations with financial aid offices.

So what are the different kinds of financial aid opportunities I should be looking for?

• Scholarships – merit-based or need-based financial aid
• Grants – merit-based or need-based financial aid
• Recruitment Fellowships – offered to outstanding students to recruit them to the program
• Named Fellowships – annual funding source provided by private individuals, firms, or foundations
• Awards – merit-based
• Loans – money you do have to pay back
• Graduate Assistantships – need-based aid requiring 10-20 hours of work/week
• Teaching Assistantships – Assist in teaching an undergraduate course
• Graduate Research Assistantships – work with a Professor on a project
• Work-Study – Federal (up to $2,000/yr) and Graduate (depends on the program)
• Tuition Remission Scholarships – usually in concert with graduate assistantship to offset tuition costs

How much should I ask for?

This varies from school to school but a great place to start is by looking on the program’s website. For example, University of Buffalo lists the Master of Architecture Program costs here: http://financialaid.buffalo.edu/costs/archcost.php

Where should I look first? Or where you have already looked.

While this may seem obvious to some, the first place to look for financial aid is on the University Registrar’s website. Some schools require that you apply through the University system and, occasionally, you can find merit and need-based funding through the Financial Aid webpage.

1. The University Registrar’s Website
   1. The Registrar’s office can provide insight into the total cost of tuition and fees for the year so you know how much financial aid you will actually need.
2. The College of Architecture’s website
   1. Usually programs will have information on Financial aid under the ‘prospective student’ tab and you can see what is offered for graduate students

Harvard GSD put together a great list of opportunities for US Citizens and Eligible Non-Citizens. This list ranges from gender/diversity scholarships to program-specific scholarships like “Urban Planning” and “Real Estate”.

Scholarships for US Citizens

Scholarship for International Students

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Note: Most Financial Aid deadlines are at the end of December/Early January so use your Winter Break/Holiday season wisely.