Sources of Graduate Student Funding

Graduate students generally finance their graduate studies and living expenses from a combination of sources. Students are expected to actively seek out and apply for funding. Most sources of funding are taxable income.

Funding Eligibility

Financial support for graduate students varies considerably among departments, schools, and programsat Stanford. Academic merit and availability of funds are the primary considerations in awarding graduate financial support.

Generally:

• Master’s students usually do not receive funding. Most fund tuition and expenses through savings or loans. Fellowships and assistantships are rarely given to students enrolled in master's programs.
• Professional students (J.D, M.B.A., M.D.) often rely on loans. Financial aid for professional programs is managed through the financial aid offices of the law, business, and medical schools.
• Upon admission to a doctoral program, students are usually offered a funding package that includes tuition and a stipend for living expenses for four to five years. This package may also include support through assistantships for part of the program.

Specific terms of financial support are explained in the admissions letter sent to each student by the department. Ask in your department for advice about getting and keeping your funding.

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Types of Funding

Students usually combine a variety of sources of funding over their time in graduate school.

• Research and teaching assistantships (work on campus that is directly related to students' academic progress)
• University or departmental fellowships
• External financial support awarded to students directly by foundations or government agencies (most requiring that students apply directly)
• Jobs on or off campus unrelated to students' academic work
• Loans
• Other personal resources, like savings or tuition subsidy from an employer.

Assistantships

Teaching and research assistantships are an integral part of the education and training for many graduate students, particularly those in doctoral programs. During the Fall, Winter and Spring quarters, the maximum teaching or research assistantship is a 50% appointments (larger appointments are permitted in the summer). A 50% appointment provides 8 - 10 units of tuition allowance (or TGR tuition) and salary for 20 hours of work per week, where the work directly relates to the student’s degree program. Assistantship appointments are usually made through individual faculty members, academic departments, or schools. Stanford fellowships and assistantships are designed to cover the standard expenses of single students; they are not sufficient to cover the expenses of dependents. Some assistantships may be partially funded by the Federal Work-Study Program.

• Stanford policy on Graduate Student Assistantships, Administrative Guide Memo 24.2 (pdf)

Fellowships

Fellowships usually provide a combination of stipend support and (often) tuition without a specific work requirement, so that students can focus full-time on their academic program.

• Many fellowships are awarded to students from external organizations: federal agencies, foundations, or other governments. Students apply for most of these directly (see External Support below).
• Most Stanford fellowships are awarded through academic departments or schools. The nomination and selection process for some are managed by VPGE (see VPGE-administered Stanford Fellowships).
• Some Stanford fellowships are available to students via an application. VPGE maintains a list of those available to students from more than one department (see other Stanford fellowships).
• Individual departments and programs may be able to provide local financial support in the form of stipend and tuition payments. Such payments are controlled by the individual programs.

External Financial Support

Many students are supported by fellowships awarded to them directly by external organizations (foundations, government agencies). You must advise your department if you receive an offer of external financial support.

These awards usually require that students apply for them directly. Finding programs that match your situation and field of study requires some searching. Be sure to ask in your department. Here are some places to begin (note that school pages include information that may be relevant to students from other Stanford schools):

• List of funding sources compiled by Stanford's School of Humanities & Sciences
• List of funding sources compiled by Stanford's School of Medicine
• List of funding sources compiled by Stanford's interdisciplinary IPER program
• Listing of funding sources compiled by the Bechtel International Center for overseas study
• IRIS (Illinois Research Information Service) database to which Stanford subscribes
• Cornell University Graduate School Fellowship database
• Columbia University Graduate School Fellowship database

Additional Jobs On or Off Campus

Financial support is provided so that students may focus on their studies. Some of these awards come with a prohibition against any additional employment. In other cases, students may find work on or off campus in jobs unrelated to their academic pursuits. For US students with 50% assistantships or equivalent fellowship support, concurrent hourly employment is limited to an additional 8 hours per week. The amount of time that international students may work is governed by the terms of their visa. International students may only work off campus with the coordination of the Bechtel International Center.

Loans

Loans can cover educational expenses and basic living expenses for students and dependents.

• Information about loan programs for graduate students
• Loans are arranged through the Financial Aid Offices

 

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