Sources of Graduate Student Funding

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

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Funding Eligibility

Financial support for graduate students varies considerably among departments, schools, and programs. Academic merit and availability of funds are the primary considerations in the awarding of 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.
  • Doctoral students are usually offered a funding package that includes tuition and a stipend for living expenses for four to five years.

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

Assistantships

Teaching and research assistantships are an integral part of the education and training for many graduate students, particularly those in doctoral programs. Most teaching and research assistantships are 50% appointments (the maximum, except in summer). These provide tuition allowance (or TGR fees) and salary for 20 hours per week of work directly related to a student’s academic degree. 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.

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, including Stanford Graduate Fellowships (SGF) and Stanford Interdisciplinary Graduate Fellowships (SIGF).
  • Some Stanford fellowships are available to students via an application. VPGE maintains a list of those available to students from more than one department.
  • 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:

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. 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.

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