Can You Afford to go to Graduate School?

What will it cost me?
Students who apply to public institutions for graduate and professional degrees are often stunned to find out how much more expensive post-baccalaureate education is than undergraduate education. As a rule of thumb, you will pay twice as much in tuition for a graduate or professional degree compared to the undergraduate tuition at the same institution.

Where do I begin?
A good place to start is completing the FAFSA online application. Most graduate schools use it to determine everything from loans to fellowships to teaching assistantships. Since each graduate program will have its own fund for granting assistance, call or visit the program website to determine what loans or fellowships may be available. The US News & World Report also has an excellent page for finding loans, scholarships and grants for graduate school.

Can I expect funding?
Typically, funding has a lot to do with whether you are considering a PhD or Master's Degree, whether you are thinking about a graduate program or a professional program. The difference between PhD and Master's program is that most PhD programs provide substantial funding, while very few Masters programs do. Obviously, there are exceptions to this, but they are rare.

Scholarship Links

• AACC Foundation Graduate Fellowship Program

http://www.aaccnet.org/membership/foundation/awards/Pages/GraduateProgram.aspx

• American Association of University Women (AAUW)

http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/

• Academy for Educational Development Fellowships (Now FHI 360)

http://www.fhi360.org/careers/fellowship-opportunities

• American Society for Microbiology Fellowships

http://www.asm.org/index.php/fellowships-2

• American Sociological Association Graduate Funding

http://www.asanet.org/career-center/grants-and-fellowships

• Arkansas Scholarship Connection

http://www.collegescholarships.com/local/arkansas-scholarships

• Art, Film, Writing Scholarships/Competitions List

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-major/art-scholarships/

• Biological Sciences Funding Support

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=503651

• Burger King Scholarship Program

https://www.scholarshipamerica.org/burgerkingscholars/

• California Student Aid Commission

http://www.csac.ca.gov/

• College Board Scholarship Search

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search

• Data Science Fellowship Program

http://www.thedataincubator.com/

• Development Fund for Black Students in Science Scholarship

http://www.dfbsstscholarship.org/

• The Gates Millennium Scholarships

http://www.gmsp.org/

• Graduate Fellows for Minorities and Women in the Physical Sciences

http://www.npsc.org/

• Gateways to US Government Grants/Money

https://studentaid.ed.gov/types/grants-scholarships

• GEM Fellowship Program

http://www.gemfellowship.org/students/gem-fellowship-program/rules-and-requirements/

• Government Scholarships, Fellowships, Grants, and Internships

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/financial-aid-information/scholarships-grants-fellowships-internships-and-loans-explored/

• Graduate Scholarships in Engineering

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-major/engineering-scholarships/

• Hope Scholarships & Lifetime Credits

http://mwcc.edu/financial/hope/

• Hudson River Graduate Fellows

http://www.hudsonriver.org/

• Multiple List of Minority Scholarships

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/minority-scholarships/

• National Security Education Program Graduate International Fellowships

http://www.nsep.gov/content/initiatives

• Research Program for Women & Minorities Underrepresented in the Sciences

http://www.spo.berkeley.edu/fund/womenminority.html

• Robert D. Watkins Minority Graduate Fellowship (Microbiology)

http://www.asm.org/index.php/25-education/students/164-asm-robert-d-watkins-graduate-research-fellowship

• Scholarships and Financial Aid for Minorities and Women

https://www.scholarships.com/financial-aid/college-scholarships/scholarships-by-type/scholarships-for-women/

• Sports Scholarships and Internships

http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/ncaa-scholarships-and-grants

• State Farm Insurance Achievement Scholarships

https://www.statefarm.com/about-us/community/education-programs/grants-scholarships/foundations-scholarships

• Target Scholarships

http://www.collegescholarships.org/scholarships/companies/target.htm

• Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund

http://tmcf.org/our-scholarships

• United Negro College Fund Merck Science Initiative

https://www.uncf.org/scholarships

• United States Institute of Peace 

https://www.usip.org/grants-fellowships

• William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship for Minority Students

https://www.aspeninstitute.org/programs/program-on-philanthropy-and-social-innovation-psi/william-randolph-hearst-endowed-fellowship-for-minority-students/