Graduate School Funding
Every year the College of Education awards millions of dollars to graduate students through an array of fellowships, scholarships, and graduate teaching and research assistantships. The awards range from small tuition scholarships to multi-year packages that can provide annual benefits in excess of $23,000 plus tuition and medical benefits. Both entering and continuing students are eligible for these awards, although specific awards are targeted to different groups of students. Most funding is reserved for doctoral students, but full-time master’s degree candidates can be considered for both fellowship funding and assistantship appointments. The college typically awards about 400 research and teaching assistantships and more than 300 fellowships to graduate students.
Once on campus, a student’s academic advisor can offer additional suggestions regarding assistantships. The College of Education Web site details all graduate assistantships. If a student is interested in a research assistantship, this interest should be shared with faculty members. In addition, Summer Research, and Dissertation Completion Fellowship programs provide exceptional financial support to conduct research. Fellowships provide exceptional financial support to conduct research.
Financial aid programs described here are all administered through Michigan State University and/or the College of Education. Other external sources of financial aid that may be of special interest to its graduate students will be posted on the college Web site as they become available.
Educational Administration Department Graduate Fellowships:
The Department of Educational Administration offers several fellowships which are awarded on a competitive basis with no application process. They are designed to help recruit exemplary students and cover cost such as research, tuition, living expenses and professional development. These fellowships are often combined with graduate assistantship opportunities.
Available EAD Fellowships are:
- Education Leadership Graduate Fellowship
- Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education (HALE) Fellowship, which includes:
- Julius E. Barbour Scholarship
- Arthur R. and Pearl Butler Scholarship
- Russel Kleis Memorial Scholarship
- Ernest & Aurora Melby Scholarship
- Archibald Shaw Memorial Scholarship
- Don O. Tatroe Memorial Scholarship
- Walter F. and Mary Jane Johnson Dissertation Research Award
- Margaret F. Lorimer Endowed Graduate Fellowship In Higher Education
Further Details on EAD Fellowships (pdf)
Graduate Assistantships:
Graduate teaching and research assistantships are available in the college for both entering and continuing graduate students. The college typically offers nearly 400 teaching and research graduate assistantships each year. Some assistants are assigned to teach courses, others assist in research projects, and a few provide other services to the college and university. A half-time graduate assistant earns between $11,600 and $15,000 during the academic year, plus a waiver of the out-of-state portion of tuition, a waiver of nine credits of in-state tuition each semester, medical benefits, and a waiver of registration fees.
Graduate Assistantship Postings describes and displays opportunities available in the college. In addition, students should discuss employment opportunities with advisors and other faculty members, and examine bulletin boards for announcements of other opportunities. Only students enrolled in graduate degree programs may apply for assistantships.
College of Education Graduate Student Scholarships:
More than 25 scholarships are available in the College of Education for new and continuing graduate students who show promise of making significant contributions to the fields of education and kinesiology.
Exceptions include scholarships intended to help recruit new students, as well as some scholarships offered within specific academic programs and departments.
Available EAD Endowed Scholarships are:
- Ann Marie Bolger Memorial Scholarship in Student Affairs
- Clyde M. Campbell Endowed Scholarship
- Sheldon Cherney
- Keith Goldhammer Endowed Scholarship in Educational Administration
- Casmer F. Heilman Endowed Fellowship
- Dr. Jacqueline D. Taylor and Family Graduate Research Grant
- F. James and Elizabeth M. Votruba Higher Education Leadership Enrichment Fund
- James A. Wilson Fellowship