Scholarships and Fellowships
The types of financial support for graduate school are more varied than those for undergraduate education. In addition to loans and merit scholarships, graduate students may also receive appointments as teaching fellows or research assistants. Because the purpose of Ph.D. training is to learn to do research, graduate awards are usually called fellowships rather than scholarships.
Institutional Scholarships and Fellowships. Graduate programs within research-intensive universities award a limited number of merit-based named scholarships, sometimes on the basis of the admitting department’s nomination. The bulk of student support, however, comes through teaching and research fellowships. These require a quarter-time teaching or research effort and are very common awards for entering graduate students although a few departments limit these awards to more experienced students. The amount of a fellowship typically covers full or partial payment of tuition and fees as well as an income stipend for the academic year. Notification of a scholarship or fellowship award will accompany the letter of admission.
Once in graduate school, students will have additional opportunities to apply for fellowships as well as grants to support preliminary and dissertation research projects.
National Scholarships and Fellowships. Examples of national award programs that support graduate study in the United States are the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, the Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship in any field, the Jacob J. Javits Fellowship and the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans. Some scholarships require the endorsement of the undergraduate institution, and these will have very earlier deadlines. The Office of University Scholars and Fellows (OUSF) at Duke coordinates information for these and other post-baccalaureate scholarships. The Council of Graduate Schools is a good beginning point for other scholarships. Deadlines for fellowships occur once each year, typically in the early part of the academic year.
Scholarships of Special Note. The Rhodes, Marshall, and Winston Churchill Scholarships support one or more years of graduate study in Great Britian, and the Fulbright Scholarship program supports one year of academic work and/or research in any of 100 countries. These national awards for postgraduate study abroad or research are very prestigious and extremely competitive. Applications are made through designated campus committees with deadlines as early as the second week of classes. Information sessions are held in the spring and fall semesters.