There are three types of financial aid available to masters’ students: Scholarships, Fellowships, and Assistantships. Get in touch with mentors and counselors at UniRely who are studying at 100% scholarships in top universities in the US to improve your chances of getting financial aid.

First, let’s talk about Scholarships. 

Scholarships

Scholarships are non-governmental aid given to exceptional students for academic or other achievements. There are departmental scholarships, university scholarships as well as external scholarships available to masters’ students. International students are eligible to apply for scholarships too and have a variety of criteria such as country of residence, age, academic major, etc. You need to find scholarships you are eligible for by looking at the criteria mentioned on each university’s website. These scholarships cover your tuition fee and can range from USD  $5,000 to USD 40,000 per year, 

Fellowships 

Fellowships are financial aid provided to students by their universities in exchange for a service commitment. This commitment could be a project, research or community service. Fellowships can range from USD 10,000 to USD 40,000. The amount you receive can also depend upon the number of hours you are asked to work in exchange. This amount gets applied towards your tuition fees. 

Assistantships 

Assistantships are tuition-waivers offered to master’s students in exchange for academic work. Teaching assistantships, research assistantships, graduate assistantships, course assistantships are the different types of assistantships available to masters’ students. The roles of each of these will differ from university to university. Some universities also offer assistantships in exchange for monetary payment but many students prefer to use them for tuition waivers. Assistantships also range from USD 10,000 to USD 40,000 per year. 

Let’s look at how to apply for financial aid. 

How to apply for financial aid?

When you’re filling out your university application, you will see a section on scholarships. Fill out the scholarship section in order to be considered for both departmental and university-based scholarships. You will only be considered for scholarships if you apply by the priority deadline.  Information on external scholarships, fellowships and assistantships will be listed down on the university’s financial aid website. We suggest that you check the criteria and apply to the ones you are eligible for. Remember that external scholarships, fellowships and assistantships would require making additional applications. When you apply for these, you’ll be required to submit your CV, letters of recommendation, personal essay as well as other academic documents. 

Usually, when you receive a scholarship from your university, the scholarship continues for all remaining semesters of your degree, as long as you maintain their GPA requirement. External scholarships, fellowships and assistantships, however, are more time-bound and are not renewable for all semesters. 

Please check the financial aid website of your university for more information. We also ask that you personally get in touch with the financial aid office to understand all types of financial aid specifically available for your degree. To get more information about how to apply to universities in the US for your master’s degree, please visit our website – www.unirely.com.