Financing Your Education

Graduate education is an investment - in your personal fulfillment, social contribution, and earning potential. With wise planning, the time and money you spend now will bring long-term satisfaction.

Students in the School of Public Health (SPH) finance their education using a combination of means. One student may rely on a loan, assistantship, and personal savings; another student on employer reimbursement and loans; yet another on a student job, traineeship, and tuition reciprocity.

There are many reasons to be optimistic about your ability to afford graduate education. These pages outline many ideas, but is by no means exhaustive. Seek additional strategies by talking to counselors or searching the Internet.

Be driven by your aspirations and goals, but also be aware of financial realities:

• Higher education tuition is increasing to help cover rising instructional costs.
• Graduate assistantships are competitive; the supply of labor exceeds the number of openings.
• International students are not eligible for many federally funded loans or scholarships and have restrictions on employment.

Ph.D. students: Ph.D. students are usually funded through graduate assistantships and other sources. If you are applying to a Ph.D. program, contact the SPH major you are applying to for details about financial support available.

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Look to the links at the right for in depth information related to Living Expenses, Fellowships, Scholarships, & Traineeships, Grants for Research & Continued Study, and Other Financial Strategies & Resources.