If you are heading to grad school, there are a wide range of master’s degree scholarships available. Scholarships for masters degrees may help you go to graduate school for free. They could offset other expenses such as the cost of researching for your thesis.
Financial aid for graduate school is different than it is for an undergrad degree. Federal financial aid is available to grad students in the form of work study and loans. Pell Grants are only for undergraduates. As such, finding a master’s degree scholarship may make the most financial sense.
Unlike federal loans, graduate school scholarships are money you receive but typically don’t have to pay back. As long as you abide by the terms and conditions.
Is it hard to get Masters Degree Scholarships?
Some masters degree scholarships may be more competitive than other awards. Master degree scholarships come with their own criteria for eligibility. Getting a scholarship that helps pay for your master’s degree may require:
Desire to study a specific topic (E.g. Oncology Nursing, Architecture, Project Management, etc.)
Intention to research in a chosen area (E.g. Archaeological Research)
Demonstrated qualities (E.g. Leadership or Public Service)
Some scholarships for master’s degrees are also open to undergrads. So, you’ll be up against both sets of students who are competing for the awards.
One example is the Davis-Putter Scholarship. Scholarships from the Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund pay $15,000. The grants help students who are active in movements for social and economic justice.
You’ll also find master’s degree scholarships that may fund grad students who are women or minorities. The Holly A. Cornell Scholarship is one example. This $7,500 award is from the American Water Works Society. It goes to talented female and/or minority students. The recipient needs to be pursuing a degree and research in the field of water supply and treatment.
Another example is the Jonathon Lax Scholarship Fund for Gay Men. These tuition scholarships come in amounts of $5,000 or $10,000. They are set aside to help gay men who live in the five-county Philadelphia region obtain more education.
There are also scholarships for graduate students in specific fields of study. One example is the Frederic G. MELCHER Scholarship. Two candidates receive $7,500 each.
To apply, you need to be a student pursuing a Master’s in Library Science (MLS) degree. And plan to work in children’s librarianship.
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Foundation offers a similar type of scholarship. Their awards are $5,000. They go to grad students in communication science and disorders.
WHAT BENEFITS ARE THERE TO PURSUING MASTERS Degree SCHOLARSHIPS?
As a graduate student, getting a master’s degree scholarship may come with many benefits. For one, the money might cover tuition, books, living expenses and research.
This may free you up to focus on completing your master’s degree. Without having to take out loans or get a job to pay for your classes.
You may also reap rewards of attaining a master’s degree when you graduate. Employment in master’s-level occupations is on the rise by almost 17 percent from 2016 to 2026. That’s the fastest of any education level.
This may explain why in the 2017 to 2018 period alone, 775,000 students earned a master’s degree. Yet many students weigh the cost of pursuing a master’s degree with the cost of attaining it.
For sure, the average costs of graduate tuition and required fees has been climbing. What does graduate school cost? The National Center for Education Statistics has been tracking this data.
On average, the tuition and fees associated with pursuing a master’s degree are:
Private institution: $20,368
Public institution: $8,763
Average overall: $14,537
It is no surprise that recently, 70.4% of graduate students received some type of financial aid. Almost half of these students (43.8 %) took out loans. Take away? if you are trying to go to graduate school for free, securing a scholarship or grant may be ideal.
LIST OF MASTER’S DEGREE SCHOLARSHIPS
Check out our list of scholarships for masters degrees. There are awards worth .
The Center for Cyber Safety and Education offers up to 20 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to students pursuing or planning to pursue a master’s or doctorate degree with a focus in cybersecurity or information assurance.
The Black Medical Students Scholarship will be awarded to a current or future Black medical student across any medical specialty based on the strength of a 500-1000 word essay.
This scholarship requires students to discuss the importance of being a responsible driver and detail new tools and techniques that could be used to help educate young drivers and encourage them to be safe while behind the wheel. Visit our website for more information on how to apply.
This scholarship is awarded to graduate students who are members of an Idaho Chapter of Trout Unlimited and are pursuing research at Idaho universities, preferably that involves native or endemic coldwater fish or a related field. Preference is given to Idaho residents; applicants must have a strong record of academic achievement and leadership.
International and U.S. women who are current undergraduate or graduate students are eligible for this award. Students must be enrolled in a mechanical engineering program.
Fellowship recipients will receive a $35,000 award in addition to the Summer Associate salary. Upon successful completion of the summer internship and acceptance of a full-time offer, Fellowship recipients will be awarded an additional $40,000, plus any full-time Associate signing bonus, as applicable.
Graduate students in psychology are awarded up to $1,000 from the American Psychological Association to advance research on sexual orientation and gender identity
The International Furnishings and Design Association Educational Foundation offers this $2,000 award to a part-time or full-time design graduate student at an accredited university.
The scholarship is open to any student presently enrolled in an accredited community college, undergraduate, or graduate program in the United States. This includes incoming first-year college students who are either high school graduates or in possession of a GED.
Harbour.Space and UTCC agreed earlier this year to join forces to create new interdisciplinary educational programs for the first time in Asia. These first scholarships for this new school are in the fields of Data Science, Interaction Design, Digital Marketing, High-Tech Entrepreneurship, FinTech and Cyber Security.
We’re looking for the people who are going to change the world – if you’re interested in technology, entrepreneurship, or design, and believe you have what it takes, we want to hear from you!
