Graduate Diversity Outreach -
Funding Your Graduate Education
For graduate study, universities support students through fellowships, teaching appointments, research
assistant positions, or a combination of these sources. The monies available are often dependent on the
size of department/schools' endowments and resources that may be available through the Graduate Division.
Each school or department has its own methods of distributing fellowship funds. Keep in mind that little
funding is usually available for terminal Master's degree students.
- Inquire about fellowships that are available. Ask about the number that is
generally received by students in your department. Does it usually include tuition, fees, and/or
stipend? Does tuition include out-of-state tuition and what is the level of the stipend? Is there
summer funding available?
- Complete any fellowship requirements for each school you are applying. You
may have to fill out specific forms or applications to be considered for a fellowship. Some state
schools may also require that students complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
The FAFSA requires graduate students to complete financial information for themselves only, not their
parents.
- Apply for national, portable fellowships. In addition to University monies, early
on, identify national fellowships for which you may qualify, such as the Mellon Foundation, Jacob Javits,
and Ford Foundation, among others. Be aggressive in applying for national fellowships. Apply for
small fellowship amounts, as well as big. Do not depend only upon the University to which you are applying
for funding. Graduate school is a long, expensive venture and you will need as much financial assistance
as possible to see you through.
- Do not count on large loans to see you through graduate school. Financial aid in the
form of loans can add up quickly in graduate school. Do not plan to attend graduate school on loans alone.
If you do, your loan total will be very high at the end of the typical six or seven years it takes to
complete a doctoral degree in the arts and humanities.
- Keep in mind that information on forms is requested for a particular reason. Each
field exists because a decision about financial assistance requires the information requested. Sometimes
monies from specific sources are earmarked for students from particular backgrounds that are specified by
the donor or the source.
- Take your time in completing the UC Berkeley graduate fellowship application, Form C,
particularly the Personal Statement. This information is the basis of decisions for the majority of
University multi-year fellowships available in the arts and humanities to prospective students. See the
Tips for Completing UC Berkeley's Fellowship Application (Form C and Personal
Statement).
