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Graduate students on the graduate ceremony.

Graduate Funding Options

Make a smart investment.

People with graduate degrees are more competitive in the global marketplace and will earn more money over their lifetime. Your funding options will play an important role in selecting which graduate school to attend. Becoming a well-informed educational consumer is critical to your long-term academic and professional development. We offer several different types of financial assistance, available throughout the year:

  • Costs

    - learn about the Graduate Tuition, Mandatory Fee and Outreach-FCR Fee Rates.

  • Graduate Assistantships

    - include a tuition waiver and monthly stipend or hourly wage. Roughly 38% of our students are offered assistantships.

  • Tuition Waivers

    - provide up to 100 percent scholarship on all tuition. Some departments and schools award these to students who show extraordinary promise for success.

  • Endowed Scholarships and Fellowships

    - awarded competitively by the Graduate School in fall and spring semesters to students meeting specific educational criteria.

  • Student Employment

    - available for hundreds of on-campus student worker and off-campus positions to which you can apply using just one application via our online employment system.

  • Federal and Private Educational Loan Programs

    - Under some conditions, you may defer payments on previous (e.g. undergraduate) student loans while enrolled in graduate school.

  • Grants

    - Help ensure that every student has the resources and opportunities they need to succeed.

  • Thesis and Dissertation Awards

    - Illinois State University recognizes graduate teaching assistants for their outstanding contributions to teaching.

Office of Financial Aid