Master's Funding
A master’s degree from The Graduate Center is a sound investment in your future.
The Graduate Center equips master’s students with the critical thinking and research skills they need to pursue a wide range of rewarding careers or doctoral education.
Our programs are innovative, interdisciplinary, and intellectually rigorous. Consistent with the public university mission of CUNY, our cost of attendance remains low and affordable compared to other world-class graduate programs in New York City.
While The Graduate Center does not currently offer full-tuition scholarships or additional stipends for living expenses, there are funding opportunities available to master’s students that can help cover the cost of attendance:
Although the funding available to master’s students at the Graduate Center is quite different from that available to doctoral students, there are still several options available to cover the cost of your program.
Prospective Students
The Graduate Center offers Dean’s Merit Scholarships to a limited number of master’s degree students each year. These scholarships are awarded solely based on merit, and applicants to master’s programs are automatically considered as part of the admissions process. No separate application is necessary.
The Dean’s Merit Scholarship covers a total of $4,000 of tuition — a significant portion of in-state tuition costs — that can be spread over three or four semesters (i.e. $1,333.33 or $1,000 per semester). The recipient must enroll for a minimum of six credits per semester to be eligible.
Earn funding through a part-time job. Students who submit their FAFSA by the priority deadline for federal aid are considered for Federal Work-Study positions if they check yes to the Federal Work-Study question.
Learn more about Federal Work Study »
Borrow directly from the federal government. Just like any other loan, these loans must be repaid with interest.
Learn more about Federal Student Loans »
Current Students
A wide range of competitive scholarships, fellowships, and grants-in-aid are available from outside organizations and agencies.
Many scholarships for master’s students are reserved for members of specific populations. Examples include:
| Scholarship |
Who Is Eligible |
Award |
Length of Award |
| American Association of University Women Career Development Grants |
U.S. citizens or permanent residents whose last degree was received before June 30, 2015; primary consideration is given to women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields |
$2,000 - $12,000 |
One year |
| American Association of University Women International Fellowships |
Non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents |
$18,000 - $30,000 |
One year |
| American Association of University Women Selected Professions Fellowships |
Women intending to pursue a full-time course of study at accredited U.S. institutions during the fellowship year in one of the designated degree programs (click the link for a list) where women’s participation traditionally has been low |
$5,000 - $18,000 |
One year |
| Japanese American Citizens League (JACL) National Scholarship Program |
Active National JACL members |
Varies |
One-time payment |
| Korean American Scholarship Foundation |
Qualified Korean American students (including international students from Korea) who are enrolled in a full time program in the U.S during the scholarship application year |
$500 - $5,000 |
One-time payment |
| National Women’s Studies Association (NWSA) Graduate Scholarship |
Current NWSA individual members engaged in the research or writing stages of a master's thesis or Ph.D. dissertation in the interdisciplinary field of women's studies |
$1,000 |
One-time payment |
| Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans |
Immigrants and children of immigrants in the U.S. |
Up to $90,000 |
Two years |
| Pulaski Scholarships for Advanced Studies |
U.S. citizen or permanent residents of Polish ancestry who have completed at least one year of graduate-level studies |
$5,000 |
One-time payment |
| The Tang Scholarship |
Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Asian and Pacific Islanders (API) from the Bay Area |
Up to $60,000 |
Four years |
Finding Additional Sources of Funding
When searching for a scholarship, you should start early — application deadlines are often set several months to a year before funding is disbursed.
You can identify external scholarship opportunities through websites and search engines such as: