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 John F. and Anna Lee Stacey Scholarship Fund awards scholarships ranging from $500 to $5,000 per recipient. Funds support the education of students between the ages of 18 and 35 who aim to make art in the classical or conservative traditions their profession.
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 Association on American Indian Affairs provides scholarships to undergraduate and graduate Native American students who are citizens/members of their Tribal Nation. Applicants must have a minimum 2.5 GPA and attend an accredited institution.
The National Collegiate Athletic Association set up the Walter Byers Scholarship to honor its former executive director. Each year one male and one female student-athlete receive a $24,000 award in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and potential for success in graduate study.
The primary role of the GSA research grants program is to provide partial support of master’s and doctoral thesis research in the geological sciences for graduate students enrolled in universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America.
The Thurgood Marshall College Fund partners with Apple to provide eligible outstanding students who attend a Historically Black College or University with a $15K merit based scholarship and 12 week internship opportunity.
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.
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.
The Safe Driving Scholarship is available to students enrolled in any high school, college, or university in the United States. High school students must be graduating seniors. Candidates who apply for this scholarship must possess a GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Elevated Boston is awarding two $2,500 scholarships. This scholarship is open to high school seniors who will be entering college as a freshman, current students, transfer students, and graduate students attending a Massachusetts College or University in the fall of 2021.
