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 scholarship is not transferable. The scholarship may be awarded to an alternate candidate if the scholarship notification is not acknowledged within 14 days of the notification date.
STARFLEET is fan club for Star Trek fans. Divided into hundreds of local Chapters, each is named as a different starship or space station. Scholarships are awarded to student members, in amounts of up to $1,000 based on number of applicants and availability of funds. Click here to learn more and apply today!
The PRCUA awards multiple annual scholarships for the purpose of providing financial assistance to students to earn undergraduate, graduate or professional degrees while actively celebrating their Polish heritage. Both members and non-members of the PRCUA are eligible to apply. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents with a minimum 2.5 GPA (3.5 on 5-pt scale) who have completed their freshman year by the application deadline. Undergraduate students must be enrolled full-time, but graduate and professional studies students are eligible with part-time enrollment. There are no application restrictions based on residency, age, gender, religion, school, major, or finances.
In order to apply for The Domnick Cunningham & Whalen Water Safety Scholarship, students must meet the following eligibility requirements. Students must be presently pursuing studies at an accredited community college, junior college, undergraduate or graduate school situated within the United States. The award is also open to those who hold GEDs and high school graduates whose college programs are set to commence before the scholarship deadline.
All applicants must provide proof of good standing from their current educational institution. For the purposes of our scholarship award, this will consist of no less than a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
For nearly three decades, defense attorney Jeffrey Lichtman has worked tirelessly to provide quality legal services to those in his community and beyond. Throughout his time working in the criminal justice system, it has become increasingly clear that there are many ills that our society faces, ranging anywhere from economic hardship to substance abuse epidemics. Yet within each community, there exists a group of individuals who go above and beyond in their efforts to combat such ills and eradicate them through initiatives that ignite progress and hope for a better tomorrow.
In an effort to recognize these individuals, we are offering the Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman Community Service Scholarship. The purpose of this scholarship is to honor a student who has made a significant effort to better their community in some specific way, meaning they saw a problem, and took the initiative to try to mend it. The Law Offices of Jeffrey Lichtman is proud to work with community members passionate about laying the groundwork for a brighter future. We look forward to awarding a deserving student for their meaningful work.
Attorneys at Godoy want to give back to first generation immigrants or the child of a first generation immigrant through this scholarship. Students must be enrolled in an accredited higher education institution and have a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher. The winner must be enrolled for the spring semester.
The Andrew Flusche Scholarship Contest requires students to raise awareness about different legal issues. Applicants must create a public service advertisement video (PSA) about how to drive courteously. The winner receives $500 to put towards higher education.
International Centre for Diffraction Data (ICDD) is a global member organization devoted to a scientific mission. To encourage promising graduate students to pursue crystallographically oriented research, the the ICDD set up a Ludo Frevel Crystallography Scholarship Fund. Named in honor of the renowned scientist, the Ludo Frevel Crystallography supports the education and research program of promising graduate students in crystallography-related fields. The term of the scholarship is one year. The recipient may make application for one renewal at the end of the first year.
Applicants should be currently enrolled (or enrolled prior to the scholarship deadline) at an accredited institution, including with the intent to complete either a two- or four-year program at any junior college, community college, paralegal programs, undergraduate program, or graduate program anywhere in the United States. Applicants must be the first in your family to attend a four-year college and have good academic standing with a minimum 3.0 GPA or above.
The Khaki Law firm is dedicated to helping students overcome financial adversity while pursuing their education. One deserving student will receive a $1,000 towards their educational expenses.
