GoGrad is another online resource for prospective and present graduate students that includes specialist scholarships.
While graduate scholarships are typically less generous than undergraduate scholarships, experts believe a $1,000 grant can nevertheless assist lower living expenses and student loan debt.
Think about Free Graduate Schools.
Tuition-free programs may be of interest to students interested in attending graduate school.
For example, in 2018, New York University’s Grossman School of Medicine made news by announcing a first-of-its-kind, full-tuition scholarship for all students. The scholarship is worth $57,476 for the 2020-2021 academic year and is given to all students regardless of merit or financial need. Other fees and expenses are not covered.
The Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine stated in 2019 that it would grant free tuition to around half of its incoming students, amounting to $68,480 in 2020–2021.
Find Scholarships Through Professional Organizations
Students can identify and join professional organisations in their chosen field of study to apply for graduate scholarships. Undergraduate and graduate members of the National Black MBA Association Inc., for example, can apply for a $5,000 scholarship.
Another example is the Dental Trade Alliance Foundation, which annually provides graduate scholarships of at least $5,000 to a variable number of dental students.
Examine Doctoral Programs
Experts advise prospective graduate students to pursue a Ph.D. rather than a master’s degree, depending on the discipline.
“I’ve heard that getting funding for a master’s degree is significantly more challenging than getting money for a Ph.D.,” says Allanté Whitmore, a doctorate student at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Whitmore received a full fellowship from the GEM Fellowship program to pursue a dual Ph.D. in civil engineering and engineering and public policy.
According to TJ Murphy, an associate professor of pharmacology at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, the funding disparity is due to the fact that many universities employ master’s degrees as income streams. Murphy founded Gradschoolmatch, a website that connects prospective students with graduate institutions, which is now owned by the private nonprofit educational organization ETS.
“Many people believe that the conventional path is to obtain a bachelor’s degree, then a master’s degree, and finally a Ph.D. However, Ph.D.s are typically supported by the university. So it turns out that if you’re good enough at the bachelor’s level, you can skip the master’s and go straight to the Ph.D. in a number of subjects “Murphy claims.
Inquire about grant money, scholarships, and assistantships.
Prospective graduate students frequently submit applications without first learning more about a program, available financial aid, and fellowship prospects.
Murphy, who spent several years recruiting doctorate students for Emory’s pharmacology program, urges students to make contact with a program before applying. “You should try to set up a phone call with someone in the program to find out where you are (academically) and what type of funding are available,” he advises.
He advises students to try to speak with someone in the program who is involved in the recruitment process. “Only people in those programs will be able to answer those questions.”
Murphy says that prospective students can ask open-ended questions. For example, a student may inquire, “Am I the type of student who would be eligible for grant money?” They may also inquire, “What kinds of scholarships have students in your program received?”
“A lot of times, students are unaware of how valuable they may be,” Murphy says. “When they make discoveries, we bring in more grant money.”