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Funding and Support

Current and prospective graduate students have access to numerous types of financial support, both internal and external, to cover or defray the costs of graduate education. Current graduate students should check with their graduate program staff assistant and/or the weekly Grad eNews for funding opportunities. 

For more information about ways to fund your graduate education at Penn State, visit the J. Jeffrey and Ann Marie Fox Graduate School website.

Teaching and Research Assistantships

The most common form of financial support for students, graduate assistantships are available to thesis-based master of science students and doctoral candidates. Graduate assistants support undergraduate instruction or undertake research projects and receive a stipend, tuition remission, and subsidy for medical insurance. Individual academic departments award assistantships.

  • Teaching: Graduate teaching assistnants may work with faculty to design syllabi, prepare exams, and grade assignments. They may also assist with lectures and meet with students.
  • Research: Gradaute research assistants may work with faculty on research projects in labs, clinics, or other on-campus facilities. They may perform practical or administratie tasks to help faculty achiece their research goals.
  • Administrative: General graudate assistants may work in various on-campus offices, departmetns, or facilities. They may perform administrative or technial tasks, such as helping departments develop programs, organize data, or perform outreach.

Scholarships and Fellowships

Awarded by the College of Engineering or specific academic departments, scholarships are available to doctoral candidates and based on academic merit, with some scholarships considering financial need or other criteria. Upon application for doctoral program admission, prospective students are automatically considered for relevant scholarships.

Fellowships, highly prestigious financial support packages, are competitively available to graduate students in research-based programs. These fellowships typically include a stipend, tuition remission, and a Student Health Insurance Plan subsidy, which covers medical, dental, and vision needs. Unlike assistantships, fellowships do not have required instruction or research responsibilities. Recipients must be enrolled in degree programs and be registered full-time.

Upon application for doctoral program admission, prospective students may be nominated by their departments for University Graduate Fellowships from Penn State. This is the University’s most prestigious fellowship.

For scholarship and fellowship options, visit the following the Fox Graduate School pages.

Advancing Master's Program

The Advancing Master’s Program assists in the successful completion of a two-year master’s degree with a thesis for talented students with demonstrated financial need for selected majors in the Penn State College of Engineering. The AMP Scholars program offers scholarship funding up to $10,000 for each of two years and a mentoring and professional development program. 

To learn more, visit the AMP web page or email ampscholars@engr.psu.edu. 

Loans and Other Aid

The Penn State Office of Student Aid maintains details on graduate student loan options including subsidized and unsubsidized federal direct loans and private alternative loans.

Work-study awards provide students with opportunities to find a job and work on campus or remotely to assist in funding their education. Students must file a FAFSA for eligibility.

For part-time Penn State student jobs and assistantships across the University, visit Penn State Human Resources.

“When talking to other graduate schools around the country, no other faculty spent nearly the same amount of time talking to me about their research and projects. They worked to find where I could fit based on my interests and background.”

— Torsten Maier, '21 Ph.D., Industrial Engineering