Meeting the Cost of Graduate School

We offer a broad range of financial aid at the graduate level, including assistantships, fellowships, loans, work-study programs, and research grants.

NC State offers graduate students a broad range of financial assistance options that help with tuition and living expenses while you are pursuing your advanced degree. Graduate students may receive financial support through fellowships/traineeships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, service assistantships, Federal work-study programs, and loans.

Please note that fellowships, traineeships, and grants are outright awards and require no service in return. They may be based on merit and/or financial need. Because they are very popular with applicants, it is vital to be aware of all deadline dates when applying for these types of awards.

For more information on the financial aid options open to you:

• Review our tuition and fees information and see how establishing residency in North Carolina can significantly reduce your expenses.
• Apply to become an NC resident for tuition purposes or review information on and procedures for becoming a North Carolina resident.
• Reduce expenses and gain hands-on experience in your field by applying for one of our teaching or research assistantship programs.
• Explore the fellowships, traineeships and grants available to NC State graduate students.
• See if you qualify for our Graduate Student Support Plan, which covers the cost of tuition and health insurance for many students supported by research and teaching assistantships.
• Check out the Academic Common Market, which allows a student to enroll in a graduate program at a university in another state if that program of study is neither offered by public institutions in the student's home state nor commonly available in other southeastern states.
• Be aware that travel funds are often available to help graduate students pay their expenses for participation in professional meetings.
• Learn how the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) can assist you in applying for and securing financial aid when your resources are insufficient to meet educational expenses. The OSFA can help with scholarships, grants, loans, and campus employment as well as provide financial aid counseling.
• Be sure to review the financial aid available through your department as many fellowships and traineeships are granted at the departmental or college level.
• Check out our diversity programs for information on special scholarships available to students.