Fellowships, Assistantships & Scholarships

Financing Your Education

Students finance their education in several ways, including fellowships, assistantships, and scholarships offered by the GSE. In addition, GSE students may be eligible for awards provided by Rutgers. Funding for graduate education is also available from external sources. Read on for information on all the options for financing your GSE education.

Financial Aid for Graduate Study

Your options for financial aid extend beyond the awards provided through scholarships, fellowships, and assistantships. Information on other merit-based and need-based financial aid—including loans and college work-study programs, both within and outside Rutgers—may be obtained from the Office of Financial Aid. Learn more about financial aid options. 

GSE Scholarships and Fellowships

The GSE has several scholarship and fellowship programs that are administered and awarded within the school. These programs are competitive, but qualified students are encouraged to apply. Awards typically range from $500 to $3,000 annually. Criteria for awards vary, as shown in the table below.

Program Description/
Restrictions		 Typical
Award		 Requirements
Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Doctoral Fellowship in Educational Assessment, Research and Evaluation with Cognitive Diagnosis Modeling Emphasis
  • up to $30,000 stipend,
  • tuition
  • health insurance
  • summer internship at ETS
  • Full-time Ph.D. student
  • U.S. citizen/permanent resident
  • Demonstrated financial need
Graduate School of Education Annual Fund Scholarships Must be enrolled a minimum of 6 credits per semester. Award based on: financial need; have or maintain a 3.0 GPA; professional, community, school accomplishments $2,500
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
  • Career goal stated on one typed page
Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship Award Full-time student in GSE. Open competition; first consideration to minority students. Combination of financial need and academic merit $2,500
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
  • Applicant must submit a paper on “The Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Its Relevance for Education.”
Graduate/Law School Academic merit only $2,000 plus tuition
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Charles Sumner Crow Endowment Scholarship Fund Male student $3,000
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
  • A half-page paper on the philosophy of education
Norma Nevola Sutera Memorial Endowed Scholarship Scholarships are to be awarded to full-time students in the GSE who are studying Literacy Education and intend to pursue a career in education as a reading specialist or in a related field. Amount varies
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Edward Fry Endowed Graduate Fellowship For doctoral students in literacy demonstrating scholarly promise at the middle or near the end of their program varies
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Clarence E. Partch Memorial Fellowship Full-time GSE student $1,500
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Samuel D. Proctor Award For the scholarly and professional development of GSE students. The criteria are: financial need, talent, and high potential for service to education in urban areas. $1,500
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Samuel D. Proctor Fellowship Any student pursuing a doctoral degree in any approved doctoral program who is African-American or Latino is eligible. A candidate may be nominated by GSE faculty, school superintendents, principals, or supervisors. $3,000–
$5,000
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
  • Three letters of recommendation on a variety of perspectives on a candidate to the respective department chair by March 1
  • Finalists for this fellowship will be required to make a 15-minute oral presentation to the committee.
Ruth and Stanley Kosensky Fellowship Particular concern for those majoring in Social and Philosophical Foundations $450
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
  • Need for financial assistance
Nancy Higginson Dorr Prize Awarded to Teacher Education students who are nominated by their student teaching supervisors as demonstrating promise to be outstanding teachers $500–
1,000
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application submitted to the Office of Teacher Education
  • Brief biographical summary related to the selection of teaching as a profession
  • Recommendation from one professor
Madelyn McCarthy Miller Memorial Scholarship Fund Awarded to a student in the field of special education planning a career in teaching. Must be in good academic standing $1,500–
2,000
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Hand to Hand Scholarship Scholarships are awarded to students in a master’s degree with certification program who are entering the student teaching component of their program in the fall semester, based on academic merit as determined by the program administrator. Minimum of $500
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
Graduate School of Education Alumni Association Endowed Scholarship Full-time graduate student in the Graduate School of Education showing academic merit and financial need. Up to $5000
  • GSE Scholarship and Fellowship application
  • File FAFSA to show financial need

Applying for an Award

Scholarship and fellowship awards are made on the basis of outstanding academic promise or achievement and/or unusual financial circumstances or need. To be considered for an award, you must submit the following materials as a single packet to your department chair:

  • A GSE Scholarship and Fellowship Application
  • Two letters of recommendation from individuals, especially GSE faculty with whom you have studied or worked, who can describe your scholarly potential
  • A one- to two-page statement of your professional goals
  • A copy of your Rutgers transcript (if you are a current student). This may be an unofficial transcript printed from your online records.
  • For a Martin Luther King, Jr., Scholarship, which is available to any student, a short essay (limited to two pages, double spaced) on “The Philosophy of Martin Luther King, Jr.: Its Relevance for Education”
     

To be considered for an award based on financial need, applicants must also complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form.

Information contained in your student folder, including your admissions materials, may be considered in the application process. Award decisions are made by the GSE Scholarships and Fellowships Committee.

Deadline for Applications

All materials must be submitted to your department chairperson by February 1. Applicants will be notified about awards by mail by April 1. Questions about the application process should be directed to your department chairperson.

Graduate and Teaching Assistantships

Graduate students in assistantship positions have the opportunity to work with GSE faculty and staff, collaborating on a variety of research and professional projects, teaching, or assisting in courses. Assistantships provide full tuition remission and an annual stipend. Please see your academic adviser or departmental office for information on assistantship opportunities.

Rutgers Programs

Many students will be eligible for the Ralph Bunche Fellowships. The Bunche Fellowship program provides stipends for 16 students (one or two-year awards). Master's, professional-degree, and doctoral students are eligible. Candidates are presented to the graduate school by the relevant degree granting units. For more information, visit the Graduate School New Brunswick webpage or email waterman@rutgers.edu.

Students in the Ph.D. program may be eligible for additional awards and should consult the Rutgers Graduate School–New Brunswick website.

External Resources

Several external funding programs provide financial aid to graduate students in education. The GSE connects students to these outside sources by sending information to academic departments and posting it to the GSE student listserv. Recent examples include:

  • Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowships
  • Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
  • Gates Millennium Scholars Program
  • Jacob Javits Fellowships (U.S. Department of Education)
  • ETS Fellowship Program