Fellowships and Financial Aid
At the CUNY Graduate Center, master’s and doctoral students alike engage in exciting opportunities for innovative research, rigorous scholarship, and collaborative and interdisciplinary learning.
Consistent with the University’s mission, we strive to provide access to graduate education for diverse groups of highly talented students, including those who have been underrepresented in higher education. Our cost of attendance remains low and affordable compared to other world-class graduate programs in New York City.
Through the Office of Fellowships and Financial Aid, you will be able to identify, secure, and manage funding from a variety of different sources — from fellowships to scholarships, the Federal Work-Study program, and Federal Direct Loans.
OFFICE Hours
Our office is open in-person Monday -Thursday, and remotely Friday, 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Appointments are recommended. Please email financialaid@gc.cuny.edu to schedule an appointment.
The best way to reach us is financialaid@gc.cuny.edu. Our chat function is also available from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Please use our Virtual Drop Off Service. Use your Graduate Center credentials to log in.
Doctoral Funding
Your Ph.D. is covered
Nearly all entering doctoral students in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences receive a five-year fellowship package. Every package includes tuition coverage, and many also include a stipend and health insurance. The Graduate Center also offers a wide range of scholarships, dissertation fellowships, grants, and assistantships to current students.
Learn more about doctoral fellowships
Masters Funding
Finance your M.A. or M.S.
While the Graduate Center does not currently offer full-tuition scholarships or additional stipends for living expenses, master’s students can typically cover the full cost of tuition by combining Federal Direct Loans with funds earned from Federal Work-Study
Financing Your Education
The Graduate Center is committed to providing all students with the financial resources they need to complete their degree.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ALERTS
More Like This
Quick Guide to Doctoral Funding
Read the news story for a breakdown of how funding for doctoral students works at the Graduate Center.
- Announcement
Research Funding
The Graduate Center channels its support of student research into two robust programs.
Early Research Initiative
The Early Research Initiative (ERI) connects Level II and III doctoral students with opportunities to advance their research projects through internal and external grants and fellowships.
The Initiative offers students the opportunity to articulate and clarify the aims of their research projects, cultivate their grant writing skills, and prepare for external award applications.
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs (RSP) helps students, faculty, and staff at the Graduate Center identify, acquire, and manage outside funding for their research projects. The office is the central administrative unit for overseeing Graduate Center applications for — and awards of — governmental and foundation funding.
Student Emergency Grants
The Graduate Center has established a set of quick-response funds (in amounts of up to $2,000) to support students who are facing short-term unexpected financial emergencies. We aim to help students complete their degrees rather than take a leave of absence or withdraw from school.
We invite you to apply for grants to meet such emergencies as:
- Unexpected COVID-19-related expenses
- Medical and dental bills for uninsured non-elective procedures
- Assistance in paying for food, transportation, and basic necessities due to recent financial difficulty
- Emergency child care for legal dependents
- Travel home for illness or death in the immediate family
- Overdue utility bills and shut-off notices, due to recent financial difficulty
- Rent in arrears, at risk for eviction that is due to recent financial difficulty
- Housing assistance for homelessness that is due to recent financial difficulty
- Destruction of living quarters due to fire or other natural disaster
- Theft of computer, books, clothing, or other essential belongings
- Legal representation (landlord disputes)
- Personal debts
The Graduate Center's student emergency grant funds consist of:
- The Carroll and Milton Petrie Student Emergency Grant Fund, made possible by generous support from The Carroll and Milton Petrie Foundation
- The Doctoral Students Association Medical Emergency Fund
- The Graduate Center Student Emergency Fund, which is supported through the generosity of our alumni, faculty, staff, students, and friends