- Fellowships and Financial Aid
- Doctoral Student Funding
- Current Doctoral Student Funding
Current Doctoral Student Funding
The Graduate Center Offers a variety of financial awards, scholarships, grants, and employment opportunities to supplement or extend current students' five-year fellowship awards and provide additional research and dissertation support.
These financial resources are administered by different offices at the Graduate Center, including the Office of Financial Aid, the Provost’s Office, and centers and institutes that are part of the Graduate Center. You will find those details below, including contact information and application deadlines, where applicable, for each award or opportunity.
Learn about Supplemental awards and opportunities
Current students are also advised to regularly review the details, conditions, and policies associated with their existing five-year fellowships.
FAQs
You must maintain full-time status to continue to receive your existing fellowships (see more about credit requirements for aid.) and have your Social Security Number (SSN) on file in CUNYfirst. International students should be sure to keep their Sprintax TDS information updated.
To be paid as early as possible, you should register and accept your award(s) prior to the financial aid registration deadline.
How to accept an award in CUNYfirst
Cheat Sheets: How to Get Paid
Supplemental awards, fellowships and grants may have unique payment requirements and processes. Contact the provider of your award for more information.
To be eligible for funding, students must be in good academic standing and registered full time in accordance with The Graduate Center degree requirements. Students must also be satisfactorily performing the service requirement of their funding.
Appointments are made on a yearly basis, subject to satisfactory academic progress. You must accept the award each year and will receive a yearly letter for the graduate assistantship appointment. This letter must be signed and returned to the Human Resources Office. You must also accept the fellowship and tuition portions of the award online via CUNYfirst. Failure to do this can result in the loss of funding or in the delay of payments.
Failure to receive approval for a leave of absence can result in the loss of an award.
Students who are readmitted to their original program of study are not eligible to receive their original fellowship.
First, be sure to file the appropriate leave of absence paperwork with the Registrar’s Office.
Students with a five-year fellowship are allowed up to two semesters of fellowship deferment during approved Leaves of Absence. No separate application is required.
Any additional semesters of deferment, beyond the standard 2, must be approved by a student’s department’s EO and the Associate Provost/Dean.
For more information, please review our Fellowship Deferral Policy.
Federal loan borrowers will need to complete exit counseling online, even if they plan to be at least half-time the following semester.
We expect doctoral students to establish residency within 12 months of beginning their Graduate Center education. Typically, our fellowships only cover out-of-state tuition rates for one year.
Submit a CUNY Residency Form to the Office of the Registrar along with sufficient supporting documentation no later than the end of the third week of classes of the semester for which the change is to be effective. Unless a written petition is filed with the Registrar by the deadline and the Vice President for Student Affairs is notified in writing of the pending petition, no retroactive changes in residency can be made.
If your registration or level changes, your financial aid award may also change.
Students are responsible for ascertaining that their tuition level has been properly established. Students questioning their level for billing purposes must petition the Registrar's Office and the Vice President for Student Affairs in writing by the end of the third week of the semester in question. Unless a written petition is filed with the Registrar by the deadline and the Vice President for Student Affairs is notified in writing of the pending petition, no retroactive changes in level can be made.
If you are appointed to a graduate assistantship, you must complete the 15-week service requirement each semester. If you do not complete the service requirement, your salary will be canceled for the remaining weeks of service and you will only be eligible for a Tuition Fellowship, where applicable
Students who are employed as graduate assistants on departmental adjunct lines or as research assistants by individual grant holders must show satisfactory performance in these activities. If this performance is found to be unsatisfactory, such employment may be terminated. This type of termination is independent of satisfactory academic progress.
If you have questions about your service requirement or placement, you should contact Anne Ellis or Rosa Maldonado in the Provost’s Office.
Students holding a graduate assistantship are usually able to teach one course per semester as an adjunct. Contractual workload rules apply.
The 2017-2023 PSC-CUNY Contract provides doctoral students who have completed at least ten semesters and hold a position covered by Article 1 of the PSC contract up to four additional semesters of in-state level three tuition remission.
The 2017-2023 PSC-CUNY Contract provides doctoral students who have completed at least ten semesters and hold a position covered by Article 1 of the PSC contract up to four additional semesters of in-state level three tuition remission.
Students who hold five-year fellowships may not hold another fellowship concurrently. However, students past year 5 who are no longer on their five-year award may apply for other awards, such as the Graduate Center Dissertation Fellowship, GC Digital Fellowship, Program Social Media Fellowship, and fellowships funded by various centers and institutes.
Students are strongly encouraged to seek funding from sources outside the GC to support their research and dissertation writing. The experience of applying for and receiving prestigious external awards can provide an invaluable professional development experience. These grants may be offered by government agencies, private foundations, or corporations. Please be aware that each particular fellowship will have its own unique set of benefits and responsibilities, including amounts, durations, and restrictions.
Students have an obligation to inform their program and the Provost’s Office of any external grants they receive. Each case will be reviewed individually, and the Graduate Center will do its best to comply with all external award requirements. Please note that external award requirements can impact the assistance the Graduate Center is allowed to offer a student.
If you receive an external fellowship/grant totaling less than $20,000, the external award can be combined with your ongoing GC support.
One-Year External Fellowship exceeding $20,000
If you receive a one-year external fellowship/grant totaling $20,000 or more, you may be able to choose one of the following options, if allowed under the terms of your external fellowship:
- Defer your GC fellowship. If necessary, the GC will cover tuition and it will not count against the five years of support.
- Receive an external fellowship “top-up.” The GC will provide funds such that your combined support (GC + external) exceeds your normal GC support for the year. The additional GC support will be limited to $10,000 above the external fellowship award, but the combined amount cannot exceed a maximum $55,000 for the year.
NOTE: For students who choose this option and have a five-year fellowship, the top-up will replace a year of your GC fellowship and none of your GC fellowship funds will be deferred.
Multi-year External Fellowship (2-4 years) exceeding $20,000
If you receive a multi-year external fellowship/grant totaling $20,000 or more per year, you will be awarded a Graduate Assistantship D for the years supported by the external fellowship, if allowed under the terms of the external fellowship. GC fellowship funds will not be deferred.
As long as you are still within your first 10 semesters of enrollment at The Graduate Center, you will remain eligible for tuition remission.
However, your fellowship will not transfer with you. Five-year recruitment awards cannot be made to people who have already received one in another program. Over the course of their lifetime, no one can receive more than five years of support from a fellowship award.
If a student chooses to transfer programs, their original fellowship will not transfer with them. Students can be considered for a new fellowship by their new program, but only for the remaining years of 5-year funding. For example, a student enrolls in the Political Science program with a 5-year funding package. After two years, the student transfers to the Linguistics program. The student could receive a 5-year funding package, but would only have 3 years of eligibility.
Students have an obligation to inform the program they are applying to of any external grants they receive. Each case will be reviewed individually, and the Graduate Center will do its best to comply with all external award requirements. Please note that external award requirements can impact the assistance the Graduate Center is allowed to offer a student.
Stay in sync with your five-year fellowship
If you are a current doctoral student at The Graduate Center, you should be familiar with the amount and conditions of your existing five-year fellowship package. These awards include Graduate Center Fellowships (GCF), Five-Year Tuition Fellowships, Miranda Family Fellowships, Science Fellowships, Clare Booth Luce Fellowships, CUNY Science Scholarships (CSS), Neuroscience Fellowships, and the Five-Year Provost's Enhancement Fellowship.
Review fellowship informationNamed Awards
The Graduate Center offers a small number of special awards to students with academic promise and specialized skills. Funding for awards varies, and awards are not offered every year. When the awards are available, the Provost’s Office will announce a call for applications.
Awarded to a full time doctoral student in Political Science whose area of interest focuses on international law and human rights.
Contact: Provost's Office
Awarded to a Level II or Level III African American doctoral student whose research focuses on social, cultural, or economic issues.
Contact: Provost's Office
Awarded to an entering or continuing doctoral student in developmental, environmental, social-personality psychology, or educational psychology with an interest in expanding their methodological and quantitative skills. They must have mathematical training at least through the level of introductory integral calculus.
Contact: Provost's Office
Harrison Awards are one-year renewable grants made to students from underrepresented groups who are citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. They may be used for varying purposes, such as topping up financial aid fellowship, summer awards, or for dissertation support.
Current students apply directly to the Office of Educational Opportunity and Diversity Programs (OEODP) each spring for awards in the following year.
Learn more about Harrison Fellowships
Research Funding
The Early Research Initiative — overseen by the Provost’s Office — offers Level II and III doctoral students the opportunity to articulate and clarify the aims of their research projects, cultivate their grant writing skills, and prepare for external award applications.
Explore funding opportunities with the Early Research Initiative »
The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs can help you identify, acquire, and manage external funding for your research project.
Visit the RSP website to learn more about their services, and contact rsp@gc.cuny.edu to set up an initial consultation.
Through the Doctoral Student Research Grant (DSRG) program (overseen by the Office of Research and Sponsored Programs), Graduate Center doctoral students in years 2 through 6 are eligible for individual awards of up to $1,500, which can be spent on expenses such as conference and research travel, compensation for human subjects, and more. This program is excellent preparation for any major grant opportunities you may apply for later in your career.
The DSRG program aims to foster a research-oriented academic culture among doctoral students at the CUNY Graduate Center by providing:
- Incentives for early-career students to model and meet the requirements for succeeding in the competition for funds by clearly defining a problem, a project, and a realistic budget
- An occasion for faculty-student mentoring relationships oriented around the concrete problems of proposing, planning for, and executing research
- Opportunities for student professional development through funds for pre-doctoral research publications, presentations, and professional networking
Awarding decisions made by an applicant’s academic program. Awardees are not guaranteed to receive the full amount they request.
The deadline for submitting a proposal is January 31 of every year.
Awardees will be able to spend their funds from June 1 of the year they're awarded to May 31 of the following year. (For example, if you are awarded in the spring of 2020, you can spend your funds from June 2020 to May 2021.)
Limited funds are available for students presenting at professional conferences. These funds are available to full time matriculated doctoral students who are registered during the semester for which the funds are requested. Further information and application guidelines will be available online.
Please contact the Student Affairs office at studentaffairs@gc.cuny.edu or 212-817-7400 for more information.
Dissertation Funding
Dissertation fellowships and awards are available on a highly competitive basis.
Award amounts vary between $4,000 and $25,000.
When funding opportunities are available, the Provost’s Office will announce a call for applications.
The Graduate Center Dissertation Fellowship Competition is a yearly competition for Level III students who plan to be at the writing stage during the following academic year. Students can apply for a number of different dissertation fellowships (both general and specialized) using the same application. Awards are made as funds become available.
Deadline: January 17, 2023
Contact: Provost's Office, rsponzo@gc.cuny.edu
Download the award application for full details and a list of all available awards.
The Knickerbocker Archival Research Grant in American Studies provides a modest stipend for doctoral students at The Graduate Center to begin their archival dissertation research. Grant recipients receive a maximum of $4,000 to cover expenses incurred during their archival work. Recipients of the award are expected to submit a short write-up detailing their research activities and participate in a professional development workshop focused on grant writing the semester following the award.
Deadline: TBD
Contact: Provost's Office, rsponzo@gc.cuny.ed
Download the award application for full details. [insert app PDF lnk]
The Schwab Fellowship was established by an anonymous donor to honor George Schwab, the former president of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. An annual award of $2,000 is available for costs related to dissertation research relevant to a topic that leads to an improved understanding of U.S. foreign policy.
Applications for this award must include a short proposal (under 1,000 words), a current curriculum vitae, and a transcript. In addition, one confidential letter of recommendation from a faculty member who is familiar with the proposal should be sent separately before the deadline.
Applications and references can be submitted by mail to:
Schwab Fellowship
The Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies
The Graduate Center, CUNY
365 Fifth Avenue, Suite 5203
New York, NY 10016
Applications can also be sent by email to Eli Karetny at ekaretny@gc.cuny.edu.
Deadline: TBD
Contact: Eli Karetny, ekaretny@gc.cuny.edu or 212-817-1938
The Schomburg Archival Dissertation Fellowship will be awarded to a student in any field of the humanities or social sciences who will significantly benefit from an academic year in residency at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. While in residence, fellows will participate in bi-weekly seminar meetings of the Schomburg Scholars-in-Residence Program and receive access to office space and a computer. Of particular interest are interdisciplinary dissertations that treat some significant aspect of the African Diaspora, including the culture and history of African Americans, and that draw from specific collections of the Schomburg Center. Fellows will deliver a public lecture about their projects in the spring of the award year. The fellowship provides a stipend of $25,000 and covers in-state tuition.
Deadline: TBD
Contact: Provost's Office, rsponzo@gc.cuny.edu
Download the award application for full details. [insert app PDF lnk]
Funding from other Graduate Center Sources
These are available on a competitive basis through various Graduate Center centers, institutes, and committees, including the Center for the Humanities, the Center for Place, Culture, and Politics, and the Committee on Globalization and Social Change.
Graduate Center Digital Initiatives (GCDI) builds and sustains an active community around the shared idea of a “Digital GC,” where scholars and technologists explore new modes of inquiry that integrate digital tools and methods into the research, teaching, and service missions of the institution.
GCDI offers three fellowship programs: Program Social Media Fellows, GC Digital Fellows, and Videography Fellows. Applications are circulated in the spring for yearlong appointments that begin in the fall.
In addition, Provost's Digital Innovation Grants are small awards to support cutting-edge digital projects designed, created, programmed, or administered by Graduate Center students; students submit proposals to an annual competition for these awards.
The New Media Lab (NML) hires doctoral students in good standing to spend four to 12 hours per week in its collaborative laboratory environment working on digital projects related to their academic research topics.
NML also has numerous small research and teaching awards for lab students:
- NML Digital Dissertation Award
- Joshua Brown Visual Culture Award
- History and Public Health Award
- Social Justice Award
- Dewey Digital Teaching Award
- Data Analysis and Visualization Award
- NML Conference Travel Award.
While all Graduate Center students are eligible for the part time paid positions, the awards are for students already working on digital projects at the lab.
For more information, visit the New Media Lab website or contact the managing director, Andrea A. Vásquez (avasquez1@gc.cuny.edu or 212-817-1967).
Part of a two-year fellowship program supported by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Humanities Alliance Graduate Teaching Fellows represent a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds, and experiences.
Working closely with faculty mentors, program staff, continuing Graduate Teaching Fellows, and students at LaGuardia Community College, the cohort of fellows will learn pedagogical practices adapted for teaching in community colleges while contributing their own experience and scholarly expertise to the project, the institutions, and the public.
Employment Opportunities
GC doctoral students can be hired as adjunct instructors by individual college departments. Students serving as adjuncts within CUNY who do not already receive tuition support are eligible for in-state tuition if they are within their first 14 registered semesters, and are eligible for low-cost individual or family NYSHIP health insurance.
Students in their first 10 semesters will receive full in-state tuition remission. Doctoral students who have completed at least ten semesters and hold a position covered by Article 1 of the PSC contract will qualify for up to four additional semesters of in-state level three tuition remission.
For more information on benefits for part-time workers and adjuncts, please visit the PSC-CUNY website or use the online contact form for direct inquiries.
Graduate Assistantships may be awarded by the doctoral programs, CUNY and Graduate Center administrative offices, and the CUNY colleges upon admission or while you are studying at The Graduate Center. In many cases, a graduate assistantship is a component of a multiyear fellowship.
Graduate assistantships require varying amounts of service (between 100 and 450 hours per year). Students with graduate assistantships are eligible for in-state tuition coverage if they are within their first 10 registered semesters.
The Student Employment program fellowship funds a limited number of jobs each year in the administrative offices of The Graduate Center, the Mina Rees Library, and Information Technology. Awards vary in amount depending on the availability of funds.
External Funding
As our office becomes aware of additional opportunities for outside funding, we will post the relevant information.
Please note: The Graduate Center does not endorse or recommend any particular organization, individual, points of view, products, or services offered by these outside sites. Students should review all scholarship information carefully.
Students interested in additional research funding from external sources may also review opportunities collected by the Early Research Initiative.
You may be able to pursue supplemental financial aid in the form of federal work study or federal or private loans.
CUNY BECAS Scholarship Program
The Mexican Studies Scholarship Fund awards scholarships to highly motivated students. The scholarship program is intended to help current and future community leaders to advance their educational goals.
Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)
The HSF Scholarship is designed to assist students of Hispanic heritage obtain a university degree.
Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund
The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund aids people active in movements for social and economic justice. These need-based scholarships are awarded to students who are able to do academic work at the college or university level or are enrolled in a trade or technical program and who are active in the progressive movement.
APSA Diversity Fellows Program
The APSA Diversity Fellowship Program is a fellowship competition for individuals from underrpresented backgrounds applying to or in the early stages of doctoral programs in Polticial Science.
ASA Minority Fellowship Program
The ASA Minority Fellowship program is open to students enrolled in Sociology doctoral programs who plan to become researchers.
The academic activity of The City University of New York expands far beyond the boundaries of The Graduate Center. As such, many Graduate Center students benefit from adjunct teaching positions and research assistantships on other campuses within CUNY or under the auspices of faculty-sponsored research grants. Executive officers can assist students in locating these opportunities.
A number of students also find support through external funding sources such as private foundations, unions, and government agencies. The list of external funding sources available to graduate students is extensive.
Other considerations include:
- If you or your parents are employed, ask your company or labor union if it has a tuition reimbursement program.
- Check to see if the church or community organization you or your parents belong to has an educational grant or scholarship program.
- If you are a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces or the child of a veteran, you may be eligible for veterans' educational benefits [link to VA page].
- Vocational and Educational Services for individuals with Disabilities (VESID) is a New York state government office that provides a variety of educationally related services and some financial assistance for eligible students.
Fast Web
Fast Web is an online resource for paying and preparing for school. In addition to locating scholarships, it offers members information on financial aid, jobs and internships, student life, and more.
CollegeNET
CollegeNET is the world's leading “virtual plumber” for higher education internet transactions. It provides over 1,500 customized internet admissions applications built for college and university programs. When applying to more than one program, you can save substantial mounts of time since common data automatically travels from form to form.
Peterson's Award Search
Peterson's Award Search makes it quick and easy to find the right scholarships for you. The database presents 800,000 awards from about 2,000 sources in 69 academic subject areas.
College Board
College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization committed to excellence and equity in education.
FinAid.com
FinAid.com has grown into the most comprehensive source of student financial aid information, advice, and tools on or off the web.
The New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA)
The New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA) is a non-profit organization comprised of nearly 1,500 financial aid professionals and other higher education providers devoted to promoting equal access to education in New York state. It has compiled a list scholarship databases available for use in finding monies for college.
