Financing a Graduate Degree
Financial assistance can be a crucial part of attaining an advanced degree. Iowa State and the Graduate College are aware of this need and provide services to assist with your financial planning.
We have partnered with the Council of Graduate Schools to help you plan ahead.
Expenses you may expect to encounter at ISU are:
- The Tuition & Fees site gives current resident and nonresident tuition rates along with all mandatory fees.
- Health Insurance is offered at an affordable rate through our Student & Scholar Health Insurance Program Office. Graduate students on assistantship during fall and spring terms receive self only health insurance coverage as a benefit of employment for the term at no cost.
Ways in which Iowa State provides assistance with educational expenses include:
- Understanding Your Financial Offer - information to help you understand the many forms of financial support that a graduate assistantship (GA) provides.
- Graduate Assistantships - Teaching, Research, and Administrative Assistants gain valuable experience and receive stipends and other financial support.
- Bridge Funding: Arrival of New Child - graduate assistants, predocs, and postdocs who are a primary caregiver of the new child may request up to twelve weeks of funding for the arrival of a new child.
- Employment - including on and off campus jobs
- Financial Aid - including grants and loans
- Diane Brandt Scholarship for Women - financial assistance for women in science, engineering, math, and other fields in which women have traditionally been underrepresented.
- George A. Jackson Award – financial assistance in the form of tuition support for eligible masters students.
- Iowa State Ronald E. McNair Scholarship – financial assistance for students who are current or past participants in the federally funded Ronald E. McNair Postbaccaluareate Achievement Program.
- Federally-sponsored opportunities - opportunities for graduate students in STEM fields
- Funding for Short-Term Incapacitation - graduate assistants and postdoctoral scholars can request funding in the event of a short-term illness or injury.