Master's and PsyD Funding

CCAS student talking at a table at a graduate student mixer for new students in 2020

The Columbian College of Arts & Sciences offers several awards to incoming master’s and PsyD students as part of the admissions process. These merit awards are designed to help qualified CCAS students reduce tuition costs. CCAS provides the majority of its awards at the time of admission and does not require a separate application from prospective graduate students interested in funding. Beyond CCAS, students can utilize other GW resources to find university-wide funding opportunities, on-campus work experience, and financial support external to GW.

How to Apply for Awards

During the admissions process, applicants will be asked to check a box in their application indicating they would like to be considered for funding. Simply check this box to be considered for funding. No additional application is necessary for any CCAS award.

Applicants are encouraged to apply by the priority funding deadline to ensure consideration for all possible funding opportunities. Prospective students should apply by February 1st for fall admission and by October 1st for spring admission. Awards outside CCAS may have separate application forms and application deadlines. Review these requirements ahead of time as funding deadlines may take place before application deadlines. View admissions requirements for your degree program in the GW Bulletin.

Columbian College Awards

CCAS awards are offered at the time of admission to assist incoming students in planning for their financial and academic success at GW. These awards are typically offered in the form of partial tuition fellowships. Tuition fellowship awards are applied directly to student eBills and may only be applied toward tuition fees.

Dean's Award

Students applying to a CCAS Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Forensic Science (MFS), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), or Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) degree programs may be eligible for a Dean’s Award. These non-renewable partial tuition awards are designed to help students cover 20-25% of tuition expenses, although awards will vary. The Dean’s Award is only offered as part of the admissions review process.

Trachtenberg Scholarship

CCAS’s Trachtenberg School of Public Policy & Public Administration program provides funding for qualified candidates admitted into one of their master’s level programs (MPP, MPA, and MA in Environmental and Sustainability Policy). These partial tuition awards are typically awarded for two years, or four fall/spring semesters. Students will be considered for the award as part of admission to their program and will not be required to complete a separate application. Funding is not awarded for certificate programs.

Global Leaders Award

Columbian College's Global Leaders Award provides a renewable tuition award of up to $11,500 per academic year to eligible international applicants. Awards are made on a competitive basis to the most highly qualified eligible applicants. Students will be considered for this award as part of the admissions review process. No separate application is required.

Minority Serving Institution (MSI)

The Columbian College’s MSI Award provides an application fee waiver to individuals who hold bachelor’s degrees from eligible minority-serving institutions. Students admitted to Columbian College graduate programs through this process are subsequently considered for tuition awards of at least 40% of their total tuition costs. Awards are made on a competitive basis to the most highly qualified applicants. No separate application is required.

Grad2Grad

GW undergraduate students may be eligible to receive a 10% tuition reduction through Grad2Grad. If admitted to a graduate program, students must fill out the Grad2Grad Fellowship Enrollment Form in order to receive the reduction. This may be awarded on top of other Columbian College awards.

Graduate Instructional Assistantships (GIA)

Graduate Instructional Assistantships are student salaried positions to assist faculty in a teaching capacity. Applicants will be considered for assistantships in their department as part of the admissions process. However, assistantships are rare for incoming master’s students. If you are not selected for a graduate assistantship, you can still receive a position in a later semester. You may also find positions outside your department through the Student Talent Management System. The Writing in the Disciplines (WID) program also offers several graduate assistantships. GIAs are compensated for their work through a paid salary. While students may receive additional awards, GIAs are not automatically awarded tuition coverage or stipend funding.

Grants

Some departments receive funding through grants which may offer Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) positions to assist your department in a research capacity. Funding opportunities change annually. If you are successful in obtaining this funding, it will be included in your admission letter.

University and External Awards

The Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships

The Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships (OGSAF) educates and supports graduate students across the university by providing resources and information on various options for funding your study beyond CCAS and GW. Opportunities on their website related to scholarships and fellowships have specific criteria, deadlines, and application requirements separate from CCAS requirements and deadlines. OGSAF also manages department-nominated awards.

Student Application Awards

Students are required to submit a separate application to OGSAF’s application portal in order to be considered for these awards. Application requirements and award eligibility will vary. The Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships’ website provides detailed award information for each.

Department Nomination Awards

Eligible students are nominated for these awards by their department during the admissions process. No action is required from students to be considered for these awards. Students will be informed of their selection at the time of admission. At the master’s level, students may be considered for the following:

Policy Studies Endowment Fellowship

AmeriCorps Matching Award

AmeriCorps alumni interested in using funding from their Segal Education Award and applying to a GW graduate program may be eligible to have their award matched. Students will be required to complete a separate application in order to be considered.

Military Education Benefits

If you are a veteran, active duty service member, or dependent of either, you may be eligible for financial aid through the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. GW’s Office of Military and Veteran Student Services can help you navigate programs like the Montgomery GI Bill and the Post-9/11 GI Bill to obtain support for your graduate program.

External Funding Resources

For international students:

Employment Opportunities

Part-Time On-Campus Employment

The Student Talent Management System is an internal, part-time job board open to GW students seeking student employment. These part-time, on-campus positions, are paid hourly with varying duties, hours per week, and payment per hour. Please note positions may be designated for Federal Work-Study (FWS) or will be marked as non-FWS.

Federal Work-Study Program (U.S. Students Only):

Available to U.S. citizens, the Federal Work-Study Program provides jobs for graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to your course of study. Federal Work-Study (FWS) positions are found through the Student Employment Talent Management System(TMS).

For international students:

International students with F-1 or J-1 visa status may be able to supplement their classroom experiences and personal funds through employment. However, proper employment authorization must be obtained before beginning work. For more information, contact the GW International Services Office.

GW Employee Tuition Benefits

Please indicate your intent to use employee tuition benefits on your application.

Through the tuition remission benefit, GW extends its educational resources to our employees and their dependents. The benefit provides competitive, accessible and valuable tuition benefits to those who seek to further develop themselves, both personally and professionally. Employees may not combine tuition benefits with any graduate award. If you intend to use tuition benefits to fund your graduate education, please indicate so in your application.

Graduate Assistantships (GIA and GRA)

Academic departments select a limited number of students to receive a salaried position as a Graduate Instructional Assistants (GIAs) and as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs). These positions are limited and not available in all departments. Incoming graduate students will be reviewed for these positions as part of the admissions process. Learn more about these positions on the GW Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships website.

GW Career Services

The GW Career Center has information on full-time, part-time, internship, cooperative education, temporary and summer positions as available. In addition to managing on-campus student employment, their office also offers all current students access to Handshake for finding opportunities off-campus.

Updated March 5, 2025