Funding Opportunities for Current Graduate Students

Columbian College graduate students may be eligible to apply for additional funding opportunities that support research or academic activities. Interested students are invited to review the eligibility requirements and deadlines for each award.

For information about graduate student assistantships, employment opportunities and more, visit the Funding for Prospective Students page.

Please note: Current GW employees may not combine employee tuition benefits with merit awards.

External Funding Resources

The Columbian College keeps a regularly updated list of the major national fellowship and grant opportunities available for graduate study.

Search Hubs for Grants and Scholarships

• CollegeScholarships.org
• FastWeb
• Foundation Directory
• GoGrad
• GradSchools.com
• Grants.gov
• Sallie Mae Graduate School Scholarships

GradSense

GradSense, a unique online education platform that provides students with financial information about a range of topics including the value of pursuing an advanced degree. Through interactive tools, information is available on being financial prepared on transitioning to graduate school, advice on loan repayment, cost of living calculators and helpful tips on paying for college.

General Graduate Fellowships

• American-Scandinavian Foundation Fellowships and Grants
  Offers fellowships and grants to individuals to pursue research, study or creative arts projects in one or more Scandinavian country for up to one year.
• Boren Fellowship
  Boren Fellowships are available to graduate students of all proficiency levels who are committed to enhancing their skills in a critical language and immerse themselves in the cultures in world regions underrepresented in study abroad. Boren Awards alumni are committed to public service, working in positions critical to U.S. national security throughout the Federal Government, including the Departments of State, Defense, and Homeland Security, and USAID. 
• Critical Language Scholarship
  The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The CLS Program is part of a U.S. government effort to expand dramatically the number of Americans studying and mastering critical foreign languages. 
• Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships
  Provides graduate school fellowships in any recognized field of study in the humanities, social science or natural sciences, including law, medicine, engineering, architecture or other formal professional training. 
• Intercollegiate Studies Institute Graduate Fellowships Program
  Offers several fellowships in fields related to Western civilization and history.
• International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) Graduate Fellowship Program
  Provides funding for graduate students at the master’s or PhD level who are working for the development and implementation of scientifically valid alternatives to the use of animals in research, product testing and education. The foundation will consider students in fields such as sciences, humanities, psychology and journalism.
• John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship
  Provides a unique educational and professional experience to graduate students who have an interest in ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and in the national policy decisions affecting those resources.
• Smithsonian Opportunities for Research and Study 
  Several fellowship opportunities for students to conduct research at Smithsonian institutes.
• Social Science Research Council Just Tech Fellowship
  Supports and mobilizes diverse and cross-sector cohorts of researchers and practitioners to imagine and create more just, equitable, and representative technological futures.
• Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
  Provides opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields and to partake of the American dream. The Fellowship is open to all fields of study and fully accredited full-time graduate and professional degree programs. 
• Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship
  Empowers LGBTQ students to access and succeed in their education at accredited four-year institutions in the United States. Includes financial support, access to multiple leadership development programs, and mentorship or coaching.

Fellowships for Underrepresented Groups

• American Political Science Association - Minority Graduate Fellowships in Political Science
  The Minority Fellows Program is designed for minority or under-represented students applying to doctoral programs in political science. 
• American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program (MFP)
  Provides financial support, professional development activities and guidance to promising doctoral students and postdoctoral trainees with the goal of moving them toward high achievement in areas related to ethnic minority behavioral health research or services.
• Directorate Resource Assistant Fellows Program (DFP)
  The DFP is an 11-week fellowship program through Hispanic Access, an organization that establishes bridges of access between the Latino community and trustworthy, socially responsible partners. The fellowship includes a direct hire authority (DHA) for a permanent position in FWS (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service). The DFP is for students interested in conservation careers and is a good fit for graduate students studying biological sciences.
• Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
  Provides opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields and to partake of the American dream. The Fellowship is open to all fields of study and fully accredited full-time graduate and professional degree programs.
• UCAR Next Generation Fellowships
  ​Intended for graduate students from underrepresented communities, the UCAR Next Generation Fellowships offer three distinct tracks: Earth System Science, Diversity & Inclusion, and Public Policy.
• U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Minority Postdoctoral Research Fellowships
  In an effort to increase the participation of underrepresented groups in selected areas of science in the U.S., these fellowships support training and research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
• Scholarships & Resources for Hispanic & Latino Students
  Online Guide to Scholarships for Hispanic and Latino Students.

Fellowships for Women

• American Association of University Women (AAUW)
  Administers a number of fellowship and grant programs for women scholars, including awards supporting women pursuing full-time study in a master's or professional degree program in which women are underrepresented, including STEM, law, business, and medicine; women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the US who are not US citizens or permanent residents; women pursuing a certificate or degree to change careers or reenter the workforce; and women scholars completing dissertations and postdoctoral research. Each program has its own eligibility criteria, open/close dates, and required documents.
• National League of American Pen Women, Inc.
  Awards established for the purpose of promoting professionalism in Art, Letters, and Music, encouraging talented women to pursue further education or other goals which affect their creative efforts.

International Student Funding Opportunities

Visit the EducationUSA center website for information about scholarships available in specific countries.

International Education Financial Aid
eduPass
Institute of International Education
MPOWER Financing

STEM Fellowships

• Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program
  Fellows develop basic skills essential to working or participating in science policy at the federal, state, or local levels. Areas of study may include any social/behavioral science, medical/health discipline, physical or biological science, public administration, or any relevant interdisciplinary fields.
• DOE Office of Science Graduate Fellowship Program
  Program to support outstanding students to pursue graduate training in basic research in the areas of physics, biology, chemistry, mathematics, engineering, computational sciences and environmental sciences relevant to the Office of Science and to encourage the development of the next generation of scientific and technical talent in the U.S.
• DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program
  The SCGSR program is open to current Ph.D. students in qualified graduate programs at accredited U.S. academic institutions, who are conducting their graduate thesis research in targeted areas of importance to the DOE Office of Science. The research opportunity is expected to advance the graduate students’ overall doctoral thesis/dissertation while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the host DOE laboratories/facilities. The supplemental award provides for additional, incremental costs for living and travel expenses directly associated with conducting the SCGSR research project at the DOE host laboratory/facility during the award period. Detailed information about the program, including eligibility requirements and access to the online application system, can be found on their website. For any questions, please contact the SCGSR Program Manager, Dr. Ping Ge, at [email protected].
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Grants
  Fellowships and grants supporting biomedical research.
• NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities
  The NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate seeks to sponsor graduate student space technology research ideas that have significant potential to contribute to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies for our Nation’s science, exploration, and economic future.
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program
  This fellowship awards individuals pursuing doctoral degrees in science or engineering research disciplines, specifically, those related to the Department of Defense's Broad Agency Announcements (BAAs).
• National Physical Science Consortium Graduate Fellowships in Science and Engineering
  Fellowships and internship opportunities in science fields such as chemistry, geology, materials science, mathematical sciences, and physics.
• NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG)
  These grants are provided to doctoral students to assist them in data-gathering projects and off-campus field research, ultimately aiding dissertation completion. 
• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) 
  Provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research.
• Quantitative Fellowship Program
  The QFP is a two-year rotational program designed to develop candidates with strong analytical skills into full-time quantitative analysts within the Federal Reserve System. As a fellow, you will have the opportunity to work on-site at multiple Reserve Banks across the Federal Reserve System, including the Board of Governors' location in Washington, D.C. You will interact directly with financial institutions, gain valuable cross-firm perspective on modeling challenges, and be involved in helping senior Federal Reserve officials make informed decisions.

Visual and Performing Arts Fellowships

• Burning Man Arts Global Art Grants
  Funds highly interactive, community-driven works of art that prioritize community involvement in their development, execution and display. Focused on encouraging, supporting, and taking risks on new and emerging artists.
• Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts
  Offers financial support for graduate research in the history, theory, and criticism of art, architecture, urbanism and photographic media.
• Craft Research Fund Project Grant
  Grants up to $15,000 awarded to support projects that encourage, expand, and support scholarly craft research in the United States. 
• Getty Pre- and Postdoctoral Fellowships
  Getty Predoctoral and Postdoctoral Fellowships are intended for emerging scholars to complete work on projects related to the Getty Research Institute's annual research theme or the African American Art History Initiative. Recipients may be in residence at the Getty Research Institute or Getty Villa, where they pursue research projects, complete their dissertations, or expand dissertation for publication. 
• Lower Manhattan Cultural Council Arts Center Residency
  Offers short-term, project-based residencies to artists and creative practitioners whose work is concerned with the broader themes of equity and sustainability.
• Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation
  Mid Atlantic Arts’ grant programs for artists allow artists to explore and create, provide touring engagements regionally and internationally, help to build audiences, and provide support and services to assist in career development.
• Samuel H. Kress Foundation Fellowships
  Competitive fellowships supported by the Kress Foundation are awarded to art historians and art conservators in the final stages of their preparation for professional careers, as well as to art museum curators and educators.
• YoungArts
  Provides award winners with grants, awards, creative and emergency microgrants, and unrestricted funding throughout their artistic careers.

Humanities and Social Sciences Fellowships

• American Psychological Association Predoctoral Fellowship in Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
  This fellowship is aimed at those pursuing doctoral degrees in clinical, counseling, and school psychology, or other behavioral health services areas.
• APF Graduate Student Scholarships
  The purpose of the scholarship program is to assist graduate students of psychology with research costs associated with the master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation. The American Psychological Association Science Directorate administers the granting of the scholarships.
• Capitol Fellowship
  Inaugurated in 1986, the Capitol Fellowship Program has provided financial support to more than fifty scholars researching important topics in the art and architectural history of the United States Capitol Complex. Fellowship support permits scholars–selected on the basis of their qualifications and research proposals–to use the extensive documents housed in the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives.
• Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships
  The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences. Newcombe Fellows are late-stage Ph.D. students studying how ethical and religious values shape society, including political decisions, public life, culture, history, literature, and other areas. Projects must be explicit in their attention to some dimension of religious and ethical values. The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation offers a stipend of $31,000. 
• Don Lavoie Fellowship
  Open to students from any discipline who are interested in studying key ideas in political economy and learning how to utilize these ideas in academic and policy research. 
• Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History Fellowships
  Provides annual short-term research fellowships in the amount of $3000 each to doctoral candidates. 
• The Inter-American Foundation Research Fellowship Program
  The IAF Research Fellowship Program awards students to further develop field-based research on actionable questions about community-led development in Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Social Science Research Council Data Fluencies Dissertation Grants
  Open to post-candidacy doctoral students applying humanities and/or social science methods to study issues such as disinformation, digital culture, AI and algorithmic management, privacy and surveillance, and alternative epistemologies stemming from feminist, Indigenous, or Black theoretical perspectives. Grants are up to $15,000.
• Social Science Research Council Dissertation Fellowships for Area Research
  Funding in the social sciences, humanities; graduate students must be enrolled in U.S. institutions.

Dissertation Fellowships

• American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Fellowships
  Provides support for women scholars who are pursuing full-time study to complete dissertations, conducting postdoctoral research full time, or preparing research for publication for eight consecutive weeks. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 
• American Anthropological Association Minority Dissertation Fellowship Program
  Provides dissertation funding for minority students studying anthropology.
• American Educational Research Association Dissertation Grants
  Dissertation grants are available for advanced doctoral students and are intended to support the student while analyzing data and writing the doctoral dissertation. Proposals are encouraged from the full range of education research fields and other fields and disciplines engaged in education-related research, including economics, political science, psychology, sociology, demography, statistics, public policy, and psychometrics.
• Carter Manny Award
  Established in 1996 by the Graham Foundation, the Carter Manny Award supports doctoral research and the completion of outstanding dissertations on architecture and its role in the arts, culture, and society.
• Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships
  The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences. Newcombe Fellows are late-stage Ph.D. students studying how ethical and religious values shape society, including political decisions, public life, culture, history, literature, and other areas. Projects must be explicit in their attention to some dimension of religious and ethical values. The Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation offers a stipend of $31,000. 
• Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Foundation (FINRA) Dissertation Completion Fellowship
  The FINRA Fellowship provides an award of up to $40,000. Applicants must have completed their doctoral coursework and be in the final year of writing their dissertation focused on topics such as financial capability, investor protection, access to financial services and the capital markets, fintech services, or understanding the systemic barriers to financial inclusion. Graduate study may be in any academic discipline.
• Ford Foundation Fellowship Program
  Predoctoral, Dissertation, and Postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation.
• Harry Frank Guggenheim Emerging Scholar Awards
  Sponsors scholarly research on problems of violence, aggression, and dominance. Only appropriate for students approaching the final year of their Ph.D. work. Questions that interest the foundation concern violence and aggression in relation to social change, intergroup conflict, war, terrorism, crime, and family relationships, among other subjects.
• International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)
  The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers six to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in Ph.D. programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US or US Indigenous topics. 
• Josephine de Karman Fellowship
  de Karman fellowships are open to PhD students in any discipline, including international students, who are currently enrolled in a university located within the United States.
• Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships
  This fellowship supports a year of research and writing to help advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of PhD dissertation writing.
• NSF Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG)
  These grants are provided to doctoral students to assist them in data-gathering projects and off-campus field research, ultimately aiding dissertation completion. 
• Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF)
  The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers six to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research about non-US or US Indigenous cultures and societies. 
• Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowships for Research Related to Education
  The Dissertation Fellowship program is committed to supporting the research training of promising doctoral students from a wide range of disciplines, taking up research relevant to the improvement of education.
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (NIH), Health Services Research Dissertation Awards (R36)
  Funding for dissertation work on topics such as healthcare, medicine, social or behavioral sciences, health services research, social sciences, epidemiology, health policy and health informatics
• Wenner-Gren Foundation Dissertation Fieldwork Grants
  Supports dissertation research in anthropology.
• WW Dissertation Fellowship in Women's Studies
  The WW Women’s Studies Fellowships support the final year of dissertation writing for Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and social sciences whose work addresses topics of women and gender in interdisciplinary and original ways.

Awards (Funding)

My award says I should be registered full-time. May I register part-time? 
Usually, no. Please contact the staff member listed as the point of contact in your award letter to see whether it is possible to adjust the terms of the award. Salary-only GAs are not required to be full-time students by the College.

When will my tuition award post to my account? 
Once you have registered for a given term, the tuition award should post to your student account overnight. Note that you must meet the registration requirements for the award in order for the fellowship to apply. If the award requires full-time registration, it will not post until you have registered for a full-time schedule. If you are receiving an award after you have already been billed for a given term, please allow 8-10 business days from the time you accept for the award to be posted.

My tuition award is not on my account. Who should I contact for help? 
Please contact the staff or faculty member listed in your award letter as a point of contact for assistance.

Why do I have a balance on my account for University fees even though I have an award? 
Student awards, even “full packages” for doctoral students, do not cover fees. Please review the terms and conditions linked in your award letter for details.

I am a GW employee using employee tuition benefits. Am I also eligible for an award? 
No, employees may not combine employee benefits with merit awards.

I do not currently have an award, but I would like one. What are my options? 
If you are a doctoral student, please consult with your Director of Graduate Studies. Many funding decisions are made by the Department. Current students can find details on competitive scholarship opportunities at GW through the Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships. CCAS will distribute information about any other available opportunities that arise to the CCAS Graduate Student Listserv.

Graduate Assistants (GA) and Graduate Research Assistants (GRA)

I am interested in being a Graduate Assistant. What is the process for becoming one?

Some, but not all, academic departments appoint Graduate Assistants (GAs) and Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs). Most of these positions are filled by students who are guaranteed GA or GRA positions as part of their offer of admission. You may apply for these opportunities by indicating your interest on your admission application.

Departments occasionally hire additional GAs to assist with undergraduate courses. Please contact your program's Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) for more information about serving as a GA in a future term.

The University Writing Program also hires Writing in the Disciplines (WID) GAs to provide assistance in undergraduate courses throughout the university. For information about WID GA opportunities and to apply for these positions online, please visit the WID website. (A GW email address is required to access the WID GA application form).

I am an international student/applicant planning to be on a visa. Am I eligible to be a GA or GRA?

The University requires a minimum TOEFL of 100 (IELTS overall of 7.0 with no individual score below 6.0) in order to be considered for a GA position. GRAs and Fellows are not required to have a TOEFL higher than the minimum for their program, but note that awards do not cover EAP (English for Academic Purposes) coursework. Students who were waived out of providing test scores for the English language requirement in the application are eligible. Current GW students who have successfully completed EAP (English for Academic Purposes) in a prior term are also eligible. If you are offered a GA or GRA award and you are in the US on a visa, you must be on an appropriate visa (F-1) to accept the award. If you are not on an F-1 visa, please contact your visa sponsor, as GW will request written permission from your sponsor to serve. This may not be possible depending upon your visa type.

I am a GA or GRA. May I take another job on campus?

Almost always, the answer is no. This is because students may not conglomerate positions that would otherwise equal full-time employment when none of those positions has been created to provide full-time benefits. Please contact the fellowship coordinator listed in your award letter if you have questions. Note that exceptions to this policy are not possible.

As an additional matter, students on F-1 student visas are not permitted to work more than 20 hours per week. 

Students may work in another position outside of the academic year (summer months) if the term of the GA or GRA appointment is only the academic year.

How do I set up a Direct Deposit?

If you are a GA or GRA, you can find a direct deposit setup option in GWeb. For more instructions, see the GW HR website. If you are a fellow (no salary) please visit the Faculty & Staff Service Center (currently in Rice Hall) to fill out the appropriate paperwork.

Stipends and Salaries

When do I receive my salary check?

Salaries are paid on the last business day of the month -- a salary is payment for services completed. The employment dates for your GA or GRA appointment will be in your award letter. 

Where do I pick up my salary check? 

Your salary check will mailed to the address provided on your W2 Form.  If you are being funded from a grant, please check with the Principal Investigator (PI) for your project. If you are not sure who this is, please reach out to the contact in your award letter. We strongly recommend you set up a direct deposit in GWeb for your own convenience.

I did not receive my salary. Whom do I contact for help?

As an initial matter, please check with your Department/Program Chair or Admin to make sure all of your hiring paperwork went through. If you did not receive a check as expected, please contact the CCAS Finance Office at [email protected] for a CCAS award, or OGSAF for an award from their office ([email protected]). A point of contact will be listed in your award letter.  

When will my stipend check be available?

Stipends are paid on the first business day of the month. Please consult your award letter for specifics on the duration of your award. If your award has been made late or you have accepted it late, payment will be delayed. Usually there are supplemental stipend payment runs 2-3 times per month.

Where do I pick up my stipend check?

Your stipend check will be mailed to the current mailing addressed saved in GWeb. If you are being funded from a grant, please check with the Principal Investigator (PI) for your project. If you are not sure who this is, please reach out to the contact in your award letter. We strongly recommend you set up a direct deposit in GWeb for your own convenience. 

I did not receive my stipend. Whom do I contact for help?

As an initial matter, please check with your Department/Program Chair or Admin to make sure all of the stipend was submitted in the proper payment systems. If you did not receive a check as expected, please contact the CCAS Finance Office at [email protected] for a CCAS award, or OGSAF for an award from their office ([email protected]). A point of contact will be listed in your award letter.  Additionally review your information in GWeb, confirm your current mailing address and that your class registration for the current semester meets the requirements of your award.

Student Health Insurance

Have questions about the Student Health Insurance plan. Whom do I contact for help?

Please see the Colonial Health Center’s website for the most up to date information about the plan available and current rates.

For questions, please contact the Student Health Insurance Program at [email protected]

My letter noted that I am eligible for a Student Health Insurance Related Payment. When will I receive the payment and whom do I contact with questions?

The Student Health Insurance payment amount and timeline are noted in your award letter. Note that only students with a GA or GRA position for at least one semester of the academic year are eligible for the payment. You must also be enrolled in GW’s student health insurance 

plan to receive the payment. The payment will post to your student account after the start of term as a credit. Usually this is done by November 15 for Fall and March 15 for Spring at the latest. You should pay the balance of your bill before the start of classes. For questions about the Health Insurance Related Payment, please contact the Office of Graduate Student Assistantships and Fellowships ([email protected]).

How do I request a refund for the Health Insurance Related Payment or another credit on my bill?

For instructions, please see the website for the Office of Student Accounts. You may also leave the credit on your bill to be applied toward a future term. 

 Updated December 4, 2023