Graduate Student Funding & Cost
We know that attending graduate school can be a big decision, especially when it comes to financing your education. Columbian College offers a variety of funding opportunities, including program-level scholarships and merit-based awards. Several offices at GW are also dedicated to providing assistance with financial aid, fellowships and grants.
Tuition and fees at GW are comparable to the national average for private universities. These costs, set by the GW Board of Trustees, generally increase from year to year and may vary by program and location.
Get Discounted Tuition with Grad2Grad
Are you a current GW undergraduate student considering graduate school? You could receive a tuition reduction through Grad2Grad.
Types of Funding
Tuition
Tuition awards are awards that only cover tuition and are applied directly to your student bill. Tuition awards vary in size from approximately 1 credit of tuition to full tuition for PhD students. Tuition awards are not considered taxable income.
Stipend
A stipend is a living allowance paid to students to support their study. Stipends do not require any work other than the student’s own academic work and are issued on a monthly basis at the beginning of the month. Stipends are taxable income and must be reported to the IRS, but they are not subject to FICA withholding since the payment is not for services. GW does not ordinarily withhold tax from stipend payments, but when a stipend is paid to a non-resident alien, it may be subject to U.S. income tax withholding. (Please consult GW's Tax Department for more information on the taxation of stipends for domestic students and for international students).
Salary (Assistantship)
Salary is a monthly payment that is made for services rendered such as a graduate assistantship or graduate research assistantship. They vary in size and are based on hours worked. This is taxable, earned income to the student, subject to federal, state, and FICA tax withholding, as with any paid employment. New international students whose native language is not English must have a TOEFL score of 100 (IELTS of 7.0) in order to be eligible to be a GA.