Funding
2012-13 Federal Financial Aid Update
Subsidized Stafford Loans for Graduate Students
Graduate/professional students with demonstrated financial need have been able to borrow up to $8,500 per year in loans for which the federal government paid the 6.8% interest until 6 months after the student separated from the institution. Regardless of need, these students also could borrow up to $20,500 less the subsidized loan amount per year, with amounts higher for clinical psychology ($31,000) and medical students ($40,500). Subsidized loans have been eliminated for loan periods beginning on or after 7/1/2012 but graduate students can continue to borrow the full amount through the unsubsidized loan program. 5,488 graduate/professional students borrowed $132,937,793 in 2010-11 and 37% of that ($49.5 million) was in subsidized loan. The cost of the lost subsidy is about $578 per year for every $8,500 borrowed.
For more information, contact the Office of Financial Aid (http://www.finaid.msu.edu/)
Financial Wellness Counseling is now available to Grad Students at Olin Student Health Center. Appointments are limited. First come, first served. Couples welcome. Call (517) 884-6565 or e-mail Brian.Winters@hc.msu.edu to schedule an appointment.
Community of Science Electronic Resources
Funding Opportunities Database
The COS Funding Opportunities database is the most comprehensive source of funding information available on the web, with more than 23,000 records, representing over 400,000 funding opportunities, worth over $33 billion.
- 2012-13 Overview of Financial Assistance for Graduate Students (pdf)
- Academic Achievement Graduate Assistantships (AAGA)
- Student Affairs and Academic Support Services Graduate Assistant positions
Graduate School Funding Opportunities
- Graduate Student Research Enhancement Award
- Travel Funding Fellowship
- Education Opportunity Fellowship
- Emergency Fellowship Funding
- Top-ups for externally funded graduate fellowships
Michigan State University Funding Resources
- Council of Graduate Students (COGS) Funding
- Environmental Science and Policy Program Compilation of External Environmental Funding Opportunities
- Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
- MSU Library Grants Resources
- Michigan Intercollegiate Graduate Studies
- Office for International Students and Scholars
- Office of Financial Aid
- VPRGS Funding Information
- National/International Fellowships and Scholarships (NIFS)
Other Funding Resources
- National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
- fastWeb
- Fellowship Support for Students by Agency
- FinAID
- International Research Fellowships Information
- Medical and Health Sciences Foundation Fellowships
- Science/Engineering Foundation Fellowships
- Social Science, Arts and Humanities Foundation Fellowships
- Women's Education, Education, Law and Miscellaneous Foundation Fellowships
Graduate Office Fellowship Funds
Approximately $2.1 million in Graduate Office Fellowship (GOF) funds are available through the thirteen colleges with graduate programs. The Associate Dean for Graduate Education of each college decides how these funds are dispersed. A number of different models are used. Ask your Associate Dean how these are dispersed in your college!
The Graduate School Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Twenty fellowships are available annually to allow students to devote full time to writing the dissertation with the goal that the dissertation will be completed during the tenure of the fellowship. Other MSU financial support, held simultaneously with the fellowship, cannot exceed a one-quarter time assistantship or the equivalent.
Selection of fellowship winners will be made by a student's college. The colleges will set the conditions and application procedures for the Graduate School Dissertation Fellowships and will notify the Graduate School of the winners. The Fellowship awards will be dispensed by the Graduate School. Students should contact the associate dean's office of their college to find out their college's procedure.
