Students in the Student Affairs Administration M.A. program typically enroll as full-time students and take nine (9) credits per semester across two (2) years. To cover the costs of the program, students may seek out various sources of financial aid such as graduate assistantships, hourly work, and scholarships. The Ann Marie Bolger Memorial Scholarship is also available on a competitive basis to one or more incoming first-year students.
Eligibility for scholarships and assistantships is open to all without restriction or preference based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, or other protected personal identity.
Graduate assistantships are competitive student employment opportunities offered by various departments across the university. Students interview for these opportunities with the assistance of the SAA M.A. program after they have been admitted. Stipends and benefits depend on the specific assistantship.
Graduate assistantships generally include the following benefits:
Visit the MSU Human Resources website for more information on graduate assistantship benefits. An estimation for tuition can be calculated on the MSU Financial Aid website.
*Note: graduate assistantships only cover standard graduate tuition for up to nine (9) credits, therefore students with assistantships are responsible for paying additional student fees, taxes, and the College of Education tuition beyond the standard graduate tuition rate.
Students who are admitted to the SAA M.A. program are invited to apply and interview for open graduate assistantships during the spring semester preceding their first term as an SAA M.A. student at MSU. Prospective students cannot apply for graduate assistantships until they have been recommended for admission by the SAA M.A. program.
Graduate assistantships are available for both new and continuing students. SAA M.A. students have held assistantships in a number of departments on campus, including:
Various offices across the university hire SAA M.A. students for hourly work. Domestic students who already work twenty (20) hours per week in a graduate assistantship may work a maximum of nine (9) additional hours per week. International students may have additional restrictions and should consult the Office for International Students and Scholars Work on Campus webpage. Opportunities for hourly work are often circulated on the SAA M.A. listserv.
The Ann Marie Bolger Memorial Scholarship is awarded on an annual basis to one or more incoming SAA master’s students who best exemplify the qualities required for outstanding work in the profession of student affairs.
Criteria for the scholarship include:
Application process:
By March 1, 11:59 pm ET, applicants should submit a resume and an essay, no longer than 800 words, addressing how their experiences and aspirations meet the above criteria. Materials should be submitted via the Bolger Application Form. Only complete applications received by the deadline will be considered.
The Student Affairs Administration M.A. program encourages students to engage in leadership roles in local, national, and international professional associations. Often these roles require students to attend conferences or professional meetings. Students in leadership positions (e.g., chairing a committee, being part of a conference internship, serving as a graduate student representative, etc.) are eligible to apply for $400 in financial support for travel and expenses to fulfill their responsibilities. Please note that SAA M.A. students can receive only one Stamatakos Award during their time in the program. Fellowship awardees must be enrolled during the semester they apply for and use the award. Awardees also must be in good academic standing (as verified by their advisor).
Applications are accepted for consideration on the 1st of every month. To apply, complete the Stamatakos Professional Development Fellowship Form and all instructions. The form is in the SAA Program OneDrive.
Additional MSU funding resources are listed below: