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Graduate Student Scholarships and Fellowships

Graduate Student Scholarships and Fellowships

Summary of Funding Competitions

*Funds student’s original, independent work (not research on faculty member’s project or team project); can be pro-rated

College of Education Doctoral Fellowship Competitions

These fellowships are awarded through a competitive process each year. Students will receive notification of the scholarship process via their MSU-issued email from the Grad Link student newsletter. You must be an enrolled student to receive the notification. Individual awards will be posted online and shared via the College newsletter at least one month in advance of the award deadlines.


College of Education Recruitment Fellowships & Scholarships

The College of Education, with additional funding from the Graduate School, provides more than $2 million to support doctoral1 student education in the form of fellowships and scholarships each year. Fellowships, typically awarded on a competitive basis, are designed to help recruit exemplary students and cover costs such as research, tuition, living expenses, and professional development. Fellowships are often combined with graduate assistantship opportunities. Learn more about CED Recruitment Scholarships.

1 Limited number of scholarships for master’s students may be available on the Recruitment Fellowships & Scholarships site.

University & College Funding Opportunities are:

  • One-year, one-time award of $3000-$5000 during fall semester of student’s first year.
  • More information about CUMREC Graduate Fellowship
  • Five-year award for CEPSE, EAD, TE students; four-year award for KIN students.
  • Annual award for students entering Fall 2024 and later: ½ time GA position combined with fellowship to total $28,000. Tuition and health benefits are also included.
  • Approx. five awards across the College.
  • Students entering Fall 2024 or later are each guaranteed a Summer Research Development Fellowship of $7,000 to fund research the summer after their first year. If that summer is otherwise funded, the student may postpone this award.
  • Five-year award for CEPSE, EAD, TE students; four-year award for KIN students.
  • Annual award for students entering Fall 2024 or later: ½ time GA position combined with fellowship to total $28,000. Tuition and health benefits are also included.
  • Students must have a strong research trajectory.
  • Approx. five awards across the College.
  • Students entering Fall 2024 or later are each guaranteed $4000 in summer funding after their first year of study; if they are selected for a Summer Research Development Fellowship, this will increase to $7,000. If that summer is fully funded, a student may postpone this award. These students are also each allocated $3,000 to support the “hard” costs of research (i.e. participant incentives, software subscriptions) and/or conference travel during their first two years.
  • One-time award of $7,500 per department admitting PhD students, selected by the department.
  • This award is in addition to whatever other guaranteed award(s) the applicant receives.
  • The purpose is to provide additional incentive for the applicant to choose MSU; a number of peer institutions’ standard awards exceed $30,000 annually.
  • Up to four awards across the college.

The department funding opportunities are:

These awards are not applied to and are only available to NEW, first-time students to a College of Education graduate program. New applicants are automatically considered for any endowed recruitment scholarship or fellowship they are eligible to receive.

College Endowed Scholarships

There are additional endowed scholarships and external funds offered through individual departments and programs in the College of Education.

Professional Development Fellowships

There are limited funds to support various forms of professional development. This means that doctoral students presenting the results of scholarly research at national or international conferences, for example, may request support for travel or other extraordinary expenses from their department chairs and from their department fellowship representatives. The Graduate School also provides limited support for similar activities.