Finanical Support

Financing Your Education

"How am I going to pay for this?" It's a major concern for most people pursuing a graduate education. OSU and the Graduate School value the contributions our graduate students make to the university as active participants in the creation and discovery of knowledge, and we have a strong commitment to supporting your graduate education through a variety of funding opportunities.

But often the money won't just come to you. Luckily, the very skills and abilities that fuel your graduate pursuits will aid your search for funding: creativity, intellectual passion, thorough research, and good communication skills. The first step in the funding process is to educate yourself about the different types of funding available, application procedures, and deadlines. As you explore these pages, keep in mind that your academic department is your primary resource for many of the programs described here and many more opportunities that are unique to your field. Students enrolled in only graduate certificate programs do not qualify for federal financial aid unless a student is enrolled in coursework required for teacher certification. In addition, those pursuing only a graduate certificate do not qualify for graduate assistantships or centralized funding programs administered by the Graduate School. Please contact your graduate certificate program coordinator to learn about financial support options that may be available within your program.

Tuition & Fees

For more information on tuition costs and financial aid, see the OSU Graduate School page here.

Assistantships

The most common form of student support, graduate assistantships are employment-based appointments where students, in exchange for their service, receive a stipend, tuition remission, and an institutional contribution toward the health insurance program available only to graduate assistants. Teaching and research assistantships are offered on a competitive basis and are generally administered by the academic departments. Follow this link to learn more about graduate assistantships.

Fellowships & Scholarships

Fellowships and scholarships for graduate study are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or financial need. A list of fellowships can be found here (not exhaustive).

Tuition Remission

OSU offers tuition remission as part of a financial package to recruit and retain the highest quality of graduate students.

Graduate assistantships provide full tuition remission (excluding student fees) during the terms of the appointment. Keep in mind that graduate assistantships do not change your residency status. When the graduate assistantship ends, you will be assessed tuition charges according to your student residency status.

The Graduate School also offers some tuition remission scholarship programs. These awards are provided on a competitive basis to students who are not funded under a graduate assistantship. Students may not apply directly for this support, but must be nominated by their academic program. These scholarships provide full or partial tuition remission to recipients according to the guidelines for each tuition remission program.

Tuition remission recipients must enroll for a minimum of 12 credits each term of the award. Audit registrations and enrollment in E-campus courses may not be used to satisfy these enrollment requirements.

Western Regional Graduate Program (WICHE)

The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE) was established more than 40 years ago to promote the staring of higher education resources among the western states. One of the programs established by WICHE to meet this goal is the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP).

Financial Aid

Follow this link for instructions on completing and filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as information on various financial aid programs such as the Federal Perkins Loan and work-study. Some scholarships and fellowships use the FAFSA to evaluate financial need, so it's a good idea to file an application, either on-line or by mail, even if you don't plan to take out any student loans. APPLY EARLY!

Tax Benefits for Graduate Education

OSU is not able to provide students with specific tax advice, but there are IRS publications that you may find helpful, such as Publication 970, "Tax Benefits for Education." For more details, we recommend you consult with a tax professional.

OSU withholds taxes from wages received under graduate assistantships or under student hourly-wage appointments. Taxes are not withheld from fellowships or scholarships. The OSU Business Office issues IRS Form 1098T at the end of each year which reflects transactions associated with your student business account, including tuition and fee charges and institutional scholarship and fellowship awards.

Reference Resources

For the enterprising student determined to explore every avenue available financial aid, the funding process is like a personal research project. The OSU Valley Library has a large collection of resources to help you identify possible funding opportunities and fine tune your application materials.