Where and How Do I Apply for Funding?
The University of Michigan provides many sources of financial assistance to help students meet educational and living expenses. The best places to identify possible sources of financial support are your graduate program, Rackham Fellowships, and the University’s Office of Financial Aid.
Graduate Programs
The graduate program is the most important source of funding for the majority of graduate students. Types of assistance and availability of funding vary by graduate program. Nominations for program fellowships, assistantships, and awards are made through the graduate program. Refer to the graduate program literature for deadlines, instructions, and further details. Be sure to check the appropriate item on the graduate program portion of the application if you wish to be considered for graduate program aid. It is important that the Application Form and all required supporting documents are received no later than the deadline, because many programs begin evaluating for financial aid within a few days of the deadline.
The Rackham Fellowships Office
An applicant must be accepted to a Rackham Graduate School graduate program to be eligible for a Rackham Fellowship. Information and applications for Rackham fellowship awards are available from Rackham Fellowships. Rackham Fellowships also has information on non-University funded fellowships.
Fellowships of particular interest to new graduate students are:
- Rackham Merit Fellowships (RMF). An RMF is a competitive, merit-based fellowship for historically underrepresented U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent resident graduate students. It offers full tuition and a monthly stipend for up to three years for students in Ph.D. programs and for up to three terms for those in Master’s of Fine Arts degree programs.
- Rackham Non-Traditional Fellowships. These fellowships provides support for entering students whose education has been interrupted for at least five consecutive years immediately prior to the fall registration date. Full-time or part-time students may be eligible. Proof of State of Michigan residency for the past 3 years is required.
The University of Michigan Ann Arbor Office of Financial Aid (OFA)
The Office of Financial Aid administers the following aid for graduate students: Federal Direct Loans (Subsidized and Unsubsidized), Perkins Loans, Health Professions Loans, and Federal and Michigan Work-Study. Click here for more information.
More to say? Give us your feedback!