Navigating the Maze: Eligibility Requirements for Master's Grants and Scholarships
Pursuing a master's degree is a significant investment in one's future, and understanding the eligibility requirements for grants and scholarships is crucial for financing this educational journey. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the various grants and scholarships available for master's students, focusing on eligibility criteria, application processes, and renewal requirements.
Federal Aid Opportunities
Federal Loans
The U.S. government offers several loan programs to assist graduate students in financing their education. These include:
- Grad PLUS Loans: These are credit-based, federally guaranteed loans for students registered for at least six credits in graduate or professional degree programs. Applicants with an adverse credit history may still be able to receive a loan by documenting extenuating circumstances or obtaining an endorser. If denied, completion of Credit Counseling on studentaid.gov is required.
- Federal College Work-Study Program: This program provides part-time employment to eligible enrolled students based on economic need to assist in paying for educational expenses.
New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology offers various financial aid options to graduate students, including federal grants, loans, and academic scholarships.
- General Requirements: To be eligible for scholarships, students must be accepted into a matriculated graduate degree program and have earned a bachelor's degree with a minimum CGPA of 3.3. Bridge students are not eligible for scholarships until they are matriculated into their degree program.
- Renewal Criteria: Awards are renewable each semester if the student has a FAFSA on file, meets Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) criteria, and maintains a 3.3 cumulative GPA.
- Specific Scholarships: The New York Institute of Technology also offers a number of scholarships to students who hold a New York Institute of Technology bachelor’s degree only. This award is not applicable to students enrolled in the B.S./D.O., B.S./D.P.T., B.S./M.S.O.T., or B.S./M.S.P.A.S.
- Graduate Assistantships: Graduate assistantships are offered to qualified students enrolled in graduate degree programs, providing partial or total tuition remission for a maximum of three years (six semesters) of continuous full-time enrollment (nine credits). Proration is available for students enrolled in less than 9 graduate level credits per semester, but you must register for at least 3 graduate level credits per semester to be eligible.
City University of New York (CUNY) Opportunities
CUNY offers a range of scholarships, fellowships, grants, and awards to master's and doctoral students through various entities, including CUNY SPH, the Office of the Dean, the CUNY SPH Foundation, and the Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA).
CUNY School of Public Health (SPH)
- Dean’s Scholarships: Awarded to master’s students based on a demonstrated history of academic excellence, with an overall GPA of 3.5 or higher. Enrollees must register for at least 6 or 9 credits per semester and maintain a minimum of a 3.0 Graduate GPA.
- Merit Scholarships: Awarded to students with a minimum GPA of 3.3 or higher. Enrollees must register for at least 6 credits or 9 credits per semester and maintain a minimum of a 3.0 Graduate GPA.
- Molina Health Equity Scholarship Fund: This scholarship is awarded to students accepted to enter CUNY SPH in Spring or Fall 2026. Scholarship applicants must reside in New York and be first-time graduate degree candidates. Once selected, scholars are required to attend an orientation meeting, meet at least once a semester with the Scholarship Program Director, maintain a minimum GPA of 3.5, and participate in the biennial Molina Health Equity Summit.
- MS in Industrial Hygiene Scholarship: Students admitted into the MS degree program are eligible for at least 24 credits of tuition reimbursement. Admission criteria for the MS degree include a baccalaureate degree in a science or engineering, and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
CUNY Doctoral Fellowships
- Dean’s Fellowship: Available to incoming PhD students based on merit, fit with departmental priorities, and demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and social justice. Enrollees must register for at least 7 credits per semester.
- Doctoral Fellowship in Migrant Health: Provides one doctoral student with the opportunity to develop their theoretical knowledge and practical skills in using policy and public health strategies to address issues related to migrant health. Student will be required to register for a minimum of 7 credits per semester and work 15 hours per week with the Center for Immigrant, Refugee and Global Health throughout the term of their fellowship.
- Doctoral Fellowship in Oral Population Health: Provides one doctoral student with the opportunity to develop their theoretical knowledge and practical skills to address oral health at a population level and thus improve health outcomes for all New Yorkers. Student will be required to register for a minimum of 7 credits per semester and work collaboratively with Dr. Luisa Borrell on research in the area of oral health and health equity, to teach one course per academic year and to develop/lead a new club for oral population health. Prior dental training and/or experience is required, with experience in New York City preferred.
Other CUNY Opportunities
- GSGA Awards: The Graduate Student Government Association (GSGA) offers various awards that students may apply for.
- The Graduate Center Dean’s Merit Scholarships: The Graduate Center offers Dean’s Merit Scholarships to a limited number of master’s degree students each year. These scholarships are awarded solely based on merit, and applicants to master’s programs are automatically considered as part of the admissions process.
St. John's University Scholarships and Grants
St. John's University offers a variety of scholarships and grants to graduate students, including merit-based awards, alumni scholarships, and school/college-specific opportunities.
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General Requirements
- Full-time students: Must take a minimum of nine credits in both the fall and spring semesters.
- Part-time students: Must take a minimum of six credits in both the fall and spring semesters to be considered eligible.
- International students: Must take a minimum of nine credits in both the fall and spring semesters for eligibility.
- Renewal Criteria: Maintaining full-time enrollment (9+ graduate degree applicable credits per semester), maintaining a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, making satisfactory academic progress toward graduate degree completion, and remaining in good disciplinary standing at the University.
Merit Scholarships
Awards range from $3,000 to $9,000. The admission application is used to determine merit scholarship eligibility automatically; no additional application is required. Scholarships are awarded based on your academic ability, School/College, and program of study.
Alumni Scholarship
Alumni scholarships are automatically awarded to students accepted to a master’s program who have already earned a bachelor's, master's or doctorate degree from St. John’s.
School/College-Specific Scholarships/Awards
- School of Education:
- New York City Public Schools Employee Tuition Discount: Offers a 20 percent tuition reduction in The School of Education graduate degree program tuition for admitted students employed by the New York City Public Schools.
- Catholic School Educator Grant: Provides a 40% tuition reduction to full-time teachers and administrators in Catholic schools to use toward one master’s degree, one advanced certificate, or one doctoral degree.
- Institute for Catholic Schools’ Catholic School Teacher Scholarship: Offers a 30 percent reduction in graduate degree program tuition in The School of Education, which may be awarded in conjunction with the 40 percent Catholic School Educator discount from St. John’s University.
- Donald R. Tobin College of Business:
- High-achieving students admitted into graduate programs within the Tobin College of Business are eligible for a select number of scholarships based on the academic strength of their application. These scholarships range from $5,000 to $10,000; students selected for the scholarships are notified by the department or dean’s office.
- CFA Institute Student Scholarship: Provides a program enrollment fee waiver and reduced exam registration fee to students in the program every year.
- The Greenberg School of Risk Management Academic Scholarship: All students accepted into programs within the Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Management, Insurance and Actuarial Science are automatically considered for an academic scholarship. These awards range from $5,000 to full tuition.
- Insurance Leader of the Year Fellowships: A full tuition fellowship is open to accepted students in the M.S. in Enterprise Risk Management and M.S. in Risk Management and Risk Analytics programs.
- Promise Scholarship: Students accepted to the M.S. in Actuarial Science degree program who have two Society of Actuaries exams completed before classes begin (one must be exam P), are eligible to receive a full-tuition award.
- Work Experience Grant: Work experience grants are awarded to accepted students in The Peter J. Tobin College of Business graduate programs based on qualified full-time work experience.
- Zurich Fellowship: A partial tuition fellowship is open to accepted students in the M.S. in Enterprise Risk Management, M.S. in Risk Management and Risk Analytics, M.S. in Actuarial Science, M.B.A. in Risk Management and Insurance, M.B.A. in Enterprise Risk Management, and the STEM MBA programs.
- St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences:
- Clergy and Professed Members of Religious Communities Discount: Clergy and professed members of religious communities enrolled in the M.A. in Theology can receive a 50 percent discount on graduate tuition.
- The Pope Paul VI Scholarship: This partial scholarship covers 50 percent of tuition for the M.A. in Government and Politics or the Advanced Certificates in International Law and Diplomacy or Public Administration.
- Rev. Brian J. O’Connell, C.M., Scholarship: The Division of Library and Information Science offers the Rev. Brian J. O’Connell, C.M., Scholarship to high-achieving applicants who earn grade point averages of 3.4 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for their most recent degrees.
- The Lesley H. and William L. Collins College of Professional Studies:
- Graduate Law Enforcement Grant: Students currently working in criminal justice, homeland security, and related agencies are eligible for a 33 percent tuition grant for the M.P.S. degree in Homeland Security for up to six credits per semester.
Pace University Scholarships and Grants
Pace University offers a variety of scholarships and grants to undergraduate and graduate students, including merit-based awards, transfer scholarships, and scholarships for underrepresented populations.
General Requirements
- Citizenship: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- FAFSA: Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Priority is given to students who file their FAFSA by February 15 each year.
- Enrollment: Recipients must be enrolled in at least 12 credits (full-time) per Fall and Spring semesters.
- Academic Progress: Maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress and cumulative QPA of at least 2.00.
- Renewal: Renewal is automatic provided the student maintains the minimum cumulative GPA requirement and continuous full-time enrollment for each Fall and Spring term.
Scholarships and Grants
- Pace Grant: Available to full-time Undergraduate students matriculated in a degree program at Pace University.
- Transfer Tuition Grant (TTG): Undergraduate students who have completed at least 24 credits at Pace (not including transfer credits) and who have a 3.50 cumulative QPA are eligible for a TTG.
- Community College Partnership Award: Awarded to students who have graduated from one of the following Community Colleges with a 2-year Associate’s degree and a cumulative GPA of 3.20 or higher: Bergen Community College, Borough of Manhattan Community College, Brookdale Community College, CUNY Guttman Community College, Nassau Community College, Suffolk County Community College.
- Alpha Beta Gamma Scholarship: $1,000 per year offered to incoming Transfer students who are members of Alpha Beta Gamma.
- Phi Theta Kappa Award: $1,000 per year offered to incoming Transfer students who are members of Phi Theta Kappa.
- Legacy Scholarship: $1,000 per year offered to Freshman or Transfer students who are admitted and whose mother and/or father graduated from Pace University.
- Sibling Award: $1,000 per year offered to Freshman who are admitted who currently have a sibling enrolled at Pace University.
- FAFSA Incentive Award: $2,000 per year offered to new undergraduate students who file their FAFSAs for the upcoming academic year by February 15.
- Summer Scholars Award: $3,000 per year offered to incoming students who have successfully completed Pace University's Summer Scholars Institute while in high school.
- Pace Veterans Scholarship: Grants eligible veterans a 50 percent tuition scholarship. The scholarship is open to all admitted veterans who provide a copy of their DD-214 form with the following designations: Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Operation Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom Medal, Operation Iraqi Freedom Medal.
Endowed Scholarships
To be eligible to apply, students must be matriculated into a degree program and be enrolled for at least 6 credits per semester, maintain Satisfactory Academic Progress, have a QPA of 3.0 or above, and demonstrate financial need.
Scholarships for Underrepresented Populations
- Cuppy Africa Steinhardt Scholars Stipend: Each year NYU Steinhardt awards the Cuppy Africa Steinhardt Scholars Stipend to two newly admitted for the fall/summer semester, full-time, on-campus master’s degree, advanced certificate or diploma students starting in the Fall semester only who have received their post-secondary degree (bachelor's degree) from Africa.
- Diversabilities Scholarship: Preference for this scholarship is given first to students eligible for services in the Moses Center for Students with Disabilities, including hearing and visual impairments, mobility impairments, learning disabilities and attention deficit disorders, chronic illnesses, and psychological impairments.
- First Generation Scholarship: Recipients of this award must be in the first generation of their family to have completed a bachelor’s degree and have the potential to excel academically based on demonstrated success.
- Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSI), and Tribal Colleges Scholarship: We offer this scholarship on a competitive basis to newly admitted full-time on-campus students who are graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Serving Institutions, and Tribal Colleges and Universities.
- LGBTQ+ Diversity Scholarship: Applicants must have a proven track record of leadership and community involvement, working for the betterment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) communities.
New Jersey City University (NJCU) Graduate Scholarships
NJCU offers a number of graduate scholarships, some of which are University-based and open to all areas of study, and others that are awarded on a departmental basis according to specific criteria.
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Professional Pathways Graduate Scholarships
Professional Pathways is a Department of Education Title V Promoting Post-Baccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans (PPOHA) funded program. The main goal of the project is to enable Hispanics and low-income students with academic ability to successfully complete graduate professional degrees.
Direct Federal Student Loans
To be eligible for a Direct Federal Student Loan, a graduate student must either be matriculated in a degree program or enrolled in a certificate program by the first day of the term in which they intend to use their student aid, and must be enrolled for at least six credits. In addition, a student seeking a Direct Federal Loan for a summer term must have received such student aid in either the prior spring or fall term.
External Scholarship Opportunities
Students are encouraged to seek external funding opportunities for graduate study. Reputable scholarship search sites can help identify external scholarships and financial aid resources.
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