Available funding and financial aid

The graduate school is pleased to offer fellowships and scholarships to help you complete your graduate degree. These awards are made on a competitive basis based on review of an applicants' Report of Advisory Committee (RAC) and their degree completion timeline. Students may apply for both the fellowship and scholarship award in any one semester but can receive only one award. Students can receive only one award (fellowship or scholarship) per degree. The awards are for use in the semester (fall, spring or summer) immediately following the application.

  • Fellowship awards include up to 6 credits of tuition support, graduate student health insurance, and a $7,500 stipend. (Fellowships are not available for non-project/non-thesis students).

  • Scholarship awards include up to 3 credits of tuition support and either up to a $1,000 scholarship in eligible university fees or graduate student health insurance.

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Funding is only available for students in the semester they plan to graduate.
  • These awards are reserved for students who have no alternative university funding (e.g., Graduate assistantship, other university fellowships).
  • Eligible students have not previously received a Graduate School completion award (fellowship or scholarship) toward their current degree.
  • We will pull your most recent RAC as a part of your application review. We recommend that you have a RAC on file within a year of the funding application deadline
  • Applicants should have established a clear plan for graduation with their advisor.
    • Applicants completing a dissertation, thesis, or project are required to submit a degree completion timeline using the template provided below and signed by their advisor.
    • Applicants completing a degree by coursework are required to submit a memo/letter from their advisor addressed to the Graduate School certifying that the applicant is on track for graduation in the award semester.
  • If selected for an award, students will be required to present a receipt of the application for graduation to the Graduate School before the award is made.

Deadlines for Applications by Award Semester:

  1. Fall: Applications for fall awards are accepted between March 1 and April 1. Awards will be announced by April 15 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

  2. Spring: Applications for spring awards are accepted between October 1 and November 1. Awards will be announced by November 15 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

  3. Summer: Applications for summer awards are accepted between February 1 and March 1. Awards will be announced by March 15 or as soon as possible thereafter. 

Should these dates fall on a weekend the deadline will fall to the following Monday. International students wishing to enroll in less than 9 credits must request a reduced course-load from the Office of International Student and Scholar Services (uaf-internationalprograms@alaska.edu).

Graduate School travel awards are made in support of the University's high research & scholarly activity. Applicants should be in good academic standing with a current Report on Advisory Committee. Preference is given to students who are presenting their own work, conducting fieldwork, using research facilities, and/or participating in professional training. Awards are made to support the intellectual breadth of the University. Awardees must acknowledge support of the Graduate School.

The travel grant opportunity is for UAF students enrolled in a Master's or Doctoral degree program of up to $1,500. This grant will likely be less than the total expenses. The intent is to make it feasible for many students to travel, not to pay the entire cost for a few students. You are responsible for obtaining any additional funds needed, which can include personal funds.

Application Guidelines:
  • Applicants must be in good academic standing.
    • GPA > 3.0
    • Be registered at UAF the semester they travel (with the exception of the summer term) and must maintain a minimum of 6 graduate or 400-level credits per year.
    • Have a current graduate study plan or an advancement to candidacy submitted to the Graduate School and approved unless you are within the first year of graduate study.
    • Have on file with the Graduate School a current report of advisory committee certifying satisfactory progress for the reporting year.
  • Travel must contribute directly to the student’s graduate education, research, and/or acquaintance with their broader professional community.  The purpose of travel may include attending or presenting at a professional meeting or workshop, or to participate in an art exhibition, or musical performance. Priority will be given to those presenting.
  • Travel must take place during the designated award period.
  • Students may request up to $1,500 for travel expenses, to include but not limited to ground or air transportation, event registration, hotel accommodation, meals, incidental expenses such as poster printing etc.
  • Applicants should apply as soon as they have identified the dates of their travel. 
  • Travel must occur within the Financial Year
  • Your travel expense report must be submitted by June 20th
  • Travel must be entered in Concur
  • Students can apply each month that the award is open, but can only receive one travel grant for the award period.
  • *Applications for Fall 2023 Travel Award will be reviewed on October 15th and December 15th

 

About UA Foundation scholarships

UAF's Scholarship Application System is an online database of more than 400 scholarships. Once you sign in and submit your General Application, you'll be automatically matched with all the scholarship opportunities that you qualify for. You can also search for scholarships by college or academic department. Below is a selection of scholarships for which graduate students may qualify:

  • Robert and Judy Belous Global Change Research Endowment

    • About this scholarship: The Robert and Judy Belous Global Change Research Endowment supports student research in the area of global change at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Funding may be used for awards, stipends, supplies, and equipment for field or laboratory research, travel for field work, outreach, professional meetings, and laboratory or professional assistance.
    • Deadline: Applications for the 2023-2024 academic year are due February 15, 2023.
    • Any applications received through July 15, 2023 will be used for any late awarded scholarships or any new scholarships that may open up.
    • Award amount: The total amount anticipated per award is up to $4,500 with one to two recipients per semester.

How to apply

You can review application instructions and deadline information on the Financial Aid website's Scholarships page.

Graduate assistantships at UAF are determined and awarded by individual departments, colleges, and/or research institutes.