Financial Aid Options

The financial aid options for graduate schools in biology and varies widely. In many cases, students that apply to graduate programs that focus on professional science masters programs, non-research or non-thesis oriented masters programs, will be required to pay for graduate school although there might be some funding available to defray costs (scholarships, limited stipends, etc.). Often students can apply for financial aid through the government (FASFA) or private loan companies. The financial aid offices of these schools can assist you in finding these types of loans.

In graduate programs that are research oriented (many master levels and most Ph.D. programs), most biology graduate students do NOT pay tuition for graduate school, and many are given reasonable financial assistance to cover their living and sometimes basic medical expenses. Financial assistance can consist of teaching or research assistantships; training grants; graduate scholarships, fellowships, and grants; and research grants obtained by the faculty for whom you would conduct research.

Assistantships

• Teaching assistantship
  involves teaching recitation, discussion, or laboratory sections or assisting professors with grading and/or teaching
• Research assistantship
  involves performing literature or experimental research with a professor or in a service laboratory

Check with your prospective graduate program coordinator and/or prospective graduate research advisor for information on training grants, graduate scholarships and grants, and research grants.

Additional Financial Aid Resources

• Financial Aid Office at the schools to which you are applying

• UCLA Graduate/Postdoctoral Funding Database