Funding Your Education

Cost and Funding

The Vanderbilt Graduate School is committed to offering students a transparent view of the costs associated with post-graduate studies, and the funding available to supplement tuition. Because financial awards are determined by individual programs and can vary, be sure to contact your program director.

Graduate Student in lab
Section Contents

Master's Cost of Attendance

For Master’s programs offered through the Graduate school, you can find information on tuition per credit hour, student health insurance and additional student fees in this cost of attendance guide.

In some instances, students admitted to terminal master's degree programs in the Graduate School are offered financial aid and awards, but not as frequently or to the same extent as are Ph.D. students. Other opportunities for financial assistance may be found through varied work positions on campus, some of which are research and administrative assistantships.

Additional details regarding student financial packages may be obtained from your academic department or program. All Graduate School students are eligible for additional funding during the progression of your studies.

Contact Your Program of Interest

M.F.A. Degree Funding

Master's of Fine Arts (M.F.A.) students can generally expect funding packages that include teaching/research assistantships that pay tuition (approximately $43,000/year), medical insurance ($3,975), student fees and a supplemental income stipend ranging from $34,000 to $38,000 per year for five years (depending on the department).* Learn more about M.F.A. funding opportunities.

*Data updated February 29, 2024; stipend range excludes School of Nursing given that it is an online program. 

Doctoral (Ph.D.) Funding

Vanderbilt University provides awards, stipends, fellowship and assistantship funds to attract the best and brightest doctoral students. Financial awards are available in several forms, with considerable variation from one program to another. 

As a doctoral student, research and/or teaching will be a vital part of your graduate training. Since the Ph.D. is primarily a research degree, our doctoral students are expected to be engaged in research throughout their graduate careers. This research is typically carried out under the mentorship of one of our esteemed faculty members and will result in the student’s Ph.D. dissertation. Teaching experience is an important part of your intellectual development and professional preparation. Varying by discipline, some of our graduate programs provide two semesters of teaching experience for our Ph.D. students (as a Teaching Assistant or similar role). Collectively, your teaching and/or research experiences form the basis of your funding package.

Ph.D. students can generally expect funding packages that include teaching/research assistantships that pay tuition (approximately $43,000/year), medical insurance ($3,975), student fees, and a supplemental income stipend ranging from $34,000 to $38,000 per year for five years (depending on the department)*. PhD students are also eligible for the Launching Student Success Stipend.

*Data updated February 29, 2024; stipend range excludes School of Nursing given that it is an online program. 

University Scholarships

University Tuition Scholarships are service-free awards that pay all or part of tuition costs. The maximum award value is currently $27,372 for the academic year. There are many university scholarships available to doctoral students. Often, master’s students are eligible depending on certain criteria and their program of choice.  

The following awards are normally supplemented by a full University Tuition Scholarship, which usually includes student health insurance coverage: University Fellowships, Graduate Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Research Assistantships, Traineeships, and Teacher Training Awards. 

  • University Graduate Fellowships (UGF)

    The University Graduate Fellowship (UGF) is awarded by the Graduate School to highly qualified students entering study for the Ph.D. or master's degree, if that is the highest degree offered by the program. To be considered, an applicant's file must be complete by January 15. Individual departments nominate applicants for this highly competitive award, and decisions are announced by the Graduate School in early March.

    The UGF, a stipend of up to $5000, is a supplement to a fellowship, assistantship, traineeship, or tuition award and is awarded for a period of up to three years for the Ph.D., or up to two years for terminal master's programs.  At the end of the third year, with continued academic success, eligible Ph.D. students with approval from their home department and the Graduate School will receive up to 2 additional years of support from Harold Stirling Vanderbilt funds in the Graduate School. The UGF carries the status of Russell G. Hamilton Scholar.

  • Provost's Graduate Fellowships (PGF)

    The Graduate School offers these fellowships to incoming U.S. citizens and permanent residents from diverse backgrounds who intend to pursue a Ph.D. degree. Each award provides a $10,000 stipend awarded as a supplement to any other funding that is offered to the applicant and is made for a period of five years. The Provost's Graduate Fellowship carries the status of Russell G. Hamilton Scholar.

  • Russell G. Hamilton Scholarships

    As part of the initiative of the Graduate Education and Research Endowment, Russell G. Hamilton scholarships are awarded to highly qualified students intending to pursue the Ph.D. degree. This award is a tuition scholarship, and the recipients are designated as Russell G. Hamilton Scholars.

  • Harold Stirling Vanderbilt (HSV) Funds 

    Harold Stirling Vanderbilt Funds are awarded to graduate students by invitation-only and are used to extend either a PGF/UGF for up to an additional two years or to provide a new fellowship award of up to two years for an eligible and approved newly invited graduate student.  These important awards recognize the continued success of our PGF/UGF recipients and reward new recipients for their excellent scholarly accomplishments. 

  • Vanderbilt Doctoral Discovery Fellowship (VDDF)

    This prestigious fellowship, funded jointly by the Provost's Office and each School/College, is offered to a select number of students with the goal of recruiting the world's best Ph.D. scholars to Vanderbilt. This is the most prestigious fellowship that Vanderbilt currently provides. Vanderbilt Discovery Doctoral Fellows receive up to five years of supplemental support in the amount of $20,000 per year.

  • Yellow Ribbon Program

    As a participant in the Yellow Ribbon Program, the Graduate School of Vanderbilt University is committed to provide financial aid as necessary (specifically, in the form of tuition and fees) up to $16,000 per academic year to each post-9/11 eligible Veteran who is admitted and enrolls as a student in a degree program and who is determined by the VA to be eligible for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students admitted to the Graduate School as special, non-degree students are not eligible for Yellow Ribbon financial aid from the Graduate School.

At Vanderbilt, we recognize that nurturing student scholarship is not merely about providing resources; it's about cultivating an environment where innovation and creativity are encouraged and ensuring every student has the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to their respective field.

C. Cybele Raver C. André Christie-Mizell
Vice Provost

Enhanced Funding Model

In the Spring of 2021, Provost Cybele Raver announced a new $5 million annual
investment in graduate education to show Vanderbilt’s commitment to training and mentoring the next generation of scholars and thought leaders. As part of this enhanced funding model, graduate students will be able to take advantage of: 

  • Financial enhancements to assist with additional non-tuition related costs
  • Support, funding and external grant and workshop opportunities
  • Graduate community enhancements
  • Partnerships to support graduate students

Learn more about the Enhanced Funding and Support Model for Doctoral Education.

See Enhanced Funding Model