How to get a graduate school fellowship

A fellowship for graduate school can be a big help to those looking for ways to fund their continued education. Fellowships are just like scholarships and do not have to be paid back. There are many different types of fellowships and each has their own criteria as to how to qualify. The two main types of fellowships you will encounter before starting your masters program are portable and institutional.

Portable fellowships

A portable fellowship can be applied to any area of study in graduate school. These allow the student a little more freedom as any portable fellowship can help pay for any masters program and any grad student can apply for any portable fellowship. You can find portable fellowships that are either federally funded or awarded by an independent organization.

Institutional fellowships

These fellowships are awarded by either the graduate school you are attending or an outside party that requires you to attend a specific school. Examples of institutional fellowships include the Harvard University Fellowship in Minority Health Policy, the Tufts University Graduate Fellowship for Masters Degree Candidates in Child Development, and the University of New Mexico Graduate Fellowship in Advanced Electromagnetics. Notice that these are all very specific fellowships and it may be hard to find an institutional fellowship that fits both your school and masters program.