Funding Grad School

The University of Memphis Graduate School is committed to providing access to outstanding graduate programs at an affordable price. For information on the actual cost of graduate school, please visit:

• Cost + Aid: https://www.memphis.edu/gradschool/future_students/cost-aid.php

You might also find our cost of attendance calculator useful: https://umwa.memphis.edu/estimator/

Full-time graduate study requires a minimum of 9 credit hrs. unless you are late-stage doctoral.  For more information on time status see academic regulations here.

Financial Planning

The Council of Graduate Schools just launched a new resource to help prospective and current graduate students navigate financial planning issues before, during, and after graduate school. It provides diverse resources including a debt-to-earnings calculator that allows students to explore the potential return on investment (ROI) of various graduate degrees. https://gradsense.org  

Financial Aid

If you are a domestic student, you might qualify for federal financial aid in the form of grants or loans.  Be sure to fill out the FAFSA form to determine your eligibility. For more information, please reach out to our financial aid office:  https://www.memphis.edu/financialaid/graduate/aidprog2.php

Graduate Non-Resident Merit Scholarship 

Award amount: $2,100 per semester for fall and spring semesters ($4,200 academic year)

Eligibility Requirements:
• Not a resident of the State of Tennessee (U.S. citizen or permanent resident or F-1 or J-1 Visa holder) 

Only students who are charged the Non-Resident or International tuition rates are eligible for the non-resident scholarship.

• Admitted to a graduate degree program at the University of Memphis (excluding law school) 

Graduate Certificate students are not eligible for this scholarship

• 3.25/4.0 U.S.A. equivalent cumulative undergraduate GPA or completed master’s degree GPA; or 310 GRE with at least 150 in GRE Verbal AND 150 in GRE Quantitative AND 2.5 AWA or equivalent GMAT scores

To maintain this scholarship award, students must be continuously enrolled in full-time credit hours each fall and spring semester. If students go below full-time status during their last semester, the award amount will be prorated for the last semester only.  Additionally, students must earn a 3.0 UofM GPA or higher every semester to maintain this scholarship.
This is an admissions-based scholarship, that is, awarded to entering applicants only. Eligibility is determined at the time of admission.

There is no application required beyond the admission application. Continuing or enrolled students are not eligible for this scholarship.

Only students who are charged the Non-Resident or International tuition rates are eligible for the non-resident scholarship.

Students receiving graduate assistantships or other university funding (including non-resident tuition waivers, such as the non-resident work waiver or border county waiver) are not eligible for this scholarship. 

Part-Time Master's Graduate Scholarship

The Graduate School provides a limited number of merit based scholarships to attract high caliber master's students who are only able to attend part-time and are thus unable to access many traditional forms of support. Awardees will receive $4,000 ($2,000 each semester) toward tuition and fees in the form of graduate scholarship. Up to 10 awards are available each academic year.

Eligibility:

Students must be admitted to a graduate program. Because the fund is used to recruit high caliber master’s students, priority is given to students who have not been previously enrolled, but high caliber students not previously identified in the admission process can also be nominated. 

Nomination Process:

• Departments will recommend candidates to the Dean of their college or school. Determined by a competitive process at the college or school, each Dean will recommend students in ranked order to the Dean of the Graduate School. If you believe you are eligible, please reach out to your program coordinator and identify yourself as a potential part-time student.  
• The recommendation consists of a completed Graduate School Competitive Awards Nomination Form with required supporting documentation and any other relevant materials required by the college or school.

Terms of the Award:

• Recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to receive the second term funding. This award is limited to one year.
• Recipients must not hold a graduate assistantship or be employed by The University of Memphis in any way.
• Recipients must enroll for a MINIMUM OF THREE or a MAXIMUM OF EIGHT credit hours.

DEADLINE: July 15, 2025 Recommendations from the College should be forwarded to: gradfellowships@memphis.edu

Department Merit Scholarships

Some University of Memphis graduate programs offer graduate merit scholarships (either department funded, or donor funded). These competitive scholarships are given to students with exceptional academic records. Amounts vary. Reach out to your department or program directly to see if scholarships are available and to determine your eligibility.

Border County Tuition Waivers

The University of Memphis accommodates students from border counties in Arkansas and Mississippi with a waiver of the non-resident portion of regular tuition. Listed below are the eligible counties:

Interested students from one of the eligible counties must meet the following qualifications to be eligible for the waiver. 

Eligibility Criteria

• Admitted into a degree-seeking program or the non-degree option. 
• Graduate students must provide documented proof of permanent residence in one of the eligible counties. Send proof of eligibility to graduateadmissions@memphis.edu 

University of Memphis Graduate Assistantships

Assistantships serve to facilitate graduate students in the prompt and successful completion of an advanced degree program and to provide work experience in a setting under the supervision of a faculty or administrative mentor. 

Full-time Graduate Assistantships

A full-time graduate assistant (GA) will work, on average, 20 hours a week (equivalent to a half-time employee). Full-time graduate assistantships include full tuition, fees, (starting in the fall of 2024) health insurance, and a stipend. Full-time graduate assistants must be enrolled full-time (9 credit hrs.) unless they are at late stage (dissertation stage), or in the last semester of their master’s program or a master’s student taking thesis hours. Enrollment is not required during the summer to receive a graduate assistantship during the summer unless you are a new student. Health insurance will be covered for full-time GAs who have been contracted for at least 4 months.

Part-time Graduate Assistantship

A part-time graduate assistant (GA) will work, on average, 10 hours a week. Part-time graduate assistantship tuition levels and stipends vary. Health insurance is not currently available for part-time graduate assistants. Part-time assistantships are available to students enrolled in at least 3 hours or for those at dissertation/thesis stage who are enrolled in at least one credit hr. Enrollment is not required during to receive a graduate assistantship during the summer unless you are a new student.

Graduate assistantships are highly competitive. They are offered primarily through graduate programs/departments and are available only to students within those programs. Please contact your department to check on the availability of graduate assistantships and your eligibility.

Occasionally non-academic units will also be looking for graduate assistants that are open to students across the campus. Job postings for those positions can be found here. You must be admitted to the University of Memphis to access the employment software (Handshake).

Non-Resident Waiver

Graduate students classified as out-of-state at the University of Memphis for fee payment purposes may be eligible for a waiver to receive the in-state rate on part-time enrollment hours (8 hours or less) based on their full-time employment status in the state of Tennessee.

• Students must be employed full time, 37.5 hours or more, for an employer in the state of Tennessee. Employment may consist of one full-time position, or the equivalent of full-time
  employment based on a combination of part-time positions in the state of Tennessee.
• To receive the waiver a letter of employment must be provided by the in- state employer(s) on company letterhead each semester by the final registration deadline to
  graduateadmissions@memphis.edu. Information should be included verifying that the
  student is employed full-time (minimum of 37.5 hours per week.)
• Students may take up to a maximum of 8 credit hours per semester in this status. Students that add additional courses that exceed the maximum of 8 credit hours will no longer be
  eligible for the waiver and will be assessed the out-of-state rate for all credit hours.
• Students domiciled in Tennessee that are establishing residency may apply for in-state classification upon successful completion of two consecutive part-time terms under this
  status. This does not apply to students that are domiciled in another state or international students.

If you have questions, please contact graduateadmissions@memphis.edu. 

University of Memphis Graduate School Award and Fellowships

A limited number of competitive awards and fellowships are offered by the graduate school. To be considered for these awards you must be nominated by your department. Please visit our website here for information and eligibility.

University of Memphis Student Worker Positions

A variety of units on campus employ students (both graduate and undergraduate). To explore job postings please visit here. You must be admitted to the University of Memphis to access the employment software (Handshake).

External grants and fellowships

Many funding organizations offer grants and fellowships to help support your graduate education.  Here are some resources for finding external grants and fellowship opportunities.

• https://libguides.memphis.edu/graduate/grants
• https://pathwaystoscience.org/grad.aspx
• https://new.nsf.gov/funding/graduate-students
• https://mcnairscholars.com/funding/

Employment benefits

Many companies offer tuition assistance benefits. Check with your human resources office at your work to see if your employer provides educational benefits and your eligibility.

Additional resources: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/student-loans/graduate-school-scholarships-grants/